• Eastern China Tour: UNESCO Gardens, Water Town & West Lake

    ★★★★★

    4.9/5 496 Latest reviews

    Tour Code: ODY-CN-2613

    Destination:Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou

Duration

7 Days

Tour Type

Private & Bespoke

Tour Style

Classic

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About This Trip

Discover eastern China on this 7-day tour through Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou. Begin in Shanghai, experiencing the iconic Bund and the city’s contrast between historic waterfront architecture and modern skyline views. Continue to Suzhou to wander its UNESCO-listed classical gardens and glide through the ancient canals of Tongli Water Town. The journey ends in Hangzhou, with time around West Lake, tea fields in Meijiawu, and encounters with the rich history and culture that has shaped this region for centuries.

Itinerary Summary

DAYPLACEHIGHLIGHTS
1ShanghaiArrival
2ShanghaiThe Bund, Former French Concession, Shanghai Museum East, Shanghai Tower
3SuzhouLingering Garden, Suzhou Old Town Rickshaw Ride, Pingjiang Old Street, Master of the Nets Garden Night Experience
4HangzhouTongli Water Town, Hand-Paddled Boat Ride
5HangzhouWest Lake, Liuhe Pagoda, Hu Qing Yu Tang Chinese Medicine Experience, Hefang Street Cultural Walk
6HangzhouMeijiawu Longjing Tea Experience
7HangzhouDeparture
Quick Question

Itinerary

On arrival in Shanghai, you will be greeted at the airport and escorted to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to relax and recover from your journey. If you feel like some fresh air after checking in, a quiet stroll around the neighborhood is an easy way to settle into the local pace.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

The day opens along the Bund, Shanghai’s most iconic waterfront promenade, lined with grand colonial-era buildings set against a striking modern skyline. From there, the pace slows down in the Former French Concession, with plane trees shade the streets. You may pause for coffee, and walk past Art Deco apartments and shuttered lane houses that hold a century of stories.

A visit to Shanghai Museum East follows, where thousands of years of Chinese art and civilization displayed across contemporary galleries. The day ends at the Shanghai Tower, whose observation deck delivers sweeping views across the city and far into the horizon.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

A short high-speed train journey brings you to Suzhou, known as the garden city of China. The first stop is the Lingering Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the four great classical gardens of China, celebrated for its sculpted rockeries, tranquil ponds, and graceful pavilions.

Afterwards, a traditional rickshaw ride carries you through Suzhou’s historic old quarters. Narrow lanes, ancient canals, and unhurried local life reveal a quieter side of the city. Continue to Pingjiang Road for a leisurely walk along its canal-side street, lined with traditional houses, teahouses, and small local shops.

In the evening, step inside the Master of the Nets Garden, another UNESCO-listed classical garden, for a truly distinctive nighttime experience in one of Suzhou’s most intimate and storied settings.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

The day begins in Tongli Water Town, one of the best-preserved water towns in the Yangtze Delta. Stone bridges, winding canals, and Ming-dynasty houses set a rhythm that follows the water. A hand-paddled boat ride offers a peaceful way to take it all in, gliding quietly through the waterways as daily life unfolds along the banks.

Later in the day, board a high-speed train to Hangzhou, the storied capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, celebrated for West Lake’s legendary scenery and a tea and culinary culture that has defined the region for over a thousand years.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

The day unfolds around West Lake. Causeways, willow-lined banks, and calm waters create the landscape that has inspired poets and painters for more than a thousand years.

A visit to Liuhe Pagoda follows, a striking seven-story riverside pagoda overlooking the Qiantang River, with over 1,000 years of history dating back to the Northern Song Dynasty.

At Hu Qing Yu Tang Chinese Medicine Museum, you can engage with one of China’s oldest healing traditions, with interactive experiences including AI-assisted diagnosis and moxibustion therapy. The day rounds out at Hefang Street, a well-preserved historic street that keep old Hangzhou’s commercial life alive.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

This morning, head into the hills to Meijiawu Tea Village, set among terraced plantations that produce Longjing (Dragon Well) tea, one of China’s most prized varieties. You will have the opportunity to pick tea leaves, learn the craft of hand-roasting, and taste the finished cup in the landscape that has shaped this celebrated tea for centuries.

Optional Activity: Grand Canal Museum Cluster
Visit its rich context on the 1,800-year-old waterway that once served as the commercial lifeline of imperial China.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Once breakfast is finished, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward journey, taking with you the flavors, landscapes, and living history of eastern China.

🍽 Local dining

◷ Flexible timing

▱ Beijing

Why Choose Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd.

12-Year TripAdvisor Award

Travellers’ Choice winner every year since 2013

No Commission Shopping

Zero shopping stops, zero pressure, zero hidden agendas

100% Private

Every tour is exclusively yours — no strangers, no shared buses

Expert Local Guides

Licensed, English-speaking guides with deep local knowledge

Real reviews from real travellers

  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eI highly recommend Inner Mongolia Jiuhong Travel Service Co., Ltd. The team is very easy to work with, has excellent ideas and the guides are knowledgeable and easy to be with. Very solid itineraries and execution — flexible, high quality, and great value for money.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    James T.
    Verified · TripAdvisor
  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe visited both Xi’an and Shanghai under Jiuhong’s arrangement and received the same first-class service in both cities. The guides were knowledgeable, flexible, and happy to discuss all aspects of modern China — giving insights difficult to obtain elsewhere. Strongly recommended.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    Greenfly
    Couples · Verified · TripAdvisor
  • u003cemu003eu003cemu003eWe had a wonderful action-packed day. Fei Fei was amazing — her knowledge was very impressive and she was a real pleasure to be with. This was certainly the highlight of our stay in this beautiful city. Thanks so much.u003c/emu003eu003c/emu003e
    Ludovic V.
    Couples · London, UK · Verified · TripAdvisor

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