My wife and I have been on a number of river and ocean cruises and this was our first time with Viking. We chose this holiday as we wanted to experience a different culture. We were not disappointed! This is not a trip for the faint hearted as it is very 'full on' with early starts, 6 internal flights and coach travel. I appreciate that this review is about the cruise aspect but feel that I should add that the hotels for the land days were all five star comfort and luxury- we love being pampered! All were excellently located for us and near to the sights.

We added the pre-extension in Shanghai and the post-extension in Guilin/Hong Kong.

During the different aspects of the trip we were looked after by 3 guides, Francis in Shanghai and Ray in Hong Kong. They were excellent, managing the group with care and efficiency. The bulk of the trip we were in the care of Jenna. I cannot fault her organisation and her knowledge of all aspects of her country was incredible. This gave us a real insight into the thinking and workings of China. We saw not only the 'must see' sights but also had the opportunity to see and experience the real China. Local guides, with local knowledge, were employed at every stop along with our own guide, Jenna. Read more