9-Day Shanghai – Suzhou – Huangshan – Hangzhou – Shanghai

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DAY 1 Airport Transfer (Shanghai)

The metropolis of Shanghai welcomes you to China! As your international flight lands at the airport, our local tour guide will meet you and take you to the hotel for check-in. Have a rest in the hotel. No meals are included.

Good to Know:

• For your own physical well-being, we suggest you stay in and rest from the jet lag. However, if you feel like going out after check-in, we would suggest an easy walk on People’s Square.
• This tour doesn’t include international flights. But we are more than happy if you contact us to help you book the flights.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 2 Oriental Pearl TV Tower(INCL Shanghai History Museum）, Shanghai Old Street, The Bund

The best way to get acquainted with Shanghai is to have a walk along the Bund. The 1-hour Bund Culture Discovery tour will bring you back to the golden age of the Bund in the 1920s, for you to experience its luxury and elegance.

After having lunch, we will go to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower(INCL Shanghai History Museum), which stands across the river from the Bund, among the exciting architecture of the east bank. The Shanghai History Museum is located on the first floor of the Oriental TV Tower. There, you can see the four major exhibition units reflecting Shanghai’s history,

Continue to visit the Old Quarters of Shanghai, which have some well-preserved old residential houses and narrow lanes, where visitors can get a glimpse of local people’s life.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 3 Hotel to Train station Transfer (Shanghai), Train station Transfer (Suzhou), Tongli Water Town, Tuisi Yuan, Tongli Boat Ride

Take a high-speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou, meet your guide at the railway station, and drive to Tongli. Tongli Ancient Town is more like a docile and lovely lady.

There are still many well-preserved buildings from the Ming (1368–1644 AD) and Qing (1644–1912 AD) dynasties, and locals still live there. It is one of the less commercialized and less crowded water towns.

Later, have a visit to the classic Suzhou-style garden in Tongli: Tuisi Garden, and take a boat trip along the canal.

Breakfast

DAY 4 Lion Grove, Humble Administrators Garden, The Garden of the Master of Nets, Rickshaw ride, Hotel to Train station Transfer (Suzhou), Train station Transfer (Hangzhou)

After breakfast, start the tour from the most beautiful Suzhou-style garden: Humble Administrator’s Garden. The old garden dates back to the 16th century and now holds flower and bonsai exhibitions occasionally.

And then we will visit Lion Grove. Have lunch in a local restaurant.

Later, we will take a Rickshaw ride through the old streets & Hutongs in Suzhou, you will see local people’s life.

Continue our trip to The Garden of the Master of Nets, which is its greatest charm as it encompasses all the elements of a classic Chinese garden within close boundaries.

After finishing the Suzhou tour, you will take a High-speed train to Hangzhou.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 5 The West Lake(including cruise and visit to the Island in the lake), Tea Village, and Culture Experience

Start our Hangzhou journey with an in-depth Tea culture experience. You will have a chance to go to the tea plantation and pick tea leaves, visit a tea farmer’s house and stir-fry tea, learn the art of tea-making, and taste local tea snacks.

At Chenghuang Pavilion, you can have a bird’s-eye view of Hangzhou and West Lake. You will have a break and enjoy a unique lunch there. The Southern Song Dynasty Snacks Banquet includes a cup of healthy flower tea, West Lake lotus root starch, Hangzhou-style cat ‘s-ear noodles, wrapped fried breadsticks with shallots, and local moon cakes. During the banquet, enjoy a traditional stringed and woodwind instrumental performance and a tea ceremony.

Then you will take a boat trip on West Lake and visit the islands to experience why people call Hangzhou “Heaven on Earth”.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 6 Hotel to Train station Transfer (Hangzhou), Train station Transfer (Huangshan), Hongcun Village, Tunxi Ancient Street, Learning Bamboo Weaving Craft at Nanping Village

Take a high-speed train to Huangshan in the morning. Then, visit Huangshan Hongcun, which is an ancient village with a history of over 800 years. believed to be the picture-perfect rendition of a traditional Chinese village.

Have lunch at a local restaurant and then walk along the ancient Tunxi Old Street.

Learning the traditional crafts of Bamboo Weaving at Nanping Village (2 hours), we managed to find one craftsman of bamboo weaving in Nanping Village. He will be happy to teach you how to use bamboo chips to make different animals and shapes.

Breakfast and lunch

DAY 7 The Yellow Mountains, Yungu Cable Car (up), and West Sea Grand Canyon

Today, you will visit and spend a night in the Yellow Mountains.

First, we will take one hour from the city to reach the foot of the Yellow Mountains and then enjoy the amazing scenery of the mountains by taking the Yungu Cable Car.

Your experienced local guide, who has spent over 200 days in the mountains, will adjust the walking routes according to your needs.

Enjoy the sunset at Cloud-Dispelling Pavilion, and takes about 30 minutes to get back to your hotel.

Travel Tips:

• Please take a small bag with the necessary clothes and necessities for your overnight stay on the mountain. Your tour guide will assist you with storing the luggage in the hotel. You can collect the luggage after the tour.

Breakfast, Lunch Onbroad

DAY 8 Sunrise and Yungu Cable car down, Hotel to Train station Transfer (Huangshan), Train station Transfer (Shanghai)

Wake up early to get a view of the sunrise in Guangmingding, which is regarded as the best place to see the sunrise and take photos. Ever wonder what life is like if living in Huangshan?

After breakfast in the hotel, walk to Lion Peak to see the Dawn Pavilion, Stone Monkey Watching the Sea, and all shapes of pines along the route. You can also climb up to Beginning-to-Believe Peak and overlook the Mushroom Pavilion. Your Yellow Mountains experience will finish, and take the Yungu Cable Car down to the mountain foot.

Have lunch and take your luggage, and then take a high-speed train to Shanghai

Breakfast

DAY 9 Hotel to airport Transfer (Shanghai)

You will be transferred to the airport on time for your flight. We will make sure that you arrive at the airport 1.5 hours ahead of departure time for domestic flights and 2.5 hours for international flights.

Extend Your Tour

Tongli Water Town is beautiful and gives you a taste of ancient China. You get a fully-fledged feel for the ancient surroundings by just walking around the fairly large town. Many souvenirs are for sale. Test your bargaining powers.

If you want to visit this water town near Shanghai, let us know on your inquiry form. We’ll arrange it for you.

• Hotels are listed in the itinerary.
• China domestic flights/trains are listed in the itinerary.
• Entrance fees.
• Meals are listed in the itinerary.
• Private transfers.
• Private English-speaking guide and driver.
• Service Charge & Taxes.

Do you want to change this 9-day itinerary according to your schedule and needs?

• Your itinerary is private and can be customized to your needs.
• We will buy your tickets in advance to save you time so that you don’t have to endure long queues.
• If you have booked hotels by yourself, we can delete them from the quotation.

Do you know the ancient Forbidden City has recently become an online hit in China? Do you know why the Great Wall was built?

Our insightful local guides with a wide knowledge of Chinese culture and history will explain everything to you. You can learn many interesting stories from them.

Have you ever been taken by tour guides to shops and bought overpriced merchandise?

• This tour is a no-shopping tour, thus, you will have more time to enjoy your experiences without rushing.