Day 1 Arrival in Shanghai

Upon your arrival, your local driver will be waiting for you and you will be transferred to your hotel.

Day 2 Yuyuan Garden, Xintiandi & Shikumen House, World Financial Center

09:00: Meet your local Shanghai guide in the hotel lobby and set out for the day tour.

09:10 - 11:30: Visit the Yuyuan Garden and old Bazaar area.  Situated in Anren Jie, Yuyuan Garden is the only fully restored classical Chinese garden in Shanghai. It was initially built by a government officer Pan Yunduan in 1577 as a resort for his parents to spend their remaining years in comfort and happiness. “Yu” in Chinese signifies pleasure and satisfaction, thus, the garden was named as “Yu”. As a perfect model of the south Chinese landscaping style garden from the Ming and Qing dynasties, it is a MUST for all tourists coming to Shanghai. Wandering in the pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards and many other natural features in the Garden, you will enjoy both the natural beauty and the human creations.

11:30-12:40: Head to Xintiandi & Shikumen House in the French Concession. XinTianDi, which means “new heaven and earth” is a new entertainment spot and new landmark of Shanghai. As you may know, Shikumen, the unique architectural style, has been called a fusion of eastern and western cultures, was once very popular in the 1930s’. A typical Shikumen building features a pair of black wooden doors framed by heavy stone, with an extravagant bronze handle on each of the doors.

12:40 - 13:40: Have lunch in a nice local restaurant.

13:40 - 14:20: From the top of the World Financial Center enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Shanghai city. Located in the Pudong district, it’s a comprehensive building with mixed usage as offices, a shopping mall, conference rooms, a hotel and an observation deck. From the observation deck you will enjoy a full view of the city.

14:40 - 16:20: Visit the Shanghai Museum. As one of the renowned ancient art museums, the Shanghai Museum has collected about 140,000 cultural relics. There are 11 classes of relics currently displayed. To appreciate the most spectacular relics in such a limited time period, our tour guides will introduce you to some of the historic ones. You will see ceremonial wares like a battle-axe and tripod, daily necessities in ancient life like pottery and porcelain, calligraphy works like the Oracle, and various jade ornaments.

16:30 - 17:10: Walk in the Bund. Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, the Bund was originally a pathway for boatmen and hard laborers; while nowadays, the Bund has become the most characteristic view and the most recognized symbol of the city with its rich cultural connotations of hundreds of years. For the Europeans, it was like the Wall Street in the east, where prosperous trading took place and massive fortunes were made and lost. Other famous Shanghai landmarks like the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Jinmao tower stand proudly across the river from the Bund creating a stark contrast between the old and the new Shanghai, and a must see on your tour.

17:30: Drop off at your hotel.




    

Day 3 Zhujiajiao Water Town, Tianzifang

09:00: Meet your tour guide and start your last Shanghai tour.

10:00 - 13:00: Start your amazing Shanghai tour with Zhujiajiao Water Town. This town was a significant trading hub with nearby countries 1700 years ago, and boats were used to ferry all kinds of wares here. Lining the banks are many houses built in rows with interlaced narrow paths connecting each other. The best way to see the town is from a boat where you can enjoy a leisurely ride observing the life along the river (Boat ride for your own account). Walking in the streets is also fun to be part of the bustling life.

13:00 - 14:00: Enjoy authentic local food under the guidance of your tour guide.

15:00 - 16:30: Leave for Tianzifang, another glimmering example of the preservation and development of the local Shikumen architecture. Located in a labyrinth of alleyways off Taikang Road near Dapu Bridge, it is an arts and crafts enclave developed from a renovated residential area with families still residing in the neighboring buildings. It is also referred to as Taikang Road. Based on the similar concept in Xintiandi of renovating whilst preserving the local Shikumen-style houses, this area has been converted into a great place for arts in Shanghai. Since 1998, many famous Chinese artists, including Chen Yifei, Er Dongqiang, Wang Jieyin and Wang Jiajun, set up their studios in Tianzifang, which has added to its fame.

17:00: Drop off at Shanghai hotel.



    

Day 4 Master of Nets Garden, Shantang Street, Grand Canal

07:00: Shanghai hotel pick up and Hongqiao train station drop off for train G676 (08:30 - 08:53) and set out for Suzhou.

09:30 - 12:00: Suzhou train station pick up, you will visit the Master of Nets Garden. With a total area of 0.54 hectares, the Master of Nets Garden is the smallest garden in Suzhou - half the size of the Canglang Pavilion and one-tenth the size of the Humble Administrator's Garden. It is a typical Suzhou residential garden, recognized with other classical Suzhou gardens as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The garden demonstrates Chinese garden designers' adept skills for synthesizing art, nature and architecture to create unique metaphysical masterpieces.

12:00 - 13:00: Lunch at a nice local restaurant or whatever you request (For your own account).

13: 00- 14:00: After lunch, you will visit Shantang Street. It’s a famous ancient street in Suzhou. With a history of over 1000 years, the street is becoming more and more a cultural destination. You will see a lot of ancient shops and stores arranged on both sides of the road. The river is nearby. You will enjoy leisure time here.

14:30- 16:30: Your last stop will be the Grand Canal. This canal was built in Sui Dynasty. Back then, it took a lot of manpower leading to the subjects complaining of the tyranny of Emperor Yang in the Sui Dynasty. Yet, in the following dynasties and years, the Great Canal played a significant role in the development of the economy, politics and culture between the north and south. People began to see its value and it also attracts many visitors every year. You can boat on the river.

17:00: After the tour, you will be dropped off at your Suzhou Hotel.




    

Day 5 West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Longjing Tea Museum

06:40: Suzhou hotel pick up and Suzhou train station drop off. Hangzhou train station pick up and your Hangzhou trip commences.

10:00 -12:00: Your first sight will be the picturesque West Lake. In the morning, you will see a lot of sights that are often missed. As the No. 1 travel destination in Hangzhou, it is worth 2 hours of leisurely exploration. You can also take a boat and ride along the water.

Your next activity will be Viewing Fish at the Harbor. It’s still on the West Lake. You will see a lot of fish swimming around hoping to be fed.

12:00 - 13:00: Lunch at a nice local restaurant or a restaurant of  your preference. (For your own account).

13:20 - 15:00: After lunch, you will visit the famous Leifeng Pagoda. If you know the story about  Bainiangzi and Xuxian, you will have heard of the Leifeng Tower. It was used to keep Bainiangzi from seeing her husband Xuxian. A sad love story indeed. If you go there, you will hear more about the story.

15:00-16:30: Your last sight today will be the Longjing Tea Museum. As we all know, Hangzhou Longjing Tea is world-famous. If you come to Hangzhou, you must taste a cup of Longjing Tea. It will melt away all your stress and fatigue.

17:00: After the tour, you will be dropped off at the Hangzhou Railway station and head back to Shanghai. Met by your Shanghai driver, you will be transferred to your Shanghai hotel.




    

Day 6 Departure from Shanghai

Shanghai hotel pick up 3 hours before your flight and airport drop off.