Day 1Shanghai
Welcome to Shanghai, China’s largest city and one of the world’s most important ports. 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. (B, L, D)
Day 2Shanghai
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)
Day 3Shanghai & Wuhan
Take morning free time to further explore Shanghai. After lunch in a local restaurant, fly to Wuhan. Visit the Hubei Provincial Museum, then transfer to Viking Century Sun, docked close to Wuhan’s historic waterfront. You are welcomed aboard with a Western meal, and your ship sails this evening. (B, L, D)
Day 4Yueyang
Today, visit an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises in this rural area. You will be warmly greeted by the children and enjoy a performance. Return to your ship for meals and scenic cruising. (B, L, D)
Day 5Three Gorges & Three Gorges Dam
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. Cruise through the morning and enjoy lunch as you sail along Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. Then you tour the Three Gorges Dam where 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. Return to your ship and sail through the 5-stage locks of the Three Gorges Dam. Cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 6Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges
During breakfast, cruise through Wu (Witches) Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery. 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. Return to your ship for lunch, then spend the afternoon sailing through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Dinner is served aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 7Shibaozhai
This morning, you visit Shibaozhai Temple, a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 alongside the Yangtze. Climb up to the top for breathtaking views of the river below. Return to your ship for lunch and cruise through the night. (B, L, D)
Day 8Chongqing & Xian
After breakfast, disembark and enjoy a short city tour and lunch in a local restaurant. Then fly to Xian, China’s key city of the Tang Dynasty. From 618 to 907 A.D. this dynasty presided over one of China’s most glorious cultural periods, spreading its influence throughout Asia into Europe and Africa. Tonight, you experience the grandeur of the era as you dine surrounded by the historic song and dance of this colorful period. (B, L, D)
Day 9Xian & Beijing
After breakfast, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. See the more than 8,000 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 Beijing, China’s former imperial capital whose rich history dates back more than 3,000 years. Check in to your hotel and have dinner there. (B, L, D)
Day 10Beijing
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)
Day 11Beijing
This morning visit the enormous Tiananmen Square, which can accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Next, 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. (B, L, D)
Day 12Beijing
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)