Foreign Visitors' Guide to Three Gorges Cruises

Passport and a Valid Chinese VisaVISA

Foreign visitors taking a Three Gorges cruise must carry the original valid passport and hold a valid Chinese visa matching the itinerary — usually an L (tourist) visa, or another visa type consistent with your status in China. The name and passport number entered at booking must exactly match the original passport; the passport will be checked at boarding, check-in, and security checks along the way.

Three Gorges cruises sail entirely on the Yangtze within China and do not call at foreign ports, so you need valid status for residence/stay in China for the whole trip. Visa processing times vary by nationality — be sure to arrange your visa before, or at the same time as, booking your cruise.

How Foreign-Guest Fares WorkPRICE

Fares for foreign visitors differ from mainland fares, and each cruise line charges different rates for guests from different regions. Prices shown on the page are generally the mainland rates — foreign visitors should ask us for a dedicated quote, calculated individually based on the cruise, room type, sailing date, and number of travellers chosen.

The cruise fare usually covers onboard accommodation, onboard meals, admission to scheduled sights, and guide service; flights, trains, and pier transfers are generally not included — confirm with a consultant when booking.

Note: Specific costs and inclusions are subject to the written confirmation at the time of booking.

Onboard Language ServiceLANGUAGE

On luxury cruises, the accompanying guides and onboard announcements are bilingual in Chinese and English: important matters (port arrival times, disembarkation meeting points, lock-passage arrangements, etc.) are announced in both languages, and shore excursions are led and narrated by bilingual guides. Travellers from English-speaking countries can travel with confidence.

If your group needs a language other than English (such as French, German, Spanish, Japanese, or Korean), a guide or interpreter in that language can be arranged to accompany the cruise for an additional fee. Please let us know when booking so we can reserve availability and calculate the cost.

Payment Methods (Including Overseas Payment)PAYMENT

We offer foreign visitors multiple payment channels: in addition to standard mainland payment methods, we support internationally common overseas payment options, so you can complete payment smoothly while abroad. All payments go to the corporate account of Chongqing Zudong International Travel Agency Co., Ltd, the operator of this website — never pay into any personal account.

Payment process and conditions: after booking, a deposit is generally paid first to lock in the cabin; once secured, a travel contract is signed and the balance paid in full, at which point the order takes effect. Cruises depart on schedule, and the cruise line will not hold a cabin without payment, so the full amount must be paid before departure — there is no pay-on-boarding arrangement. If the booking fails for reasons such as sold-out cabins, all payments are refunded in full via the original payment method.

Booking Timing & ProcessTIMING

Three Gorges cruises are usually pre-sold in overseas markets first and then released for domestic sales, and popular sailings and suite categories sell out quickly. Because visa processing and flight arrangements take longer for foreign visitors, we recommend starting to book more than 3 months ahead — and locking in your cabin as early as possible for peak season (mid-April to October).

The standard process has four steps:

① Choose a ship and cabin — decide on your target cruise based on sailing dates, budget, and room types;
② Place the order and pay — provide passport details of every traveller for real-name booking and pay promptly;
③ Secondary confirmation and contract — after payment, customer service verifies the cabin and a travel contract is signed;
④ Boarding notice — one day before boarding, you are notified of the exact pier, meeting point, and time.

We recommend booking the cruise first, then flights and trains. For more booking details, see our FAQ page.

Recommended Ships & Extended ReadingEXPLORE

Foreign visitors generally value internationalized onboard service and a quiet, comfortable holiday atmosphere. We recommend two particularly suitable ships:

· Yangzi Explorer — widely recognized as the top cruise on the Yangtze, with a crew-to-guest ratio of nearly 1:1 and only 148 guests fully loaded; experienced in hosting international travellers;
· Century Legend — a super five-star flagship; on longer routes such as Chongqing to Wuhan it passes the Three Gorges Dam's five-stage ship lock and the Gezhouba lock on its own hull, making for a more complete itinerary.