A 3-day, 2-night solo trip with my 78-year-old grandpa to explore the Yangtze River Three Gorges

My grandpa had been wanting to see the Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam water conservancy project for a long time, so we just went go go and set off!!! 🚗🚗🚗 Itinerary Day 1: Took the high-speed train from Chongqing North to Fengjie 🚄, boarded at 8:15 AM, arrived at Fengjie by 10 AM! After arriving at Fengjie high-speed rail station, the original plan was to take a direct bus to the Three Gorges Summit, but after getting out, we found that private cars and direct buses cost the same, so we decisively chose a private car 🚗. On the way, we met a sister and her mom, and smoothly became travel buddies for the rest of the trip (they hadn’t planned anything and just joined us). We first visited Baidi City, then went to the Three Gorges Summit to admire the magnificent Qutang Gorge scenery. We laughed and had a great time all along! Since we needed to take a boat from Wushan to Yichang the next day, we took a taxi to Wushan in the evening to stay overnight! Day 2: Took the boat from Wushan to Yichang on the Gaoxia Pinghu No. 5, boarded at 6:30 AM, really got up super early, and arrived in Yichang after 3 PM. It was my first time experiencing such a long boat ride 🚢!!! Gaoxia Pinghu has three decks; we chose a spot on the third deck with a wide view. When the sun came out, we could sunbathe and chat on the deck, very cozy. Along the way, we enjoyed the magnificent Wuxia and Xiling Gorge views, truly breathtaking! The only regret was that the Wushan red leaves weren’t very red yet; it would probably look better now. Day 3: Visited the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area. The scenic area is free, but it’s very large and requires taking a sightseeing bus, 35 RMB per person, which is tough on the legs, and sitting on the bus is also tiring. We followed the staff’s introduction and visited Tanziling, the 185 Observation Platform, and the Cutoff Memorial Park in order. In the afternoon, we took a taxi to Zigui to visit the Three Gorges Immigrant Museum. At 5 PM that day, we took the high-speed train 🚄 back to Chongqing~ Summary: The whole trip is really tough on the legs, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes; if your shoes aren’t comfortable, your body won’t hold up. Hiking at the Three Gorges Summit should be done according to your ability; the hiking route is quite steep and takes about 6-7 hours to climb from Baidi City. For those traveling with elderly people like me, I don’t recommend hiking; just take a car directly to the scenic spots to save effort and worry. The river breeze in the morning is especially cold. If you choose to experience the boat ride, be sure to wear thick clothes, bring a hat, scarf, and gloves, or you might catch a cold 🤧. The Three Gorges Dam tourist area is very far from the city, and taxis are hard to get. Staying inside the scenic area is the most convenient and can save a lot of time. The Three Gorges Immigrant Museum is closed on Mondays, don’t go empty-handed!!! Take photos of the elderly at iconic spots and print them out to put in an album. When you get home, they will really look through it carefully for a long time! Although this trip was short, my grandpa had a great time, and it was very meaningful for us!!!