# Classic Jiangnan: Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou & Wuzhen

A 7-day private Jiangnan trip with your own car and driver: gardens in Suzhou, West Lake in Hangzhou and Wuzhen water town after dark. Fly into Shanghai and out of Hangzhou, so there is no backtracking. No shopping stops, and every day has a gentle version with fewer steps.

**Trip code:** JN7 · 7 days / 6 nights · private, your group only · no shopping stops
**Route:** [Shanghai](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/shanghai) → [Suzhou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/suzhou) → [Hangzhou](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/hangzhou) → [Wuzhen](https://unclepandatravel.com/destinations/wuzhen)

## At a glance

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Highest night | 10 m (Hangzhou, Day 4) |
| Highest point | 168 m (Day 5) |
| Walking | 2k–13k steps a day; gentle version ≤7k steps |
| Longest drive | ~2.5 h, Suzhou → Hangzhou on the expressway |
| Best months | Late Mar–May, mid-Oct–Dec |
| From, per person | ¥5,400 CNY · reference rate (≈ US$809 · €721 · S$1,035, site reference rates; the written quote is in CNY) |

Per person, based on 4 adults sharing 2 rooms and one 7-seat MPV, regular season. Excludes international flights and lunches/dinners. Ask for a [written quote](https://unclepandatravel.com/quote?route=JN7) for your own group and dates.

| Day | Where you are | Sleep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Day 1 | Arrive Shanghai, the Bund at night | Shanghai |
| Day 2 | Yu Garden, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Tower | Shanghai |
| Day 3 | To Suzhou: Humble Administrator's Garden, Tiger Hill, Pingjiang Road | Suzhou |
| Day 4 | To Hangzhou: West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Hefang Street | Hangzhou |
| Day 5 | Lingyin Temple, Feilai Peak, Xixi Wetland | Hangzhou |
| Day 6 | Free morning, then Wuzhen water town into the night | Hangzhou |
| Day 7 | Fly home from Hangzhou | Home |

## Is this trip right for you?

**Great for**

- First-time visitors who want the classic Jiangnan sights without a tour bus
- Travellers who like gardens, lakes and old water towns at an easy pace; mostly flat walking, with a gentle option every day
- Groups of about 4 sharing one car: the per-person price is best at this size

**Think twice if**

- You want all meals included (lunches and dinners are pay-as-you-go)
- You need an English-speaking guide: the local guides in Suzhou and Hangzhou speak Mandarin (ask us first)
- You want to be back early every night: Day 6 returns from Wuzhen around 22:30 (the gentle version returns earlier)

**Why this itinerary works**

- A private 7-seat MPV and driver for your group only. No shopping stops.
- Three cities and one water town, in Shanghai and out of Hangzhou, so no backtracking.
- Well-rated, recently opened central hotels; local guides in Suzhou and Hangzhou.
- We make the passport-based ticket and time-slot bookings before you arrive.

The whole trip stays low: the highest night is 10 m and the highest point is 168 m.

## Day by day, with real numbers

### Day 1: Arrive in Shanghai, the Bund at night

- **Sleep:** Shanghai (sleeping altitude 4 m)
- **Standard plan:** about 6,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Your driver meets you at arrivals with a name sign and takes you to the hotel. Free evening: walk the Bund and Nanjing Road; the river views are best after 18:00.
- **Gentle plan:** about 3,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Airport pickup and rest at the hotel. The Bund is about 15 min on foot; walk just one short stretch for the night view.
- **Stairs:** None
- **Travel:** Pudong airport → hotel ~50 min; Hongqiao ~30 min
- **Meals:** Own arrangement · Pan-fried buns (shengjian) and xiaolongbao around Nanjing Road; book ahead for a Shanghainese dinner.
- **Rest:** Whole evening free

### Day 2: Yu Garden, Shanghai Museum and the view from Shanghai Tower

- **Sleep:** Shanghai (sleeping altitude 4 m)
- **Standard plan:** start 09:00, about 12,000 steps, highest point 4 m. 09:00 Yu Garden, a Ming-dynasty private garden, and the old City God Temple streets (~1.5 h). After lunch, the Shanghai Museum East Branch for bronzes, ceramics and painting (free, no booking). Around 16:30, ride up to the 118th-floor observation deck of Shanghai Tower (546 m) for Lujiazui and the Bund.
- **Gentle plan:** start 09:30, about 7,000 steps, highest point 4 m. Yu Garden main route (~1 h). Pick two galleries at the museum. High-speed lift straight up to the Shanghai Tower deck. The car takes you door to door.
- **Stairs:** Steps and rockeries inside Yu Garden; on the gentle version, the main garden path only
- **Travel:** Short city hops, ~1 h in total
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast · Xiaolongbao and crab-shell pastries around the City God Temple; try red-braised pork for dinner.
- **Rest:** Unhurried lunch break before the museum
- **Note:** Yu Garden is closed on Mondays and the Museum East Branch on Tuesdays (except public holidays); we reorder the days if needed. Until 14 Nov 2027 the People's Square branch shows only the paid Americas exhibition (¥148); tell us if you want it.

### Day 3: To Suzhou: Humble Administrator's Garden, Tiger Hill, Pingjiang Road

- **Sleep:** Suzhou (sleeping altitude 5 m)
- **Standard plan:** start 09:00, about 13,000 steps, highest point 34 m. Drive to Suzhou. Late morning in the Humble Administrator's Garden, the most famous of Suzhou's gardens (~2 h). After lunch, Tiger Hill and its 1,000-year-old leaning pagoda (~1.5 h). Evening on Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street, with an optional rowing-boat ride.
- **Gentle plan:** start 09:30, about 7,000 steps, highest point 34 m. Central route of the garden only. Tiger Hill as far as Thousand-Man Rock. Take a boat on the canal instead of walking the whole street.
- **Stairs:** Stone steps up Tiger Hill; the garden is mostly flat. On the gentle version, Tiger Hill to Thousand-Man Rock only.
- **Travel:** Shanghai → Suzhou ~1.5 h + short hops
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast · Suzhou dishes: squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, sizzling eel; Suzhou-style noodle soup and rice cakes on Pingjiang Road.
- **Rest:** Teahouse break on Pingjiang Road
- **Note:** Garden and Tiger Hill tickets are sold by passport name; we book them ahead.

### Day 4: To Hangzhou: West Lake, Leifeng Pagoda, Hefang Street

- **Sleep:** Hangzhou (sleeping altitude 10 m)
- **Standard plan:** start 09:00, about 13,000 steps, highest point 50 m. Drive to Hangzhou. Afternoon on West Lake: Broken Bridge, Bai Causeway and Su Causeway (~2.5 h, walk or cycle). Late afternoon at Leifeng Pagoda for the view over the lake. Evening on Hefang Street and the Southern Song Imperial Street.
- **Gentle plan:** start 09:30, about 6,000 steps, highest point 50 m. See West Lake by boat or lakeside sightseeing cart instead of long walks. Lift up Leifeng Pagoda. Skip Hefang Street if tired and head back early.
- **Stairs:** Leifeng Pagoda has lifts and escalators; stairs optional. On the gentle version, lift up the pagoda.
- **Travel:** Suzhou → Hangzhou ~2.5 h (with a rest stop on the gentle version)
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast · Hangzhou dishes: West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing tea shrimp, Dongpo pork; dingsheng cakes and congbaohui on Hefang Street.
- **Rest:** Relaxed lunch after the drive

### Day 5: Lingyin Temple, Feilai Peak and Xixi Wetland

- **Sleep:** Hangzhou (sleeping altitude 10 m)
- **Standard plan:** start 08:00, about 12,000 steps, highest point 168 m. 08:00 Lingyin Temple and the Feilai Peak grottoes, with Buddhist carvings spanning a thousand years (~3 h). Three incense sticks are given free inside the temple. Afternoon at Xixi National Wetland Park by electric boat through the reed channels (~3 h).
- **Gentle plan:** start 09:00, about 6,000 steps, highest point 168 m. Main halls of Lingyin and the carvings at the foot of the hill. At Xixi, mostly by boat with little walking.
- **Stairs:** Hillside paths with steps around the Feilai Peak carvings; on the gentle version, carvings at the foot of Feilai Peak only
- **Travel:** Short city hops, ~1 h in total
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast · Vegetarian noodles at Lingyin (optional); farm-style dishes near Xixi.
- **Rest:** Long lunch between the two sites
- **Note:** Lingyin–Feilai Peak has been free since 1 Dec 2025, but a real-name time-slot booking is required and same-day booking is not possible. We book it with your passport. Ignore people selling expensive incense outside.

### Day 6: Free morning, then Wuzhen water town into the night

- **Sleep:** Hangzhou (sleeping altitude 10 m)
- **Standard plan:** start 13:00, about 11,000 steps, highest point 10 m. Free morning in Hangzhou. Leave at 13:00 for Wuzhen West Scenic Area (Xizha) from about 15:00: canal-side houses, the dye workshop and the old post office. Stay after dark when the lanterns light up the water; rowing-boat ride optional. Leave around 21:00 and reach your Hangzhou hotel by about 22:30.
- **Gentle plan:** start 13:00, about 6,000 steps, highest point 10 m. Rowing boat for part of the visit. See the first evening lights and leave around 19:00, back at the hotel by about 21:00.
- **Stairs:** Stone bridges with a few steps; on the gentle version, boat instead of some of the walking
- **Travel:** Hangzhou ↔ Wuzhen ~1–1.5 h each way
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast · In Wuzhen: braised mutton, gusao cakes; dinner inside the scenic area.
- **Rest:** Whole morning free
- **Note:** Late return (~22:30). Choose the gentle version to be back earlier.

### Day 7: Fly home from Hangzhou

- **Sleep:** Home (sleeping altitude 10 m)
- **Standard plan:** about 2,000 steps, highest point 10 m. Drop-off at Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport timed to your flight. There are direct flights from Hangzhou to Singapore (e.g. Scoot, XiamenAir, China Eastern; check when booking).
- **Gentle plan:** about 2,000 steps, highest point 10 m. Drop-off at Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport timed to your flight.
- **Stairs:** None
- **Travel:** Hotel → Xiaoshan airport ~50 min
- **Meals:** Hotel breakfast
- **Rest:** Late checkout on request

Steps and drive times are estimates for planning. Altitudes are from public data. Your guide adjusts on the day.

## Meals & local food

Breakfast is included at every hotel. Lunches and dinners are booked by your guide and paid at the table.

| Place | What to try | Good to know |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shanghai | Xiaolongbao, shengjian buns, red-braised pork | Shanghainese food is on the sweet side; popular places need booking. |
| Suzhou | Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, sizzling eel, Suzhou noodle soup | Noodle shops are busiest at breakfast; tell us if you don't eat eel or fish. |
| Hangzhou | West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing tea shrimp, Dongpo pork | Restaurants near the lake are busy at weekends; we book ahead. |
| Wuzhen | Braised mutton, gusao cakes | Prices inside the scenic area are higher than in town. |

**Dietary needs**

- Vegetarian, allergies or no spicy food: tell your travel designer before booking
- Your driver-guide explains your needs to each restaurant in Chinese
- Mild dishes for kids and grandparents on request

## Hotels & transport

We pick well-rated hotels (Ctrip 4.7+), mostly opened in 2024–2026, in central locations: near the Bund and Nanjing Road in Shanghai, near the Humble Administrator's Garden or Shantang Street in Suzhou, and by West Lake or Wulin Square in Hangzhou. The exact hotels are confirmed in your quote; upgrades available.

| Group | Vehicle | Luggage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1–2 guests | SUV | About 2–3 medium suitcases |
| 4–5 guests | 7-seat MPV (Buick GL8 or similar) | About 4–5 medium suitcases |
| 6–7 guests | Larger vehicle, confirmed in your quote | Confirmed in your quote |

## What will your group pay?

Estimate your whole group, then ask for a written quote. An estimate is not a booking. Your travel designer sends a written quote with the currency locked, valid for 7 days.

**From, per person: ¥5,400 CNY** (reference rate) — based on 4 adults sharing 2 rooms and one 7-seat MPV, regular season. For reference, the site lists this as ≈ US$809 · €721 · S$1,035; the written quote is in CNY.

**Included**

- 6 nights in well-rated, centrally located hotels (2 rooms for 4 adults), with breakfast
- Private 7-seat MPV (Buick GL8 or similar) with driver for the touring days, incl. tolls and the driver's costs
- Airport pickup in Shanghai (Pudong or Hongqiao) and drop-off at Hangzhou Xiaoshan
- Entrance tickets for the sights listed in the itinerary
- Local Mandarin-speaking guides: 1 day in Suzhou, 2 days in Hangzhou (in Shanghai your driver gets you around)
- Passport-based ticket and time-slot bookings made for you

**Not included**

- International flights
- Lunches and dinners (we recommend and book; you pay at the table)
- Optional boats and shows (e.g. Wuzhen rowing boat, West Lake boat, evening shows)
- Travel insurance
- Personal spending and tips (optional, never expected)

**What can change the price**

- Public holidays (e.g. 1–7 May, 1–7 Oct, summer) cost about 10–30% more for car and hotels
- Hotel prices change with dates; the exact hotels are confirmed in your quote
- Shanghai Museum People's Square special exhibition (¥148) only if you choose it
- Single room supplement if someone needs their own room

## Paying & cancelling

1. **Free plan & quote** — change it until it fits. You pay nothing.
2. **30% deposit** — only after you approve the written plan and sign the contract.
3. **Balance** — 30 days before arrival. Booking later? Full payment, told upfront.

| If you cancel | We keep |
| --- | --- |
| 7 or more days before departure | 10% of the total tour price; the rest is refunded |
| 6–4 days before departure | 20% of the total tour price; the rest is refunded |
| 3–1 days before departure | 40% of the total tour price; the rest is refunded |
| On the day the trip starts | 60% of the total tour price; the rest is refunded |
| After the trip has started | 60%, plus a share of the other 40% for each day travelled |

**Leaving this 7-day trip early**

If you leave on Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 or Day 6, a rising share of the total tour price is kept for the days travelled and the rest is refunded; the exact percentages are set out in the table in your contract. The day you leave counts as a day travelled.

Train and flight tickets we bought for you follow the carrier's own rules. This exact table is printed in your contract. See also [payment methods · who receives your money](https://unclepandatravel.com/licence-payment#payment).

## Who is in charge of this trip

Names and phone numbers go into your confirmation pack 7 days before you fly.

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- Source page: https://unclepandatravel.com/tours/jiangnan-7d
- Language: English · Updated: 2026-10-22
- Operator: Hunan Panda International Travel Service Co., Ltd. (Uncle Panda Travel), licensed China travel agency, licence L-HUN-304745
- Contact: service@unclepandatravel.com · WhatsApp +8615580812229
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