$3849—Save up to 48% on 5-star China tour, pandas & cruises
Beyond the icons, discover China's landscapes, pandas and Yangtze cruise in one unforgettable trip.
Why We Love This Deal
China is too vast to do justice in a short trip. This 20-day journey covers China’s greatest hits, then reveals its many extraordinary faces. Futuristic skylines meet centuries-old traditions. Walk the Great Wall and stand before the Terracotta Warriors. Then spend four nights sailing between the towering cliffs of the Yangtze. Aboard Yangtze Gold No. 5, the busiest touring days give way to river time. You unpack, slow down and watch the scenery unfold from your balcony. Afterwards, pandas, limestone valleys and village landscapes reveal a softer, greener China. Many tours stop after the icons or the river cruise. Here, an entirely different chapter is still ahead. Imperial cities give way to tea country, river valleys and southern skylines. These contrasts keep the journey fresh, while the pacing leaves room to breathe. The scenery changes, and so do the flavours. The holiday includes 15 nights at five-star hotels and guided touring. High-speed rail, coach transport and one domestic flight cover the longest distances. If this may be your only China journey, choose the version that leaves little out.
Starting at $3489 per person, Travelzoo members save up to $3596 per person, or 48%, on Inspiring Vacations’ usual prices.
What's included
- 15 nights in 5-star hotels
- Flight from Xi’an to Yichang
- Breakfast daily, 11 lunches & 6 dinners
- 4-night Yangtze River Cruise on board the 5-star Yangtze Gold No. 5 in a Deluxe Balcony Cabin, including:
- Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Captain's Welcome Banquet
- Farewell Banquet Dinner
- Shore excursions include:
- Three Gorges Dam, Shennong Stream and Fengdu Ghost City
- Qutang, Wu and Lesser Three Gorges
- Ancient plank roads and hanging coffins
- Fully escorted by a dedicated tour leader (except on the Yangtze Cruise)
- High-speed rail tickets and dedicated coach transportation
- In addition to the attractions mentioned above, sightseeing and entrance fees include:
- Shanghai’s Bund, Xintiandi and historic Shikumen lanes
- Suzhou’s Master of the Nets Garden
- Beijing’s Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and Tiananmen Square
- The Three Gorges Dam
- Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave and a Li River cruise
- An evening tour of Guangzhou
When
The featured $3849 per person is valid for travel on 21 March and 7 November 2027.
There are 25 other discounted departures from 4 April 2027 to 5 November 2028, saving between 43% and 48%.
Book by 18 August 2026.
To find out more, see our partner's website.
Holiday snapshot
Shanghai - Suzhou - Beijing - Xi'an - Yichang - Yangtze River Cruise - Three Gorges - Chongqing - Chengdu - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guangzhou
Itinerary highlights
Shanghai introduces China's remarkable contrasts, from the grand waterfront of The Bund to the restored Shikumen laneways of Xintiandi. An afternoon at leisure provides time to explore this dynamic city at your own pace.
Travelling to Suzhou reveals a more traditional side of China, where the elegant Master of the Nets Garden showcases classical landscape design before a visit to a silk workshop traces the history of one of the country's most prized exports.
China's imperial past comes to life in Beijing, with visits to Tiananmen Square, the vast Forbidden City, the Great Wall at Juyongguan Pass, the Summer Palace and the Temple of Heaven. Authentic Beijing hot pot adds a memorable taste of the capital.
Ancient history takes centre stage in Xi'an, where the remarkable Terracotta Warriors, the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the lively Yongxingfang cultural precinct reveal the city's rich Silk Road heritage.
An early flight to Yichang marks the start of your five-star Yangtze River cruise, with time to settle aboard before four unforgettable nights on China's most famous waterway.
Life on the Yangtze River Cruise combines spectacular scenery with fascinating shore excursions, including the immense Three Gorges Dam, Captain's Welcome and Farewell Banquets, and the mysterious Fengdu Ghost City.
Towering limestone cliffs frame the legendary Three Gorges, where excursions explore the dramatic Qutang and Wu Gorges, the tranquil Lesser Three Gorges and centuries-old hanging coffins suspended high above the river.
Disembarking in Chongqing, a bullet train carries you onwards to Chengdu, linking two of western China's most important cities in comfort.
China's beloved giant pandas are the highlight of Chengdu, where a visit to the renowned breeding centre is followed by an authentic Sichuan hot pot feast.
Extraordinary limestone landscapes surround Guilin, where Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill and a hands-on tea experience reveal why this region has inspired Chinese artists for centuries.
A four-hour cruise along the Li River delivers the spectacular karst scenery of Yangshuo, before a free day invites you to explore ancient streets, peaceful countryside or simply relax.
The journey concludes in Guangzhou, where a night tour showcases the city's glittering skyline before a farewell dim sum dinner celebrates the flavours of southern China.