Choose this when time is tight. It is the classic 4-day / 3-night product and uses the river current to cover the corridor more quickly.
Read the downstream route guide →See live Chongqing departures ↗CHOOSE DIRECTION FIRSTDownstream or
Downstream or
upstream?
They cover the same Three Gorges corridor, but they are not the same trip. The current makes Chongqing to Yichang faster; the reverse usually adds one night.
THE QUICK RULE4 days down↕5 days upTypical Trip.com itineraries checked 15 Aug 2026
SIDE BY SIDE
The practical difference
“Downstream” and “upstream” describe travel relative to the Yangtze’s flow—not north versus south.
| Compare | Downstream | Upstream |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | Chongqing → Yichang | Yichang → Chongqing |
| Typical length | 4 days / 3 nights | 5 days / 4 nights |
| River current | Travels with the current | Travels against the current |
| Overall pace | Faster and more compact | Slower, with more time onboard |
| Best fit | Shorter China itinerary or first cruise | A more relaxed cruise-focused trip |
| Start / finish | Big-city start; easier to continue east | Dam-area start; dramatic Chongqing finish |
Choose this when the cruise itself is a bigger part of the holiday. The standard product is 5 days / 4 nights, with one extra night and more onboard time.
Read the upstream route guide →See live Yichang departures ↗Ship, date, weather, water level and port operations can change the exact shore program. Compare the live itinerary, not only the ship name.
Filter ships by direction →THE ROUTE, ON A REAL MAP
Follow the Yangtze, then choose what to explore.
The river, cities and terrain come from a real geographic basemap. Green circles mark important cities and ports; every excursion has its own colored diamond. Tap a marker or its matching color and name below the map to open the detail.
CLASSIC THREE GORGES CORRIDORChongqing → Yichang
City / port One color per excursion
Basemap: OpenStreetMap data rendered by CARTO.Each excursion marker matches one uniquely colored name below.
EXCURSIONFengjieViewpoint
Three Gorges Summit
Three Gorges Summit rises above Kuimen and Qutang Gorge, trading close-up history for a high-angle panorama over the river corridor.
WHY IT MATTERS
Cruise packages generally use road transfers and shuttles; the full hiking route is much more demanding.
- Direction
- Chongqing → Yichang
- Map position
- 31.0298, 109.6221
- Walking
- Variable
- Typical role
- Alternative / optional
FIELD VIDEO
Video metadata is still loading.
DOWNSTREAM RHYTHM
Four compact days
A representative outline from the current Chongqing listings.
Chongqing
Evening boarding in the mountain city
Fengdu / Zhongxian
First shore program; exact stop varies by sailing
Fengjie · Qutang · Wu Gorge
The scenic core and often a tributary excursion
Yichang
Three Gorges Dam area and disembarkation
UPSTREAM RHYTHM
Five more relaxed days
A representative outline from the current Yichang listings.
Yichang
Board near the Three Gorges Dam area
Dam · Xiling Gorge
A fuller first day around the dam and western Hubei
Wu Gorge · Fengjie
Gorge scenery at a more relaxed upstream pace
Fengdu / Zhongxian
Shore visit and final full day onboard
Chongqing