We were talked into this cruise by friends who felt it was a good price to see a country none of us had been to and Viking had served us well on a European cruise. We in turn brought a third couple and we were all thrilled with the tour. It was a land and river tour and Viking used first class hotels. The ship was very comfortable. While some of us were nervous about the food, cuisine was always well prepared and was a good balance of American and Chinese dishes. Nobody ever left the table hungry.

Each group of 30 had a guide who stayed with the group for the entire trip. Our guide, Richard, was wonderful. He was fluent in English, knowledgeable, friendly, attentive, detail-minded. He made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

The activities and tours were set up to show us modern and historical China. We saw museums and historic sights, shows, indoor and outdoor activities. We saw pandas, climbed the Great Wall, sailed the Yangtze, walked among the Terra Cotta army, crossed Tian'anmen Square, and went through the Forbidden City. It was a wonderful time. Read more