Day 1 – Arrival in Shanghai

Our guide will meet you outside the baggage claim area at Shanghai Pudong Airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Meals: No meals provided.

Day 2 – Shanghai

Attractions: Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Gardens, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, The Bund, Evening Cruise

Today will be a busy day as you tour the highlights of Shanghai beginning at the Jade Buddha Temple and the exquisite classic Yuyuan Gardens. Enjoy a dim-sum banquet for lunch before ascending the Oriental Pearl TV Tower for a bird’s eye view of the city. Stroll along the Bund past the colonial buildings before finishing the day with a cruise on the Huangpu River to view the lights of Shanghai by night.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel,Lunch – Dim-sum Banquet

Day 3 – Shanghai to Suzhou via Tongli

Attractions: Tongli water town

Today we travel from Shanghai to Suzhou. On the way we will stop at the well preserved water township of Tongli. Over 1,000 years old, it is famous for its “One garden, two halls and three bridges”. If you are celebrating a wedding or your birthday it is good luck to walk across all three bridges. However they are not the only bridges in Tongli. Altogether there are about fifty of them!

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 4 – Suzhou

Attractions: Humble Administrator’s Garden, Lingering Garden, Silk Factory

There is a saying, “Gardens to the south of the Yangtze River are the best in the world, and Suzhou gardens are the best among them.” At present more than 60 gardens are kept in the city with several of them on the World Heritage List.

You will begin your tour at the Humble Administrator’s Garden which is the largest and the most famous. Dating from the Ming Dynasty it is a perfect representative of a Chinese classical garden focusing on a central pond.

Next you will visit the Lingering Garden which is an elaborate succession of small gardens. It is designed to ‘linger’ through the generations with gardens, pools and a pavilion for each season. It is more than 400 years old.

Silk has been known in China for around 4,500 years and Suzhou is famous for its silk production. You will finish your day with a visit to the Silk Factory where you can see a display of the life cycle of the silk worm and demonstrations of how the silk is harvested.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 5 – Suzhou to Hangzhou

Attractions: Panmen Gate, Hangzhou West Lake, Lingyan Temple

Before you leave Suzhou you will pay a visit to the Panmen Gate area. Surrounded by more beautiful gardens is the Ruiguang Pagoda which has a history all the way back to 247BC! Pan Gate is part of Suzhou’s ancient city wall and allowed entrance by both land and water.

You will then travel to Hangzhou where you will begin at its most famous attraction – West Lake. There are actually at least thirty-six West Lakes in China but unless otherwise specified the one in Hangzhou is usually the one that is being referred to. Legend claims that it is a heavenly jewel fallen to earth. A short boat trip to Fairy Island is an essential part of the West Lake experience.

Next you will visit Lingyan Temple which is one of the ten most famous ancient Buddhist monasteries in China. It houses various Buddhist treasures including more 470 stone carvings of Buddhist figures. There is also a most impressive 19.6 metre high statue of Sakyamuni which is carved out of 24 pieces of camphor wood and gilded with 104 ounces of gold.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 6 – Hangzhou to Shanghai

Attractions: Six Harmonies Pagoda, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Qinghefang Shopping Street

You begin the day at the Six Harmonies Pagoda. The name comes from the Buddhist harmonies of heaven, earth, north, south, east and west and there is a good view of the Qiantang River from the top. Next you visit the Meijiawu Tea Plantation and Tea Shop where you can see tea picking and processing and also watch several tea ceremonies. So many kinds – Jasmine tea, Dragon Well tea, Green tea, Black tea and Wulong tea to name a few.

In the Qinghefang Pedestrian Street you can find traditional Chinese businesses. This area has a long history as a trading place in Hangzhou and is a wonderful place for a leisurely stroll.

In the evening you will return to Shanghai.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel

Day 7 – Depart Shanghai

Transfer to the airport to check in for your flight to your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast at your hotel