Top Yangtze River Culture Tours & Packages In 2025/2026

Our 7 most popular Yangtze River Culture Tours & Packages trips. Compare tour itineraries from 5 tour companies. 5 reviews.

7 Trips match your criteria (1 - 7 shown)

China Experience
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Why we love them
They're highly committed to sustainable tourism and contribute to crucial initiatives like climate action, focusing on local cultures and more.
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Dam, Yangshuo, Yangtze River, Yichang

Highlights

  • This is one of our most comprehensive trips in China, covering huge distances and taking in key destinations from north to south with plenty of variety in experiences and sights along the way
  • Zip through the country from north to south on its efficient high-speed rail network.
  • Take through the iconic scenery of the Yangzi River as you meander through the dramatic Three Gorges on a three-day cruise
  • No matter how many guide books you have read, nothing truly prepares you for the grandeur and immensity of historic sights like the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Leshan Big Buddha and the Terracotta Army. However, the country's modern man-made sights refuse to beoutdone, and you can see the modern equivalence of those ancient feats in the skyline of Hong Kong and the Yangzi River's Three Gorges Hydroelectric dam
  • Get up close to giant pandas in Chengdu and learn about the preservation work required for this ancient species.
Show more

Themes

Cultural, Local Immersion & Homestays, High Adventure, Transformative

What travelers are saying

"I went on the Intrepid 15 day "Best of Morocco" tour in 2025 and had such an amazing time that I wasn't ready to leave by the time the trip finished! It exceeded my expectations in so many ways: value for money, itinerary, a lot of included activities balanced with lots of rest stops on longer travel days, very caring & attentive local guides, and lots of optional activities. As a company, Intrepid was very easy to communicate with before the trip started (I had sent a few questions about optional activities). The website is also easy to navigate and simple for updating travel & health information. If you are considering doing a tour with Intrepid - make sure you read the Essential Trip Information they have on each tour page. It describes everything in detail so you'll know what to expect. While I LOVED my tour, I can see some people signing up for this without reading the description and then being surprised at some of the 2 star hotels (in this case it was the "Original" tour style). Overall, I am impressed at how this tour managed to simultaneously get us closer to Moroccan culture AND feel like an adventure AND feel like a vacation from day-to-day life back home. I would travel with Intrepid again."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list

Health Safety +

More
China and Hong Kong
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
3.9/5 Great
19 reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Explore fascinating Shanghai
  • Visit the ancient water town of Zhujiajiao.
  • Opportunity in deluxe ship for our Yangtze River Cruise.
  • See the historic Chongqing
  • Enjoy scenic boat trip down the Li River
Show more

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Transformative

What travelers are saying

"Quality Service"

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Golden Triangle & Yangtze
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Must-see sights in China - the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
  • Unwind with a Yangtze River cruise tour & see the Three Gorges
  • Take in the impressive skylines of Shanghai as you walk along the Bund
  • Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"J'ai utilisé les services de Travel China Guide pour la réservation de trains entre Chongqing, Chengdu et Leshan en mars 2025. Le service est précis, ponctuel, attentif aux demandes du client. Un aspect très positif est que le service n'est pas anonyme et que le nom du (de la) Travel Consultant est connu. Le service rendu par Christina Zhao a été parfait."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More

Want a tailor-made trip instead?

Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:

  • You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
  • Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Design custom trip
Impression China
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Must-see sights - the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, Giant Pandas
  • See the giant pandas up close in the Panda Breeding and Research Center
  • Soften and scent your body from head to toe on Yangtze River cruise
  • Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"J'ai utilisé les services de Travel China Guide pour la réservation de trains entre Chongqing, Chengdu et Leshan en mars 2025. Le service est précis, ponctuel, attentif aux demandes du client. Un aspect très positif est que le service n'est pas anonyme et que le nom du (de la) Travel Consultant est connu. Le service rendu par Christina Zhao a été parfait."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Pandas & Yangtze Cruise
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
5/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Must-see sights - the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Army, Giant Pandas
  • Fantastic cruise tour on the Li River from Guilin to rural Yangshuo
  • Have a once in a lifetime chance to get close to the incredibly cute treasure -Pandas
  • Take in the impressive skylines of Shanghai as you walk along the Bund

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"J'ai utilisé les services de Travel China Guide pour la réservation de trains entre Chongqing, Chengdu et Leshan en mars 2025. Le service est précis, ponctuel, attentif aux demandes du client. Un aspect très positif est que le service n'est pas anonyme et que le nom du (de la) Travel Consultant est connu. Le service rendu par Christina Zhao a été parfait."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Legendary China & Yangtze River Cruise
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.2/5 Great
100+ reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

  • Visit the Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square in Beijing
  • Stroll along the Great Wall of China
  • See the Terra Cotta Warriors at Xi’an, dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World”
  • See Giant Pandas at Chongqing Zoo
  • 3-night Yangtze River Cruise & 3 included shore excursions

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks

What travelers are saying

"Tour is advertised as an "active" tour. However, YMT sold the tours to seniors and others who were unable to walk more than 1/8 mile, unable to navigate stairs or had to walk with the aid of walkers. As a result, 80 percent of the "explorations" were to visitor centers, look out points, stores or washrooms, that were within 100 feet or less of the bus. This tour should be categorized as "relaxed". A big disappointment! The bus driver was friendly and accommodating and drove us safely from one site to another. He sold water to the guests in small bottles for $1 each. I think YMT should be more conscientious of the environment and at least offer bottle refills, especially since the guide practically demanded that each person drink one gallon of water per day. The tour guide was marginally knowledgeable about the area and spent too much time telling us about her private life and friends. She led one hike, but talked mostly about how the rains had changed the landscape. One day she left two guests at the hotel and wanted the people on the bus to take responsibility for not letting her know that people were missing. We were encouraged to find hikes to take on our own, which I felt compromised safety, especially when we had an hour or so to "explore" - there was no safety or backup plan, especially if something untoward happened on a hike. She opted out of taking us to the sunset tour of the Grand Canyon telling us that it was raining and we wouldn't be able to see anything. So a couple of us went to the site on our own and it was possibly one of the best experiences I had on the entire tour (and not a drop of rain!). I often felt bullied into purchasing lunches or meals "offered" by the guide, who made it sound like there were no other options. It was difficult to listen to her brag about how well she was doing and how happy everyone was, when many people were complaining that the tour was not what they expected - mostly because it was too active!!! The accommodations were mostly good - a couple of anomalies (one with a plugged sink and no hot water for a shower, another with a pervasive bad odor). The excursions offered at the time of booking were mostly unavailable later (except for the over-priced meals). Another disappointment because I booked the tour partly because of one of the excursions offered at the time of booking. I would not recommend this tour, because I don't think it is advertised correctly."

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More
Majestic China & Yangtze River
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
4.7/5 Excellent
99 reviews
Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

  • A cruise along the dramatic landscapes of the majestic Yangtze River highlights this journey through China´s “Golden Triangle Cities"
  • Visit the Great Wall, which is one of the man-built architectures that can be seen from the low orbit of the earth.
  • Visit to Tiananmen Square, the world-famous and historic Tiananmen Square, or “Gate of Heavenly Peace”. Located in the heart of Beijing
  • Visit one of the three towns (depending on local river conditions): Shibaozhai, Fengdu, or Wanzhou.Shibaozhai's main attraction is a majestic 12-story tall wooden pagoda, built 400 years ago without use of a single nail.
  • Spend the day free or take the tour to witness the famous "Terra Cotta Warriors."
Show more

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, Local Immersion & Homestays, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise, Relaxing Retreats, Transformative

What travelers are saying

"We did the tour to Bangkok and Phuket in off season. We were concerned about the weather and if we would get a sub-par experience. But we had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend Affordable World!! Great company. Very organized and thorough. Our tour guide was amazing! He explained all of our stops and even some extra tid bits about the country. We were transported in air conditioned vans/sprinters to every stop. We felt right at home!"

Trip dates & details
Save this trip to your favorites or other list
More

Yangtze River Culture Tours & Packages Reviews

A

Andrew

Oct 2015

Written on

Overall, the trip was excellent. This was

Overall, the trip was excellent. This was my first time with Intrepid but I have taken several similar trips (Tucan). The tour leader (Kris) was excellent and the ac...

A

Anne

Sep 2015

Written on

Emma was an excellent group leader- very

Emma was an excellent group leader- very friendly, helpful and polite. We really liked her suggested restaurant and activity recommendations and felt that they were ...

S

Steve

Sep 2015

Written on

Excellent Guide. Good Itinerary.

Excellent Guide. Good Itinerary.

B

Benita

Sep 2015

Written on

A well put together itinerary from Intrepid

A well put together itinerary from Intrepid and my tour guide Emma Guo was fantastic. She made herself available to the group 24 hours with added information on loca...

C

Cornelia

Sep 2015

Written on

I had a amazing time during this

I had a amazing time during this trip. China Experience is a very good to see a lot of spots in China. That only negative point was that we couldn't see the Forbidde...

Write a Review
Sign in to reveal savings up to $700 per person!