Stretching 3,195 miles from the glaciers of the Tibetan plateau to the East China Sea by Shanghai, the Yangtze River is Asia’s longest river, and the third-longest in the world. Winding its way through mountains, gorges and fertile plains, the Yangtze has played a pivotal role in the history, culture and economy of China, having been used for irrigation, sanitation and transportation for thousands of years. The Yangtze is perhaps best known for the dramatic stretch of river that passes through the Three Gorges, and more recently the controversy of the Three Gorges Dam, which transformed the river beyond recognition over recent years. Cruising the river lays out a fascinating glimpse of the country past and present – on the banks you’ll see huge industrial centres, natural splendour, old places of worship and agricultural land still tended by conical hatted farmers with teams of buffalo.
The best times to visit China are in the Spring, which falls between April – May and then in the Autumn, which is between September – October. This is when the weather is much more comfortable for tourists to explore.
As our tour focuses on unique and authentic experiences restaurants are hand-picked to ensure quality and authentic traditional dishes. Vegetarians and vegans are well catered for as we make sure all dietary requirements are sent over to the guides prior to departure.
We grade our tours on level of activity and amount of walking involved, which can be found on the tour pages on the website and in our brochures, under ‘Physical Rating’. We grade the tours as follows:
Level 1 – A reasonable level of fitness is required, but its more about spending time on your feet rather than covering large distances.
Level 2 – This will involve a little more time on your feet than level 1 tours and may involve a bit more walking or steps.
Level 3 – A good level of fitness is required, as around 2-3 hours of walking will be required per day. Other activities such as cycling, may be included and walking longer distances.
Level 4 – Level 4 is similar to level 3 but the activities may be of longer duration or a more challenging terrain.
Level 5 – You’ll need to be fit and adventurous to participate in these tours as in some cases you will be active for most of the day on tough terrain or have physically demanding activities.
Most of our tours include time for shopping whether it be in a local market or Bazaar, or with a visit to a shopping mall. This will be explained in the tour dossier, or by the local guide in resort. However, if this is something that you would like to include in your tour, please speak to one of our experts before travelling.
We all enjoy a good fact or two - here are a few useful ones about The Yangtze River:
The Yangtze River offers a wealth of wonderful sights and experiences. What better way to explore them than on a Wendy Wu tour?
No trip to The Yangtze River would be complete without seeing one of the wonders listed below.
Immerse yourself in our latest travel stories and access exclusive offers
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad. For the latest travel advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office including security and local laws, plus passport and visa information check https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
©2019 Wendy Wu Tours, All Rights Reserved. ABTA: W7994, ATOL: 6639 and IATA.
