Shanghai, Hangzhou & Suzhou: The Golden Watertown Triangle
Shanghai\'s future-facing skyline, Hangzhou\'s timeless West Lake, Suzhou\'s classical gardens, and a water town frozen in the Ming dynasty — the Yangtze Delta in a week.
Route Overview
The Yangtze Delta is China\'s wealthiest and most developed region — but also one of its most beautiful. Within a 1-hour high-speed train radius you have Shanghai (the future), Hangzhou (the romance — Marco Polo called it \'the city of heaven\'), and Suzhou (2,500 years of classical gardens and silk). This route connects all three with a water town day trip. It is the ideal first-timer\'s China trip: easy logistics, excellent infrastructure, and English signage everywhere.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Shanghai
Start on the Bund (外滩) — the 1.5km riverside promenade with colonial buildings on one side and Pudong's futuristic skyline on the other. Walk south toward the Old City and enter Yuyuan Garden (豫园, ¥40) — a 16th-century private garden of rockeries, pavilions, and carp ponds. Lunch: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) at the Yuyuan branch of Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant (est. 1900). Afternoon: Nanjing Road pedestrian street for the spectacle of Chinese consumerism, then the Shanghai Museum (free, book ahead). Evening: rooftop bar on the Bund for the skyline light show.
Day 2: Shanghai
Morning: the French Concession — tree-lined streets of 1920s lane houses (lilong), now filled with boutiques, cafes, and galleries. Rent a bike and cycle through Wukang Road, Anfu Road, and Wulumuqi Road. Visit the Propaganda Poster Art Centre (¥20, a private museum of Mao-era posters in a basement — one of Shanghai's most unique museums). Afternoon: Tianzifang (田子坊), a maze of lane-house alleys turned into artist studios and craft shops. Evening: acrobatics show at Shanghai Circus World (¥200-400).
Day 3: Shanghai → Hangzhou
Take the 1-hour high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East (¥75). Check in, then head to West Lake (西湖). Walk the Su Causeway (苏堤) — a 2.8km tree-lined dyke crossing the lake, built in 1090 by Su Dongpo, the poet-governor of Hangzhou. Visit the Lingyin Temple (灵隐寺, ¥75) — one of China's largest Buddhist temples, with grottoes of carved Buddha figures dating to the 10th century. Evening: Impression West Lake show (¥280-580), a nighttime spectacle of light, music, and dance on the lake, directed by Zhang Yimou.
Day 4: Hangzhou
Morning: Longjing tea village (龙井村) — the terraced tea fields where China's most famous green tea is grown. Walk the path from Longjing village to the China Tea Museum (free) through the plantations. Taste fresh Longjing tea at a farmer's house (¥30-50/person). Afternoon: Xixi Wetland Park (¥80) — a network of ponds, streams, and islets on Hangzhou's western edge. Take a traditional pole-boat ride through the wetlands. Evening: Hefang Street for Hangzhou snacks — dongpo rou (东坡肉, braised pork belly) and pianerchuan noodles (片儿川).
Day 5: Hangzhou → Suzhou
Take the 1.5-hour high-speed train from Hangzhou East to Suzhou (¥110). Suzhou's classical gardens are UNESCO World Heritage — nine of them. You cannot see all nine. Visit two: the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园, ¥80, the largest and most famous) and the Lingering Garden (留园, ¥55, smaller and more intimate). Between gardens, walk Pingjiang Road (平江路) — a 1,600-year-old canal street lined with whitewashed Ming-Qing houses, tea houses, and silk shops.
Day 6: Suzhou → Water Town → Shanghai
Morning: choose one water town. Tongli (同里, ¥100) is 30 minutes from Suzhou by metro — canals, stone bridges, and the Tuisi Garden (a UNESCO garden within the town). Zhouzhuang (周庄, ¥100) is more famous and more touristy — but its double bridge and Shen Family House are genuinely beautiful. Both are half-day visits. Return to Suzhou, pick up bags, take the 30-minute train to Shanghai for your flight out the next day.
Planning This Route
Getting There
Fly into Shanghai Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA). Hongqiao is closer to the city centre (30 min by metro). High-speed trains connect all three cities every 20-30 minutes. Use Trip.com or 12306.cn to book — or buy at the station 30 minutes before departure.
Where to Stay
Shanghai: the Bund or French Concession ($80-200/night). Hangzhou: near West Lake or the Longjing tea area ($50-120/night). Suzhou: Pingjiang Road area or near the gardens ($40-100/night). All three cities have excellent hostels if you are on a budget ($15-30/night).
When to Go
March-May and September-November. Spring (March-May) is ideal — mild temperatures and green landscapes. Autumn (September-November) has the best light and fewer rainy days. Avoid July-August (oppressive humidity, 35-40°C) and Chinese New Year (everything closes, transport is chaos).
What to Eat
Shanghai: xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns), hairy crab (autumn only). Hangzhou: dongpo rou (braised pork belly), West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing shrimp (shrimp stir-fried with tea leaves). Suzhou: squirrel-shaped mandarin fish (松鼠桂鱼), eel paste noodles, and Suzhou-style mooncakes (savoury pork-filled, not sweet).
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