Day 1Shanghai
Welcome to Shanghai, China’s largest city. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* Here, you can see the modern metropolis of the financial district juxtaposed with the older sections of the city.
Day 2Shanghai
This morning, tour Old Shanghai and the Bund, the city’s elegant riverfront promenade. Then, visit the Shanghai Museum, featuring displays of ceramics, bronzes, calligraphy and paintings. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant, followed by a breathtaking Chinese acrobatic performance. (B, L, D)
Day 3Suzhou & Nanjing
After breakfast, enjoy a scenic motorcoach ride to Suzhou, nicknamed “Venice of the East” for its intricate canals. Tour the Old Town and embark on a sampan ride. Tour a silk factory and the exquisite Fishermen’s Garden. After lunch, ride to Nanjing to board your ship. You are welcomed aboard with a Western dinner. (B, L, D)
Day 4Mt. Jiu Hua
Marvel at the tranquil beauty of Mt. Jiu Hua, one of only four sacred Buddhist mountains. Later, tour a Buddhist temple and enjoy dinner aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 5Jingdezhen
After breakfast, tour the Ceramic History Museum. Learn how ceramics were produced in ancient times and their significance to each dynasty. Dine aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 6Wuhan
After breakfast, disembark in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province. Tour the Hubei Provincial Museum with its many historic artifacts, including a collection of ancient bronze bells. (B, L, D)
Day 7Dongting Lake
Sail across Dongting Lake, China’s second-largest freshwater lake. From here, tour 66-foot-high Yueyang Tower and its nearby pavilions, originally built during the Qing Dynasty. Cruise overnight. (B, L, D)
Day 8Jingzhou
This morning, visit a rural area where Viking River Cruises has sponsored a much-needed elementary school. Arrive to a warm greeting from the children and be charmed with songs and stories. Return to your ship for meals and afternoon cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 9Three Gorges Dam
Disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. Learn about this immense hydroelectric engineering project and how it will affect the Chinese people and the Yangtze. Then, sail through the Dam’s 5-stage locks. Dine aboard while cruising through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. (B, L, D)
Day 10Lesser Three Gorges & Three Gorges
Today, you cruise past the spectacular limestone cliffs known as the Three Gorges. During your 150-mile journey, first pass through Wu (Witches). Then board smaller boats to the Lesser Three Gorges. Marvel at the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Return aboard your ship for lunch, and spend the afternoon cruising through Qutang Gorge, the shortest and narrowest of the three larger gorges. (B, L, D)
Day 11Shibaozhai
This afternoon, you tour the 12-story red pavilion Shibaozhai Temple, an amazing piece of Chinese architecture built alongside the Yangtze during the Qing Dynasty (c. 1650). Climb up to the top for breathtaking views of the river below. (B, L, D)
Day 12Chongqing & Xian
Disembark at Chongqing and fly to Xian, key city of the Tang Dynasty. From 618 to 907 A.D. this dynasty presided over one of China’s most glorious cultural periods. Tonight, experience its grandeur as you dine surrounded by the historic song and dance of this colorful era.
Day 13Xian & Beijing
After breakfast, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. Marvel at his eternal minions—more than 6,000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors, archers, infantrymen and horses buried with him—from walkways that provide a bird’s-eye view.
After lunch, fly to Beijing, China’s former imperial capital whose rich history dates back more than 3,000 years. Check in to your hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 14Beijing
Travel to the Badaling Hills to walk the ramparts of the fabled Great Wall of China. Lunch in a local restaurant is followed by a stroll along the Sacred Way, a tree-lined avenue with massive animal sculptures guarding the Ming Tombs. Tonight enjoy a dinner of local specialties. (B, L, D)
Day 15Beijing
This morning visit Tiananmen Square, built to accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Then, tour Beijing’s mysterious Forbidden City. Completed in 1420, it was off limits to visitors for 500 years. Explore the elegant palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens within its walls.
After a local lunch, tour the Summer Palace, a 700-acre complex. Walk among its elegant buildings and landscaped grounds, considered among the finest Chinese gardens. Tonight’s dinner features China’s famous Peking duck followed by a performance of the world-renowned Peking Opera. (B, L, D)
Day 16Beijing
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)