Three-Day Trip to Yichang: Three Gorges Waterfall and Three Gorges Dam

Various online guides were a bit overwhelming and confusing with all the talk about boats coming in and out, water levels rising, and the ship lift, so I decided to explore on my own. I arrived around noon, mistakenly thinking there would be boats at different times throughout the day. As expected, I hit a wall. The ticket seller told me the last boat leaves at 8:30 AM daily. If I wanted to go now, I’d have to drive to the scenic area and then choose how to enter based on my situation. Option 1 is to take the sightseeing bus, which costs 35 yuan per person and tours the park by bus. Option 2 is to take the ship lift for a closer, more direct experience of the dam. Considering the time, I decided to explore the dam properly the next day and just went straight to the waterfall. The drive from the city was reasonable. For three people (with half-price tickets for my parents), including the shuttle bus and sightseeing elevator, the total cost was 379 yuan. The shuttle bus takes you 2 kilometers in, and the rest is a walk with scenic views along the way. From my experience, the sightseeing elevator is really unnecessary. There are vendors selling raincoats and shoe covers on the way because if you want to go through the waterfall later, you’ll need them. The prices are reasonable, so no need to prepare your own in advance. I personally don’t recommend buying expensive ones since they’re disposable. But the 1-yuan shoe covers are basically useless, and the 2-yuan ones won’t keep you dry without a raincoat (I wore a windbreaker and boldly skipped the raincoat, only using shoe covers—lesson learned). Crossing the waterfall in warm weather is a great experience, and bringing a photo buddy will definitely get you some great shots. A special reminder: don’t think you can’t see the scenery behind the waterfall without crossing it. The route to cross the waterfall is on the right, but you can also see the same view from the left side without worrying about getting your clothes wet (the left side is the small path between the elevator and the bridge). Taking your time to stroll and take photos took about two and a half hours. The next morning, I planned to take a boat ride but stopped by Gezhouba Market for breakfast and missed the boat time. No regrets at all—the breakfast at a small shop next to the market was excellent. The small wontons, pumpkin cakes, and sugar oil cakes were cheap and delicious, only 5 yuan a bowl. I highly recommend the spicy duck heads in the alley—they were the best I’ve ever had, 10 yuan for 4 pieces, and I couldn’t find the same kind later. After breakfast, since it was already late, I decided to drive along Highway 348. It was a happy accident—the scenery along the way was amazing, truly “too awesome.” I arrived at the scenic area around noon and obediently chose the park bus transportation. By the time I finished, it was too late to visit the spots beyond Highway 348, so I saved that for the third day. I reached the panoramic observation point of the dam at Zhongbao Island Theme Park, but almost all the spots were commercialized by villagers charging for parking and viewing. I refused and found Shiwuyue She, but the old man there said tea was 20 yuan with unlimited people, so I just took some photos outside and left. The day before, I saw a spot closer to the dam in the scenic area, which is better for those who want a quick check-in. The Three Gorges Immigration Museum was also under maintenance and won’t have the underwater city exhibit until after the 10th of next month. Yichang’s little three-day trip was perfect, and the Three Gorges Dam left me amazed and unforgettable.