Picturesque South China Towns Tour

Welcome to the magic city, Shanghai! Upon your arrival today, your guide will meet you outside Customs of the airport and then transfer you to the hotel in downtown location. The rest of the day remains free for you. You can either rest in the hotel to recover from jet lag or walk around the hotel locality freely.

Your private Shanghai Jiangnan tour will start from the Shanghai Museum first. As one of the best museums in China, it boasts a vast storage of historical items, including bronze wares, chinaware, jades, Chinese paintings and calligraphy works, ethnic minority clothes, and furnitures of the Ming and Qing dynasties (14th century to early 20th century). Afterwards, you will continue to visit the Yu Garden. Located in the old town, the Yu Garden is the most famous ancient site in Shanghai for its ingenious layout and delicate architecture. The treasure of the garden, Yu Ling Long (an artificial hill which is carved with exquisite jade stone), is considered as one of the three most well-known stones in Southern China. After getting out of the Yu Garden, you will have some free time to explore the Yuyuan Market.

Around noon, you will enjoy an a la carte welcome lunch at a famous local restaurant. 

In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the Bund area to take a one-hour cruise tour on the Huangpu River to enjoy the different scenes on the two banks, the west old with 52 classic architecture in distinctive styles and the east modern with many high-rise buildings, including the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Shanghai Tower. After disembarking, you will also have some free time to wander around in the Bund and take beautiful pictures. Then you will visit Tianzifang, which is a modern creativity gathering place evolved from the most distinctive Shikumen complex in Shanghai. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A la carte lunch

A morning excursion will take you to visit the Jade Buddha Temple, which was built in 1882 for the two white jade Buddha statues brought back from Burma. The Jade Buddha Temple, a famous Buddhist shrine and an active Zen monastery, plays an important role in disseminating Buddhism, such as lectures, library service, Buddhist academic publishes as well as regular Buddhist cultural activities.

After the visit, you will take a one-hour high-speed train to Hangzhou. Your Hangzhou local guide will wait for you outside the station on time and transfer you to the hotel. After a short rest in the hotel, you will go to visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Situated on the Yuelun Mountain beside the Qiantang River, the pagoda was initially built in 970 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 AD). From the appearance, it is a 13-storey octagon tower, but people only need to climb 7 storeys to reach its top inside, where you can also appreciate the majestic view of the Qiantang River.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

The first destination of today's Shanghai Jiangnan tour package is the Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat), one of the ten most renowned Buddhist temples in China. The beautiful landscape and the vivid Buddhist carvings on the Feilai Peak will surely leave you a deep impression. Afterwards, continue to visit the West Lake by boat. You will enjoy the splendid natural scenery as well as the numerous historical sites here. Then after a few minutes' walk , you will come to the Red Carp Pond which is one of the most beautiful sites around the West Lake and where you could enjoy the elegant scenery of lakes, meadows, willows and red carps. After that, pay a visit to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum to learn more about the history and culture of Chinese herb. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast in the hotel, you will take a 1.5-hour high-speed train to Suzhou. Your local guide will meet you at the railway station and help you check into the hotel.

Then your Shanghai Jiangnan tour in Suzhou will start with a visit to the Humble Administrator's Garden. Located in the northeast of Suzhou City, the Humble Administrator's Garden represents the best private classical garden in China. All the pavilions and halls in the garden are centered upon water, and connected by corridors and ornamental perforated windows, reflecting the typical garden style of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Your next stop will be the Garden of the Master of the Nets. Though it is the smallest garden in Suzhou, it will be the most impressive one because its ingenious layout makes it seem much larger than its actual size. Walking in the garden, you will not only enjoy the elegant landscape, but also gain tranquility and harmony in mood. 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

You will visit the Tiger Hill after breakfast today. With a history of over 2,500 years, the Tiger Hill is the burial site of the king of the Wu State, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC). The most notable sites are the Tiger Hill Pagoda, the Sword Pond and the ancient inscriptions. Later, we will drive for around 30-40 minutes to Wuxi and transfer you to check into the hotel for a one-night stay. You will head to visit the Taihu Lake which is located on the border of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces afterwards. Called Zhenze in ancient times, it is the third largest freshwater lake in China. You will also stop over at Yuantouzhu Park and Li Garden.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, you will take a one-hour high-speed train to Nanjing. Upon arrival, you will first visit the Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum to learn about the life of this great Chinese revolutionist. Then proceed to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, which has a history of more than 600 years. The Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum has a great influence on the royal tomb buildings during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368 - 1912 AD), representing the highest achievement of the Ming architecture and stone carving art. Next, you will continue to visit the Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao). Constructed in the year of 1034, it was a place to worship and consecrate Confucius, a great philosopher and educator in ancient times. The beautiful Qinhuai River and bustling commercial streets nearby will make your trip more memorable.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

Your Shanghai Jiangnan tour package will end as the guide and driver transfer you to the airport and help you board the flight back home. Bon Voyage!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast