Hangzhou & Suzhou Grand Canal Culture Tour - 5 Days

Arrive in Hangzhou, meet your guide at the railway station or airport.

Transfer to the hotel and have rest.

Pick up from your hotel and drive to the Canal Square. Pay a visit to the Grand Canal Museum. The museum is divided into five sections with the topic “Canals in the world and the Grand Canal in China” in the lobby. Here you can know the history, the formation, the digging and changes of the canal. Then enjoy the canal view by taking a boat, walk around DaDouLu historic district and visit an ancient temple built in northern song dynasty—Xiang Ji Temple.

In the afternoon, take an excursion along Qinghefang Historical Street and have a contact with the marketplaces and the civil customs in this ancient street. There are more than 100 stores of tea, Chinese medicine, silk, foods, curios, paintings and collections.

Delight in a scenic boat trip of the highlight of Hangzhou - West Lake, which has become an inspiration to painters and poets with its attractive views and breathtaking scenery.

In the afternoon, pay a visit to Southern Song Guan Kiln Museum. It is the first porcelain theme museum built on the original place, with a deep historical cultural connotation.

Afterwards visit the Six Harmonies Pagoda, a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture, where you can get a panoramic view of the Qiantang River on the very top.

In the morning, take the bullet train to Suzhou. Upon arrival, meet the guide at the railway station.

Your day tour begins with Lingering Garden, which is known as one of the “Four Famous Classic Gardens” in China, and was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 1997. The garden was built in the year of 1593. As a classic example of the refined art of gardening in ancient China, it highlights the delicate courtyard, magnificent halls, the green mountain, clear water and luxuriant trees. Continue to take a small boat trip along the Grand Canal and get close to the world's oldest and longest canal. Afterwards head to the Surging Wave Pavilion (built in 1045 AD). Being the oldest extant garden in Suzhou, it has retained its original feature of "luxuriant plants, tall mountain, and expansive waters". Its natural scenery and simple design have earned the fame of "a mountain forest in urban surroundings".

Take afternoon train back to Hangzhou. Upon arrival, meet the guide and transfer to your hotel in Hangzhou.