A boutique small-group escape through the dream mountain city. Rather than the usual coach-load itinerary, this tour runs with roughly 2 to 10 travellers, giving you the pace and flexibility of independent travel with everything arranged for you.
Meals: none | Overnight: city centre
Make your own way to Chongqing, where a private car meets you and takes you to your hotel. Then step straight into the misty capital's nightlife: the Miyazaki-esque streets that took over social media, the fierce heat of local flavours, and the mountain city glittering below. The Yangtze River cable car and a two-rivers night cruise are both worth doing on your own this evening.
Meals: breakfast | Overnight: Wulong
Three Natural Bridges: the filming location for Curse of the Golden Flower and Transformers 4, and a world-class wonder formed by three bridges spanning two sinkholes. This is classic karst terrain on an overwhelming scale - Tianlong, Qinglong and Heilong bridges - and from the bottom of the sightseeing lift at Tianlong you look straight onto the Tianfu post station.
Fairy Mountain National Forest Park: a rare stretch of alpine grassland in southern China, nicknamed the Summer Palace of the Mountain City and the Oriental Switzerland. A national 5A scenic area and Chongqing's favourite summer retreat.
Meals: breakfast | Overnight: Changshou or Chongqing
Chiyou Jiuli City: the largest traditional Miao architectural complex in China and the tallest, largest stilt-house structure in the world - the Potala Palace of the Miao. Built around the legacy of the Miao ancestor Chiyou, it gathers the culture and architecture of the Miao people in one immersive setting.
Wujiang Painted Gallery: the hundred-mile stretch from Pengshui's Gaogu to Youyang's Wanmu is the finest section of the river, where the grandeur of Jianmen, the drama of the Three Gorges and the elegance of Emei all appear at once.
Changshou Ancient Town: a national AAAA-rated scenic area, currently working towards 5A status alongside the neighbouring Puti Mountain scenic area.
Meals: breakfast
Explore Ciqikou Ancient Town, praised as Little Chongqing, for old-city culture and street food. Photograph the Liziba light rail passing through a residential tower, then take in the Spirited Away scenery and two-rivers views at Hongyadong, the Bayu cultural landmark on the waterfront.
Cultural adventure is a style of travel built around deeper experiences – the kind that connect you to the people, traditions and everyday life of a place. And doing it in a way that reflects your pace, your interests, and what you want from the journey.
