4 Days Shanghai & Poetic Suzhou Garden Tour
Shanghai / Suzhou / Shanghai
Highlights
- Visit:
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
- Shanghai Museum
- The Bund
- Jade Buddha Temple
- Shanghai World Financial Center
- Humble Administrator’s Garden
- Zhouzhuang Water Town
- Experience:
- Have a bird's eye view of the metropolis Shanghai;
- Enjoy the beauty and tranquility in classic Suzhou gardens;
- Relax on a sculling boat to enjoy the ancient charm of Zhouzhuang Water Town;
- Walk along the Bund to explore the west-meet-east culture.
Sampling Itinerary Day by Day
Day 1 Shanghai Arrival
Ni Hao! Welcome to Shanghai, the largest and the most developed metropolis in the Chinese mainland! You’ll be met by our local guide at the arrival hall of Shanghai airport / train station and escorted to your hotel at downtown area by a private, comfortable and non-smoking vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to explore this city.
Optional Activity - Enjoy an entertaining Acrobatic Show to see the breathtaking “balls of death” acts, chair balancing, juggling of benches, walking in the air, and other breathtaking performances (usually 19:30~21:00).
Arrival Ideas: At present, Shanghai has many international and domestic flights. Besides, you can take high speed trains from Beijing (about 5~5.5hrs), Xian (about 6~7.5hrs), Suzhou (about 0.5hr), Hangzhou (about 1hr), Huangshan (about 4hrs), etc.
Day 2 Shanghai (B, L)
After breakfast, enjoy your full-day exploration of the Magic Shanghai with west-meet-east, modern-blend-tradition culture. Let's start with Shanghai Museum, one of the Four Greatest Museums in China. Admire its stunning "Ding"-style exterior which symbolizes “a round heaven and a square earth”. Enter to treat your eyes with an extensive collection of international-standard historical relics from over 5,000 years ago to the Qing Dynasty, including bronzes, ceramics, paintings, jades, coins, furniture, seals, sculptures, etc. (An Audio Explanation Device will be prepared for your better understanding of the history and technology.)
Next, have an interesting walk at Yu Garden, a typical ancient Chinese garden in Jiangnan area similar to the classical Suzhou Gardens! This garden boasts traditional design of Chinese architecture with jagged pavilions with elegant decorations, glittering pools with roving fish, and pine trees sprouting to the sky, all designed to refresh your spirit. Adjacent to the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar where you can savor local snacks and explore exquisite traditional handicrafts and artworks.
Continue to the No.1 tallest building in China - Shanghai Tower in Pudong New District. Ascend to the 118th floor (546 meters) for a breathtaking panoramic view of Shanghai's downtown, the Huangpu River, and neighboring skyscrapers. Later, go to Nanjing Road, another landmark of Shanghai, a shopping paradise as well as a great place for a nice walk to feel the modern vibes of Shanghai. Finally, take a delight stroll along The Bund with a rich array of buildings of diverse architectural styles. Soak in the perfect fusion of Chinese and Western cultures while appreciating the stunning Shanghai skyline!
Optional activities: Take a relaxing Huangpu River night cruise to see the city’s most significant edifices and streets sparkling under the atmospheric cover of darkness (about 50 minutes).
The Bund - Best Place to See Shanghai Skyline
Shanghai Museum
Walk through the Zigzag Bridge of Yu Garden
Have Panoramic View on the Top of Shanghai Tower
The Bund - An Exhibition of International Buildings
Day 3 Shanghai - Suzhou - Shanghai (B, L)
In this morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and escort you to Suzhou (about 93km for 1.5 hours’ drive). “Suzhou Gardens are finest under heaven”. First, you’ll take an interesting trip to Humble Administrator’s Garden which is a representation of Jiangnan classical garden as well as the largest classical garden in Suzhou. Entering into the garden, you’ll enjoy water scenery, green hills, delicate buildings and pavilions, lush flowers and trees. You won’t miss beautiful scenery in every corner as you’ll follow the route to Eastern Garden, Central Garden and Western Garden.
After the classical Suzhou garden tour, you’ll drive about 43km (27miles) to the No.1 Water Town in China - Zhouzhuang. In this ancient town, you’ll explore 14 ancient particular stone bridges built in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, multiple courtyards linking together on the winding water, more than 80 residents living by the river. Visit Double Bridge to feel the ancient charm of Zhouzhuang, Shen’s House to see the luxurious rooms, and Zhang’s House where you can know about the life an story of the very wealthy Shen Wansan. Enjoy the leisure moment to take a sculling boat to appreciate the hundred-year old houses passing by, verdant willow dancing in the wind and listen to the introduction through the boatman. If you like, you can also enjoy the Kun Opera performed at the Old Stage.
After the tour, drive to Shanghai City and stay overnight there.
Humble Administrator’s Garden
Zhouzhuang Water Town, No.1 Water Town in China
Day 4 Shanghai Departure (B)
Good morning! After breakfast, you'll be picked up from your hotel for an interesting visit to Shanghai's evolution at Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Witness how a humble fishing village has transformed into a super modern metropolis. Engaging exhibits, including rare vintage photos of landmarks like the Bund, Nanjing Road, and Yu Garden from the international settlement era, coupled with interactive multimedia and intricate models, offer an entertaining and insightful experience. You won't miss the highlight - massive model showcasing Shanghai's detailed urban layout.
Next, go to Tianzifang which is a vibrant arts and crafts hub developed from a renovated traditional residential area. It is the typical place to appreciate the preserved Shikumen architecture and soak up the local lifestyle. You can leisurely stroll along the quaint alleys, observe Shanghai's daily routines, sip a drink at an outdoor café, and discover unique finds in trendy boutiques, blending international flair with authentic Shanghai culture.
After the visit, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport / train station for your flight to the next destination or home. Tour ends!
See the Future of Shanghai in Urban Planning Exhibition Center
Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
Tianzifang
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in a comfortable-class hotel and traveling with our private tour package in low seasons. The price will be much lower if your group has 4 or more members.
2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, month, and date. There may be huge price increasing during the public Chinese holidays, school summer holidays (usually 2 months, July ~ August), peak tourist seasons or some special dates. (Chinese Public Holidays 2025)
3. Other factors that may change the final tour price include your group size, hotel class, tour activities, real-time exchange rate, and so on.
4. This price is based on the exchange rate USD 1= RMB 7.00. The final price will be based on the exchange rate in effect at the time of agreement with our quotation.
5. This price is only valid from now to March 31, 2026.
6. This price is not the final price until the Confirmation Letter is sent.
7. The items included and excluded in this price are for reference only. The final services included, please refer to the Confirmation Letter sent to you by the travel consultant.
Price Includes:
- English-speaking guide with the professional license as listed in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees and other fees of the scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
- Yangtze River Cruise ticket as listed in the itinerary.
- Accommodation (comfortable-class) based on two persons sharing one room with twin beds or a double bed.
- Meals as specified with “B” (for breakfast), “L” (for lunch) or “D” (for dinner) in the itinerary.
- Private Transfers between airports, hotels and scenic spots while sightseeing in each city or area by private air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed driver as listed in the itinerary.
- Transportation: Domestic flights (economy class) or trains (second-class seat) as listed in the itinerary.
- Airport / train station pick-up and drop-off service as listed in the itinerary.
- Luggage Transfers between airports, train station and hotels.
- Travel Service Charge of our travel consultant, including the planning, handling, operational and communication charges, etc.
Price Excludes:
- China Visa (We do not offer any visa service or charge any visa-related fee.)
- Scenic spots not listed in the itinerary.
- Optional activities or other sightseeing.
- Accommodation not as listed in the itinerary.
- Meals not listed in the itinerary.
- Flights or trains not as listed in the itinerary.
- Excess Baggage Charges.
- Personal expenses of a purely personal nature such as room service, laundry, drink, Internet charge, WI-FI, fax, telephone call, etc.
- Gratuities or optional tips to guides, drivers, bellboys, etc.
- Travel insurance. Please kindly note that the full coverage travel insurance from your country of origin should be purchased in advance on your own.
Read what other travelers think about this China trip / Yangtze cruise trip. We only accept reviews from actual, confirmed travelers who purchased the tour / activity from us, so you can be sure the reviews are unbiased and authentic.
Hi Wonder
Good afternoon.
I had just enjoyed and return from my trip to Zhangjiajie and Chongqing
We are happy with the tour and services provided by especially Tony and David.
Would like to seek your advice if my family of maybe 5 adults and 1 child Like to plan a family holiday maybe in November 17th onwards for maybe 12 to 14 days visiting Beijing Xian and Chendu.
What will be your recommendations. Prefer to stay in 4 stars hotels.
Which city should we fly to first and back from which city.
Believe that there will be train rides for convenient transport and will you arrange the train tickets also.
Kindly give me your quotation and itenairy asap so that we can start to plan our next trip with your company.
Have a good day.
Gina
- Gina - March 25, 2025‚ ,
Hi Jack,
We had a wonderful time on our cruise! We absolutely loved our room on the uppermost deck towards the front of the ship.
My daughter and I both wrote reviews while we were still on board. They asked us to handwrite our reviews, so I’ve taken pictures of two of them and attached them to this email.
I also plan to post our reviews on TripAdvisor and any social media that mentions Century Voyage.
Would you like me to send you screenshots of my reviews once they’re complete? We’re currently traveling from Zhangjiajie to Xi’an, but I should have some time after this weekend to finalize them.
Thank you again for this unforgettable trip!
Best regards,
Mary
The following photo was shared by our customer Mary:
- Mary - March 25, 2025‚ ,
Jack
From my Parent and Sister.
• The Cruise was high premium cruise, very well maintained and clean.
• The location is easy to find
• Communication onboard was clear
• Food/Beverage is of high quality
• Staff was friendly
• Cinema room is very good
• Excursions was good
• Cost was a bit expensive compare to western cruises, however we would certainly do it again given due to the high quality products
Danny
- Danny - March 25, 2025‚ ,
Shirley
Thank you for your help. The crews, especially Austin and Sam did beyond to help. We are greatly appreciated.
We returned to America yesterday.
Thank you again.
Helen
- Helen - March 25, 2025‚ ,
Here are recent candid photos of this China trip / Yangtze cruise trip. If you want to share your own tour photos, simply email your photos to info@yangtze-river-cruises.com with your Booking ID Number. Thanks in advance for sharing!
No documents found.
- Have Panoramic View on the Top of Shanghai Tower
- The Bund - Best Place to See Shanghai Skyline
- Shanghai Museum
- Walk through the Zigzag Bridge of Yu Garden
- The Bund - An Exhibition of International Buildings
- Zhouzhuang Water Town, No.1 Water Town in China
- Humble Administrator’s Garden
- Tianzifang
- Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
- See the Future of Shanghai in Urban Planning Exhibition Center
Recommended Add-on Options
+ 4~5 more days to cruise on the magnificent Yangtze River
Taking a relaxing cruise sailing on the Yangtze River is a popular way to get a short break during your China tour. You’ll not only enjoy many colorful cultural activities and entertainment programs onboard, but also enjoy three to four shore excursions to deeply know the authentic life along Three Gorges and witness the world-famous Three Gorges Dam.
You can take: 1) 4 Days & 3 Night Downstream Cruise from Chongqing to Yichang; 2) 5 Days & 4 Nights Upstream Cruise from Yichang to Chongqing.
You might also like
-
7 Days Shanghai & Yangtze Cruise Tour (Upstream)
Shanghai / Yichang / Yangtze Cruise / Chongqing
-
-
Not easy to find the right cruise ship/itinerary for you? Please contact one of our Yangtze cruise specialists to save your time and money. Click the right button to send an online inquiry and we will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hours.
Karen
Wonder
Jack
Rita
Johnson
Vivien
Wing
Ariel
Tracy
Leo
Evelyn
April
Phoebe
Kelly
Shirley
Reya
Juliet
Elk
Felix
Sean
