4 Days Shanghai In-depth Tour with Sidetrip to Suzhou

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Airport/train station/cruise port Pick up, Free Time

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

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

Recommended Night Activity (optional): Watch 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).

• Space Motorcycles Performed in Shanghai Circus World

Day 2 Shanghai City Highlights Tour (B, L)

Today's Highlights: Shanghai Museum, Tianzifang, Shanghai World Financial Center, The Bund

After breakfast, you will visit Shanghai Museum, one of the best museums in China. Conveniently located near the People’s Square, this large museum is designed and built with a round top and a square base which symbolize the ancient Chinese perception of the world as “round sky, square earth”, and mainly focus on Chinese ancient history and art. Over one billion cultural relics 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 top treasures to visit. An Audio Explanation Device will help you better learn the facts and knowledge of the exhibitions.

Next, drive to Tianzifang, a unique popular tourist enclave remolded from a traditional residential block in old town of Shanghai. Intertwined narrow alleys are filled with small creative shops selling lovely souvenirs and plenty of cafés, bars and restaurants. It’s great fun to ramble through the maze-like area to appreciate the well-preserved traditional Shanghainese Shikumen (Stone Warehouse Gate) houses, see interesting novel art and handicrafts, savor a lazy open-air coffee time and try some local street food and feel the original Shanghai life vibe.

After lunch, 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 most iconic place of 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. Most known 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.

Recommended Night Activity (optional): Take a relaxing Huangpu River cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets ablaze with colorful lights (about 50 minutes).

• Da Ke Ding in Shanghai Museum
• Tourists Took Photo at The Bund with Backdrop of Lujiazui
• Take a Huangpu River Night Cruise to View Dazzling Lights on Skyscrapers
• 474 M High Glass Walkway in World Financial Center

Day 3 Shanghai - Suzhou - Shanghai (B, L)

Today's Highlights: Zhouzhuang Water Town, Lingering Garden, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory

After breakfast, you will drive about 1.5 hours from Shanghai to the beautiful Zhouzhuang Water Town in Suzhou City. Reputed as the No.1 Water Town in China, Zhouzhuang is one of the “Ten Most Beautiful Towns in the Globe” and “World Charming Water Town” with a long history of over 1000 years, appealing sightseeing and authentic flavor of regions south of Yangtze River in China. Visiting Zhouzhuang Ancient Town, you can see 14 ancient particular stone bridges built in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, multiple courtyards linking together on the winding water, more than 800 residents living by the river, etc., which is exactly the look of serene historic water town in east China. Besides the scenery, the special folk culture in Zhouzhuang will tell you about the real gem of culture in Wu area and the sole of this charming place. Famous attractions include the Double Bridge, Old Drama Stage, Cultural Street, Zhang’s Residence and Shen's Residence, etc. (Optional activity - take a relaxing cruise on the water canals at your personal expense)

Then, transfer to downtown Suzhou to visit 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 full use of the changes between big and small, bend and straight, bright and dark, tall and low, tight and disperse, with the surrounding landscapes, such as plants, lakes, sky, etc. as backgrounds to create an ingenious system of space. Stepping into the garden, you will find the architectures, 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.

Finally, get to Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory for a great entertaining and educational experience. Acting as a living museum of Suzhou Silk, this factory exhibits not only the ancient looms in different dynasties and different weaving techniques, but also the demo of silk manufacturing from cover to cover. You can feast your eyes on each step of the magic process, including silkworms eating mulberries, machinery unraveling cocoons, workers spinning silk and so on. A sea of fancy silk items like scarves, pajamas, bags, cheongsams, shirts are also on display.

After all sightseeing, drive back to Shanghai.

• Our delighted customers visited Lingering Garden
• Zhouzhuang Water Town Spring
• Silk Products in Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory

Day 4 Shanghai Tour & Shanghai Departure (B)

Todays' Highlights: Former French Concession, Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center

This morning, 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.

Move on to the next site, Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center, a small private museum to catch a special glimpse of the 20th century history of China. More than 400 interesting exhibits are displayed, including original Dazibao (Big Character Poster) and woodcuts, arm bands, pretty Shanghai Lady Posters from early 20th century to the 1970s China. You can see many Chinese stylized images, explicit slogans for advocating economical and technological development, as well as beautiful Shanghai Lady calender posters reflecting early fashion trend and advertising creativity, which are all with good explanation.

After the short visit, your guide and driver take you to the airport/train station/curise port for your next destination or home. Tour ends.

• Wukang Mansion - Iconic Landmark of Former French Concession
• Western-style Architecture and Beautiful Plane Trees in Former French Concession
• Propaganda Posters of 21th Century of China Exhibited in Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center