China & the Yangtze River (2012)

Beijing • Shanghai • Wuhan • 4-night Yangtze River Cruise • Chongqing • Xian • Guilin • Hong Kong
  • 20 days
  • from only:
  • $2495
  • $125 per day
    River Cruise Only
  • 21 days
  • from only:
  • $3695
  • $176 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Photos From Our Travelers
What Makes This Trip Unique
It's Included
Hotel & Ship Accommodations
Pre- & Post- Trip Extensions
Bangkok, Thailand
Optional Tours
Local Team & Insider Tips
Grand Circle Foundation
Know Before You Go
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your River Cruise, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two vacations to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the Grand Circle Cruise Line River Cruise that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • International airport transfers to and from your ship or hotel are available for purchase
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your vacation
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your vacation with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of Grand Circle Cruise Line vacations to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Portland, OR, San Francisco

18hrs

Baltimore, Seattle

17hrs

Chicago, Orlando

19hrs

Detroit

14hrs

Houston

21hrs

Miami, New York (JFK), San Diego, Tampa

20hrs

Newark

16hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Beijing, China. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the Grand Circle Cruise Line family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on a Grand Circle Cruise Line trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610
or click here.

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Post-Trip: Bangkok, Thailand

4 nights from only $995
G23072

Explore one of Asia’s great and bustling cities—a city of famous temples and shrines, of fine museums, galleries, and performance venues. Bangkok is rich with both culture and contrasts, a place where small side streets lined by traditional shops and buildings nestle quietly between more fast-paced and lively main thoroughfares.

Please note: This extension may not be available for all departures. Additional taxes and fees will apply. Ask your Travel Counselor for details.

It's Included

  • Roundtrip air transportation—from Hong Kong to Bangkok
  • Accommodations—for 4 nights at the Superior First-Class Montien Riverside Hotel or similar
  • 6 meals—4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner
  • Sightseeing—Bangkok city tour, floral market, Wat Pho
  • Exclusive services of an experienced, English-speaking, resident local guide
  • All transfers

Optional Tours

Marble Hall & Siam Miramit with Dinner ($75 per person); Ayutthaya Ancient City ($70 per person, including lunch)

Day 1
Hong Kong, China/Bangkok, Thailand

You'll transfer to the airport for your flight to Bangkok today. A Grand Circle representative will meet you at the airport and assist you to your hotel, where you will meet your Thai Program Director. The balance of your day and evening is at leisure to relax.
Day 2
Bangkok/City Tour

This morning, have breakfast at your hotel and then enjoy a tour of Bangkok. Step into the Old Kingdom of Siam at the Grand Palace. In 1767, Burmese forces attacked the Thai capital of Ayutthaya, leaving it in ruins. King Rama I moved the capital to its present site in 1782, and the Grand Palace became the centerpiece of a new Thai capital called Krung Thep (City of Angels), known outside of Thailand as Bangkok. The original palace was constructed with some material brought from Ayutthaya, and each successive ruler expanded and refined the complex. It was King Mongkut (or Rama IV) who ruled from this palace, expanded trade with the West, and was romanticized in the musical The King and I.

The palace is a massive square-mile complex of gilded wats (temples), intricate ceremonial halls, and elaborate statues. Enclosed by ancient walls, the palace also contains the residence of the Royal Family and government offices.

Here also you will see the beautiful Temple of the Emerald Buddha with a statue of the Buddha carved from a piece of emerald-green jade. After lunch at a local restaurant, you have time near the end of your tour to visit a local jewelry shop. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.
Day 3
Bangkok/Floral market and Wat Pho/Optional Marble Hall & Siam Niramit with Dinner excursion

After breakfast, stroll through one of Bangkok’s largest flower markets, marveling at the impressive array of colorful blooms. Then pay a visit to Wat Pho to see its celebrated Reclining Buddha statue—a gilded sculpture that’s more than 150 feet long and 50 feet high. The afternoon is yours to make your own discoveries.

OR

Join us this afternoon for an optional tour showcasing Thailand’s cultural heritage. First, you’ll visit Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, a beautiful marble Renaissance-style building constructed in the early 20th century as part of Dusit Palace. Also known as Marble Hall, the building is now a museum celebrated for its beautiful ceiling murals depicting the history of the Chakri Dynasty—Thailand’s current royal house, which has been in power since 1782. The museum also displays a variety of rare and impressive Thai handcrafts.

Afterwards, you’ll take in a performance of Siam Niramit, an elaborate stage production celebrating Thai history and culture. Part Andrew Lloyd Webber-musical and part Cirque du Soleil, the show employs a cast of more than 150 actors, who wear more than 500 extravagant costumes as they depict seven centuries of Thai history through song and dance. Dinner is included.

Day 4
Bangkok/Optional Ayutthaya Ancient City Tour/Farewell Dinner

You have a full day to relax or enjoy the delights of Bangkok at your own pace.

OR

Join us for an optional full-day excursion to the ancient city of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose golden ruins remind you of the splendor of early Siam. Ayutthaya was the capital of the kingdom of Thailand for hundreds of years, from 1350 to 1767. With three rivers surrounding this city and more than 30 miles of canals, it was the thriving cultural and commercial heart of the kingdom, attracting foreign merchants from Europe and Asia. In 1767, after 33 dynasties, most of this majestic city was destroyed by the Burmese.

Ayutthaya offers numerous historic ruins, fascinating architecture, and intriguing temples, one of which is older than the city itself. The Wat Phra Meru, in addition to its delicately carved ceiling, houses an image of Buddha that is said to be at least 1,300 years old. The city's two museums exhibit antique bronze Buddha images, intricately carved panels, local artifacts, and objects of art that are several centuries old. Enjoy a boat cruise and lunch together before we return to Bangkok.

Tonight, toast your discoveries of Thailand during a Farewell Dinner with your fellow travelers.
Day 5
Return to the U.S.

After an early breakfast, you'll be transferred to the airport for your flight home.