Imperial China

Welcome to China’s capital city, Beijing. On arrival, be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

This evening meet your fellow travellers and enjoy an Insider Experience.

Insider Experience - Authentic Peking Duck Dinner

Peking Duck, also known as Peking Roast Duck, is a world-renowned dish that hails from Beijing. Celebrated for its thin, crispy skin and tender, flavourful meat, it is traditionally served in a delicate handmade pancake with hoisin sauce, cucumber, and spring onion. Once a staple of imperial court banquets, the dish's meticulous preparation and refined presentation reflect its noble origins.

Embark on a guided journey through Beijing’s imperial treasures. Begin at Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world and the site of the controversial 1989 protests that brought global attention to China's human rights issues. Under the watchful gaze of Chairman Mao’s iconic portrait, pass through the imposing gates of the Forbidden City. Once the exclusive domain of the Ming Dynasty emperors, this vast labyrinth of courtyards and alleys offers a glimpse into a world long hidden from outside eyes. Afterwards, continue to a family home in a traditional hutong for a special lunch. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, or perhaps join an optional excursion to the Temple of Heaven (additional expense).

Insider Experience - Lunch in Hutong Home

Be welcomed into a traditional hutong family home for a special, home-cooked lunch. 'Hutong' refers to the narrow lanes and alleys once common across central Beijing, now increasingly rare amid the city's modern high-rises. Meet your warm and curious hosts, who are just as eager to hear your stories as they are to share their own. Learn the art of traditional dumpling making before sitting down to a delicious, authentic meal. Afterwards, enjoy a guided walk through the remaining hutongs, discovering the fading charm and enduring traditions of old Beijing

Enhance Your Journey - Temple of Heaven

Visit the Temple of Heaven, an architectural gem located in the southeastern part of central Beijing. Built in the early 15th century during the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in 1889 after fire damage, the stunning three-storey, circular timber complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is constructed entirely without the use of nails. Chinese emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed annual ceremonies to pray for a good harvest and to connect with the heavens.

Embark on a visit to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China, and take a scenic cable car ride to enjoy sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and landscape. Explore the ancient watchtowers at your own pace, immersing yourself in the rich history and stunning beauty of this iconic monument. Afterwards, savour tasty local cuisine at lunch, before returning to your hotel for time at leisure.

The evening is free for you to explore Beijing's many attractions at your own pace. Alternatively, choose one of the following optional activities (additional expense) for a night of Chinese culture.

Enhance Your Journey - Beijing Acrobatic Show

China acrobatics have existed for over two thousand years and began as entertainment for China's lower classes, evident in the props used by acrobats like plates, tables, chairs and jars. Be mesmerised by the skill and artistry of the acrobats as they juggle delicate objects with their feet, contort their bodies into unrecognisable shapes and ride a bicycle while balancing more than a dozen people.

Enhance Your Journey - Traditional Beijing Opera Performance

Marvel at the colourful costumes and intricate makeup at a performance of traditional Beijing Opera, the most dominant form of opera in China, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. The art form was extremely popular in the Qing imperial court and is regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.

After breakfast, transfer to the train station to board your fast train to Xi’an. Arrive in Xi'an and be transferred to your hotel for check-in. Enjoy free time to explore the city at your leisure, before gathering for a delicious dumpling dinner.

Insider experience - Banquet Dumpling dinner

At a dumpling restaurant favoured by locals, savour a variety of handmade dumplings cooked using various methods like steaming, boiling, pan frying, deep frying and even roasting – to bring out maximum flavour of the dumplings.

Enhance your journey - Tang Dynasty Show

After dinner, you have the option to watch a Tang Dynasty Show, a dazzling performance of music, dance and acrobatics (additional expense).

This morning, visit the vast archaeological site where thousands of life-sized Terracotta Warriors, buried around 210 BC, stand guard over Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb — each hand carved with unique features. Afterwards, enjoy a local farmer’s lunch before returning to Xi’an city centre for free time.

Insider Experience - Learn Chinese Painting at Gao Family Mansion

In the afternoon, enjoy a tour to Gao Family Mansion, one of the finest examples of a grand, traditional family home built during the Ming dynasty. Located in the Muslim Quarter of Xi'an, Gao Family Mansion is decorated with antique furniture, traditional lanterns and paintings. Under the guidance of a local artist, you'll learn to write a few simple Chinese characters and create a traditional painting.

After breakfast, transfer to the train station to board your bullet train to Chengdu. In Chengdu, embark on a walking tour to People's Park and nearby Kuanzhai Alley. People’s Park was the first public park to be established in Chengdu and is an important place for residents to meet and recreate. Afterwards, enjoy an Insider Experience.

Continue to Kuanzhai Alley, a historical and cultural hutong area in Chengdu made up of three parallel alleys featuring heritage buildings offering a glimpse into Chengdu's rich history. Visit local teahouses, browse in handicraft stores, linger in art galleries, and soak up the vibrant atmosphere. This evening, taste famous Sichuan hotpot at al local restaurant.

Insider Experience - Sip tea at a lakeside teahouse

Located inside People's Park, surrounded by a tranquil lake and beautifully landscaped gardens, your authentic Chinese teahouse awaits. Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed Chinese tea and experience an authentic slice of local Chengdu life.

Today's excursion is a highlight for many visitors to China – a visit to the Giant Panda Breeding Centre, a research facility dedicated to the conservation and research of China's unique giant pandas. Home to over 100 giant pandas, the institution is one of the best places in the world to see these adorable creatures up close. The centre is also home to red pandas and other vulnerable and endangered species.

Enjoy some free time this afternoon, before rejoining your fellow travellers for this evening's Insider Experience.

Insider experience - Sichuan Opera Show

Sichuan Opera is one of China's oldest and most popular opera forms. Originating at the end of the Ming and beginning of the Qing dynasties, the performances offer a dynamic mix drama, comedy, puppetry, music and fire breathing. A signature element of the opera is Face Changing, where performers rapidly flick their heads up and down, changing the thin painted masks over their face instantly.

Board your high-speed train to Chongqing and enjoy a delicious packed lunch on board. In Chongqing, go on a guided walking tour through the charming streets of Ciqikou Ancient Town, an area established in the year 998, offering a glimpse into the rich architectural heritage of East Sichuan folk houses unique to the area. Afterwards, be transferred to the pier to embark the Century Paragon. After settling into your cabin, enjoy a sumptuous dinner as you begin your adventure along the mighty Yangtze River.

Start your day with an early morning Tai Chi session onboard. Later, embark on a fascinating shore excursion to the Yangtze River’s Fengdu Ghost City, where you’ll discover its fascinating history and intriguing legends. Return to the ship for time at leisure or, perhaps, participate in a range of onboard activities or informative talks and presentations.

Relax on board and marvel at the spectacular views as you sail through Qutang Gorge, considered the most striking of the Three Gorges, and features the spectacular Kuimen Gate that appears on the Chinese 10 renmenbi bank note. Glide along Wu Gorge famed for its sharply rising mountain peaks, before enjoying a delicious lunch on board. Afterwards, disembark your ship and transfer to small timber boats for a gentle cruise along Shennv Stream, and marvel at the awe-inspiring natural beauty, where the mist-shrouded tributary clears to reveal emerald waters and forest-covered mountains. This evening, enjoy the captain’s farewell show.

After breakfast, farewell your vessel and disembark for a visit to Yichang Three Gorges Terminal Center to learn about the world's largest hydroelectric dam. Savour lunch at a local restaurant in Yichang before transferring to the airport for your flight to cosmopolitan Shanghai. Arrive in Shanghai and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the evening is at leisure.

Your day begins with a visit to Yu, or Yuyuan, Garden, a classical-style Chinese garden dating to the Ming Dynasty. Though small in size, the garden contains all the essential elements required of a classical Chinese garden: ponds, rockeries, pavilions, halls and exquisite carvings.

After free time for lunch, enjoy a leisurely walking tour of Nanjing Road, the shopping hub of Shanghai and considered China's most commercial thoroughfare. The 5.5 km-street is packed with department stores, boutiques, restaurants and entertainment venues. Continue to the Bund, a waterfront area and a protected historical district, in central Shanghai. On the eastern side of the Bund lies the Huangpu River – the largest river flowing through downtown Shanghai, and where the iconic Oriental Pearl TV Tower is located. To the river's west are 52 gothic and baroque-style buildings that once housed old Shanghai's financial institutions and trading companies. The glorious western-style architecture stands as a lasting reminder of British occupation of Shanghai during the First Opium War.

This evening, savour for a sumptuous dinner at a local Chinese restaurant, before admiring the dazzling Shanghai skyline at night on a river cruise.

Insider Experience - Huangpu River Cruise

As you glide along the river, take in the stunning night views of Shanghai and delight in its unmistakable sights such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Old Harbour and commercial centre.

Farewell your fellow travellers and transfer to Pudong Airport for your onward journey.