Important Notices for the Yangtze Cruise
Please be aware that all specified arrival and departure times, shore excursions, and lectures are subject to change based on weather conditions, river status, and approvals from navigational authorities. In cases where prearranged sites cannot be visited, the cruise company will arrange alternative fabulous sightseeing options.
From the end of August to the end of September annually, the Three Gorges Dam Ship Lift will be maintained and it will be inoperative for maintenance druing that period. Consequently, the experience will be unavailable for those taking a Yangtze River cruise during this period.
(a) Your guide will contact the cruise company one day ahead or at least in the morning on the boarding day to confirm the designated pier;
(b) Aim to arrive in Chongqing before 16:30 on the embarkation day;
(c) Chongqing Chaotianmen Port has 14 sub-piers. As car/taxi drivers can only drop you at the port entrance, expect to walk varying distances to your exact pier. The nearest No.9 Dock is approximately 180 meters (about 3 minutes), while No.2, No.4, No.6, No.8, and No.10 Docks are about 680-850 meters (about 8-10 minutes) away on the east side;
(d) Boarding times and departure piers may change based on the cruise line, water level, season, weather, and other factors. Pay attention to important information sent by your travel consultants before boarding.
(a) For different cruises, the embarkation and disembarkation in Yichang are arranged at different docks;
(b) Luggage consigning for Chongqing - Yichang disembarkation: Due to security regulations for the Three Gorges Dam Project, no large luggage (exceeding 20cm40cm50cm or 5kg) can be taken into the Three Gorges Dam scenic area. You can consign your luggage to Yichang Three Gorges Center Cruise Terminal, receive a consigning document from cruise staff on the 4th cruising day morning, and retrieve it in Yichang downtown by presenting the document. This service is offered by the cruise company with an additional charge of 25RMB for each piece of luggage.
- Arranged Shore Excursion:
The fees for arranged shore excursions are included in your quotation. If you choose not to visit these sites, the fees are non-refundable. In the event of not participating in shore excursions, you are allowed to stay on the ship for leisure. However, for safety reasons, leaving the ship independently is not permitted.
Fengdu Ghost City and reaching the top of White Emperor City involve climbing numerous stairs. It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes for visiting these sites.
- Dressing Code for Parties:
Travelers attending the Captain's welcome banquet and night show are recommended to wear smart casual or formal attire.
How to Pack up
We suggest that each person packs up one rollable suitcase with the weight under 20 kg/44lb. You will also need a day pack/bag to carry water, cameras and other electronics like iPods and mobile phones.
Checklist
It's only for reference, you may not need all of them. Choose from below according to the tour you pick up:
Passport (with photocopies)
Travel insurance (with photocopies)
Airline tickets/e-tickets
USD cash and travelers checks
Credit or debit card (see personal spending money)
China Expedition Tours vouchers and trip dossier
Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
Day pack for daily personal items
Wet wipes / Moist towelettes
Alarm clock (on your cellphone)
Flashlight (on your cellphone)
Sun hat, Sun block, Sunglasses
Insect Repellent
Water bottle and plastic mug for train journeys
Ear plugs for train journeys or light sleepers
Small towel and swim wear
Toiletries (biodegradable)
Sturdy walking shoes/Sport sandals (for warm seasons)
Money belt
Shorts for summer months (June – September)
Long pants
Shirts/T-shirts
Warm clothes for Nov-Mar. Fleece, Jacket, hat and gloves
Umbrella or waterproof jacket.
Cover for backpack or plastic bags to keep clothes dry.
Camera with capable enough memory card
Reading/writing material
Binoculars
First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, Aspirin, Band Aids, anti-histamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
Local Dress
In China, the dress code generally tends to be more conservative compared to Western countries. While cultural norms evolve rapidly, contemporary Chinese youth often share similar interests with their Western counterparts. When packing, opt for loose, lightweight, and long clothing to ensure comfort in the typically hot and humid summer climate. In regions predominantly influenced by Buddhism and Islam, we emphasize the importance of dressing respectfully. It is advised to avoid very short shorts/skirts and singlets/tank tops when visiting temples, mosques, or other holy sites.
Payment during Your Trip
First of all, we recommend the use of cash in USD currency. There are many ATM machines that accept both Visa and MasterCard and other credit cards in most Chinese cities. Major credit cards are accepted in shopping malls and big shops but mostly they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. For small shops and street venders, traditionally they take cash (either Chinese Yuan or US dollar) only. But nowadays, for almost all merchants/sellers, including shopping malls, big shops, small grocery stores and street venders, they all accept WeChat Pay or Ali Pay. Learn more about how to use Mobile Payment in China.
Meals
Culinary exploration plays a significant role in your travel experience in China. With China Expedition Tours, you have the opportunity to savor a diverse range of exquisite cuisine available worldwide. Typically, breakfasts and lunches are included in the itinerary, while dinners are left optional to provide flexibility in choosing where, what, and with whom to dine. Throughout your journey, your group leader or local guide will offer recommendations for favored restaurants, enhancing your dining experience.
Emergency Fund
It is imperative to ensure access to a supplementary fund of at least USD 200 (or equivalent) as an "emergency" reserve. This reserve is intended to be utilized in situations beyond our control that may necessitate alterations to our planned route. It is important to emphasize that such occurrences are infrequent.
Tipping
It is customary to tip service providers in travel industry in Asia, at approximately 10%, depending on the service. Tipping is expected - though not compulsory - and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. Recommendations for tipping local guides would range from $3-$5 USD per person per day depending on the quality and length of the service, for driver, it could be half. If necessary, ask your tour leader or your China Expedition Tours tour consultant for specific recommendations based on the circumstances. If you have a tour leader for the whole tour, at the end of the trip if you felt he/she did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference, however as a guideline $3-5 USD per person, per day is suggested.
Local Flights
All internal flights are included in the quote of your tour unless otherwise noted. It is important that we have your passport information at the time of booking in order to process these tickets. Internal flight tickets are all e-tickets. They are issued locally and you will be given the information of them prior to the flight departure.
Laundry
Generally laundry facilities are offered by our hotels for a charge. You also can go to a laundry service center near your hotel to have your clothing washed at a lower cost. There will be opportunities when you may want to or have to do your own laundry, so we suggest you bring non-polluting/biodegradable soap.
Safety and Security
We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe keeping of your passport, cash and other valuable items. Many of the hotels we cooperate with have safety deposit boxes which are the most secure way of storing your valuables. Lockable luggage is recommended.
Many national governments provide a regularly updated advice service on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure. When travelling on a trip, please note that your group leader or local guides has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Your leader or local guides will accompany you on all included activities. During your trip you will have some free time to pursue your own interests, relax and take it easy or explore at your leisure. While your group leader or local guides will assist you with options available in a given location please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your itinerary, and we offer no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgment when selecting an activity in your free time.
Health
You are suggested to consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information well before departure. We recommend that you carry a First Aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements. Please be aware that sometimes we are in remote areas and away from medical facilities, and for legal reasons our leaders or local guides are prohibited from administering any type of medicine including headache tablets, antibiotics, etc. In China pharmacies tend to stock the same western medicines as you get at home but they are usually produced locally so please bring the full medicine name with you when trying to purchase a prescription medicine. When selecting a tour please carefully read the itinerary and assess your ability to cope with our style of travel. Please refer to the Physical and Culture Shock ratings in the itinerary. For travelers over 70 years a completed Medical Form is required. China Expedition Tours reserves the right to exclude any traveler from all or part of a trip without refund if in the reasonable opinion of our group leader or local guides they are unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves and/or the rest of the group.
Medical Form
It is very important you are aware that, as a minimum, an "average level of fitness and mobility" is required to undertake our easiest programs. Travelers must be able to walk without the aid of another person, climb 3-4 flights of stairs, step on and off small ships, and carry their own bags at a minimum. Travelers over the age of 70, or travelers with a pre-existing medical condition, are required to complete a short medical questionnaire, which must be signed by their doctor. This is to ensure that senior travelers have the necessary fitness and mobility to comfortably complete their chosen trip. While our leaders or local guides work hard to ensure that all our travelers are catered for equally, it is not their responsibility to help individuals who cannot complete the day's activities unaided.
Travel Insurance
Our tour package includes Travel Insurance we buy from our insurance company/agent in China. Although, we still highly suggest that you purchase your own Travel Insurance from your insurance company/agent in your country before your trip.
Passport & Visas
Well before travelling, please ensure that you have a current passport, with an accurate photo, that is valid for at least six months after your scheduled return home. Also check that your air tickets are in exactly the same name as your passport.
Please note that visas for China and Hong Kong are the responsibility of the individual traveler. The visa requirements for your trip vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. Americans, British, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders do currently require a visa for China. For all other nationalities please reconfirm your visa requirements with your government. For the most up to date information please check your governments' foreign ministry website. It is important that you check for yourself. For most travelers there will probably have an embassy and consulate in the country that you live in. Please note if you are travelling from China, into Hong Kong then back into China, you will need a double entry Chinese visa. Note that on some occasions people transiting through China on way to Hong Kong have been made to go through immigration and had their single entry visa stamped making this invalid. Do not allow your visa to be stamped if you are only going through transit.
Keeping in Touch
Internet access is everywhere now in China, even in a small village. So, with your smartphone, iPad or laptop, you can get connected with your family and friends easily. So far, some social media such as Facebook, Instagram, X, WhatsApp, etc. are not available in mainland China. However, there’s something called VPN. We highly recommend you to get a VPN on your smartphone before your China trip, so that you will get the full accessibility of those social medias during your China trip. Learn more about the VPN usage here.
WhatsApp and WeChat are both very convenient for live contact. We strongly recommend you to add our Customer Care’s WhatsApp and WeChat (86 139 7836 9041 or 86 189 7869 1566), so that you and us are able to contact each other anytime necessary.
Feedback
After your trip with us, we want to hear from you! Your feedback information is so important and valuable to us and we'll record it and give you CET travel points so you can use the points to get discount for your next CET trip or your friends' CET tours. Therefore, we appreciate your understanding of our “China Expedition Tours Evaluation Questionnaire” at every destination, and our email to you for overall feedback after your trip.
