hello@travelbuddy.cn +86 138 0000 1234 We reply within 12 hours
Travel BuddyReal China · Local Guides
Sign in Join us
Home/Tours/Shanghai/Water Towns of the South: Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou — 5 Days

Water Towns of the South: Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou — 5 Days

Willow canals, silk and tea — the gentle classical south, door to door

Multi-Day Journey 5 days · 4 nights 5.0 · 1 reviews Shanghai
Water Towns of the South: Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou — 5 Days Water Towns of the South: Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou — 5 Days photo 2 Water Towns of the South: Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou — 5 Days photo 3 +2 photos
Multi-Day JourneyGroup style
5 days · 4 nightsDuration
ShanghaiDestination
Free cancellation24h before start

Tour overview

Southern China is the landscape of ink paintings: white walls, black-tiled roofs, water under willow. This five-day journey loops the classic triangle — Shanghai, Suzhou (with Tongli water town), Hangzhou — with a pace poets would approve.

Mornings start with mist: a lake boat or a garden at opening hour. Days move by boat, bullet train (30–60 minutes hops) and unhurried walks. Evenings end in canal-side teahouses or a lakeside dinner of West Lake fish. Your bags travel with private transfers while you drift.

Ideal as a first China journey for slow travellers, a romantic escape, or a Shanghai-based extension after business. April–June and September–November wear the south at its best.

Why you'll love it

  • Four nights: Shanghai Bund-view, Suzhou garden-lane, Hangzhou lakeside
  • UNESCO gardens + Tongli water town by wooden boat
  • Longjing tea village tasting with the farming family
  • Shanghai heritage walk (Bund + French Concession) with archive photos
  • All transfers, trains and a local buddy in each city

Your itinerary

Day 1

Day 1 · Shanghai Heritage

Meet at your Bund-view hotel. Afternoon: Bund facades and concession lanes heritage walk, gin-rickey café finish. Welcome dinner: xiaolongbao and scallion-oil noodles.

Day 1 · Shanghai Heritage
Day 2

Day 2 · Suzhou Gardens & Silk

Bullet train to Suzhou (30 min). Humble Administrator's Garden at opening, silk workshop, noodle lunch. Overnight inside the old lanes.

Day 2 · Suzhou Gardens & Silk
Day 3

Day 3 · Tongli Water Town → Hangzhou

Morning drive to Tongli: Three Bridges, canal boat, Tuisi Garden. Afternoon transfer to Hangzhou, lakeside check-in, sunset on the Su Causeway.

Day 3 · Tongli Water Town → Hangzhou
Day 4

Day 4 · West Lake & Tea Terraces

Mist-hour boat on West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Longjing village tea tasting with a farming family. Lunch: West Lake vinegar fish and Dongpo pork. Optional Lingyin Temple. Final-night dinner by the lake.

Day 4 · West Lake & Tea Terraces
Day 5

Day 5 · Causeway Morning & Departure

Slow breakfast, a last causeway stroll among tai-chi grandmas, then transfer to Hangzhou East station or Shanghai airport (2.5 h). Or stay — extensions easy.

Day 5 · Causeway Morning & Departure

What's included

Included

  • 4 nights boutique hotels (twin share, breakfast)
  • All intercity trains & private transfers
  • All entrances: gardens, pagoda, Tongli, boat rides
  • Local buddy in each city
  • 3 lunches + 2 dinners (welcome & farewell)
  • Longjing tea tasting

Not included

  • International flights
  • Visa & insurance
  • Personal expenses
  • Lunches/dinners not listed

Know before you go

  • Per person, twin share; single supplement $360
  • Starts in Shanghai (any hotel or PVG/SHA airport pickup); ends Hangzhou or Shanghai
  • April–June: mulberry & loquat season; Sept–Nov: osmanthus air
  • Walking days are gentle (4–6 km) with frequent tea stops
Meeting point
We collect you from any Shanghai hotel, or arrivals at PVG/SHA/Hongqiao. The journey can also start from Hangzhou in reverse.
Children
Child price ages 4–12 sharing parents' room. Boats and gardens are made for kids; baby-carrier recommended over strollers in lanes.

Frequently asked questions

Can we start from Hangzhou instead?
Yes — the loop runs happily in reverse. Note it at booking and we flip the trains.
Is autumn really the best time?
Late September to November brings osmanthus blossom, clear lake mornings and comfortable walking temperatures. Spring (April–June) is lush with occasional plum rains.
What is the walking like?
Gentle: 4–6 km on walking days, mostly flat, always punctuated by boats, lunches and tea. Tell us if you need a slower version — we trim gracefully.

Traveller reviews ★★★★★ 5.0 · 1 reviews

Ana & Pedro Silva
Ana & Pedro Silva Portugal · ★★★★★ 5
Five days of poetry: willows, tea terraces, canal boats. Slower pace than other China trips we researched, which is exactly why we picked it. Hangzhou farewell dinner by the lake — teary eyes, no regrets.
Keep exploring

You may also love

Questions? Chat with us