[2025 Yichang ] Travel Guide for Boat into Tribe of the Three Gorges (Updated Jun)

Many people ask a question: What exactly is the difference between second class, first class, and VIP cabins on the boat entering Three Gorges Family? Today, let's have a good chat about it [Awesome] The dedicated line for the boat entering Three Gorges Family currently has two cruise ships, Three Gorges Family 1 and Three Gorges Family 2, with the same layout and configuration, both launched in 2022. The cruise ships have second class, first class, and VIP cabins, with floor distribution as follows [ThumbsDown] [One] Second Class Cabin: Located on the first floor, second floor, and the rear of the third floor, equipped with cinema-style seats and small dining trays, which is quite convenient and economically priced. [Two] First Class Cabin: Located at the front of the third floor, with floor-to-ceiling glass, sofa chairs + small round tables, tea is provided, and the beautiful mountain scenery on both sides along the way can be fully enjoyed. It is only 40 yuan more expensive than the second class cabin. [Three] VIP Cabin: Located at the front end of the second and fourth floors, it offers the best viewing experience on the entire ship, with comfortable sofas + small round tables, full floor-to-ceiling glass, and a dedicated viewing deck at the bow with 270-degree views. You can also enjoy a self-service tea break with tea, snacks, and seasonal fruits available as needed. Free pick-up and drop-off service is also provided (staff will contact you before 10 PM the night before your trip)! You can upgrade your cabin on the cruise ship by paying the difference to the staff. The upgrade options are as follows: 1. Upgrade from second class to first class: 40 yuan per person; 2. Upgrade from second class to VIP: 140 yuan for one person, 239 yuan for two, 329 yuan for three; 3. Upgrade from first class to VIP: 100 yuan for one person, 159 yuan for two, 209 yuan for three. (Please refer to the cruise staff for details) Also, a little secret: free hot water is available on the second floor of the cruise ship, so bring your thermos cup; there are a few charging ports by the windows in each cabin, so if your phone battery is weak, bring your charger and find a free charging spot; for those with luggage, Huangbai River Wharf has luggage storage lockers, 10 yuan/day for small items, 20 yuan/day for large items (you can store your luggage after passing the security check)! There is no parking lot at the wharf, so public transportation is recommended. Didi taxi is quite convenient, and there is also bus B212. If you must drive, you can look for marked parking spaces along the riverside road or pay to park in the factory yard by the river (only if there are available spots, navigate to Gezhouba Group Three Gorges Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.). If you want to know anything else, feel free to leave a message in the comments...

Right now! Loving Yichang hotels upupup! ! ☑️ Convenient transportation, easy parking ☑️ Close to Xiyuan Snack Street, ladies, feel free to go for it!! The hotel is in a prime location, with a BRT bus stop right across the street 🚗, and you can reach Huaxiang Lobster Restaurant in 10 minutes to enjoy lobster. There is also an ecological park nearby where you can enjoy the music fountain on weekends. The hotel facilities have been fully upgraded, rooms feature smart voice control, and there are many room types to meet your needs. If you’re traveling with kids, you can stay in a family suite equipped with Xiaodu, which children love. Disposable toilet seat covers are also provided, ensuring excellent hygiene. The staff are very attentive, and the hotel has many positive reviews on Trip.com, making it trustworthy!!! The hotel offers free parking, a laundry room 👔, a gym 🏃, late check-out, and free luggage storage 🛅. Comfortable bedding, good sound insulation, very quiet for sleeping at night 😴. The bathroom has separate wet and dry areas, plus a makeup mirror 🪞. Boat trips to Three Gorges Family! Huangbai River Wharf!!! Taxi fare starts at the base price, very convenient.

When you arrive in Yichang, you must take a Yangtze River cruise to experience the "journey through countless mountains." Joining a group tour for the Three Gorges Tribe day trip is a convenient option, saving you the hassle of buying boat tickets and arranging transportation. The lush green mountains and picturesque scenery on both sides of the Yangtze River are truly breathtaking. As the boat passes through layer upon layer of mountains, you travel from Xiling Gorge to the Three Gorges Tribe scenic area. Although the scenic area is not very large, you will need to walk up and down mountain paths. However, the short escalator ride at the entrance comes with an additional fee, which feels a bit overpriced. If you're not in a hurry, you can simply walk up on your own. The various Tujia ethnic performances are quite rich and entertaining. Be sure to check the schedule for each performance, as the itinerary can be a bit tight. The Three Gorges Tribe is nestled between mountains and water, with traditional stilted houses dotting the landscape. Antique-style black canopy boats and ancient sailboats are moored along the shore. The scenery of Longjin Stream is truly picturesque and well worth a visit.

We set off from Nanyang ➡️ and departed in the early hours of Friday night. After transferring in Xiangyang, we arrived at Yichang East around seven in the morning. We took a taxi to the hotel to drop off our luggage! The hotel was the Yiduo Meiju Hotel near the CBD, with plenty of food and shopping options around!! Highly recommended. After dropping off our luggage, we headed to the Three Gorges Tribe. We chose to take a boat into the Three Gorges Tribe. We arrived at the Huangbai River pier (don't navigate to the bus station) around eight, which had second-class seats. Seats are on a first-come, first-served basis. If you arrive early, you can sit on the third floor, which is convenient for going out to take photos, and you can choose a window seat to enjoy the view. We set off at nine-thirty and arrived at the Three Gorges Tribe around ten! We did the opposite and first went towards ➡️ Longxi Tower. I feel the best photo opportunities are in this direction. We walked and snapped pictures along the way, catching a wedding performance at twelve. After the performance, we went to see the monkeys. After that, we kept walking back in the direction we came from to take the ferry boat (one every half hour) to the cable car station. We took the cable car ⬆️ up the mountain and walked down to Bawang Fort (I feel if you can walk up, you might as well not take the cable car because it's not very far from the bottom of the mountain to Bawang Fort! If you have enough time, I suggest walking to Bawang Fort. We didn't continue to Bawang Palace because we were short on time. There was a performance starting at two-thirty, so we chose to watch a large-scale performance (I don't know the name). After the performance, we thought since we were already there, we rented costumes nearby to take photos (I suggest taking them at Longxi Tower where the scenery is more beautiful). After the photo shoot, we went down the mountain and back to the boat. It took less than fifteen minutes on the way!! Because we had to catch the boat back before four o'clock, we were actually a bit rushed 🥹 on the way back. I suggest that if you visit the Three Gorges Tribe, choose good weather. It was overcast when we went, and the photos didn't turn out great. Day Two: Three Gorges Waterfall. It's recommended to prepare in advance: waterproof bag, raincoat, slippers. You can also buy them at the scenic area, and they are not expensive. However, some raincoats are of poor quality. We slept in until noon, ate something, and then set off. We took a bus to the Yiling Bus Station (it took about an hour from the CBD area) to get there. After buying tickets on-site, we hurried to find a bus to sit down. Otherwise, if you're late, there are no seats left, and you have to wait for the next bus. There was no traffic jam, and it took about half an hour to reach the Three Gorges Waterfall. It was already one o'clock. First, we went to the visitor center to exchange tickets and then bought a sightseeing bus ticket. It took about half an hour to walk to the waterfall entrance. We were lazy 😅 and chose to take the bus in and out! After the sightseeing bus, we officially arrived at the entrance of the scenic area. I love taking photos, so I was walking and snapping pictures along the way. The scenery was beautiful. We arrived at the waterfall entrance around two o'clock and started to gear up for the waterfall experience. The process was really comfortable. I suggest everyone bring a change of clothes. Despite wearing a raincoat, it's hard to avoid getting wet. I didn't get much on me, but my pants and shoes were soaked. Don't buy shoe covers!! They're useless. You can wear crocs, which are not afraid of getting wet. Remember to bring a jacket!! It's very cold after the waterfall experience. Afterward, we went back the same way and took the sightseeing bus to the exit. After exiting, it was about four-thirty when we got to the bus stop to wait for the bus. We waited only a few minutes before a bus arrived. I suggest leaving early. Otherwise, if there are no seats on the bus, you'll have to stand, which is very uncomfortable.