Shanghai-Hangzhou-Wuzhen Tour | 4-Day Essence Tour of Shanghai + Yu Garden + The Bund + Hangzhou + Meijiawu + West Lake + Wuzhen

Welcome to the magic city - Shanghai. Our driver will meet you at the airport/railway station exit and escort you to a downtown hotel for check-in. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge. If it is still early, you can also stroll around the neighborhood. You can refer to the free time suggestions below or consult your guide for travel advice. Free time suggestions 1. City walk: Stroll around the neighborhood, admire the exquisite architecture where history and modernity intertwine along the way, appreciate the unique culture perfectly blending East and West, and feel the diverse charm of an international metropolis. 2. Taste delicious food: Find a time-honored brand shop, taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine, and experience the local lifestyle and food culture. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Shanghai has two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), with many direct domestic routes, such as Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Kunming, Guilin, Harbin, etc., as well as direct international routes, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Los Angeles, Japan, etc. Transportation is very convenient. 2. By train: Shanghai has a total of 5 railway stations. You can take high-speed trains to Shanghai from places such as Hangzhou (about 45 minutes), Suzhou (0.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xi'an (6-7.5 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), and Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours).

This morning, you will visit the Yu Garden, known as the "Crown of Southeast Famous Gardens," to admire the classical Jiangnan garden scenery of China. First built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559 AD), the Yu Garden has a history of more than 460 years. It was originally a private garden built by Pan Yunduan, the Ming Dynasty Sichuan Provincial Administration Commissioner, for his father to enjoy his later years in comfort. Strolling along the winding paths of the Yu Garden, you can admire China's exquisite garden layout, beautiful classical architecture, and superb craftsmanship in brick carving, stone carving, clay sculpture, and wood carving. In particular, the iconic sights—the Dragon Wall, the Nine-Turn Bridge, and the Mid-Lake Pavilion—are well worth careful appreciation. In addition, the ancient ginkgo tree in the Yu Garden, standing 21 meters tall and nearly 500 years old, is worth seeing, especially magnificent in golden autumn. Alternatively, you may visit the Shanghai City God Temple near the Yu Garden. First built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period of China, it is a Taoist temple mainly dedicated to the City God, responsible for protecting the safety of the entire city. Here, you can learn about traditional Chinese Taoist culture and also pay respects to deities such as Yue Lao, the God of Wealth, and Mazu, praying for your wishes. In addition, there are many lively commercial streets around the City God Temple, forming a bustling commercial area centered on Yuyuan Mall. After the visit, you can walk along the streets to Yuyuan Mall and taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine, such as xiaolongbao, braised pork, and eight-treasure duck. If interested, you can also browse various traditional Chinese handicraft shops, such as embroidery, ceramics, and wood carvings. Practical Tips 1. The Yu Garden is closed on Mondays. If that day is a Monday, you can visit the City God Temple and the mall near the Yu Garden. Our itinerary is flexible, striving to provide you with the best experience. 2. Attraction tickets need to be reserved or booked in advance. Please contact our customer service in advance to arrange ticketing matters. Thank you for your understanding. After lunch, you can walk along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, known as "China's No. 1 Commercial Street," to the Bund, a total distance of about 2 kilometers. Along the way, you can appreciate Shanghai's architectural style of the 1930s and 1940s, browse various century-old brand stores, and taste local specialty snacks. Then, arrive at the Bund, known as the "Paris of the East," and feel the prosperity of magical Shanghai. Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, the Bund is one of Shanghai's landmark attractions and is known as the "Exhibition of World Architecture." It brings together 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, the Peace Hotel, and HSBC Bank. Stepping into it is like entering the golden age of the former Oriental Wall Street. Standing by the river, you can also gaze at landmark buildings such as the world's third-tallest building, Shanghai Tower; Asia's tallest tower, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower; Shanghai's fourth-tallest building, Jin Mao Tower; and Shanghai's second-tallest building, Shanghai World Financial Center. Afterward, you will take a public ferry at East Jinling Road to cross the Huangpu River and arrive at the Lujiazui commercial area in Pudong, Shanghai, then walk to Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in Shanghai and even China. Here, you will take the world's fastest sightseeing elevator (73.8 km/h) directly to the "Top of Shanghai Observatory" on the 118th floor, 546 meters above ground, and enjoy a 360° panoramic view of Shanghai's magnificent skyline and cityscape, overlooking the famous buildings around. If interested, you can also send a special blessing from above the clouds to family and friends at the Top of Shanghai Air Post Office, currently the world's highest post office. Suggestions for Nighttime Activities in Shanghai 1. Shanghai Acrobatics Show (19:30–21:00, 1.5 hours): The Shanghai acrobatics performance is the favorite nighttime entertainment for domestic and international tourists. It features not only thrilling acrobatic performances but also graceful dance and humorous, comical plots, bringing the audience a brand-new viewing experience and allowing you to gain an in-depth understanding of Shanghai's rich cultural heritage in an entertaining way.

This morning, you will depart from Shanghai and take the high-speed train to Hangzhou (about 158 km, about 1 hour). Our driver will meet you at the exit of Hangzhou High-Speed Railway Station and take you on an in-depth tour of this famous historical and cultural city known as "paradise on earth." First, you will visit【China National Tea Museum】, the only national-level thematic museum in China centered on tea and tea culture. This is a must-visit place for tea culture lovers. It has two exhibition areas, the Shuangfeng Hall and the Longjing Hall, about 3 km apart. The Shuangfeng Hall is adjacent to West Lake, surrounded by mountains and water, and boasts a West Lake Longjing tea plantation. It is in a typical Jiangnan garden style, full of quaint and elegant atmosphere. Here, you can gain an in-depth understanding of the long history and culture of Chinese tea, admire various ancient and exquisite tea utensils, and experience interesting tea-drinking customs. The Longjing Hall is adjacent to Longjing Village, built against the mountain and surrounded by tea plantations. From the tea altar at the top of the hill, you can also overlook West Lake and the surrounding tea mountain scenery. Here, you can experience the unique tea life and tea culture of different parts of the world, and learn about traditional Chinese tea-making techniques and related customs, such as Tang dynasty boiled tea and Song dynasty whisked tea. You may also have the opportunity to participate in various tea culture activities and watch wonderful tea art performances. You can choose which branch of the China National Tea Museum to visit according to your interests and time. Afterward, go to visit【Meijiawu Tea Culture Village】, known as "Ten-Li Meiwu." This is one of the first-level protection areas and main production areas of China's West Lake Longjing tea, and also a highly distinctive tea culture leisure and sightseeing resort in Hangzhou. Since the 1950s, it has received many national leaders, international celebrities, and tourists from around the world. Meijiawu has more than 600 years of tea cultivation history. Here are the oldest tea-frying processes and the most traditional tea-making techniques, allowing you to immersively feel the charm of intangible cultural heritage. You can stroll on the ancient streets and bridges, admire the quaint and elegant buildings, view the spectacular ancient tea trees, learn the story of Premier Zhou Enlai and Meijiawu Longjing tea, and also find a quiet teahouse to taste a cup of Longjing tea, one of China's top ten famous teas, quietly looking at the distant green mountains and listening to the murmuring streams, enjoying a peaceful and leisurely time. Then, you will continue to visit【West Lake】, known as "paradise on earth." This is a world-famous scenic and historic site in China and a famous World Heritage Site. West Lake is picturesque, with different scenery in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and unique charm in sunshine, rain, and snow. You can choose to hike, ride a bicycle (free for the first hour), take a boat (at your own expense), or take a sightseeing bus (at your own expense) to explore West Lake to your heart's content, admire the poetic and picturesque beauty of the lakes and mountains, feel the poetic Chinese landscape aesthetics, and listen to the moving legends of "The Legend of the White Snake" and "Liang Zhu." West Lake has many scenic spots. You can stroll along Su Causeway and admire the beauty of West Lake described in the Song dynasty poet Su Shi's poem: "The water's shimmering light is beautiful on sunny days, and the mountain scenery in misty rain is also wondrous. If one compares West Lake to Xishi, light makeup or heavy makeup is always suitable." If you are interested in the Chinese intangible cultural heritage "Legend of Liang Zhu," which has been passed down for more than 1,700 years, you can visit Wansong Academy, where Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai studied together for three years. In addition, Long Bridge is said to be the place where Liang Zhu bid farewell, and it is also the best place to view one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake, "Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow," and is also a famous matchmaking spot in Hangzhou. If you are interested in the touching "Legend of the White Snake," Leifeng Pagoda (ticket at your own expense) is a sight not to be missed. According to legend, after Lady White flooded Jinshan Temple to save Xu Xian, she was suppressed by Fahai under Leifeng Pagoda. This story makes Leifeng Pagoda full of mystery in folk legends. In addition, from Leifeng Pagoda you can overlook West Lake, the entire city of Hangzhou, and Jingci Temple, and Jingci Temple is famous for "Evening Bell at Nanping Hill," one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake. If you are a loyal fan of Dream of the Red Chamber, be sure to visit Quyuan Fenghe, the filming location of the 1987 TV series Dream of the Red Chamber, where Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu secretly read The Romance of the Western Chamber. In addition, you can also take a boat tour (at your own expense) to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon and photograph the scenery on the back of the one-yuan renminbi note. After touring West Lake, you may wish to move on to visit【Jingci Temple】on the south shore of West Lake. This thousand-year-old temple (first built in 954 AD), facing Leifeng Pagoda across the lake, is not only the site of "Evening Bell at Nanping Hill," one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake, but also full of legendary color because the Chan master Jigong once practiced here. The temple environment is quiet and serene, and from in front of the main hall you can quietly observe the reflection of Leifeng Pagoda. If the timing is right (before 16:00 in the afternoon is recommended), you can also personally strike the ancient bell and feel the distant artistic conception of the bell sound crossing the Nanping hills, experiencing the true charm of the "evening bell." Next, you can go to Qinghefang Historical Street to stroll through the ancient streets and alleys, admire the quaint ancient buildings and historical relics, and feel Hangzhou's thousand-year historical changes and historical style, as if traveling through time and returning to the prosperous scene of the Southern Song capital. If you are interested in Chinese herbal medicine, you can visit the Hu Qingyu Tang Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum (at your own expense), founded by the late Qing dynasty "red-topped merchant" Hu Xueyan. The gold shovel and silver pot displayed in the museum are known as the "No. 1 national treasure of Chinese medicine" and are worth seeing. Suggestions for nighttime activities in Hangzhou 1. Impression•West Lake performance (19:40~20:35): If you want a deeper understanding of West Lake's rich humanistic history and moving folk legends, you can watch the large-scale live landscape performance Impression•West Lake, directed by the famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou, with the mountains and waters of West Lake as the stage background. The performance lasts about 1 hour and integrates dance, music, lighting, and other visual and auditory effects, vividly presenting West Lake's most representative humanistic and historical stories to the audience, leaving people intoxicated. If you plan to watch it, be sure to book tickets in advance. 2. Hangzhou Canal Night Cruise (19:00/19:30/20:20, about 1 hour): The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal visited on the Hangzhou Canal Night Cruise is one of the longest and oldest artificial canals in the world, with a history of more than 2,500 years, and has been listed as a World Heritage Site. The starting and ending point of the Hangzhou Canal Night Cruise is Wulinmen Wharf. Take a cruise ship north along the canal to immersively feel the thousand-year lingering charm of the Grand Canal, and finally return from Gongchen Bridge, known as "the first ancient bridge in Jiangnan." The brilliant light shows along the way add many amazing visual effects. In addition, April to October each year is the best time to tour the canal scenery. Finally, note that December to January is the off-season, and the number of cruise ships in the Hangzhou Canal Scenic Area may be reduced.

This morning, take a car ride to [Wuzhen], known as "China's last waterside town," to enjoy the picturesque Jiangnan water town scenery and explore its long and profound history and culture. Wuzhen is located beside the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, with an excellent geographical location. It is adjacent to Hangzhou (80 km) and Suzhou (70 km), and has more than 7,000 years of civilization history and 1,300 years of town history. It is a typical Jiangnan water town ancient town and a famous Chinese historical and cultural town, known as the "Land of Fish and Rice" and the "Home of Silk." Wuzhen has preserved the original water town appearance and the layout of the Ming and Qing dynasties. You can choose to tour Wuzhen by boat, sightseeing bus, or on foot, enjoying the natural scenery of ink-wash Jiangnan and experiencing its unique folk customs. We will mainly focus on touring the Wuzhen Xizha Scenic Area, which consists of 12 small islands connected by more than 60 small bridges. Its river density and number of stone bridges are the highest among China's ancient towns, and its exquisite Ming and Qing buildings cover more than 300,000 square meters. Here, you can leisurely stroll along the quaint stone-paved streets, explore antique historical relics and cultural heritage, experience the local unique customs and way of life, taste specialty foods such as Jiaxing zongzi, Dingsheng cake (best eaten at Dingsheng Bridge), and shredded radish pancakes, and browse the local exquisite specialty shops. Optional activity (at your own expense): When touring Wuzhen Water Town, be sure not to miss the local characteristic rowing boat, which will let you experience authentic Jiangnan charm. Board the boat at the pier (about 25 minutes), travel west along the Xishi River, and head to Wuzhen's tallest building—Bailian Pagoda. You can climb Bailian Pagoda and take in the stunning Jiangnan water town scenery of Wuzhen. In addition, you can also walk to Bailian Pagoda and then take a boat back. Along the way, you can enjoy the antique Jiangnan water town scenery, including the well-arranged Wuzhen residences, layered upturned eaves, white walls and black tiles, and small bridges over flowing water. The boat will also pass Wuzhen's tallest Dingsheng Bridge and its most unique Bridge within a Bridge, where you can capture the reflections of the ancient bridges on the water and the bustling scenes on the bridges. Other Suggestions for Wuzhen 1. If you are interested in Jiangnan folk wedding customs, you can visit Xiqing Hall to experience an authentic old-time Jiangnan wedding. Hanfu rental is also available here, making for great photos. 2. If you want to pray for happy love and marriage, you can go to the Yue Lao Temple and hang a red ribbon. 3. If you want to send a postcard to your beloved, you can go to the century-old Wuzhen Post Office and feel the romantic atmosphere described by the famous poet Mu Xin: "In the past, carriages and horses were slow, and a lifetime was only enough to love one person." For more of Mu Xin's works, you can visit the Mu Xin Art Museum (at your own expense), which is closed on Mondays. 4. If you want to learn about Jiangnan silk culture, you can visit Yida Silk Mill (founded in 1875) and experience the silk reeling craft passed down for a hundred years. 5. If you are curious about foot binding among women in ancient China, you can visit the Three-Inch Golden Lotus Hall. 6. If you want to quiet down and read, you can go to Zhaoming Academy, the reading sanctuary of Xiao Tong, Crown Prince Zhaoming of Liang in the Southern Dynasties. 7. If you are interested in cast iron woks, you can visit Yichang Foundry, where hand-made iron woks are called the "No. 1 Wok in the World." 8. If you want an in-depth understanding of how Chinese bean paste, soy sauce, and pickles are made, you can visit Xuchang Sauce Garden. After the tour, this wonderful and unforgettable 4-day Shanghai Hangzhou Wuzhen tour will come to an end. Our driver will take you to the airport/train station for your next destination. If you would like to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Shanghai, Suzhou, Huangshan, Beijing, Harbin, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Tibet, Guilin, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.