Shaolin, the Yangtze and Guilin
Beijing · Xi'an · Luoyang · Yangtze · Chongqing · Guilin · Yangshuo · Shanghai · 15 days
River cruise and karst landscape in one trip.
On a China trip you usually have to choose between a cruise through the Three Gorges and the karst landscape around Guilin. This route has both, plus Beijing and Xi'an, the Shaolin Temple, the Longmen Grottoes and Shanghai at the end. Four nights on board in an outside cabin with full board, one leg by domestic flight, the rest mostly by high-speed train. Accommodation in hotels of local 4-star category. Minimum number of participants: 2. Group size maximum 15.
from 2.320 € per person in double room
Single supplement from 720 € · Dates on request
International flights are not included and must be booked separately.
Dates & Conditions for this trip
Departures 2026: 17 Oct | 07 Nov. Prices for 2026 departures are significantly higher than for 2027, please enquire.
Shore excursions during the cruise may change depending on weather and navigation conditions.
Price varies by departure date. Non-binding indication per person in a double room, as of 08/2026, subject to change. The binding tour price is confirmed in your individual offer.
International flights are not included. On request we will quote flights at the current fare.
Minimum number of participants: 2. If this number is not reached, we may withdraw from the contract up to 20 days before departure. Group size maximum 15.
The specific hotels are named in your individual offer. Changes within the stated local category remain reserved.
Day by Day.
Arrival in Beijing
Your guide meets you at the airport of the Chinese capital and takes you to the hotel. Depending on arrival time there is room for your own exploring.
Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
Tian'anmen Square is regarded as the centre of the Middle Kingdom, with the mausoleum and the Monument to the People's Heroes at its heart. Behind the Gate of Heavenly Peace begins the Forbidden City, whose expanse of vivid architecture fills the morning. In the afternoon the Temple of Heaven in the south of the city.
Summer Palace and Great Wall
The Summer Palace takes you back to old China: the Marble Boat on Kunming Lake, the 700-metre corridor, dense ornament throughout. In the afternoon the Great Wall at Mutianyu, north of Beijing and quieter than other sections. By cable car up to the wall, returning to the city in the evening.
By train to Xi'an
By high-speed train in about five hours to Xi'an. After a break at the hotel to the Ming dynasty city wall, at 14 kilometres the largest and best preserved in China. You can walk it or cycle around it.
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army was among the first Chinese sites on the UNESCO list. You see the three excavated pits and the hall with the bronze chariots. In the afternoon the Great Wild Goose Pagoda from the 7th century and the Great Mosque. Xi'an was the start and end of the Silk Road, and its Muslim community is correspondingly old.
Longmen Grottoes
By high-speed train to Luoyang and directly on to the Longmen Grottoes on the banks of the Yi River. From the 5th century onwards cave temples were cut into the rock here; more than 2,000 niches hold Buddha and Bodhisattva figures of every size.
Shaolin Temple and embarkation
In the morning to Dengfeng, birthplace of Shaolin Gongfu. You visit the monastery and the Pagoda Forest, and if you wish a demonstration by Gongfu students. Then transfer to Zhengzhou and by high-speed train across China to Yichang, where your ship is waiting in port. You take your outside cabin.
On the Yangtze
Three days through the Three Gorges. The sections could hardly differ more, from narrow and steep to gently rising banks with fields and orchards. Planned excursions include the Three Gorges Dam, a boat trip on a tributary and the Xiao Guan Shan Folk Culture Park or the ghost city of Fengdu.
Chongqing and on to Yangshuo
In the morning you reach Chongqing, with over 30 million inhabitants the largest city in China, and leave the ship. You visit Eling Park with its view over the metropolis and the old quarter of Ciqikou, one of the few with surviving old houses. Then by high-speed train in about four hours to Guilin and directly on to Yangshuo.
Bamboo raft and Moon Hill
Two ways of seeing the landscape. First on a bamboo raft through the karst area, past steep hills, fields and villages. Afterwards there is time for a bike ride or a longer walk, taking in Moon Hill.
Flight to Shanghai
The morning is free, in the afternoon the flight from Guilin to Shanghai. In the evening the Bund is worth a visit, with the illuminated Pudong skyline.
Old town, the Bund and Shanghai Tower
The old town shows the Shanghai of the early 20th century, with the Yu Garden at its centre. Then the view from the observation deck of the Shanghai Tower and the Urban Planning Exhibition Centre on People's Square. There is still time for Nanjing Road.
Departure
Depending on your flight time, transfer to Shanghai airport for your return or onward journey.
Sample program, subject to change. Minimum number of participants: 2.
What is included.
Included services
- Accommodation in a double room with bath or shower and WC, breakfast daily
- Full board on board the cruise ship, plus dinner on days 7, 11 and 13
- Four nights on board in an outside cabin
- Local German-speaking guides, English-speaking guide on board during the Yangtze cruise
- High-speed train Beijing to Xi'an, Xi'an to Luoyang, Zhengzhou to Yichang and Chongqing to Guilin, 2nd class
- Flight Guilin to Shanghai in economy class, including airport tax and fuel surcharge
- Transfers, admissions and sightseeing as per programme
- Air-conditioned vehicles of local standard
Not included
- International flights, arrival in Beijing and departure from Shanghai
- Visa, where required for your nationality. We advise on current entry and visa requirements with the offer
- Personal expenses
- Meals and drinks not listed in the programme
- Tips for guides, drivers and porters
Send an inquiry
Tell us your wishes regarding date, route, and group size. We will get back to you personally with a suitable proposal.
Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 · Response usually on the next working day