We just (last night) returned from a 20 day trip to China with Viking River Cruises. What a great trip. Beijing. Xi'an, Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanjing, Yangtze, Guilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong. The people are great, honest and friendly. The tour was perfectly organized, top shelf hotels (China World - Beijing, Ritz-Carlton - Shanghai, Kowloon Shangi-La - Hong Kong) food was terrific, service on the Viking Century Sun was the best. We've taken two Tauck Tours and this company rates right up there with them. Our guide made sure we never had to use the "traditional" squat toilets (always bring your own paper).
It was wonderful.

Can you tell us what the cost was and scheduled group shopping to factories?
Thanks.

Sorry for the delay in answering. The rates have changed since our booking and it was not cheap. However, after returning home and realizing how top shelf the trip was, we feel we got a real bargain. We wanted for nothing, the service was exemplary and the sightseeing was superb.
Viking River cruises has a website of that name and will provide all the details.

To go to China, Nepal, or India and use a squat toilet is part of the adventure. It seems like you travelled in a crystal bubble whilst in China.

I have used a squat toilet on a moving boat whilst dressed in Prada. Try that sometime, sweetie darling.

The Great and Powerful Thingorjus

marginal_margiela, while I totally agree with your sentiment (I have used squat toilets several times while in China, Thailand, and even in Japan), this is Fodor's and not Lonely Planet ThornTree. Most people here want to travel and see the sights while having American comforts at their disposal. Nothing wrong with that.

marginal_margiela, are you the one and only "Thin and Gorgeous"? If so I've miss your posts!

JEL 1,

Thanks for the info, at $4000.00 for twenty days, looks good and reasonable.

for that price per person you should be top shelf anywhere you go

JEL1,
DH and I are considering travel to China with Viking. Thanks for posting; the more info, the better.
What did you think of the cruise portion, not the ship, but the scenery? Is a cruise a must-do when visiting China. I have heard that the cruise is not as good as it once was, due to dammed area filling in.

We also took this trip. The upper gorges section of the trip was beautiful, even with the change in the shoreline. The section below the river is less picturesque but still interesting.

The 10 day cruise provided a much-needed break in the hectic pace of life in china. See the cruise critic website's "other cruise lines" section for volumes of information on this Viking cruise.