Weekend trip to the Three Gorges: travel by water and by land

Explore the Three Gorges in two ways⛰️ Saturday by cruise ship⛴️ Joined a cruise tour to the Three Gorges - visit the Three Gorges Dam - return to the city by bus. Meet at 7:30 AM at the Yichang Three Gorges Tourist Center pier, and return to Yichang city around 5 PM. Recommended accommodations include Crowne Plaza or Wyndham and other nearby hotels, about a 10-minute walk to the pier. The cruise tour ticket is a standard ticket; you can pay to upgrade your cabin after boarding. Try to board early to choose a window seat. If you don’t want to upgrade, you can enjoy the scenery from the deck. It was drizzling on the cruise day, which is said to be the best way to experience the Three Gorges. Mist swirls around the cliffs on both sides, waterfalls cascade down, creating a fairyland atmosphere. If your ticket includes the ship lift, you can take the boat over the Three Gorges Dam. If not, you need to disembark at Sandouping and transfer to a bus to visit the Tanziling Scenic Area to see the dam. Sunday self-driving on G348🚘 Yesterday, we watched people by the river from the boat; today, we watch passengers on the boat from the riverbank. Starting from the city, after crossing Huangbaihe Bridge, you enter G348. The Liantuopan Service Area is usually the endpoint for self-driving. Along the way, there are several viewing platforms worth visiting: Mingyue Terrace Viewing Platform, Xiling Gorge Viewing Platform, 0.618 Service Area, and Gangouzi Suspension Bridge. The whole trip including sightseeing takes about 2-3 hours. If you start early in the morning, you can also visit the Three Gorges Family Scenic Area on the way back in the afternoon. Finally, we recommend the Gezhouba viewing spot in Yichang city: navigate to the Yichang Xiba Yangtze River Electric Power Staff Activity Center. Next to it is an entrance to a riverside greenway, where you can walk in and enjoy a distant view of Gezhouba.