This phenomenal itinerary presents China's key highlights in just 12 days. Explore cosmopolitan Shanghai, China's most cutting-edge, modern city. Cruise the legendary Yangtze between Wuhan and Chongqing through the wildly beautiful Three Gorges and mystical Lesser Gorges. You will also tour the Three Gorges Dam, an engineering marvel changing the face of China. Visit Xian and stare into the faces of thousands of Terra Cotta Warriors. In Beijing, explore historic imperial treasures like The Forbidden City, Great Wall and famed Summer Palace, and walk through Tiananmen Square, the world's largest public venue. Distinctive hotel stays and our Viking Century Sky round out an amazing trip.

Day 1: Shanghai
Welcome to Shanghai, China's largest city. We meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.* See the modern financial district juxtaposed with the older sections of the city.

Day 2: Shanghai
This morning, tour Old Shanghai and travel along the elegant Bund, stopping to admire some of its historic buildings and city views. After lunch in a local restaurant, visit a silk carpet workshop for a demonstration. Then tour the Shanghai Museum. Enjoy dinner in a local restaurant and see the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe show from the best seats in the house. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Shanghai & Wuhan
Your morning is free to further explore Shanghai. See the famous Jade Buddha Temple, view some of Shanghai's distinctive modern architecture, or visit one of this multicultural city's cathedrals, churches, synagogues or mosques. As always, your Program Director can help you plan your free time. After lunch, fly to Wuhan. Visit the Hubei Provincial Museum, where you enjoy the music of ancient bronze bells, then transfer to Viking Century Sky, docked close to Wuhan's historic waterfront. You are welcomed aboard with a Western meal, and your ship sails this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 4: Yueyang
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. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Three Gorges & Three Gorges Dam
This morning, cruise through Xiling Gorge, the longest of the Three Gorges. After lunch, disembark for a tour of the Three Gorges Dam where you learn about this immense engineering masterpiece and what it means for the Chinese people and the Yangtze. Return to your ship and sail through the five-stage locks of the Three Gorges Dam. Dock overnight at Badong. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Three Gorges & Lesser Three Gorges
During breakfast, cruise through Wu (Witches) Gorge, renowned for its magnificent scenery. Then, board a smaller boat for an excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges. Along the way, see fascinating sites including the hanging coffins of the Ba people and the ancient plank road carved into the cliffside. Lunch at Viking's private scenic stop overlooking the gorges, then sail through Qutang Gorge, the shortest, narrowest and most spectacular of the three large gorges. Dinner aboard. (B, L, D)

Day 7: Shibaozhai
This morning, visit Shibaozhai Temple, a 12-story pavilion built in 1650 above the Yangtze. Tour the pavilion and temple before returning aboard for lunch. Cruise along the Yangtze through the night. (B, L, D)

Day 8: Chongqing & Xian
After breakfast, disembark and enjoy a brief tour of Chongqing, the largest city in western China and an important inland port. Enjoy a visit to the Chongqing Zoo to see the Giant Pandas and other exotic species. After lunch in a local restaurant, fly to Xian, key city of the Tang Dynasty. From 618 to 907 A.D., this dynasty presided over one of China's most glorious cultural periods, spreading its influence throughout Asia into Europe and Africa. Tonight, experience the historic grandeur of the era as you dine surrounded by its traditional song and dance. (B, L, D)

Day 9: Xian & Beijing
In the morning, tour the mausoleum where Emperor Qin Shi Huang was laid to rest over 2,000 years ago. See the more than 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors, archers and infantrymen that were buried with him; walkways provide a bird's-eye view of the entire manmade necropolis where the Terra Cotta Army was discovered in the 1970s. Each man and horse is molded with its own distinctive features. After lunch in Xian, fly to Beijing, China's former imperial capital whose rich history dates back more than 3,000 years. Check in to your hotel and dine there; free time this evening. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Beijing
After breakfast, travel to nearby Badaling Hills. There, you behold one of the most impressive and best-preserved sections of the Great Wall of China-a 4,000-mile-long series of sandstone and earthwork fortifications built and maintained between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century A.D. that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore its winding pathways and marvel at the panoramic views from its ramparts. After lunch in a local restaurant, walk along the Sacred Way, a tree-lined avenue guarded by massive sculptures of elephants, lions and camels leading to the Ming Dynasty tombs. Tonight, taste some local specialties at dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 11: Beijing
This morning visit the enormous Tiananmen Square, which can accommodate over 1,000,000 people. Then, tour Beijing's Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; made up of nearly 1,000 buildings, it is the world's largest surviving palace complex. Walk its grounds among the opulent palaces, pavilions, courtyards and imperial gardens within the 26-foot-high walls. After lunch in a local restaurant, see the Summer Palace, a 700-acre complex of elegant buildings and gardens (complete with manmade Kunming Lake) frequented by the Imperial Court when they wanted to escape the bustle of Beijing. This evening, enjoy a traditional Peking duck dinner, followed by a recital by Peking Opera performers. (B, L, D)

Day 12: Beijing
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we will take you to the airport for your return flight.* (B)