Lesser Three Gorges – Get Closer to Nature

Longmen Gorge (龙门峡), literarily as Dragon Gate Gorge is the first gorge at Lesser Three Gorges Scenic Area, with the length of about 3km. at the mouth of this gorge, two mountains face each other with a thin strip of sky can be seen, which forms like a gate, therefore, Longmen Gorge is complimented by tourists as the “Little Kui Gate”. Visiting this beautiful gorge, your time will be filled with interest and happiness. Taking the local boat, you could enjoy the special peaks and stones, flying springs and waterfalls, ancient hanging coffins, and the relics of ancient trestle road along the banks. Moreover, since this tourist attraction is kept well to maintain its original condition, sometimes, monkeys could be seen there on the green cliffs.

Famous attractions: Shishou Gate, ancient trestle road relics, Lingzhi Peak, Yinwo Shoal, Mojiao Shoal, etc.

Bawu Gorge

Bawu Gorge (巴雾峡, Misty Gorge literarily) is featured with its peculiarity. This gorge is about 10km long. And on the two banks, a lot of stones of different special shapes form groups of lifelike natural sculptures. You could see on the east cliff, there is a long stone look like a returning giant dragon, and a fierce tiger shaped round stone on the opposite bank. Besides, Bawu Gorge is also called Tieguan (Iron Coffin) Gorge, since there is a black hanging coffin on the cliff at the east bank of the river, which looks like made of black iron.

Famous attractions: peculiar stones, hanging coffin, etc.

Dicui Gorge

Dicui Gorge (滴翠峡) means emerald green gorge and is the longest, deepest, most serene, and most elegant on among the three, with a complete length of about 20km from Shuanglong to Tujiaba. In Dicui Gorge, you could admire multiple beautiful peaks with precipitous cliffs, lush forests, flying waterfalls from high places, and so forth. Just within this one gorge, you could experience the mighty strength and the exquisite sceneries of nature, and that is why it is reputed as “the most elegant sightseeing is at Dicui Gorge”.

Famous attractions: Shuilian Cave, Moyan Buddhist Statue, Mianyang Shoal, Little Three Gorges, Dengtian Peak, trestle road, hanging coffin, etc.

Little Lesser Three Gorges

Little Lesser Three Gorges (小小三峡) has narrower water path, so it has such name. You could enjoy more authentic natural sceneries at this area. There the mountains look more precipitous, and valleys more serene and deeper. Listed as a “National AAAAA Tourist Attraction”, the Little Lesser Three Gorges, formed by Changtan Gorge, Qinwang Gorge and Sancheng Gorge, shows various shapes of strange peaks, the romantic scenery of mountains reflecting upon water, harmonious natural landscapes. Besides, the swimming fishes could be seen in the crystal clear, thus you could feel getting closer to nature.

Famous attraction: Changtan Gorge, Qinwang Gorgem, Sancheng Gorge, etc.

Local Sightseeing Boat

The Lesser Three Gorges is very narrow to hold cruise ship to sail along, so you will travel this place by taking a local sightseeing boat. On the simple and pure vehicle, local guide will give good introduction of this tourist attraction, and tell you the interesting culture and history about it. You could feel leisure to enjoy the rare time to get close to nature. The whole visit to and back may take about 3-4 hours according to the practical conditions.

Lesser Three Gorges belongs to the central subtropical climate. The annual average temperature is about 18.4, with the lowest during January with 7.1 averagely and hottest in July with 29.3 averagely. Within Wushan area, it is sunny and light in autumn, misty continuously in winter and often rain a lot in summer seasons. Moreover, climate changes irregularly when spring changes to summer, when it is usually cloudy in the morning and raining at night.

You could visit Lesser Three Gorges in any time of a year, however, from March to August is the best time, when you could savor more emerald scenery and enjoy the comfortable weather. Moreover, from late November to December every year, Wushan Mountain is colored by the fiery red leaves all around. You can also visit during that period to join in the international festival of red leaves in Wushan. Nice time for photographing.

Tips: during July and August, it is hot at Lesser Three Gorges, and wearing short T-shirts is suitable. Besides, it often rains at in Wushan area, especially during July and August, so take your umbrella and raincoat when visiting there.

— Chongqing(重庆) is known as the most essential starting point for a classic Yangtze River cruise. The city has gained international recognition in recent years for its unique tridimensional cityscape, 8D transportation system, and cyberpunk-style buildings and architecture, which have attracted a growing number of tourists to the city. Usually, a leisure landscape tour in Chongqing city requires 2~3 days. It’s recommended that you extend your journey to the surrounding UNESCO heritage sites like Wulong - the famous Karst Landscape in blockbuster Transformers (1-2 days) and Dazu - the last monumental works in the history of world grottoes art (1 day).

☛ 4 Days Chongqing Essence Tour with Yangtze River Cruise

Useful Links: 1~3 Days Chongqing Tours 2025 | How to Plan a Chongqing Tour >>

— Chengdu(成都), a 1~1.5-hour high-speed train from Chongqing, is known as the hometown of the Giant Pandas and  UNESCO’s City of Gastronomy. Take 1~2 days to meet these cuties and keep yourself in the “laid-back” living pace like a local while wandering around parks, museums, ancient pedestrian streets, and temples in the downtown area, you will probably understand why people say Chengdu is a city you don't want to leave. Moreover, Chengdu is the gateway to so many UNESCO world heritage sites, including Jiuzhaigou (3 days), Mount Emei (2 days), Leshan Giant Buddha (1 day), Dujiangyan (0.5-1 day), etc., and astonishing hidden plateau - Western Sichuan (3~7 days).

☛ 8 Days Best of Sichuan with Yangtze Cruise Tour (with Chengdu/Emeishan/Leshan)
☛ 8 Days Beauty Tour to Jiuzhaigou & Yangtze River

Useful Links: 1~7 Days Chengdu Tours 2025 | Top Sichuan Tours 2025 | How to Plan a Chengdu Tour >>

— Zhangjiajie(张家界), a 4.5-hour two-train transfer from Yichang, offers the most distinct and iconic landscape of the Hollywood blockbuster Avatar. Let along adrenalin-pumping Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge and frightening skywalks and sharp zigzag driving roads at Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park, the uncanny natural wonders in Zhangjiajie (3~5 Days) attracting countless adventurers and travel addicts from all over the world!

☛ 7 Days Nature Tour to Yangtze River & Zhangjiajie

Useful Links: 3~5 Days Zhangjiajie Tours 2025 | How to Plan a Zhangjiajie Tour >>

— Guilin(桂林), located 4-5 hours away by high-speed train from Chongqing, is renowned for its breathtaking scenery, making it a must-visit destination in China. Generally, Li River, Yangshuo County, and Longji Rice Terraces are the three most popular and separate destinations.  For most travelers to Guilin, 3-5 days is enough to cover the highlights by using a private car. 

☛ 7 Days Idyllic Guilin & Yangtze River Cruise Tour

Useful Links: 3~5 Days Guilin Tours 2025 | How to Plan a Guilin Tour >>

Guests who are visiting China for the first time probably would choose Beijing (the capital of China, recommended travel days: 3~4 days), Shanghai (the largest and most developed and populated city of China, recommended travel days: 2~4 days), Guangzhou (the third biggest city in China, recommended travel days: 2~3 days) or Hong Kong (a convenient transit hub with mainland China, recommended travel days: 2~3 days) as their first stop, as all these four destinations process excellent infrastructure and multi-dimensional transportation networks connecting the whole of China. How to arrange your travel route? Our top-pick China Yangtze Tour itineraries may bring you some inspiration!

☛ (Beijing/Xian/Chongqing/Yangtze Cruise/Yichang/Shanghai) 11 Days China Golden Triangle Tour with Yangtze River Cruise

☛ (Beijing/Xian/Chengdu/Yangtze Cruise/Zhangjiajie/Shanghai) 15 Days China Best Treasure Tour with Yangtze Cruise & Zhangjiajie Landscape

☛ (Hong Kong/Guilin/Chengdu/Chongqing/Yangtze Cruise/Yichang/Shanghai) 12 Days China Splendid Tour from Hong Kong

☛ (Shanghai/Yichang/Yangtze Cruise/Chongqing/Chengdu/Lhasa/Xian/Beijing) 17 Days China Yangtze Tour with Tibet & Giant Panda Visit

☛ (Hong Kong/Guilin/Chengdu/Yangtze Cruise/Zhangjiajie/Shanghai/Xian/Beijing) 21 Days China Holiday with Yangtze River Cruise Tour

Useful Links: Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Beijing | Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Shanghai | Yangtze River Cruise Tour from Hong Kong >>

Check more details about 2025 Top China Yangtze Tours >>