Chinese Garden Tour: Suzhou and… (trip)

Chinese Garden Tour: Suzhou and Hangzhou

  • Shanghai Airport, Shanghai, China
  • Family & Friends
China, Asia

from $660* per person6 DaysYear-round
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: China Adventure Tours 12 people max
The provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, has played a vital part of the cultural and economic development of China for the last two thousand years. This area, once a great capital, is still the centre of silk, tea and papermaking in China. This trip takes you to view authentic residential architecture and town layouts in ancient capitals, towns and villages of this area, while immersing yourself into the ancient Chinese culture of silk, tea and embroidery.

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Locations visited/nearby

China, Asia

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Special information

  • This is a custom departure, meaning this trip is offered on dates that you arrange privately with the provider. Additionally, you need to form your own private group for this trip. The itinerary and price here is just a sample. Contact the provider for detailed pricing, minimum group size, and scheduling information. For most providers, the larger the group you are traveling with, the lower the per-person cost will be.
  • Family oriented trip.

Itinerary

Day 1 Shanghai (L)
Arrive in Shanghai, meet and transfer to a 4 star hotel, after lunch visit Yu Garden and Jade Buddha Temple in the afternoon. Free walk along the Bund in the early evening. Stay in 4-star hotel.

Day 2 Shanghai/Suzhou (BL)
Our guide will meet you at your hotel in Shanghai, where we will drive to Suzhou, the ancient and moated city famed for its gardens and silk. The town is built on a network of interlocking canals whose waters feed the series of renowned classical gardens. Upon arriving in Suzhou, we will visit the Garden of the Master of the Nets-the smallest but most exquisite and best preserved garden of all old residential gardens in Suzhou. Lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, visit the Suzhou New Museum which is designed by the famous architect Mr. I.M.PEI. who has poured his talent of combining the elements of classic Chinese gardening with modern architecture. Then you'll take a boat ride on the canals to experience this "Oriental Venice". Stay Nanlin hotel or the similar (garden style)

Day 3 Suzhou to Wuzhen (BL)
Suzhou is considered the center of silk and embroidery in China. In the morning, we will visit the Silk Factory where you can see the breeding of the silk worms and the reeling process of silk. After lunch, we will drive for 1.5 hours to Wuzhen, a restored water town along the Grand Canal established during the Tang Dynasty and at its peak had a population of over 100,000. At its cultural height in the late Qing and early Republic times, Wuzhen was famous as an intellectual and literary center. The residents of Wuzhen often paint the walls of their houses black (we in regional dialect) hence the town's name. A peek into old pawnshops, visits to local museums and the residences of Xiatong Shang and Mao Dun, a high government official, and Mao Dun, one of Chinese most famous writers of the 20th century, will give us an insight into East China's culture and folk art. We will spend the night at Wuzhen. Stay in Tong’an Guesthouse or the similar

Day 4 Wuzhen to Hangzhou (BL)
The morning is left free for you to explore the village before the tourists arrive. After lunch, we will drive to Hangzhou, the terminus of the Grand Canal, and one of the greenest, most attractive cities in the world. Marco Polo during his visits to China, called Hangzhou "the most beautiful and magnificent city in the world". Our first stop in Hangzhou is Linyin Si, one of the biggest temple complexes in China. It is most famous for its "laughing Buddha", and today is an attractive working temple with daily services. Before dark, we will cruise on the West Lake by a paddle boat, considered to be one of China's most beautiful lake, and for the Chinese, a lake laden with literary and historic association. Stay in 4-star Lakeview hotel or the similar

Day 5 Hangzhou (BL, hiking or biking day)
We will walk up Diamond Hill in the morning, on the way, passing through Baochu Pagoda, and Yellow Dragon Caves, while enjoying panoramic view of the West Lake. After lunch, we will drive to Nine Creeks, and then hike along the valleys of the Longjing tea plantations. We will end the hike at a local tea farmer's house where we will sample the famous green tea of the area. stay in the same.
 
Option:One-day biking around West Lake:
Start from Hangzhou Lake View Hotel, pass broken bridge which is connected with the folk story "White Snake Lady and Young Man Xuxian", ride along the Bei Causeway which was named after famous mayor and poet Mr Bai Junyi of Tang Dynasty. Have a stop at the Soliary Hill, clmbing the solitary hill, on the top you will have a breathtaking view of the West Lake. Pass the Xiling Bridge, Hangzhou Shangri-la hotel, Lotus in the Breeze at Crooked Courtyard, stopover at Guo Garden to visit this famous private garden in Hangzhou. Continue biking at Yang Gong Di ( Mr. Yang's Causeway), the view on both sides of the causeway is fantasti. Turn to Nan Shan Road, pass through Lei Feng Pagoda, Jinci Temple. Have a stop at Xihu Tiandi. Xihu Tiandi was designed by the same designer of Shanghai Xintiandi. In Xihu Tiandi, you can find familiar restaurants and cafe, such as Star Bucks, Haagen Dazs, Jade Crystal and so on. The design of those restaurats and cafe has conbined the natural beauty of the West Lake and modern trendy elements. Finally you'll ride along the lakeside road to reach Lake View Hotel.

Day 6 Hangzhou to Shanghai(BL)
After breakfast, we will drive for around 2 hours to reach Xitang, another ancient town along the Grand Canal that has retained much of its original architecture. As we stroll the narrow streets and boat around the water network, our guide will lead you through the town's history, pointing out the significance of each architectural detail and their place within the theory of Chinese fengshui -- a key foundation of Chinese design. The afternoon is free for you to further explore the city. We will return to Shanghai in the late afternoon. Trip ends.

B-breakfast, L-lunch, D-dinner

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