12-Day ~ China Yangzte River w/ Lily Chin (March 2009)
Viking River Cruises
Imperial Jewels of China
Start Date:
March 20, 2009
End Date:
March 31, 2009
Imperial Jewels of China ~ Itinerary
Shanghai, China
Arrival Date:
March 20, 2009
Departure Date: March 23, 2009
Shanghai is spectacular and alive and any trip to this region would not be complete without a stop here. Take a ferry ride and see the spectacular lights, shop for yarn, get a foot massage, have a drink atop the highest hotel in the world, The Grand Hyatt in Pudong or walk the Bund and help some local Chinese tourists practice their English. Everyone here is very friendly and happy to share their culture with you.
Wuhan, China
Arrival Date:
March 23, 2009
Departure Date: March 23, 2009
After breakfast, disembark in Wuhan where you will enjoy the music of ancient bronze bells while visiting the Hubei Provincial Museum. Afterwards, you will fly to Shanghai, one of the world's most significant ports and China's largest city.
Yueyang, China
Arrival Date:
March 24, 2009
Departure Date: March 24, 2009
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 through a spectacular series of limestone ridges known as the Three Gorges.
Three Gorges Dam
Arrival Date:
March 25, 2009
Departure Date: March 25, 2009
This morning you will disembark to take a tour of the Three Gorges Dam. You will enjoy lunch and dinner aboard the ship as you cruise through the longest of the Three Gorges, the Xiling Gorge.
Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges
Arrival Date:
March 26, 2009
Departure Date: March 26, 2009
The following day you will travel through 150 miles of the most scenic expanse of the Yangtze starting with the Three Gorges, which encompasses a series of limestone ridges. During breakfast you will cruise through the narrowest, shortest and most magnificent of the three gorges, the Qutang Gorge. After boarding a smaller boat, an excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges will allow viewing of the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside.
Shibaozhai, China
Arrival Date:
March 27, 2009
Departure Date: March 27, 2009
While on the Yangtze River, your first stop will be at the Shibaozhai Temple which was built in 1650. Tour this 12 story pavilion and temple before you return to the ship where you will cruise through the night.
Chongqing, China
Arrival Date:
March 28, 2009
Departure Date: March 28, 2009
After lunch, you will fly to Chongqing to board your ship where you will enjoy a Western meal in preparation to set sail in the evening.
Xian, China
Arrival Date:
March 28, 2009
Departure Date: March 29, 2009
From Beijing you will fly to Xian, the vital city to the Tang Dynasty which controlled a magnificent cultural period from 618 to 907 A.D. Once back in Xian, experience the historic grandeur of the era as you dine surrounded by its traditional song and dance.
Take the morning in Xian to tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. There are views of the entire manmade burial ground from the walkways where, in the 1970s, the Terra Cotta Army was located. Here you will find thousands of life-sized warriors, infantrymen and archers made out of terra cotta, each with individual distinctive features. After lunch, you will fly to Chongqing to board your ship which will cruise through the night.
Beijing, China
Arrival Date:
March 29, 2009
Departure Date: March 31, 2009
As one of the largest cities in the world, Beijing is also one of the oldest with a vast history. Beijing is the capital of the most populous country in the world, making it a very important and complex city. This city is known for, more recently, the 2008 Summer Olympics, the first Olympics to be held in the country of China ever.