Western China · 4 days
Chongqing & the Three Gorges: 4 Days on the Yangtze River
One of the great river journeys in the world, taken at the pace of a river cruise. Chongqing is the city to arrive in, and the Three Gorges are the reason to leave it.
The route
What this trip actually feels like
- A Three Gorges cruise with the gorge walls either side of the deck
- Hongya Cave and the old stilt-house district, lit at night
- Hotpot in the mountain city, with the river below you
- The riverside roads of Chongqing, which is the only city built in three dimensions
Best for
- Travellers who want a river cruise that is genuinely different from the European ones
- Anyone with a few days between Chengdu and Shanghai
- Families — the cruise is very easy to sell and very hard to forget
The setting
Where this route is set
Day by day
The plan, as it would actually run
Arrive Chongqing, the mountain city
Transfer from the airport and check in. The afternoon is spent on the Hongya Cave hill and the stilt houses of Ciqikou old town, then the riverside road at dusk with the lights coming on across the river. This city has no flat ground at all, and that is the entire point of it.
- Morning
- Airport arrival and monorail transfer
- Afternoon
- Hongya Cave and Ciqikou old town
- Evening
- Riverside road at dusk, hotpot dinner
- Meals
- Dinner included
Night 1 Conrad Chongqing
Note. The city is built on eleven levels. Wear shoes with grip, and do not attempt the Hongya Cave steps in heels.
Dazu Rock Carvings and the wartime air-raid shelter
The Dazu carvings are among the finest Buddhist rock sculpture in the world and a comfortable two hours from the city. Back in town, the Civil Defence Air Raid Shelter beneath the Jiangbei district is a genuinely unusual hour — an underground city built during the war.
- Morning
- Dazu Rock Carvings with a guide
- Afternoon
- Civil Defence Air Raid Shelter
- Evening
- Dinner in Jiefangbei
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Dinner included
Night 2 Conrad Chongqing
Note. The Dazu site is spread over several separate locations. Ask specifically for the Baodingshan and Beishan areas — they are not all in one place.
Board the Three Gorges cruise
Travel to Fengdu — the Ghost City, where the hills rise straight out of the river — and board. The cruise is the centre of this route. You pass the Qutang Gorge and the narrower Wu Gorge, and the ship threads between the two with the cliffs close enough to touch on the deck.
- Morning
- Travel to Fengdu and board
- Afternoon
- The Qutang Gorge
- Evening
- Shipboard dinner and the upper deck
- Meals
- Breakfast included · Dinner included
Note. Book a cabin on the higher deck if you can. The difference between watching the gorges from the sixth floor and the third is substantial.
The lesser gorge and disembarkation
The Wu Gorge and the Shennong Stream in the early morning, then disembark at Yichang or continue to the Three Gorges Dam. Most guests disembark at Yichang and take the high-speed rail to Wuhan, Shanghai or Beijing.
- Morning
- Wu Gorge and the Shennong Stream
- Afternoon
- Disembarkation at Yichang, onward travel
- Evening
- Departure
- Meals
- Breakfast included
Note. The Shennong Stream side trip requires a change to a smaller boat and is well worth it if the timing works. It is quieter and far more forested than the main gorge.
In pictures
Scenes from the Chongqing & Three Gorges route
Where you sleep
Handpicked stays on this route
Conrad · Luxury
Conrad Chongqing
On the Nanbin road with the best view of the two rivers joining — the classic Chongqing image, and the city’s most photographed hotel frontage.
- Stay 3, pay for 2
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade
- US$100 hotel credit
From US$500 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
The Luxury Collection · Luxury
Chongqing TFT Hotel
The other Nanbin riverfront option, in a converted 1980s bank building, with its own dedicated hotpot restaurant.
- Signature amenities
- Daily breakfast for two
- US$100 credit
- Room upgrade
From US$500 per night
Valid to 2026-12-31
Practicalities
The things to get right before departure
Visa and entry
A mainland visa is required. Chongqing is a standard visa-on-arrival eligible destination for most Western passports.
Getting between the cities
Chongqing Jiangbei airport has a monorail line straight into the city, which is a rare and genuinely good airport link. The river cruise berths are at Chaotianmen, in the centre, and at Fengdu for the Three Gorges. High-speed rail from Chengdu takes about 90 minutes.
Questions
Asked by travellers on this route
How does the Three Gorges cruise compare with a European river cruise?
Completely differently. This is a working river, not a tour boat — you pass through the gorges between larger vessels, and the scale of the cliffs is the point rather than the onboard programme. The ships are older and less polished, and that is also part of it.
What time of year is best for the Three Gorges?
March to May and September to November. The water levels are lower and the colours are better in autumn; spring is green and misty. Summer is hot and humid with high water, and winter is cold with very low water levels.
Do I need a visa to take the cruise?
Yes, a mainland visa. The cruise is entirely within Chinese territory, including the section through the Three Gorges Dam.
How long is the cruise?
Three nights from Chongqing to Yichang is the standard and the best-value option. Four and five-night variants exist and go further upstream, or to the dam and beyond.
Is Chongqing hard to navigate?
It is genuinely difficult — the city is built vertically on hills over the river, with lifts, escalators and tunnels instead of flat streets. Use the metro and the riverside app-based taxis, and accept that walking routes will sometimes surprise you.