Central China
Yichang is where the river leaves the gorges and where the dam holds it back. Most travellers only pass through on a cruise, but the dam itself, the ship locks and the 1950s river town on the bank are worth the extra day.
The case for going
The five-stage ship lock and the 185-metre wall, seen from the Tanziling overlook.
The longest of the three gorges, and the one the cruise transits after the dam.
A cliff cave with Tang and Song inscriptions above the river, 20 minutes from town.
A quiet side gorge of clear water and plank paths, used by locals at weekends.
Yichang cooks the Yangtze catch with pickled chilli — the regional dish to try before leaving.
Practical
Subtropical monsoon. Hot humid summers, mild winters, mist on most mornings.
Yichang Sanxia (YIH) has flights from major hubs; HSR connects to Wuhan in 2 hours and Chongqing in 4.
Airport. Yichang Sanxia Airport (YIH)
Rail. Yichang East is on the Wuhan–Yichang and Zhengzhou–Wanzhou lines.
In pictures
Questions travellers ask
One day in the city itself — the dam site and the riverfront — with the Three Gorges as the reason you are here. It is the downstream port of the Yangtze cruise.
The riverside near the cruise docks if you are boarding, or the downtown district for the evening food streets. The airport is 40 minutes out.
Fly into Sanxia (YIH), or the high-speed rail from Wuhan, under 2 hours. Most travellers arrive in Chongqing and leave here after the cruise.
The Three Gorges Dam is the largest power station on earth and worth the half-day; otherwise Yichang is the efficient exit point of the river journey.
Routes through here
Southwest & Western China
5days
The Three Gorges is the one journey in China where the transport is the destination. Four days downstream from Chongqing, with the gorges in the mornings, small-group shore excursions, and a night in Chongqing at either end.
From US$1,550per person
Where to stay
Crowne Plaza · Luxury
Where you land after the cruise: central, quiet, and twenty minutes from the Yichang East rail station for the onward high-speed train to Wuhan or Chongqing.
From US$120 per night
Valid to 2027-03-31
