Discover Chongqing
Three Gorges Yangtze River Cruise
长江三峡游轮
The multi-day boat trip downstream from Chongqing through the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges to Yichang, usually with side trips to the Shennong Stream and the Three Gorges Dam. It is the classic Yangtze journey and still the main reason many travellers come to Chongqing.
The story
What makes this place special
The gorges run downstream of Chongqing: Qutang, the shortest and most dramatic, entered through the cliff gate of Kuimen; Wu Gorge, the longest stretch of continuous cliff; and Xiling, the gorge immediately above the Three Gorges Dam. The reservoir behind the dam raised the water substantially from 2003, drowning the towns and the rapids and widening the river, so what you now see is a deep reservoir between high walls rather than the fast river of the old accounts. Fengjie's Baidicheng, formerly a hilltop above the river, is now effectively an island reached by bridge.
What you’ll discover
Downstream runs from Chongqing to Yichang in about four days and three nights; upstream from Yichang back to Chongqing takes five days and four nights. You spend the time on deck as the gorges pass, with shore excursions by small boat into side valleys — the Lesser Three Gorges or Shennü Stream, where you transfer to a smaller craft for around three hours — plus stops that commonly include Fengdu, Baidicheng and Shibaozhai, and the dam and ship locks at the Yichang end. Passing the five-stage lock at the dam takes hours and happens, often at night, as a slow procession of rising water.
A little local insight
Good to know before you go
- Go upstream if you care about seeing the gorges. Against the current the boat is slower, so the scenery falls in daylight and there is more time on deck; downstream is a day shorter but you can pass the best cliffs at an inconvenient hour.
- Be on the top deck and in position before Kuimen and the Wu Gorge cliffs, not when the announcement comes. These are the two stretches people travel for and they pass in under an hour each.
- Visit the Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing before you board. Seeing what the valley and the drowned towns looked like before the reservoir changes what you are looking at from water into history.
- Chinese-operated and international-operated boats sail the same river with very different onboard cultures, commentary languages and shore programmes. Check which you are buying, not just the star rating.
- Schedules move. Water level, weather and berth availability routinely change stop order and times, and operators reserve the right to adjust — do not book a tight onward connection at either end.
When to come
Spring and autumn for clear air and comfortable deck weather. Summer is hot, hazy and busy; winter is cold but has the lowest water and the quietest boats.
Getting around
Varies entirely by vessel and by excursion. Larger modern ships have lifts between decks, cabins with level access and crew assistance, and the cruising itself is the easiest sightseeing imaginable. The shore excursions are the problem: transfers to small boats across gangways, and sites like Baidicheng and Shibaozhai that involve long flights of steps. A wheelchair user can cruise comfortably and should expect to skip several excursions; ask the operator about each stop specifically, since blanket answers are unreliable.
Worth knowing before you go
Go downstream (Chongqing to Yichang): it is shorter, cheaper, and the gorges arrive in the right order. Visit the Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing first so the drowned towns and the dam mean something.
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