Chongqing to Yichang: 3-Night Luxury CENTURY GLORY Yangtze River Cruise Tour

The river does the storytelling. This four-day sailing from Chongqing to Yichang combines a modern luxury ship with some of the Yangtze’s most famous sights, including Shibaozhai, Shennv Stream, and the Three Gorges Dam. I especially like the spacious balcony cabins and the tidy schedule of shore visits.

I also like that you can choose between optional cultural stops and time aboard ship. The main drawback is that two of the most famous visits, Fengdu Ghost City and Baidi City, cost extra, while the first evening begins late and includes no dinner.

Key points to know before booking

• A 2019-built ship with hotel-style comforts: Century Glory was designed for up to 650 passengers, with modern cabins, onboard WiFi, a large sunshine deck, and a double-deck restaurant.

• The cruise runs from 7:00 p.m. to the following morning’s arrival: You board at Chaotianmen Dock in Chongqing and leave the ship at Maoping Pier near Yichang.

• Shibaozhai and Shennv Stream are included: These are the two scheduled shore trips that require no optional-tour payment.

• Fengdu Ghost City and Baidi City are extra: Each optional visit lasts about two and a half hours, or you can stay aboard for ship activities.

• The cabin has a balcony: A spacious balcony was one of the most praised features, along with a large shower and friendly service.

• Budget for the 200 RMB service charge: This is payable when you board, and airport or hotel transfers are not included.

Why this Yangtze sailing works so well

A Yangtze cruise is partly about the places you visit and partly about the ease of moving between them. Instead of changing hotels each night, you unpack once and let the ship carry you through the Three Gorges region.

Century Glory is aimed at passengers who want a polished ship rather than a basic river boat. It entered service in September 2019 and was promoted as the most advanced luxury vessel on the river. The ship carries up to 650 people, but this particular experience lists a maximum group size of 15, which should make the shore arrangements more manageable.

I like the balance here. You get large-ship facilities, including a restaurant, entertainment, cultural activities, and WiFi, while the land visits are not handled as part of a huge tour group. The ship itself is a major part of the holiday, so do not treat it simply as transportation between monuments.

The published price is shown as $0, which cannot be treated as a real final fare. Ask for the current booking price and check exactly what it covers. The value can be strong if your fare includes the cabin, meals, scheduled shore trips, shows, and taxes, but the final cost will rise with the service charge, optional tours, drinks, personal spending, and transfers.

Boarding at Chongqing’s Chaotianmen Dock

Boarding is scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Chaotianmen Dock, on Chang Jiang Bin Jiang Lu in central Chongqing. The ship leaves after a safety briefing, with departure planned around 9:30 p.m.

This late start matters. You should eat before boarding or arrange your evening meal in advance because dinner on the first night is not included. A captain’s welcome reception follows departure, but it is not a substitute for a full dinner.

The first evening is short and practical. You check in, attend the safety briefing, find your cabin, and watch Chongqing recede along the river. If you have luggage, allow time to locate the correct boarding area at the dock. Hotel and airport transfers are not included, so you must arrange your own way to Chaotianmen.

Once aboard, the ship begins to feel like a floating hotel. WiFi is available around the clock, although the quality of a river connection can vary. The large sunshine deck is especially useful after meals, when you want open views and fresh air instead of another indoor activity.

Day two: Fengdu choices and the dramatic Shibaozhai Pagoda

The second morning starts with Tai Chi and breakfast. You then choose between an optional visit to Fengdu Ghost City and activities aboard ship.

Fengdu is tied to Chinese Buddhist and Taoist ideas about the afterlife. Its temples contain statues of gods and demons, and local legend places the realm of the dead here. The site is often presented with a theatrical tone, but the religious symbolism is the more interesting part. You are not simply visiting an old town. You are seeing how moral judgment, punishment, and reward were represented in traditional Chinese belief.

The Fengdu visit runs from about 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. and is not included. This is an important cost detail. If you skip it, the morning aboard ship gives you time to rest, use the facilities, or join onboard activities.

In the afternoon, the cruise reaches Shibaozhai Pagoda. This visit is included and lasts around two and a half hours. The pagoda is built against a tall, rectangular cliff on the south bank of the Yangtze in Zhong County. Its unusual position is the main attraction. Rather than sitting apart from the scenery, the structure climbs the rock face and appears to grow out of it.

I would give Shibaozhai priority over a casual afternoon indoors. The combination of cliff, river, and architecture is distinctive, and the stop breaks up the long sailing day. Wear practical shoes, since the visit involves walking through a large historic site rather than simply viewing it from the ship.

Back aboard, you can expect evening entertainment, Chinese cultural activities, and meals according to the cruise schedule. The ship also offers a night show and welcome events. If you prefer quiet, the sunshine deck and cabin balcony give you an easy escape from organized activities.

Day three: Baidi City and the smaller Shennv Stream

The third morning brings another choice. From 8:00 to 10:30 a.m., you can pay for the optional trip to Baidi City or remain on the ship.

Baidi City sits on Baidi Hill near Fengjie, an area known as Poem City because celebrated Chinese poets wrote about the region. The site includes temples and gateways spread across the hill. Its appeal is both scenic and literary, especially if you have an interest in Chinese poetry or traditional culture.

Baidi City is not included in the base package, so check the extra price before you decide. It may be a worthwhile add-on for someone who wants more temples and historic sites, but passengers who mainly want river views may be content with a slower morning aboard.

The afternoon visit to Shennv Stream is included and runs from approximately 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. The stream is around 15 kilometers long, with narrow, shallow water and a 10-kilometer section described as a primitive valley. After the river’s water level changed, deeper sections became accessible for exploration.

This is one of the more scenic parts of the trip. Shennv Stream is smaller and more enclosed than the main Yangtze, so the feeling changes from broad river travel to a closer look at canyon walls, water, and local life. The name means Beauty Stream, and the setting earns that nickname without needing much decoration.

The visit also gives you a look at native residents and the quieter side of the Three Gorges region. I would not expect a long wilderness trek. The supplied schedule gives you two and a half hours, so the stop is a controlled excursion rather than a full day in the valley.

The final morning: the Three Gorges Dam

After breakfast on day four, you leave the ship at Maoping Pier near Yichang. A shore visit to the Three Gorges Dam Project follows and lasts about three hours.

The dam is the modern engineering focus of the journey. By this point, you have passed through the famous Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, and Xiling Gorge. The cruise presents these as the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze, and the final visit adds a major human-made structure to that natural setting.

The dam site is included, but you should remember that the cruise ends at Maoping rather than in central Yichang. The tour information does not include onward transport after the excursion, so plan your next transfer separately.

This final arrangement is convenient if you are heading onward from Yichang, but less simple if you expect a direct hotel drop-off. Confirm where and when the land portion ends before you book trains, flights, or accommodation.

Cabins, meals, and life aboard Century Glory

The included accommodation is one deluxe standard cabin on the second floor, normally shared by two people. A single supplement applies if you want the cabin alone. The cabins have been praised for spacious balconies, stylish interiors, and bathrooms with large showers.

That balcony is a useful feature, not just a marketing extra. The Yangtze scenery changes slowly, and you may want to watch it privately rather than spend every viewing hour on the public deck. A balcony also gives you a quiet place to sit when the ship’s program feels too busy.

A family room with a Hello Kitty interior has also been available, which may appeal to parents traveling with children. The cruise staff member Dandan was singled out for attentive and welcoming service, a small detail that suggests the crew can make a real difference on a multi-night sailing.

Meals included in the package are three breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners. The first night’s dinner is specifically excluded, so plan around that gap. One account praised the meals and said drinks were included, but you should confirm the current drink policy because the formal inclusion list does not clearly promise all drinks.

The ship has a double-deck global restaurant, onboard WiFi, a sunshine deck of about 1,000 square meters, cultural activities, and a night show. You are unlikely to run out of places to sit, eat, or watch the river. Still, a large ship can feel less intimate than a small boat, and the advertised silence and comfort should be understood as design goals rather than a promise of total quiet at all times.

What is included, and what can raise the cost

The base package includes:

• A second-floor deluxe standard cabin
• Entrance fees for the included visits
• Breakfast on three mornings
• Two lunches and two dinners
• Welcome events and cultural activities
• A night show
• Government taxes
• WiFi aboard ship

You must pay extra for Fengdu Ghost City and Baidi City. Airport and hotel transfers in both Chongqing and Yichang are also your responsibility. Laundry, drinks not covered by the current meal plan, personal purchases, and any single-cabin supplement are separate.

The 200 RMB per-person service charge is payable at boarding. Add that to your budget from the beginning, not at the end of the trip when cash is less convenient.

The best value comes for someone who wants a packaged cruise with major sightseeing handled in one booking. It is less attractive if you dislike fixed meal times, optional-tour upselling, or the routine of a ship schedule.

Timing, group size, and practical planning

The schedule is tightly organized. Fengdu and Baidi City are both morning choices, while Shibaozhai and Shennv Stream take the afternoon slots. This leaves little room for delay, so return to the meeting point on time and keep your day bag ready.

The listed maximum group size is 15, a useful number for shore visits. That does not mean the ship has only 15 people. Century Glory can carry up to 650 passengers, so public areas and meals may feel much larger than the land group.

Most people can take part, and the meeting point is near public transportation. No special accessibility details are provided, so anyone with mobility concerns should ask the operator about gangways, docks, stairs, and shore access before paying.

The experience requires good weather. If poor weather cancels the trip, you are offered another date or a full refund. Otherwise, the booking is non-refundable and cannot be changed, so choose dates carefully.

Who should book this cruise?

I would choose Century Glory if you want a comfortable introduction to the Yangtze without arranging hotels, meals, river transport, and sightseeing separately. It suits couples, families, and first-time visitors who value a balcony cabin, organized excursions, and a modern ship.

It is also a good match for passengers who want choices. You can pay for Fengdu and Baidi City, or spend those periods aboard ship. That flexibility helps if you are interested in scenery and relaxation more than collecting every historic stop.

I would hesitate if you need a fully independent trip, dislike large ships, or want every excursion included in one fixed price. The late Chongqing boarding, excluded first dinner, extra morning tours, service charge, and missing transfers all require careful planning.

Final verdict: a polished way to see the Three Gorges

Century Glory offers a comfortable, well-structured Yangtze journey with strong scenery and modern ship facilities. The best parts are the spacious balcony cabins, the organized shore schedule, Shibaozhai’s cliffside pagoda, the narrow Shennv Stream, and the final Three Gorges Dam visit.

Book it if you want convenience with room for a little choice. Before paying, confirm the current fare, drink policy, optional-tour prices, transfer arrangements, and the 200 RMB service charge. Get those details right, and this is a sensible luxury introduction to the Yangtze rather than a complicated trip built from separate pieces.

FAQ

Where does the cruise begin?

The cruise begins at Chaotianmen Dock on Chang Jiang Bin Jiang Lu in Chongqing. Boarding is scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Where does the cruise end?

You leave the ship at Maoping Pier near Yichang in Hubei. The Three Gorges Dam visit follows disembarkation.

How long is the cruise?

The experience lasts about four days and includes three nights aboard Century Glory.

Is dinner included on the first night?

No. Dinner is not included on the first evening, so you should eat before boarding or make other arrangements.

Which shore excursions are included?

Shibaozhai Pagoda, Shennv Stream, and the Three Gorges Dam visit are included. Entrance fees for these scheduled visits are covered.

Which excursions cost extra?

Fengdu Ghost City and Baidi City are optional tours and are not included in the base package.

Is WiFi available aboard the ship?

Yes. WiFi is listed as available aboard Century Glory, with access described as available around the clock.

Is the service charge included?

No. A service charge of 200 RMB per person is payable when you board. Airport and hotel transfers are also not included.