7 Days East China Garden & River Tour

Full Itinerary Day by Day

Day 1 Shanghai Arrival

Welcome to Shanghai, the most metropolis of China!

Upon arrival at Shanghai airport, you’ll be met and taken to have an 8-minute high-tech Maglev Train. It’s not a bird or a plane, just Shanghai’s Maglev Train, the world’s fastest train running 430km/hr. Your driver is ready to pick you up at the Longyang Road station, and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of today is at your leisure.

Day 2 Shanghai ( B, L )

After breakfast, you'll visit the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, a must-see for all true Shanghainophiles to witness how Shanghai became a cosmopolitan city from a shabby fishing village.

Then walk leisurely around the beautiful Yu Garden, a pleasant enough, well-contained classical Chinese garden, and savor some local flavor snacks at the Yu Garden Bazaar.

Later to visit the Wukang Road to appreciate its old French-style villas and special colonial culture. In the evening, enjoy the breathtaking Acrobatic Show. (Optional)

Day 3 Suzhou ( B, L )

Today after breakfast, you'll be driven to Suzhou (about 1-1.5 hour), a city often dubbed the 'Venice of the Orient', well-known for its traditional gardens and refined silk embroidery.

Your first stop of Suzhou tour is the Lingering Garden (Liuyuan), one of the most beautiful gardens in China. You'll also take a river cruise along the Grand Canal and relax yourself with the gentle breeze and fine scenery.

In the evening, enjoy the garden show.

Day 4 Zhouzhuang & High Speed Train to Huangshan ( B, L )

Today the comfortable drive (0.5-1 hour) will take you to the beautiful water town of Zhouzhuang, China's No.1 Water town with a history of 900 years, noted for its profound cultural background, the well-preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs.

You'll visit the Double Bridge, Old Drama Stage, Cultural Street, Zhang’s Residence and Shen's Residence, etc. 

After the tour, be transferred to the train station in Shanghai to take a high speed train to Huangshan. Upon your arrival at city of Huangshan (Tunxi), our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.

Day 5 Mt. Huang ( B, L )

Today after breakfast, our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel, then drive about 80 kilometers (1.5 hours) to the foot of Mount Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and one of the most beautiful mountains in China. Your memorable Huangshan trip starts!

To save energy and time, you will directly transfer by park bus from the mountain foot to Yungu Temple to take a cableway to upper beautiful sightseeing area of Huangshan Mountain – North Sea Scenic Area which is famous for marvelous precipitous peaks, beautiful giant pine trees and far-reaching vision. Walk to lofty Begin-to-Believe Peak (1668m) to stretch your eyesight over cloud seas to far distance, and then hike about 40 minutes to Dispelling Cloud Pavilion to look down the Dreamland - West Sea Grand Canyon. Walk down along the stone steps to the bottom of the canyon while enjoying the Avatar-like rising rock peaks, unfathomable cliffs, bizarre stones and tenacious pine trees. 

Generally speaking, it takes about 3 hours for energetic hiker to hike from the Dispelling Cloud Pavilion, via 1st Ring and 2nd Ring to the bottom and return to the starting point. For beginners, children, and senior travelers, you can decide the hiking length on your own according to your physical condition, usually 2 hours for the 1st Ring and 2.5hrs for the 2nd Ring. In the bottom of the canyon, there is also a monorail cable trains for those who don’t want to return by walking to transfer back to the peak area. 

If time and energy allow, you can spend about one hour to explore the Sky Sea Scenic Area where you can enjoy the sunset from the second highest peak - Bright Summit (1840m), visit the incredible Flying-over Rock, then return back your hotel and have a good rest.

Note: 1) The hiking routes on Huangshan can be customized according to your days, energy condition and interest, basically for one day, two days or three days; 2) The best time to visit Huangshan is from March to October. If you want to escape from crazy crowds, you can avoid travelling to Huangshan during Chinese holidays and School summer holidays (July~August). Lotus Peak, Celestial Capital Peak and West Sea Grand Canyon are not open during Winter days (December to March); 3) Before going up to the mountain, you can store your luggages in a hotel located at the bottom of the mountain. Recommended packing list: comfortable and breathable clothes, hiking shoes, alpenstock, sunblock, raincoat, small bag.

Day 6 Back to Shanghai from Mt. Huang ( B, L )

Try to get up early in the morning to catch the magical sunrise, after breakfast, tour the Begin-to-Believe Peak to see the grotesque pine trees, after all the exercise, take the cable car down to the foot of the Mt. Huangshan, drive back to the city of Huangshan to visit Tunxi Ancient Street and Hu Kaiwen Ink-stick Factory before your transfer to the train station for taking the high speed train back to Shanghai. Upon your arrival at Shanghai, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel.

Day 7 Shanghai ( B, L )

After breakfast, head to the famous Bund to witness Shanghai’s skyline, and stroll along China's No.1 shopping street, Nanjing Road.

Then ascend the Jinmao Tower to get an amazing bird’s eye view of this metropolis. Then continue to Jade Buddha Temple to admire the largest jade Buddha in the world and exquisite religious artifacts.

After the tour, be transferred to the airport for your flight to next destination or back to home.

Free Quote for the Trip

Practical Info about Traveling with Us

Restaurant & Food

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

Note: If you have any special dietary needs, just let your travel consultant know while booking.

Vegetarian food Requirement

Vegetarian food in Chinese cuisine culture is usually divided into 3 categories: the Monastery Vegetarian Food, the Court Vegetarian Food and the Folk Vegetarian Food. And the main ingredients are: soybean, taro powder, mushrooms, fresh vegetables and tofu (bean curd). It will be easier to find the vegetarian restaurants in big cities of china, such as: Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, HK, etc.

If allergic to some food

We suggest you to list any food or ingredients that you are allergic to and let our travel consultant know. Then your travel consultant will mark them in the guide’s itinerary, so that our guides in different cities can make some preparations and arrangements in advance.

Do our guide and driver join the meal with us?

The tour guides and driver will be at the same restaurants with you, but they will only join the meal when you invite. Sometimes the drivers are shy to join as they usually eat fast and could not understand English talk around the table, so the guide will be with you more often.

Will we be able to try some local foods during our visit?

Yes, you will. There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants, if you are interested in local food tasting. But remember, some local snacks may not match your stomach, so ask your guided for more information before eating.

Vehicles

We offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV), and different types of buses. Different vehicles will be used according to different group size.

Shopping

What to buy in China?

In China, there are myriads of souvenirs for visitors, and each city has its own specialty.

Some of the best buys are:

• Beijing: Cloisonné; Fresh water pearls
• Xi'an: Replicas of the Terra Cotta soldiers; Tangsancai (Tang Dynasty hand painted China); Antique Furniture
• Shanghai: Silk carpets
• Hangzhou: Longjing Tea; Silk
• Suzhou: Silk
• Guilin: Scroll paintings; China Southern Sea Pearls
• Yunnan: Mounted Butterflies; Pure tea; Dali Batik (tie-dyed fabric)
• Xinjiang: Carpets; jade articles
• Tibet: Thang-ka（tanka）(Sheep skin wall hangings)

How to bargain?

Bargains are not acceptable in big supermarkets and department stores. But in some night markets or tourist shops, you can bargain for a lower price, since the vendors always ask for very high price for a certain item. You’d better ask the opinion of the guide first, and then the guide will tell you the real value and quality of the item. Please note that when the bargain is processing, the guide will be hesitate to help as it may annoy the bosses. Just try to let the guides know you will bargain in advance.

What to do with persistent vendors?

If you do not need something from them, just do not ask for price. Some of the venders are very persisted, and if they keep selling things to you, you can simply say “No, thanks.” (Chinese pronunciation: ”Bu, XieXie”). If they do not give up, you just keep silence. Silence is sometimes useful to handle this situation.

More Tips for free-time shopping

• 1. If you think you have no desire or interest, you do not feel embarrassed to let our guide know DIRECTLY (since some of our guides are enthusiastic in taking you shopping)
• 2. Better to choose the shops run by the state when buying expensive articles.
• 3. Do not shop everything in one city, because every place has its unique local products which worth buying.
• 4. Do not feel obligate to buy anything only because the shop attendants are very kind to you.
• 5. Be smart consumers. Do not spend big money on things you are not familiar with. Do ask for shop guarantee, contacts and certificates when purchasing big items like antiques, jade, arts pieces.
• 6. Leave plenty of time for transactions. When you see something you like - buy it. Usually, you would not find it elsewhere and you would not have time to go back.
• 7. Always verify the date of antiques before you purchase them. Antiques dated before 1795 cannot legally be exported.
• 8. Articles made from rare wild animals are contraband and will be confiscated by customs without compensation.

Private tour & Group Tour

A: Private tours

• 1. Private guide, driver and vehicle are for your exclusive use; no matter you are individually, or in a family or friends group. The tour is run exclusively for you without strangers.
• 2. Every itinerary can be customized to meet your specific interests/ wishes, that is, you can choose your favored hotels, sightseeing spots, the tour length, means of transportation, budget, etc. All are free of charge.
• 3. Start the tour on any date you want.
• 4. Escort you through the whole tour. All private transfers during the tour are offered, including airport/train station transfer, hotel-attractions round trip transfer.
• 5. The sightseeing during the tour could be based on your own timetable and pace. Flexible to change at your short notice.
• 6. Ideal for people who need considerate care and assistance, such as elderly, the disabled, families with small children.

B: Group tours

• 1. Low Price;
• 2. Share a guide and driver;
• 3. Share a clean, safe and air-conditioned vehicle;
• 4. Good chance for you to meet and make friends from all over the world;
• 5. Tour date is fixed and unchangeable.

Emergency calls

Call your guide, or if you can’t find your guide, call your travel consultant or our office immediately. All the phone numbers include in our confirmation letter. Keep the letter with your during your trip.

Note: As our Beijing office is using the different guide arranging system, so we will not be able to provide the Beijing guide information until the day before you arrival, but once we have it, we will email you immediately.

Check What our delighted customers are saying about our services

Good morning, Tracy.

We have completed our travel in China. Thank you very much for arranging this wonderful tour for us.

You amended the itinerary 3 times according to our needs. One of the changes in the itinerary was your suggestion to add the Xingyi Fenglin Buyi Scenic Area which was an excellent recommendation. All of us enjoyed this beautiful environment, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city as well as away from the regular tourist crowds.

I understand that you wish me to provide our reviews and feedback. Here they are:

Tracy is efficient and very patient with us. Tour was very well arranged. Everything is good.

The following is what I intend to post on tripadvisor. My user name in tripadvisor is Hing2013:

“CHINA DISCOVERY - AMAZING 13-DAY PRIVATE TOUR Our group of 8 seniors have just finished a wonderful 13-day private tour to Guizhou and Guilin arranged by Tracy. From the first email, Tracy had shown her willingness to help. She had been courteous and efficient. All my requests were attended promptly. Sceneries in both Guizhou and Guilin are spectacular. Everything was well arranged. The guides and drivers in both Guizhou and Guilin were caring. Guilin guide Kenny was particularly knowledgeable. It was a wonderful and memorable trip and we all enjoyed the tour. We will book with China Discovery again and have no hesitation to recommend China Discovery to anyone who is interested in traveling in China.”

Have a good day!

Lena

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Lena‚ China, November 13, 2024

Hi Jack,

We had a great time on our trip thanks.

The trip went very well (apart from a rainy day in Pingyao), with no hitches.

Guides were all excellent, and took us to some great restaurants! All drivers were good as well - all punctual and drove safely.

Hotels were excellent, with the Beijing and Pingyao hotels standing out.

We had a great time and are sorry that it's over so quickly!

Many thanks.

Steve

Steve‚ Britain, November 12, 2024

Dear Jack,

We would like to thank you for the trip arrangement. It was very good and we had a wonderful time. Jessica, our guide, was very helpful and knowledgeable, and she took great care of us.

Thanks.

Warmest regards.

Sok Yong

Yong‚ Singapore, November 10, 2024

Hi Jack,

The tour was excellent and so were the guides (Michelle and Cecilia) and driver (Mr Wei). Both Michelle and Cecilia were knowledgeable and helpful and made our trip a memorable one.

Regards,

Lawrence

Lawrence‚ Singapore, November 9, 2024

Hi Leo,

Thanks for everything. I really enjoyed the Yunnan trip. Highly appreciated your tourist guides’ professional services. I will recommend your company to my friends. I definitely will come back again.

Ka

Ka‚ China, November 8, 2024

Check What our customers are saying about us on Tripadvisor.com

We are one of the few China travel agencies who have kept active and received lots of feedbacks and reviews during pandemic years

Han Meng

"Decided to choose China Discovery after reading great reviews on TripAdvisor and I was glad I chose them. Rita Jiang was my travel consultant and she was very patient with all my questions and changes..." read more »

Reviewed on November 16, 2024

Ken C

"Wonder has been great right from the start. Very responsive to emails and questions making the trip very easy. Everything was taken care. From picking up to hotels, tours and tour guides were well..." read more »

Reviewed on November 15, 2024

How Our Teams Serve you at China Discovery

"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.

Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.

1-on-1 Travel Consultant

Our travel consultants are professional, experienced and responsible, helping you from the very beginning to the end of your China trip!

After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.

Beside, he/she will keep in contact with you during your entire tour in China, continually checking if everything is going well as planned.

We're working at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, local based in Chengdu.

Local Tour Guides

Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.

Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.

Our guides are passionate about what they do, and it shows all the way!

Local Drivers & Vehicle

Using our private transfer service makes you comfortable, relaxed and worry free all the way!

Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.

Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!

Comfortable & Homelike Hotels

In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!

The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.

If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.

Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.

Meals & Dining

We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.

All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!