12 Days Tour of Classical Gardens &Ancient Water Town

Day 1

Destinations: Arrival in Shanghai

Today's Activities:When your flight arrives in Shanghai today, you will find our tour guide is expecting you outside the customs of the airport after your baggage reclaiming and customs clearance. We will transfer you to the reserved hotel in downtown area and help you check in. The rest of the day is on your own to explore Shanghai City.

Day 2

Destinations: Shanghai

Today's Activities:In the morning, you will visit one of the best museums in China, Shanghai Museum, where you can see vast storage of historical items like bronze ware, chinaware, Chinese paintings and famous calligraphy works. Then go to the Yuyuan Garden, one of the best-known gardens in China. In this classical garden of southern Yangtze River, unique artificial hills, clear ponds, winding corridors and delicate pavilions are all arranged in a harmonious and compact layout. After lunch, you will go to the Bund and take a short Huangpu River Cruise to enjoy remarkable scene along the river. On the east bank, rows of huge mansions show the modern Shanghai, while on the west bank, the old-style western buildings tell you the vicissitudes of old Shanghai in the past 100 years. You will have some free time to explore the Bund area on your own after disembarking. Tonight, an a la carte welcome dinner of authentic Shanghai and Cantonese cuisine will be served at a famous local restaurant. The memorable dinner will be followed by the fantastic Portman Acrobatic Show at Shanghai Centre Theatre.

Meals: Lunch&Dinner

Day 3

Destinations: Shanghai-Huangshan

Today's Activities:We remain the whole morning free for to explore the city. You could go to visit the famous Nanjing Road where you may do some shopping, or go to Pudong area to appreciate the 468-meter-high Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It will take you sometime to wait in line for the elevator to the Viewing Platform, where you can obtain the full view of Shanghai city. In the afternoon, our guide will transfer you to the airport for your flight to Huangshan. Upon your arrival at Huangshan, our local guide will meet you outside the Baggage Claim Area of the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Huangshan city.

Day 4

Destinations: Huangshan

Today's Activities:After breakfast, you will check out the hotel since we will drive you to the No.1 Mountain under Heaven, the famous Huangshan Mountain. We suggest you leave your heavy luggage at the concierge of the hotel in Huangshan city and prepare a backpack with necessary items to take with you on the mountain. Huangshan Mountain is noted for the unique pines, grotesque rocks, dreamlike cloud sea and gurgling hot springs. While taking the cable car to the mountain, you will find yourself among magnificent scenery. Upon arrival at the terminal of the cable car, you still need to walk along the winding path and steps for a distance before getting to the hotel. Enjoy the view of the Beginning-to-Believe Peak, the Peach Blossom Valley, the Lion Peak, the Flying-over Rock and the Bright Summit. You can also observe the pines and rocks at a short distance and take a deep breath of the fresh air along the way. Tonight you will stay at the best hotel on the mountain.

Meals: Lunch

Day 5

Destinations: Huangshan-Suzhou

Today's Activities:The view of sunrise on the summit of Huangshan Mountain is breathtaking and enjoyable, so it is suggested you check the weather forecast beforehand and get up early to see the splendid scenery. In the morning, continue the sightseeing tour to the Cloud-dispelling Pavilion and Xihai Grand Canyon. After lunch, you will take the cable car back to the foot of the mountain. Then transfer to visit one of the World's Heritages, the Hongcun Village in Yi County, which is an 880-year-old ancient village with graceful scenery of mountains, lakes, rivers, bridges and houses. Tunxi Old Street in Huangshan City will be the next stop. Walking on the street, you will see the age-old houses decorated with delicate wood and stone carvings, the time-honored shops selling brushes and ink for Chinese calligraphy, and small restaurants for delicious local snacks. Finally, our guide will transfer you to take an overnight soft-sleeper train to Suzhou. Please remember to retrieve your luggage if you keep it in the hotel of the city.

Meals: Lunch

Day 6

Destinations: Suzhou

Today's Activities:Early in the morning, your local guide will expect you at Suzhou railway station. Breakfast will be on your own. Your Suzhou tour starts from the Tiger Hill, which is known as the No. 1 scenic spot in Suzhou, where you will be impressed by the “oriental leaning tower of Pisa” the Tiger Hill Tower, the sword-shaped pond, the time-honored Lu Yu Well and many aged cliff-side inscriptions. Since Suzhou is well-known for its delicate gardens, your next stop will be the biggest classical landscape garden in Suzhou, the Humble Administrator's Garden. As the “mother of Chinese garden”, it makes full use of the limited space, presenting a peaceful and quiet landscape with refreshing ponds, pavilions, ornamental perforated windows, cloisters, hills, ancient trees, green grass and colorful flowers. Then you will visit another famous Suzhou garden, the Garden of the Master of the Nets, which is famous for its exquisite buildings and ingenious layout.

Meals: Lunch

Day 7

Destinations: Suzhou - Zhouzhuang - Suzhou

Today's Activities:Today you will take a side trip to Zhouzhuang, the No.1 Water Town in China. Surrounded by the riverway, the town features clear water, elegantly crafted bridges, gurgling streams and classical buildings, as well as distinctive local traditions. In the town, you will specially visit Shen House, which is a Qing-dynasty style complex built in 1742. In the Shen House, you will see ancient halls and yards connected by arcades and bridges and exquisite decoration of wood, brick and stone carvings. Before dusk, you will return to the hotel in Suzhou.

Meals: Lunch

Day 8

Destinations: Suzhou-Hangzhou

Today's Activities:Morning is free at leisure and lunch is on your own arrangement. If you would like to see more Suzhou gardens other than those in the itinerary, we suggest the Lingering Garden and the Lion Grove Garden, both of which are representative Suzhou gardens. In the Lingering Garden, artificial hills, clear ponds, plants, elegant halls and pavilions, zigzagging corridors and white walls make perfect combinations of all-sized landscapes. The Lion Grove Garden is renowned for the exquisite artificial hills, which resemble lions in all kinds of poses, hence the name. In the afternoon, our guide will see you off at Suzhou Railway Station. You are going to arrive in Hangzhou in two hours by a high-speed train and then proceed to the hotel in downtown with our Hangzhou tour guide.

Day 9

Destinations: Hangzhou-Beijing

Today's Activities:In the morning, you will visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda, which is a 59.89-meter-high (196 feet) octagonal pagoda with a history of 1,500 years. Looking from outside, you can see thirteen stories, but there are actually 7 stories inside the pagoda. Then you will visit the famous Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul's Retreat), one of the ten most famous Buddhist temples in China. Not far from the Lingyin Temple, you will come to the famous West Lake. You will marvel at the luring landscape of beautiful lakes, elegant hills, shady trees, refreshing springs and streams, as well as many aged historical relics. Late in the afternoon, you will take a flight to Beijing. Our guide will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Meals: Lunch

Day 10

Destinations: Beijing

Today's Activities:The first attraction in Beijing is the famous world's heritage, the Badaling Great Wall, which is the best-preserved section of Chinese Great Wall and renowned for its solidity but zigzag walls, strategic importance and gorgeous landscape. To avoid having lunch at shopping site restaurants, you will have Sichuan food at a popular local restaurant. After lunch, you will visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tombs. You will learn about the special funeral customs from the statues of human figures and animals standing along the two sides of the Sacred Way, which is the first attraction of the Ming Tombs. Lying on the mountain, the Ming Tombs is a cluster of tombs for 13 emperors in the Ming Dynasty. Except for the huge tombs, you can also see many historical items and traditional Chinese buildings in this imperial cemetery. On the way back to downtown, you will have a short stay when driving by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) and take photos with it.

Meals: Lunch

Day 11

Destinations: Beijing

Today's Activities:In the morning, after a short stroll around the world's largest city square, Tiananmen Square, you will come to the famous Forbidden City. Namely the Palace Museum, the Forbidden City is the largest imperial palace complex in the world, boasting grand palaces with high red walls and golden roofs, exquisite architecture and vast storage of cultural relics. As is our practice to avoid the tourist eateries arranged by most agencies, we will offer you an a la carte lunch at a nice and elegant Cantonese cuisine restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, the imperial altar for the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties to worship for good harvest. The unique buildings, ancient pines, and beautiful landscape will leave you a deep impression. Dinner today is the famous Beijing Duck Dinner at the Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. Then a lively Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre will give you a memorable Beijing night.

Meals: Lunch&Dinner

Day 12

Destinations: Depart from Beijing

Today's Activities:If time permits, our guide will escort you to visit the Summer Palace. As the largest imperial garden in China, the Summer Palace earns its fame for the harmonious combination of garden design and natural beauty. You can see the ancient houses, corridors, bridges and towers casually dotted among the lakes and hills, but still make perfect landscape. After that, we will transfer you to the airport for your homeward flight. Our guide will help you handle the boarding card and then say farewell.