I heard about this excellent Viking tour of China from fellow passengers on another Viking River cruise. I had never been interested in touring China until I had experienced two other excellent Viking cruises. I trusted that this trip would be as good but I was wrong. This was by far the best trip. I loved our guide, Paul, who cared for us, met every need, and kept us so informed and educated.

Having several days each in Bejing, Shainghai and Xian were wonderful as the accommodations, meals, transportation and sight-seeing activities gave us many opportunities to see and experience China. Climbing the Great Wall and seeing the terra cotta warriors were on my bucket list but I hadn't thought I would ever do so. I checked those off the list and much more; such as doing dance aerobics on the corner of Xian with the local women, talking with the children at the park and in school, cruising on the Yangtze in the mist and enjoying the entertainment in the cities and especially by the cruise staff on the ship.

The food was excellent. The shopping was great. All the tour experiences were wonderful. I would recommend Viking and this particular cruise to anyone. I have one thought for those considering this trip. Plan ahead and study if you can. I try to learn a little in advance of the tour in preparation, such as a few language phrases. I loved using my Mandarin and trying to communicate with the locals. They enjoyed it and us as much as we enjoyed them. I am now anxiously awaiting our next Viking cruise in Portugal.