I was looking at the MyVikingJourney website today and just happened to look at the listing of shore excursions and found out that Viking has added the excursions for the land travel days of this trip. I had already posted the excursions we signed up for on the cruise days, and now I will add the new “official” descriptions of the included tours for the days we are on the land portion of this trip that transpires before and after the cruise. Up until this point in time, we could only see excursion information on the Viking website in the reservation area.
There are a few additional cost excursions that were also added, they are mostly nighttime events like showsand/or dinners. Since these are new and we have not seen these additional cost excursions until today, we have not made any determination on adding them or not.
Here is a listing of the Included Tours.
Day 2 – Beijing – Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square
The World’s Largest Public Square and a Once-Secretive Palace
Tour two of China’s most imposing testaments to its might.
Drive to Tiananmen Square; at 100 acres, it is the world’s largest public square and was originally considered the “front door” of the Forbidden City. Its massive space can accommodate a million people. Surrounding its great expanse, you will see the granite Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, and Mao Zedong’s mausoleum. Continue into the Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the world’s largest palace complex, home to 980 buildings with 9,999 rooms, all of it protected by a 20-foot moat and a 32-foot wall. Now known as the Palace Museum, the Forbidden City served as the imperial palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Explore the imperial treasures, exquisite courtyards and gardens in this former residence of China’s rulers.
Day 3 – Beijing – Great Wall & Ming Tombs
Grand Legacies of Emperors
Visit one of the best-preserved sections of the Great Wall and view the burial site of emperors.
Drive to Badaling to view the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall. Here, you will learn the fascinating history behind this engineering marvel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches for more than 10,000 miles. Discover the impact that the landmark has had on shaping Chinese culture, unifying diverse ethnic groups for thousands of years. After, head to the Sacred Way of the Ming Tombs, situated in a beautiful valley that emperors chose as their burial place. Follow the manicured entrance to the tombs—a tree-lined avenue guarded by sculptures of elephants, lions, camels and mythical beasts. Pause to admire the grand marble gateway known as the Great Red Gate; more than 400 years old, this three-arched structure is one of the largest stone archways in China.
Day 13 – Chengdu – Panda Base
China’s Beloved Mascot Back from the Brink
Visit some of Chengdu’s most famous residents at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Chengdu has established a world-renowned breeding and research center for giant pandas. This and other rare animals, such as the red panda and the golden monkey, are bred and cared for at the Research Base. Today, more than 100 pandas are here, thanks in part to partnerships with US zoos in Atlanta, Oakland, San Diego and Washington, DC. As the ancestral home of the giant panda, Chengdu serves as the perfect ambassador for this magnificent creature. During your visit, learn about the base’s successes in conservation, rescue and reintroduction. Among its efforts to raise the population out of endangered status, the center oversees and manages four nearby protected habitats. During your visit, you will have the chance to see these incredible creatures in their natural habitat.
Day 15 – Lhasa, Tibet – Jokhang Temple, Nunnery & Barkhor Street
Spiritual Sites & Vibrant Market
Visit the 1,300-year-old Jokhang Temple, a Tibetan nunnery and a thriving marketplace on the pilgrim’s circuit.
Dominating Lhasa’s Barkhor Square, the expansive site is an intriguing blend of Indian vihara, Tang Dynasty and Nepalese design, all topped by a glittering gilded roof. During your visit, see the lush temple’s interior illuminated with butter candles. Then, step into Barkhor Market, where you are likely to see pilgrims making reverent clockwise circuits around the temple on their hands and knees. The market’s stalls and shops will also catch your attention as they evoke the Tibet of old. After free time to shop, head to the Tsamkhung Nunnery, an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. View the Main Assembly Hall, where nuns gather for prayer, witness the simplicity of the nun’s quarters and learn more about their lifestyle, before a stroll in the courtyard and gardens.
Day 16 – Lhasa, Tibet – Potala Palace & Sera Monastery
The Former Home of the Dalai Lama and Buddhism’s Most Prestigious School
Visit the most remarkable building in Tibet and visit the Sera Monastery, an important center of Buddhism.
The imposing Potala Palace is a 13-story structure that was home to the Dalai Lama since the 7th century until 1959. This UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts more than 1,000 rooms and a total of 10,000 side chapels and shrines. The palace features a collection of rare relics and offers breathtaking views from its upper terraces. Continue to the Sera Monastery, an important center of Buddhism, and learn about its history and evolution to a revered place of learning. Housing three religious colleges and important collections of manuscripts and murals, it is renowned for its lively debates among the monks as they develop their understanding of Buddhist philosophy. This style is exclusive to the Sera Monastery and infuses the school with a youthful energy.
Day 18 – Xian – Terra Cotta Warriors
An Archaeological Find on a Massive Scale
See more than 8,000 life-size sculptures at one of the world’s most amazing excavation sites.
From 618 to 907 AD, the Tang Dynasty presided over one of China’s most glorious periods, spreading its influence throughout Asia and into Europe and Africa. Its emperor, Qin Shi Huang, grew into a hugely wealthy and powerful man, and insisted that he be protected from his foes even in the afterlife. Remarkably, he had thousands of warriors sculpted, complete with military regalia, to accompany him after death. Today, his mausoleum with its sea of Terra Cotta Warriors stretches for acres. Join your guide for a drive to Xian’s incredible treasure, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you will marvel at the carved militia that was buried with the emperor centuries ago, strolling elevated walkways over the site for a bird’s-eye view of an army molded from the earth.
Here is a brief listing of some of the paid excursions that are available. We have not yet discussed any of these to determine if we might add them to the trip. If we do select any of them, we will post that information here as an update.
Day 2 – Beijing – The Summer Palace (This conflicts with the Incuded Tour timeframes on this day, not sure why it is added as a paid tour)
Day 3 – Beijing – Peking Duck Dinner
Day 4 – Shanghai – Temple of Heaven
Day 13 – Chengdu – Sichuan Opera
Day 18 – Xian – Tang Dynasty Dinner & Performance
Day 19 – Xian to Beijng – Beijing Hutongs by Rickshaw
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