Private pick-up from the airport or railway station, hotel check-in, and a full day of free leisure. No scheduled sightseeing — settle in and adjust to local time to get ready for the Jiangnan exploration ahead. Overnight in Shanghai.

Morning: visit Guangfulin Cultural Site, known as “the Root of Shanghai”. This 4,000-year-old cultural relic park features the iconic underwater museum with floating triangular roofs above the lake, Huizhou-style ancient architecture, pagodas and lakeside landscapes, telling the origin story of Shanghai civilisation.

Afternoon: explore Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town, Shanghai’s best-preserved ancient water town nicknamed the “Pearl of Jiangnan” — wander along stone-paved old streets, cross time-honoured stone arch bridges, view rows of black-tile waterside dwellings and sample authentic local street snacks.

Evening: exclusive night tour of Qushui Garden, a classic Jiangnan literati garden built by local residents, where soft lantern lights, pavilions, lotus ponds and strange rockeries cast gentle reflections on the water, delivering a serene dream-like classical night ambience. Overnight in Shanghai.

Morning: private coach transfer from Shanghai to Suzhou.

Afternoon: tour the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the largest and most celebrated UNESCO-listed Suzhou classical garden from the Ming Dynasty, perfectly blending pavilions, winding corridors, rockeries, ponds and flourishing plants — the peak art of Chinese landscape gardening.

 Evening: stroll Pingjiang Road Historical Block, Suzhou’s best-preserved ancient canal street with a 2,500-year history, where old houses line both sides of the canal, dotted with teahouses, craft shops and snack stalls. Afterwards admire Jinji Lake, Suzhou’s modern business waterfront, where glittering skyscraper light shows mirror on the wide lake surface, creating a striking contrast between ancient tradition and contemporary prosperity. Overnight in Suzhou.

Morning: private transfer to Wuzhen Xizha, the most well-restored ancient water town in the Jiangnan region.

Full day: leisurely water-town exploration — walk along flagstone riverside lanes, visit traditional craft workshops and well-preserved Ming-Qing waterside dwellings, and take a canal sculling boat to feel the authentic slow-paced water-town daily life. Evening: witness Xizha’s famous lantern night view, when thousands of warm lanterns hang along the riverbanks and light ripples dance on the water surface, turning the whole town into a fairy-tale-like Jiangnan night scene. 

Morning: enjoy the peaceful, uncrowded early-morning sights of Wuzhen Xizha before departure, then transfer to Hangzhou.

Afternoon: discover Xixi National Wetland Park, China’s first national urban wetland park, combining wetland ecology, farming heritage and Jiangnan water-town culture. Take a sightseeing boat through criss-crossing water channels, reed marshes and ancient hamlets — misty waterways, egrets and old stone bridges compose a living Chinese ink-wash painting. Overnight in Hangzhou.

Morning: in-depth West Lake sightseeing at this UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, the symbol of Hangzhou’s poetic beauty. Visit the Broken Bridge, the Su Causeway planted with willows and peach blossoms, and Leifeng Pagoda, and take a lake cruise to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, the classic icon printed on Chinese banknotes.

Afternoon: a relaxed lakeside walk to absorb West Lake’s timeless gentle poetic scenery, experiencing the famed “paradise under heaven” landscape.

Evening: free time for selecting evening performance experiences. Overnight in Hangzhou.

Morning: visit the Hangzhou City Balcony, a landmark modern riverside public park along the Qiantang River, whose open viewing platforms offer a panoramic outlook over the Qiantang River, the Qianjiang New City skyline and grand city river scenery. Afternoon: private coach transfer back to Shanghai, with free time until tour conclusion. Tour ends in Shanghai.