Luoyang to the Three Gorges Dam, Xiling Gorge and Sanxia Renjia 5 Days 4 Nights

A morning start from Luoyang with one change reaches Yichang by evening. The hotel sits on Yanjiang Avenue, so drop the bags and walk to the embankment, where the hills of Dianjun district stand as a dark outline across the water. Dinner is Yangtze catfish, the soup milky white.

Attraction introduction: Yichang lies in southwestern Hubei and is the first large city below the gorges, known in older records as Yiling. The built up area follows the river, with Gezhouba to the west and the Three Gorges Dam upstream at Sandouping. The riverside park runs for several kilometres.

Tips: The first day is arrival only. Guests generally find Yichang East station sits some way from the centre and a taxi beats the bus. In practice the hotel is chosen on the river, so the evening walk needs no planning and the next morning departure is direct.

Enter the dam area in the morning and climb to Tanziling first. From the terrace the five step lock lines up below, ships waiting as the chambers fill. A shuttle then runs to the 185 platform, level with the crest of the dam, with the river spread out at your feet. The afternoon goes to the cofferdam memorial park and its concrete tetrahedrons.

Attraction introduction: The dam stands at Sandouping with a crest elevation of 185 metres, which gives the platform its name. Tanziling is the high point of the dam area, shaped like an upturned jar, and shows both the lock and the spillway section at once. The memorial park keeps the tetrahedrons dropped during the 1997 closure of the river.

Tips: There is a lot of walking inside the dam area, so a hat and water matter. Guests generally find Tanziling is worth staying at while a ship is in the lock and feels empty without one. In practice the morning entry improves the odds of a lockage, and the memorial park is quieter after lunch.

Board in the morning and take the Gezhouba lock first. The gates close behind the ship, water rises from below, and the hull lifts a step at a time with the sound of it filling the deck. Beyond the lock the Xiling Gorge begins, its walls standing almost straight out of the water, narrow enough that passing ships slow down. Back to Yichang in the afternoon.

Attraction introduction: Gezhouba sits upstream of the city centre and was the first large hydro scheme on the Yangtze, with a single stage lock. Xiling Gorge runs from Xiangxi inlet near Zigui down to Nanjinguan at Yichang, the longest of the three gorges, known for fast water over shoals and lined with limestone walls.

Tips: The deck is windy and cold in winter, so a heavy coat and a hat with a strap earn their place. Guests generally find everyone crowds the bow at the lock while the stern shows the gates closing better. In practice we take the stern ten minutes early and return to the cabin once the gates meet.

Reach the visitor centre in the morning and take the park shuttle, then a ferry across the river. On the far bank walk up Longjin Stream, where the water comes out of a cleft in the rock and stilted houses stand over it. In the afternoon watch the Ba Wang village performance, with the Tujia hand dance in the square. Boat and bus again on the way back.

Attraction introduction: Sanxia Renjia occupies Shipai village on the south bank of Xiling Gorge, divided into waterside, streamside and hillside households, with timber houses on stilts above the water. Longjin Stream is a short ravine with clear shallows and a small fall at the top. Shipai was also the site of a major wartime battle, and gun emplacements remain above the river.

Tips: There are many steps and the ferry needs a steady hand at the gangway, so wear shoes with grip. Guests generally find the stream cooler than the riverbank, welcome in summer and shaded in winter. In practice the performance times are matched so the ravine comes before the village, avoiding the midday crowd.

No sightseeing this morning. Sleep in and pack, then buy a couple of bags of Yichang mandarins on the way to the station, sweetest at this time of year. A midday train puts you in Luoyang by evening.

Attraction introduction: The Yichang reach belongs to the Yangtze citrus belt, and the mandarins ripen from late October into December with thin skins and plenty of juice. Yichang East is a stop on the Wuhan-Yichang line, continuing west toward Sichuan.

Tips: Keep the last day free of souvenir stops, because security queues at the station vary. Guests generally find the entrance at Yichang East slows around holidays and an hour in hand is safe. In practice the booking is for midday, leaving the morning for packing without a rush.