5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Airport/train station/port pick up

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.

• Splendid Shanghai Night View

Day 2 Shanghai (B, L)

Today's Highlights: Shanghai Museum, Former French Concession, Shanghai World Financial Center, Nanjing Road, The Bund

After breakfast, you will 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.

Next, take a leisurely walk in the charming Former French Concession 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 beautiful old French and European style buildings, apartments, villas, boutique shops, restaurants of a wide range of culinary styles standing at tree-lined avenues. Located among the ultra-modern architecture complex, the Former French Concession is a heritage treasury, a significant window into the city’s up-and-down history and an excellent witness of the culture fusion of the East and Europe.

Next, visit the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC), “the Eye of Shanghai”, one of the most incredible skyscrapers in Lujiazui. With a height of 492 meters (1,614 ft), the tower is the second tallest building after the nearby Shanghai Tower (632 meter/2,073 ft). Ascend up to the 474 meter-high 100th floor observation deck, try a thrilling skywalk on the transparent glass walkway and enjoy a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the entire city, including the Bund, neighboring Shanghai Tower, Jinmao Tower and many surrounding attractions. Feel Shanghai lying under your feet and blue sky hanging above your head.

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.)

• Shanghai Skyline along Huangpu River
• Shanghai Museum - One of the Best Four Museums in China
• Exquiste International Buildings at The Bund
• Wukang Mansion - Iconic Landmark of Former French Concession
• 474 M High Glass Walkway in World Financial Center

Day 3 Shanghai - Hangzhou (B, L)

Today’s highlights: West Lake, Feilai Peak, Lingyin Temple, Meijia Dock Dragon Well Tea Village, China National Tea Museum

After breakfast, go to take an early morning high speed train to Hangzhou (1hr), the “Heavenly City on Earth” and capital city of Zhejiang Province. Upon your arrival, your private tour guide and driver will pick you up at the railway station, and then set out on today’s sightseeing.

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 45-minute leisure cruise 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, stroll or take a sightseeing vehicle leisurely around to pass the famous Su Causeway, Bai Causeway, Broken Bridge, Gushan Hill, parks of Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond, Lotus Swaying in the Breeze, Orioles Singing in the Willows, etc. (As the lake is too large, you can take the sightseeing vehicle at any place on the route to save energy. The fee is included.)

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 grower’s family and experience picking tea leaves, watching stir-drying tea leaves, enjoying tea ceremony, tasting Dragon Well tea, etc., which needs extra payment.). After that, go to China National Tea Museum to learn systematically about Chinese tea culture including the history, procession, customs and classification of tea, and admire diverse kinds of tea wares, machines, displays, etc.

After today’s 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 Summer Scenery
• West Lake Boating Experience
• Lingyin Temple
• Relax at Dragon Well Tea Plantation
• Our customers Geoffrey from UK Visited Yubeng Ice Lake in Deqin, Yunnan, China in August, 2021.

Day 4 Hangzhou - Suzhou (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Lingering Garden, Shantang Ancient Street, Tiger Hill, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory

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 No.1 Silk Factory where you could not only see how the silk is processed from worm to the final product, but also learn some history and culture of silk in China.

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

• Lingering Garden Spring
• Our delighted customers visited Lingering Garden
• Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory
• Tiger Hill Spring
• Shantang Street

Day 5 Suzhou - Shanghai Departure (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Tongli Water Town

After breakfast, you will be escorted 25 km (about 40mins) from Suzhou downtown to visit the famous Tongli Water Town. This charming typical water town in China is very ancient of over 1,000 years old and well keeps its authentic old buildings, antique bridges and pure folk customs. Visit Retreat & Reflection Garden (World Cultural Heritage Site), Gengle Hall, the Three Bridges, the Pearl Tower, and other featured sights that are the highlights of Tongli Water Town. Afterwards, wander on the old lanes and walk on the stone bridges to get numerous wonderful sceneries of the ancient Tongli, also ride a scenic boat through the zigzag water canals of the water town.

The afternoon is free for you to transfer to Shanghai to catch your flight/train to next destination. Our service ends.

• Tongli Water Town with Poetic Charm and Tranquil Charm