This is a panoramic tour of China's own Venice the water towns of "Zhouzhuang" and "Jinxi". On this day, you will explore the ancient water town with China Highlights' tour guide. The first port of call is Zhouzhuang, a beautiful and ancient Chinese water town. You can take a leisurely boat ride to take some great photos on the romantic stone bridge and take in the quaint buildings on the river side, grab a bite of some freshly prepared and delicious dishes, then rejoin the car for a short journey to see Zhouzhuang's younger cousin but no less photogenic water town: Jinxi. There, you will visit 3 ancient museums and take the opportunity to photograph the picturesque scenery, then be driven back to your hotel in Shanghai.
Tour Highlights
- Visit Zhouzhuang, an ancient water town that comfortably makes CNN's list of the Top 10 most beautiful towns in the world and you will experience and see the reason why.
- Stand and walk through the beautiful scenery that was used for the Zhang Yimou triumph "Shanghai Triad", a movie that used the beautiful views you will see with your own eyes.
- Take a gondola and see for yourself the hustle and bustle of life of the people living by the canals, often colorful and very interesting as you glide by.
- Grab a bite of some native water town dishes at the Zhouzhuang restaurant.
- Travel to the 2000 year old water town "Jinxi" which boasts 36 ancient bridges spanning the rivers. Jinxi Ancient Town is quieter, yet surprisingly more photogenic. The prime time to visit is in the afternoon, when the light is perfect for your photos and memories of the place.
- Gain a deeper insight into the history and culture of the sights you see with our insider's narration on attractions.
The Design of the Day Trip
- Guide: better than a normal licensed tour guide; friendly and helpful with fluent English
- Driver: reliable licensed local driver with at least 5 years' driving experience
- Vehicle: Air-conditioned business car (max: 7 seats) with GPS facilities, big windows, and ample space
- Trippest Shanghai Office: English-speaking backup support - We are very happy to hear your voice
- Professional product team analysis on every part of the trip to ensure a smooth and enjoyable travel experience.
Detailed Itinerary
The tour guide will contact you through hotel or leave a message for you regarding the exact pickup time the night before tour.
Your guide will be waiting for you in the lobby in the morning at around 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM. A comfortable car will transfer you and your guide to Zhouzhuang: a water town built amid canals, ponds, and lakes. There are many old buildings and bridges, boat rides, crafts, framed by the quaint water town scenery. Feel free to take many photos and capture the beautiful views as seen in "Shanghai Triad". You are recommended to take a gondola and witness the way of life of people living by the canals, first hand. This medieval water town has a history dating back more than 900 years, and has houses and bridges built in both the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing dynasties (1644–1911).
Our comfortable car ride to Zhouzhuang
Take a gondola and witness the way of life of people living by the canals
China Highlights has tailored the 3 most representative old houses into our itineraries to ensure you will not leave here without knowing of their provenance and history.
Shen's House is southeast of Fu'an Bridge on Nanshi Street. Shen Benren built it in 1742. The compound has seven courtyards, five archways, and more than 100 rooms. It covers an area of 2,000 square meters. There is a gate and wharf for mooring boats.
Shen's House
Zhang's House is south of the Twin Bridges on Beishi Street. It was built between 1436 and 1449 and covers 1,800 square meters or about half an acre. The house has six courtyards and more than 70 rooms. A square pool was built in the middle section. It is an important historical building.
Zhang's House
Ye Chucang's Residence: Ye Chucang (1887–1946) was a poet and a statesman. He was known for organizing a group of young people to publicize against gambling and opium and steer people away it. It is on Xiwan Street and has five courtyards. The Main Hall was his studio, and the Rear Hall was a place where he received friends.
A local family
Good to Know:
- On the morning of your tour, your guide will be waiting for you in the lobby, holding a placard with China Highlights logo and your name on it. Show our confirmation letter and you will be guided to our vehicle. (Note: The hotel pick-up and drop-off area should be within the middle ring road of Shanghai. For further distance there might be an extra cost for the transfer. Your travel advisor will give you a notification about this.)
- If you plan to leave Shanghai after your day tour, please check out from your hotel before departure. Normally it will take 10 to 20 minutes for hotel staff to complete the procedure. You may leave your luggage in our vehicle. We can transfer you to the Shanghai Hongqiao Airport (not Pudong Airport) or any train stations straight after the tour (for free!) to make best use of your time. You will need 1 hour to be transferred from the city center to airport, and you will need to be at the airport 1½ hours before a domestic flight, or 2½ hours before an international flight. Tell us about your departure time when booking, and remind our guide, and we will make arrangements accordingly.
- Your group will be 6 to 10 people, offering good flexibility. If you want some more time for taking photos, or you have more questions about the history and architecture, just let your guide know.
During the lunch break, stop at a designated restaurant by the side of water way, have some nicely made local food on the second floor where you could view the best part of water village. Lunch is not included in the pricing.
Good to Know:
- We will take you to a nice local restaurant in the water village for lunch to save your precious time (other group goes to the restaurant in Shanghai), the menu has been carefully selected by our product manager based on the taste of customers from different corner in the world to ensure the unique gourmet experience. We would be very pleased to hear from you and make a special arrangement if you have any particular requests on food. The restaurant is located by the waterway, you will enjoy your food in an independent room on the second floor, open the window you will have a nice view on the willow trees weeping in the wind, gondolas transfer on the water way, local people hanging clothes at home etc...
Have lunch at a restaurant by the side of water way.
In the afternoon, our guide will take you to Jinxi ancient water town for a visit, compared with other ancient towns in China, Jinxi Ancient Town is simpler, less sophisticated, and quiet. It is a small town (only one square kilometer in area) that has 16 lakes and 238 rivers. The town also has 36 ancient bridges spanning the rivers. The bridges represent various styles and were built during different periods in history.
The town has many museums, such as the first museum of antique tiles and bricks in China, the "red porcelain products museum" and the "root caving museum of China." and our guide will take you to see all of them.
Besides, Jinxi water town is famous for its picturesque sceneries, it's enjoy history for over 2000 years, and most of the architectures there are still keep its original looks, photo on them would be definitely a "must do" on your travel schedule, you will have sufficient time to taking photos.
Beautiful Jinxi Watertown
Beautiful Jinxi Watertown
Beautiful Jinxi Watertown
A young girl at Jinxi Watertown
Beautiful Jinxi Watertown
We will transfer you to your hotel at the end of the tour, or, if you need to catch a flight or a train after the tour, we are more than happy to help you arrange it. Please let us know.
Going back to your hotel in Shanghai will normally take about 2 hours. Likewise for a Shanghai train station. Going to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport directly normally takes about 1½ hours, and 2 hours is needed for going to Pudong Airport
You will need to be at the train station 1 hour before a train, or at the airport 1½ hours before a domestic flight, or 2½ hours before you're an international flight. Tell us about your departure time when booking, and remind our guide, and we will make arrangements accordingly.
You may follow us on our Facebook page to see the latest updates, photos and posts from your tour guide at: https://www.facebook.com/trippest/
Know Before You Book
Price Includes:
- Admission to Zhouzhuang Water Town and Jinx Ancient Water Town.
- Transport between attractions, including pickup and return to your hotel.
- English-speaking local guide service.
Price Excludes:
- Personal expenses.
- A gondola tour in Zhouzhuang Water Town.
- Lunch fee (60 RMB per capita, depending on appetite).
- Tipping of guide & driver recommended on good service on a 2:1 ratio separately (usually 50-100 RMB per person).
Important Notes:
- Daily departure. Minimum number of participants required for the tour to run is 2. Tour may be canceled in case of minimum number of participants not met. You will get a full refund.
- You'll be a part of a mini group with maximum 10 people.
- Optional Airport/train station drop-off.
FAQs About This Tour
The hotel pick-up and drop-off area should be within the middle ring road of Shanghai. For further distance there might be an extra cost for the transfer. Your travel advisor will give you a notification about this.
The hotel pick-up and drop-off area
- If we are not able to implement the contract due to war, flood, typhoon, fire, strikes, storm, earthquake, or any other condition we are not able to foresee and avoid, we will inform customers at the first possible opportunity and offer the best possible solutions, and the final bill shall be settled based on the service we actually provide.
- Up to 7 days before departure: 100% refund of all money paid, excluding penalties charged by hotels, railways, airlines, and PayPal, if applicable. All penalties will be itemized.
- From 3 to 7 days before departure: 90% refund, excluding penalties charged by hotels, railways, airlines, and PayPal, if applicable. All penalties will be itemized.
- Within 3 days before departure: no refund.
- After the trip has commenced, we are unable to refund any amount for cancelled services due to non-participation, early departure, late arrival, or missed days on tours.
- For groups of more than 10 people: The terms for cancellation may vary from case to case. Please ask your travel advisor regarding the cancellation policy for your group.
What Makes Us Different
China Highlights prides itself on offering and conducting the best and most enjoyable, informative, convenient and comfortable tours in and around the beautiful, historical and vibrant city of Shanghai. We feel a professional obligation to conduct research and constantly monitor feedback and constructive criticism from our previous customers' visits to favorite spots and the best sites to take photos. We also work out the best routes to cover Shanghai's top sights:
In Zhouzhuang: You will take a gondola and see for yourself the hustle and bustle of life of the people living by the canals, often colourful and very interesting as you glide by.
At Lunch Restaurant : We will take you to our designated restaurant by the side of water way, have some nicely made local food on the second floor where you could view the best part of water village.
We are the 1st China on-line travel agent that promise No-shopping policy while many other tour group have to spent much time and money in the tourist shops so that they can own more commissions!
Our tour guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and well-trained. They only work for China Highlights / Trippest. We don't use freelance tour guides in Shanghai.
Unlike some other online travel agents who sell tour products made by local travel agents, we built our own branch company in Shanghai in 2010, and since then we have started to make our own unique products. We aim to deliver a high-value tour to every one of our customers. We have more than 50 local staff in Shanghai to solve your problems on the spot.
China Highlights / Trippst Shanghai Office: +86-18807734970 (24/7 customer service)
Mobile: +86 18807734970
WeChat: trippest666
Email: niko@trippest.com