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 a thriving modern metropolis juxtaposed with the older sections of the city.
Day 2Shanghai
This morning, tour Old Shanghai and the riverfront Bund district lined with banks and customs houses. After lunch, visit the Shanghai Museum; see its ancient ceramics, bronzes, calligraphy and other artifacts. Dine in a local restaurant, and then admire the dexterity of the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe at tonight’s performance. (B, L, D)
Day 3Shanghai & Wuhan
Enjoy a free morning to further explore Shanghai. See the famous Jade Buddha Temple, view some of Shanghai’s distinctive modern architecture, or visit one of this multicultural city’s cathedrals, churches, synagogues or mosques. After lunch, fly to Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, and tour the Hubei Provincial Museum before embarking your ship, docked close to Wuhan’s historic waterfront. A Western-style meal welcomes you aboard. (B, L, D)
Day 4Jingzhou
Today, visit an elementary school sponsored by Viking River Cruises. You are greeted and entertained by the children, then return to your ship. For the next 150 miles, you travel the most scenic stretch of the Yangtze River through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges.
(B, L, D)
Day 5Three Gorges & Three Gorges Dam
This morning, cruise through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the gorges. After lunch, disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam, scheduled for completion in 2009. Learn about this immense engineering masterpiece and what it will mean to the surrounding area. After your tour, return aboard and cruise through the dam’s five-stage lock system. Dock overnight at Badong.
(B, L, D)
Day 6Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges
Cruise through Wu (Witches) Gorge, known for its magnificent scenery, during breakfast. Then, board smaller boats for an excursion through the dramatic Lesser Three Gorges. Return to your ship for lunch, and spend the afternoon sailing through Qutang Gorge, the shortest and narrowest of the three larger gorges.
(B, L, D)
Day 7Shibaozhai
After a morning of scenic cruising, visit the 12-story Shibaozhai Temple. Built into the cliffs, this red pavilion is a gem of Qing Dynasty architecture. Cruise through the night.
(B, L, D)
Day 8Chongqing & Lhasa
This morning, disembark in the mountain city of Chongqing. Enjoy a tour and lunch, then fly to Lhasa, the economic, spiritual and cultural center of Tibet. Experience Tibetan culture with a family-hosted tea followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
(B, L, D)
Day 9Lhasa
Today, visit 1,300-year-old Jokhang Temple. After a local lunch, explore the maze-like Barkhor Market in old Lhasa and tour the Tibetan Museum to learn about the area’s history and culture. Tonight, enjoy a traditional Tibetan dinner.
(B, L, D)
Day 10Lhasa
This morning, tour the 13-story Potala Palace, winter home of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century. Later, visit Sera Monastery, an active temple with monks in training. Lunch and dinner in local restaurants.
(B, L, D)
Day 11Lhasa & Xian
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)
Day 12Xian
Today, tour Xian’s archaeological wonder: 8,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang, each soldier and horse molded in incredible detail. This afternoon, tour the majestic 7-story Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Tonight’s activity is a nighttime marketplace tour.
(B, L, D)
Day 13Xian & Beijing
Morning free time in Xian—as always, your Program Director can help you plan your activities. 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 dine there; your evening is free to relax.
(B, L, D)
Day 14Beijing
This morning, ride to nearby Badaling Hills. There, you behold one of the most impressive and best-preserved sections of the legendary Great Wall of China, and stand on its famous ramparts. A local lunch is followed by a visit to the Sacred Way, where you walk among the huge animal sculptures flanking the tree-lined avenue to the Ming Tombs. Tonight, taste some local specialties at dinner.
(B, L, D)
Day 15Beijing
Today, visit massive Tiananmen Square, and then see the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its elegant palaces, pavilions and landscaped gardens, once open only to nobility. Later, tour the 700-acre Summer Palace and ride a dragon boat across its man-made lake. Tonight’s treat is a Peking duck dinner; then enjoy the artistry of performers from the famed 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)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*Airport meet & greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises.