6 Days Shanghai Hangzhou & Suzhou Bullet Train Tour with Wuzhen Water Town

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Airport or railway station pick up and check in hotel

Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai, the biggest metropolis in China!

Upon arrival, you will be met by a local tour guide at the arrival hall of the airport/train station/port and escorted to check in your hotel in downtown by a private comfortable vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to relax. If you want to explore nearby, feel free to get some practical suggestions from your tour guide.

Optional Activity - Attend an entertaining Acrobatic Show, including breathtaking “balls of death” acts, chair balancing, hula hoops, juggling of benches, walking in the air, and other breathtaking performances (usually performed during 19:30~21:00).

Arrival Ideas: At present, there are many international and many domestic flights to and from Shanghai. Also, you can arrive in Shanghai city by taking a high speed train from Beijing (5-6hrs), Xian (6-7hrs), Hangzhou (1hrs), Suzhou (30mins), Huangshan (4hrs), and so on.

• Our curstomer enjoyed the beautiful night view of Shanghai

Day 2 Shanghai (B, L)

Today's Highlights: Shanghai Museum, Wukang Road, Shanghai Tower, Nanjing Road, The Bund

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel to start your Shanghai exploration. Your will firstly visit, and ascend the Shanghai Tower - China's tallest building and a marvel of modern engineering, standing at 632 meters (2,073 ft). Take one of the world's fastest elevators to the 118th-floor observation deck, perched 546 meters high, from which you will feast your eyes on a jaw-dropping panorama of Shanghai, including the Jinmao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Oriental Pearl Tower almost at eye level. Look farther and spot the historic Bund, its classic European-style buildings lining the Huangpu River like a living postcard.

Next, visit Shanghai Museum, one of the Four Best Museums in China. There are over one billion cultural relics related to Chinese ancient history and art are exhibited inside, including precious bronzes, paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, jade, sculptures, traditional furniture, seals and old coins from more than 5,000 years ago to the Qing Dynasty. Da Ke Ding(bronze food vessel in over 3000 years ago), Bianzhong of Marquis Su of Jin (ancient musical instruments) are the top treasures to visit. An Audio Explanation Device will help you better learn the facts and knowledge of the exhibitions.

After Lunch, take a leisurely walk on the charming Wukang Road which was a special premier living quarter and retail district for expats in early Shanghai (from 1849 AD until 1943 AD). You will browse hundreds of old European-style buildings, apartments, villas, boutique shops, restaurants of a wide range of culinary styles standing among the ultra-modern architecture complex. It is a significant window into the city’s up-and-down history.

Later, get to Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s earliest commercial street and one of the most popular current landmarks. Lots of big name brands, restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops and towering buildings can be seen when you stroll around this busy pedestrian mall. Continue your walk to the Bund, the No. 1 attraction in Shanghai. Stretching along the west bank of the Huangpu River, this 1.5km-long road was a simple towpath for transporting good but developed to the early “East Wall Street” in late 19th century, as a perfect blend of the East meeting the West. The Bund mainly features 52 various European-style architectures praised to the Exhibition of World’s Architecture. Make a pleasant walk to see those western classical and modern style buildings and amazing skyscrapers of Lujiazui across the river.

After the tour, drive back to your hotel. (If you want to spend free time at the Bund, Nanjing Road or somewhere else please let your tour guide know.)

• The View of Lujiazui from the Bund, Shot by Our Guest Laszlo
• A Jaw-dropping Panorama of Shanghai from Shanghai Tower
• Wukang Road City Walk
• Dakeding (1046 BC-711 BC) - The Most Precious Treasure of Shanghai Museum

Day 3 Shanghai - Wuzhen Watertown - Hangzhou (B, L)

Today's Highlight: Wuzhen Water Town

In this morning, you will be transferred to take the high speed train (1 hour) to Tongxiang to visit Wuzhen Water Town. Wuzhen with over 6,000 years old is one of the four great water towns at the region south of the Yangtze River and one of the ten most charming famous towns in China. Praised as the “last town resting on water in China” and a land flowing with milk and honey, Wuzhen is the top popular place to see the typical look of water towns in south China.

Upon your arrival, be met by your tour guide, then take your time to discover the watertown of Wuzhen. You will first explore West Scenic Area of Wuzhen. Stroll leisurely along the well-preserved streets and lanes to visit the remained dyeing workshop with herbs and hanging cloths, “three-inch “golden lotuses” with over 800 pairs of various foot binding shoes, old post office operating for more than 110 years, etc. Of course, you will not miss the Bailian Pagoda, Tongji Bridge and Renji Bridge, large classic garden, ancient academy, soy sauce workshop, plentiful of old constructions from Ming and Qing era, and various shops and stores selling local handicrafts and snacks. You will then move to East Scenic Area of Wuzhen. It is featured with water town appearance combining with rich life pulse, where diverse kinds of manual workshops and traditional stores lining the streets show you the bustling character of the old water town in South China. Walk around to visit the Fengyuan Double Bridge with corridor sheds, local pharmacy of over 100 years old, museum with abundant exquisite old beds with outstanding skills, exhibition hall with interesting displays of local folk customs and ceremonies, distillery with the live making of liquor, former residence of Mao Dun with the life story and literal contribution of that great man in China, traditional pawnshop with the culture of traditional mortgage, indigo fabric workshop, etc. Besides, hang around to admire the temples, mansions, many museums and exhibition halls and watch the real life of local people living in Wuzhen Water Town.

After Wuzhen exploration, you will be escorted to Hangzhou, the “Heavenly City on Earth” and capital city of Zhejiang Province. Check in to your hotel in the downtown. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the beautiful city of Hangzhou!

• Hand-rowed boats glide along the time-honored waterways of Wuzhen.
• lime-washed walls
• Wuzhen Water Town East Scenic Area
• Indigo Fabric Workship at Wuzhen East

Day 4 Hangzhou (B, L)

Today's highlights: West Lake, Meijiawu Tea Village, Lingyin Temple

After breakfast today, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and escort you to start today’s Hangzhou exploration!

First, make the symbolic visit to the picturesque West Lake, which is the iconic site of Hangzhou and a pretty UNESCO World Heritage. Just as the famous traveler Marco Polo did and wrote: “A voyage on this lake offers more refreshment and pleasure than any other experience on earth”, you will start with a leisure cruise (about 45 mins) to enjoy the tranquil lake views as well as the ancient pagodas, traditional arched bridges, tree-lined walkways, beautiful hills, green islands and lush gardens including visit to the beautiful Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon. After the cruise, visit West Lake's highlights like Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, and scenic parks by foot or included sightseeing vehicle. The lake's vastness makes full exploration impractical, but your guide will customize the itinerary based on your schedule and energy levels.

Next, go to Feilai Peak (Peak Flying from Afar), which flew to China to spread Buddhism from India according to the legend. It features in over 300 Buddhist carvings lining the riverbanks and hillsides and tucked away inside grottoes. With over 1,000 years, it is the precious fresco treasure in the whole regions south of Yangtze River. Continue to the adjacent Lingyin Temple of nearly 1,700 year, which is the oldest and one of the most popular temples in Hangzhou. Hidden in the luxurious forest, it offers charming and peaceful landscape mixed with the strong Buddhist atmosphere among the large scaled of magnificent and antique temple clusters.

Then, drive uphill to Meijiawu Tea Village, a refreshing wonderland surrounded by mountains with a large area of emerald Dragon Well tea plantations in neat lines and curves. Walk among the tea plantations with fun and take beautiful photos (Optional activity: you can pay a visit to the local tea farmer’s family and experience picking tea leaves, watching stir-drying tea leaves, enjoying tea ceremony, tasting Dragon Well tea, etc., which is usually only available in March or April.).

After Meijiawu visiting, be escorted back to your hotel in Hangzhou downtown. Have a good sleep!

Evening Ideas: 1) watch a magnificent night show - Enduring Memories of Hangzhou, a live performance by Yimou Zhang with changing lights, music and dancing on the West Lake, which usually starts at 7pm, needs extra payment; 2) feast your eyes with an amazing Music Fountain Show at Third Park, near the eastern lakeside of West Lake, free charged.

• West Lake Spring
• West Lake Boating Experience
• Lingyin Temple
• Pleaceful Longjing tea village

Day 5 Hangzhou - Suzhou (B, L)

Today's Highlights: Lingering Garden, Shantang Ancient Street, Tiger Hill, Suzhou Silk Museum

Today you are going to visit another Heavenly City - Suzhou which is famous for its classical gardens and water towns. A fast high speed bullet train will transfer you to Suzhou within 1.5 hours.

Start with an interesting visit to Lingering Garden, one of the Four Greatest Gardens in China as well as the perfect representative of traditional Suzhou Gardens. The Lingering Garden has synthesized almost all the classic features of Suzhou gardens. It is composed of residential areas, shrines, family temple and garden, making fully use of the changings between big and small, bend and straight, bright and dark, tall and low, tight and disperse, with the surrounding landscapes, such as trees, flowers, lake, sky, as backgrounds to create an ingenious system of space. Stepping into the garden, you will find the buildings, rockeries, corridors, pavilions, ponds and trees in Lingering Garden are all standing in the best place, neither too crowded nor too sporadic. The most incredible thing is that, in the same place, looking from different angles, you can enjoy different scenery. Making a step, you will get another feeling of another kind of scenery. After visiting Lingering Garden, move on to next site Shantang Ancient Street, a wonderful place for a relaxing walking. It used to be an important trade and culture center during Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now is famous as “the miniature of old Suzhou and the window of Wu culture”. Enjoy the ornate water-town style architectures, marvel at the bustling streets and savor at local snacks.

In the afternoon, you will go to explore the most historical site in Suzhou Tiger Hill. The famous Chinese poet in Song Dynasty (960-1279), Su Shi, once said, “It is a lifelong pity if having visited Suzhou you did not visit Tiger Hill.” He was definitely right. The hill is only 36 meters in height, but covers about 3.5 acres areas with a number of historical sites some of which have history over 2,500 years. The most famous sites include the Yunyan Pagoda which is an over-1000-year-old pagoda with seven stories in height and famously leans much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Sword Pool where the King of Wu, He Lu, tested and buried his treasured swords about 2500 years ago. Apart from the history, the Tiger Hill is also an amazing place to go for a walk, enjoy natural scenery and experience local custom. Next, transfer from Tiger Hill to Suzhou Silk Museum which is China’s first professional silk museum, established in 1989. The museum aims to promote silk culture, protect silk relics, preserve silk craftsmanship, and spread knowledge about silk.

After the tour, go to check in your hotel. Have a good rest! 

• Lingering Garden Spring View, Take by Our Guest from Danmark
• Two workers are weaving at Suzhou Silk Museum
• Our Guests visisted Tiger Hill Pagoda atTiger Hill in 2018
• Shantang Street

Day 6 Suzhou - Shanghai & Shanghai Departure (B)

Be escorted to your airport or train station

After breakfast, be escorted to the airport or railway station in Shanghai for your flight / train to the next destination or home. Tour ends!

Departure Idea: your travel consultant will arrange the bullet train or private car to Shanghai based on your departure schedule and location of the airport / train station in Shanghai or Suzhou.