China | Imperial Jewels of China

Welcome to Beijing, China’s former imperial capital whose rich history dates back to more than 1,000 years B.C. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* After check-in, you have free time to relax or explore.

This morning visit the enormous Tiananmen Square, which can accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Then, tour Beijing’s Forbidden City. Nearly 800 buildings and 9,999 rooms make up this amazing site. As you walk its grounds, marvel at the elegant palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens within its walls. After lunch in a local restaurant, you visit the Summer Palace, a 700-acre complex of gardens and elegant buildings. Its Chinese name means Garden of Nurtured Harmony, and it was frequented by the Imperial Court to escape the bustle of Beijing. Walk its landscaped grounds, considered among the finest Chinese architectural gardens. This evening, enjoy a traditional Peking duck dinner. Then, you are treated to a performance of the Peking Opera, a fascinating cultural experience.

After breakfast, travel to the Badaling Hills to see one of the most impressive and best-preserved sections of the fabled Great Wall of China. Walk along its winding pathways and marvel at the excellent views. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit the Sacred Way, a tree-lined avenue guarded by massive sculptures of elephants, lions and camels. Tonight, taste some local specialties at dinner. (B, L, D)

Today tour Old Beijing’s hutongs (narrow alleys) via rickshaw.† Discover the sights and sounds of traditional Chinese life. Visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration of this ancient art. After lunch, 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. (B, L, D)

†Rickshaw hutong tour only available on Beijing to Shanghai itinerary direction.

After breakfast, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. See the more than 6,000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors, archers and infantrymen that were buried with him, from the walkways that provide a bird’s-eye view. Each man and horse is molded with his own distinct features. After lunch fly to Chongqing, gateway to the Yangtze. You are welcomed aboard the Viking Century Sky with a Western meal, and your ship sails this evening. (B, L, D)

This morning, you visit Shibaozhai Temple, a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 and perched high above the Yangtze. Climb up to the top for breathtaking views of the river below. Return to your ship and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

For the next 150 miles, you travel the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze as it forces its way through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges. During breakfast, cruise through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Then, board a smaller boat for an excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges. Sail through these remarkable canyons flanked by towering cliffs. Along the way you see ancient sites including the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Enjoy lunch at a scenic stop overlooking the gorges. After, return to your ship and sail through Wu (Witches) Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery. Dinner is served aboard. (B, L, D)

This morning, you disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. You learn all about this immense engineering masterpiece—first conceived by Sun Yat-Sen in 1919—and how it will affect the Chinese people and the Yangtze. Then, you return to your ship and traverse the 5-stage locks of the Three Gorges Dam. Lunch and dinner are served aboard while you cruise through the night. (B, L, D)

This morning, cruise through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. Then arrive in Yueyang, where you visit an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises in this rural village. You will be warmly greeted by the children and enjoy a performance. Return to your ship for meals and scenic cruising. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, disembark in Wuhan. Visit the Wuhan Museum. Then, fly to Shanghai, China’s largest city and one of the world’s most important ports. Here, you can see the modern metropolis of the financial district juxtaposed with the other sections of the city. Check in to your hotel. (B, L, D)

This morning, tour Old Shanghai and travel along the Bund, the city’s elegant riverfront promenade. After lunch in a local restaurant, tour a silk carpet workshop for demonstrations of this ancient art form. Then visit the Shanghai Museum, featuring displays of ceramics, bronzes and paintings. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and a Chinese acrobatic show. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.*