Shanghai + Nanjing + Wuxi + Suzhou + Hangzhou + Wuzhen 6-Day High-End Tour (Songcheng Eternal Love Show + Full 5-Star Luxury Hotel)

Wuzhen is at its best after dusk, when lanterns glow over its canals and the old stone bridges link quiet lanes. This six-day circuit pairs that water-town evening with Nianhua Bay’s light show, Suzhou’s classical garden, Hangzhou’s West Lake, and a Shanghai river cruise.

I like that the route joins very different sides of the region: Nanjing’s memorial and old commercial streets, Wuzhen’s waterways, and Shanghai’s high-rise skyline. I also like that the coach, hotels, guide, attraction tickets, breakfasts, and eight group meals are bundled together, making a complicated route easier to manage.

The trade-off is a full schedule with long drives and limited time at several stops. Some inclusions are conditional, hotel names can change, and the published starting prices differ, so check your date and room arrangement carefully before booking.

At a glance

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• Wuzhen after dark: Allow three hours in Xizha, including a lantern walk across the bridges. The early morning is also set aside for photos, if your lodging is inside the scenic area.
• Nianhua Bay overnight: The evening light show is followed by a chance to see the town before the day’s crowds arrive.
• Six cities, one coach route: Travel through Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Wuzhen, and Hangzhou without arranging separate intercity transport.
• A packed touring day: The Nanjing and Wuxi section includes an early departure, a mausoleum visit, and a long drive to Nianhua Bay.
• Eight standard meals: Meals are shared group affairs, budgeted at CNY 50 per person, with dishes served in quantities based on the table size.
• Shanghai from above and below: Jin Mao Tower and a Huangpu River cruise offer two different angles on the city, though either can be canceled in certain conditions.

👉 See our pick of the 25 Best Guided Tours In Shanghai

Six days from Shanghai to Jiangnan

This tour is built for coverage, not for lingering. You move by air-conditioned coach between cities, with a professional local guide; for groups of six or fewer, the driver also acts as guide. The vehicle can range from 5 to 55 seats, and seating is assigned rather than selected.

The itinerary includes five hotel breakfasts and eight standard meals, plus first-entry tickets to the named attractions. It does not include every small expense: optional West Lake boat rides, Wuzhen rowing boats, scenic-area shuttles, and electric carts cost extra. The schedule can shift with traffic, weather, queues, and local controls, so treat the order and timing as a plan rather than a promise.

The organization is one of the tour’s strongest practical features. Guides are tasked with keeping the group together and on time, and past groups have had guides called Brother Tang and Wang. Your guide is assigned close to departure, so those names are examples, not a guarantee.

Day 1: Arriving in Shanghai or Nanjing

The first day is mainly for arrival and check-in. Pickup is offered around the clock at listed airports and railway stations in Shanghai and Nanjing, including Hongqiao and Pudong airports and Nanjing South Railway Station. Pickup is not offered at other locations.

You may have free time if you arrive early. The guide is to contact you by phone or text by 9 p.m. the night before departure with the meeting details. The first hotel is assigned according to capacity, and the named reference hotels are possibilities rather than a fixed reservation. Keep your phone available and bring valid identification, which is required for transport, hotel check-in, and attraction entry.

Day 2: Nanjing’s Qinhuai River, then Wuxi

Expect an early start. The drive from Shanghai to Nanjing is about 300 kilometers, and departures for Shanghai-area pickups may be around 6 a.m., or an hour earlier during holidays. A packed breakfast is arranged by the hotel, a useful detail when a sit-down meal would cost you sightseeing time.

The first stop is the Qinhuai River Confucius Temple commercial area, with about 40 minutes to explore on your own. The historic district includes sites such as Lingxing Gate and the Jiangnan Examination Hall, but the short visit means you will need to choose between browsing, taking photos, and finding a snack.

After lunch, the group visits Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum for about an hour. The wooded setting on Zijin Mountain gives this memorial a different feel from a city-center monument. There is a catch: a CNY 20 round-trip battery-car ticket is mandatory because tour buses cannot enter the scenic area. The mausoleum is closed Mondays, and traffic restrictions or holiday congestion can also force a replacement stop. Options named for such cases include Yuhuatai or Grand Bao’en Temple, depending on the reason for the change.

Then comes another drive, about 180 kilometers, to Wuxi and Nianhua Bay. The town’s Tang and Song-inspired buildings and Xiangyue Flower Street set up the evening’s main event: the Zen Walk light show, with illuminated pagoda scenes and a water-screen display. Show times depend on announcements on site.

There may also be a voluntary flower-themed or sutra-copying activity, but it can be canceled if the venue is full or the group is not staying inside the scenic area. Don’t count on it as a guaranteed part of the visit. Nianhua Bay tickets and the sculling boat operate as a combined ticket arrangement; ticket-exempt visitors who use the boat may still owe CNY 55 for the ride.

Day 3: Nianhua Bay, Suzhou’s garden, and Wuzhen

The morning offers a quieter side of Nianhua Bay. The tour schedules breakfast and a sculling-boat activity, with early hours described as especially calm for people staying in the scenic area. Boat availability can be limited during holidays and major events, and unused complimentary activities are not refunded.

The drive to Suzhou leads to Lingering Garden, one of the city’s celebrated classical gardens. You have about 90 minutes to see its courtyards, halls, and Taihu stones, including the notable Crown Cloud Peak. The garden’s appeal is in the changing views: a passage opens onto a courtyard, a rock formation frames a roofline, and a city visit suddenly feels quiet. Still, 90 minutes is a brisk walk, not a leisurely study of every corner.

After lunch, the coach continues to Wuzhen. The three-hour visit to Xizha is a highlight of the route. Its waterways, stone bridges, and Ming and Qing-era buildings are particularly atmospheric once the lights come on. A lantern walk across the bridges is included as a special activity, though exact arrangements can depend on the day.

The schedule also describes an early-morning window for photography in Xizha, between 7 and 8 a.m. That quiet hour is only available if the group is lodged inside the scenic area. Accommodation is assigned from a list of possible hotels, and some listed properties are outside the scenic zone, so ask whether an in-area stay is expected for your departure date before you make plans around sunrise photos.

Day 4: Wuzhen at dawn, West Lake, and Songcheng

If you did stay in Xizha, the early morning is a chance to see the town before the day’s activity builds. Afterward, the route passes Longxing Field, a flower area beside Zhaoming Academy. Its seasonal displays vary, so the scenery depends on when you visit.

The coach then heads to Hangzhou for lunch and a two-hour guided visit to West Lake. The itinerary names Broken Bridge and the lotus area at Quyuan Fenghe among the sights. This is a broad introduction to the lake and its cultural associations, not a full circuit. A separate West Lake boat tour is optional and costs CNY 55 per person.

In the evening, Songcheng brings the day to a theatrical close. The two-hour Songcheng Eternal Love show uses dance, acrobatics, lighting, and stage machinery to tell stories linked to Liangzhu, the Song court, the Yue Family Army, and the legend of Xu Xian and Bai Niangzi. It is a large-scale performance, so expect a polished spectacle rather than a small traditional stage show.

Day 5: Tea, old Hangzhou, and Shanghai after dark

The day begins with a 90-minute Song-style tea and dessert session. It combines a tea-culture introduction with a hands-on snack workshop and includes a cup of Longjing tea. This is one of the more participatory stops on a schedule otherwise heavy on coach travel and guided sightseeing.

Hefang Street, once part of the Southern Song commercial center, is a one-hour self-guided visit. Its older-style buildings and shops offer a chance to browse, but you will have to keep an eye on the meeting time. Lunch follows before the drive to Shanghai.

The Bund visit lasts about 30 minutes. That is enough for a quick look at the historic building line and the Huangpu River, but not much time for a long riverside walk. Later, Jin Mao Tower gives you a view from 420.5 meters up, while the Huangpu River cruise shows the contrast between the Bund’s older architecture and Lujiazui’s towers from the water.

The tower visit and cruise are both listed as included, but weather, high tides, full boats, or long queues can lead to one being canceled. In that case, the tour says discounted group tickets are refunded. Treat this evening as a chance for two distinctive Shanghai views, not as an absolute guarantee of both.

Day 6: Nanjing Road, City God Temple, and departure

The final morning includes free time at Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and the City God Temple commercial area. The first is a major shopping street; the second is known for its temple-fair atmosphere and local snacks. Both visits are self-guided, so use them for a final stroll or a quick taste rather than expecting a formal tour.

Departure arrangements depend on your onward transport. The stated schedule has a noon departure from the Shanghai Bund Tourist Center for Nanjing airport or railway station drop-offs, and a 3 p.m. transfer for Shanghai airport or station departures. For some late Shanghai departures, a complimentary city day is offered, with luggage storage at the Bund Tourist Center’s Yu Jiangnan lounge and free time without a fixed route. Confirm your specific transfer time with the operator before booking a train or flight.

What the price does and does not cover

The headline price is listed from $626.25, while the luxury 5-diamond package details also show a starting figure of $544.59. Those figures do not match, so check the price for your date, room type, and chosen package at checkout rather than relying on either as a fixed fare.

The package is good value if you want the main transport, hotels, attraction tickets, guide service, five breakfasts, and eight meals arranged in one booking. The meal allowance is CNY 50 per person, and group dishes are set for a table of ten. If fewer people share a table, the number of dishes is reduced. These are practical included meals, not a promise of restaurant-level tasting menus.

The word luxury deserves a careful look. The hotels are described as five-diamond, but the actual property is selected from a list of reference hotels or a similar option, subject to availability. Read the named examples for your dates and ask which property is planned. A twin room for two adults is the default. Solo travelers and groups of three adults need a single-room supplement; the tour does not arrange room sharing.

You should also budget for personal purchases, drinks, optional boat rides, scenic-area transport, and extra hotel breakfasts when more than two adults or taller children share a room. Children under 1.2 meters are classed as children, but children without a bed do not receive breakfast or attraction tickets, and height-based surcharges may apply.

Who should book this tour?

This route suits you if you have six days, want to see several headline Jiangnan sights, and prefer a guide and coach to a string of separate train and hotel bookings. It is especially appealing if Wuzhen at night, the Songcheng show, and a Nianhua Bay overnight are high on your list.

It is less suited to you if you want slow mornings, long museum visits, or the freedom to linger at each stop. Several days involve substantial road time, and holiday traffic can trim sightseeing hours. If you book, confirm hotel location, single-room charges, departure transfers, and which optional activities cost extra. With those points settled, this is a convenient, broad first look at the region, with a few memorable evenings built in.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

Pickup is available at listed airports and railway stations in Shanghai and Nanjing, including Shanghai Pudong and Hongqiao airports and Nanjing South Railway Station. Pickup is not available at other locations.

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts six days, with five hotel nights and scheduled sightseeing across Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Suzhou, Wuzhen, and Hangzhou.

Which meals are included?

The package includes five hotel breakfasts and eight standard group meals. The standard meal budget is CNY 50 per person, with dishes served according to the number of people at the table.

Are attraction tickets included?

First-entry tickets are included for the listed attractions, including Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum, Nianhua Bay, Lingering Garden, Wuzhen Xizha, the Songcheng show, Jin Mao Tower, and the Huangpu River cruise. Some optional transport and activities cost extra.

Is the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum battery car included?

No. The tour information specifies a mandatory CNY 20 round-trip battery-car ticket because buses cannot enter the scenic area.

Is the Huangpu River cruise guaranteed?

It is included, but it may be canceled because of typhoons, high tides, full boats, or excessively long queues. The tour information says discounted group tickets will be refunded if a listed activity is canceled.

What room arrangement should I expect?

The default is a twin room for two adults. Solo travelers and groups of three adults must purchase a single-room supplement. Room sharing is not offered.

Are optional boat rides included?

The West Lake boat tour, priced at CNY 55 per person, is optional and not included. The Wuzhen Xizha sculling boat is also optional and costs CNY 480 per boat, with a limit of eight people.

What is the child height limit?

Children are defined as those under 1.2 meters tall. Children without a bed are not provided with breakfast or attraction tickets, and parents are responsible for any height-related surcharges.

Can the itinerary change?

Yes. The operator may change the order of visits, and traffic, weather, holidays, queues, arrival and departure times, and local controls can affect the schedule or stop availability.