We have made several Viking River cruises and other than a non-Viking tour of Egypt, this ranks at the top of our experiences. We were very well cared for by the Viking staff. We had Francis as our tour guide and Larry for the extension in Shanghai. Both were outstanding in terms of knowledge, organization, and kindness to all. They both had great senses of humor and humanity. The shipboard staff including the Program Director was outstanding and responsive to any needs.

The land tour portions with very nice flights to Xi'an and Chongqing were amazing. The major sites in Beijing, Xi'an, Chongqing, and along the Yangtze River were terrific. China is such a huge country with many parts we could not see given a 3 week tour, that all we experienced were treasures. The hotels were 4-5 star in all the cities we visited. Food throughout, on the ship and off, was plentiful and delicious. Truly something for everyone's taste, though we would have preferred to experience some of the Hunan and Sichuan spicy dishes.

November is a cooler month, and despite the rain averages, we had rain almost everyday. This was not a big deal except in Shanghai, when we were exploring on our own. However, this did not dampen our enthusiasm and was far better than big heat of summer months. Read more