Shanghai & Suzhou City Break (Superior)

On arrival in Shanghai, we are met by our local guide and driver and transferred to the hotel, a journey of around one hour. The remainder of the day is at leisure, giving you time to rest after your flight or begin exploring the city independently.

After breakfast at the hotel, we begin our sightseeing with a visit to Yu Garden and the surrounding Old Bazaar, closed on Mondays. Dating back to the Ming Dynasty, Yu Garden was created by the government official Pan Yunduan as a peaceful retreat for his parents. The garden is a fine example of classical Chinese landscaping, with elegant pavilions, rockeries and tranquil ponds. Outside the garden, the lively Old Bazaar offers a wide range of local snacks, handicrafts and jewellery, with bargaining very much part of the experience.

We then visit the Jade Buddha Temple, originally built in 1882 to house two precious jade Buddha statues brought from Burma by the monk Huigen. Although the original temple was destroyed during the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the statues survived and the temple was rebuilt on its current site in 1928.

Lunch is served at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to a silk factory to learn about one of China’s most important traditional industries.

In the afternoon, we enjoy a stroll along Nanjing Road and the Bund. Nanjing Road, stretching for 5.5 kilometres, is China’s most famous shopping street, running from the Bund in the east to the area near Jing’an Temple in the west. At the Bund, Shanghai’s historic waterfront, we see a striking contrast between colonial-era architecture and the modern skyline across the Huangpu River, a powerful symbol of the city’s past and future.

We return to the hotel by private vehicle.

Following breakfast, we drive to Suzhou, a city renowned for its classical gardens. Our first visit is to the Humble Administrator’s Garden, originally built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty. Once the private garden of retired official Wang Xianchen, it reflects his desire for a simple and reflective life, which inspired the garden’s name. Today it is considered one of the finest examples of classical Chinese garden design.

We continue to the Lingering Garden, another of China’s four most famous gardens. Dating from the Qing Dynasty, it is particularly admired for its elegant halls and the careful use of architecture, rock formations and plant life to create a sense of harmony and balance.Lunch is at a local restaurant before we visit Panmen City Gate. First constructed during the Spring and Autumn Period, Panmen is the only existing city gate in the world that combines both land and water entrances, making it a unique historical landmark.

Later, we take a 45-minute cruise along the Suzhou section of the Grand Canal, offering a relaxing perspective on the city’s traditional waterways and historic neighbourhoods.

In the late afternoon, we drive back to Shanghai and return to the hotel. Dinner this evening is at your own arrangement.

After breakfast at the hotel, time is at leisure until we transfer to the airport or railway station for your onward journey.