Jiangnan | 12 days

Jiangnan Gardens & Canals

A supplier-confirmed 12-day east China journey through Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing, shaped around classical gardens, canals, tea culture and softer city evenings.

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TOUR OVERVIEW

Jiangnan at a gentler, more cultural pace.

This fixed journey keeps the geography compact and the rhythm comfortable. It is designed for travellers who want the texture of east China: Shanghai city contrast, Suzhou gardens, Hangzhou tea and lake scenery, and Nanjing history without turning every day into a rush.

From A$5,995 per person

twin share · party of 3–6 · land only
Private party of 2 — A$8,995 pp

Duration: 12 days
Route: Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai
Style: Fixed journey with guided touring
Pace: Relaxed to balanced
Hotels: Supplier-confirmed premium hotels or similar
Best for: Gardens, canals, tea and culture

What’s Included

Clear inclusions before quote confirmation

Included in the tour

Premium 4-5 star hotels or carefully selected equivalent stays, with breakfast.
Most lunches and dinners, as set out in the confirmed itinerary.
Private airport/rail transfers and guided touring according to the confirmed itinerary.
English-speaking local guides during scheduled sightseeing days.
Domestic transport planning between cities, with final train/flight choices confirmed before payment.
Core attraction tickets listed in the confirmed itinerary.
JadeDays pre-departure support for apps, payments, timing and local travel notes.

Not included

International flights to and from Australia.
China visa fees or passport-related charges where applicable.
Personal expenses unless specifically confirmed.
Optional activities, upgrades or route changes requested after confirmation.
Travel insurance.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

Supplier-confirmed day-by-day route

Day 1Arrival, the Bund and Huangpu RiverShanghai

Morning: Arrive in Shanghai, meet your private transfer and settle into the hotel. The day is kept light so travellers can recover from the flight.

Afternoon: Walk Nanjing Road and the Bund for a first view of old Shanghai architecture facing the Pudong skyline.

Evening: Evening Huangpu River cruise.

City: Shanghai
Intensity: Light

Day 2Yu Garden, City God Temple and skyline viewsShanghai

Morning: Visit Yu Garden and the City God Temple area for classical Jiangnan garden design and local old-city atmosphere.

Afternoon: Continue to the Oriental Pearl Tower for city views and, depending on interest, the urban-history exhibition.

Evening: North Bund riverside dinner.

City: Shanghai
Intensity: Moderate

Day 3Into Suzhou gardensShanghai to Suzhou

Morning: Travel to Suzhou by private car or high-speed rail, with arrival lunch and rest built in.

Afternoon: Visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden and Suzhou Museum, then walk Pingjiang Road for water-lane atmosphere and Suzhou snacks.

Evening: Easy dinner around Pingjiang Road.

City: Shanghai to Suzhou
Intensity: Moderate

Day 4Silk, Tiger Hill and Shantang StreetSuzhou

Morning: Visit Suzhou Silk Museum or a silk workshop to understand the city’s silk tradition.

Afternoon: Explore Tiger Hill, a Suzhou landmark where old tower, rocks and waterways bring city history together.

Evening: Evening stroll along Qili Shantang Street.

City: Suzhou
Intensity: Moderate

Day 5West Lake arrivalSuzhou to Hangzhou

Morning: Travel to Hangzhou, with enough time reserved for check-in, lunch and a softer city transition.

Afternoon: Explore the West Lake core: boat ride, Three Pools Mirroring the Moon, Broken Bridge, Su Causeway, Leifeng Pagoda and Flower Harbour.

Evening: Free dinner or gentle lakeside walk.

City: Suzhou to Hangzhou
Intensity: Moderate

Day 6Lingyin and Xixi WetlandHangzhou

Morning: Visit Lingyin and Feilai Peak, focusing on Buddhist stone carvings, temple architecture and quiet forest setting.

Afternoon: Take a sculling boat through Xixi National Wetland, moving through waterways and reed beds at an unhurried pace.

Evening: Local intangible-heritage craft experience, adjusted to the group.

City: Hangzhou
Intensity: Easy

Day 7Longjing tea and modern riverfrontHangzhou

Morning: Visit Longjing tea village and the China National Tea Museum. Depending on season, add tea tasting, tea picking or tea roasting.

Afternoon: Continue to Qiantang River City Balcony for a modern Hangzhou view.

Evening: Walk Qianjiang New City for the evening lights.

City: Hangzhou
Intensity: Moderate

Day 8City wall and Qinhuai RiverHangzhou to Nanjing

Morning: Travel to Nanjing, using the morning mainly for the intercity move and rest.

Afternoon: Visit Nanjing City Wall and Xuanwu Lake, with stair time adjusted for comfort.

Evening: Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River night area, with Nanjing snacks.

City: Hangzhou to Nanjing
Intensity: Moderate

Day 9Ming Xiaoling, Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and Nanjing MuseumNanjing

Morning: Visit Ming Xiaoling, the Sacred Way and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum for Nanjing’s imperial and republican layers.

Afternoon: Explore Nanjing Museum with a focused bilingual interpretation of history, craft and intangible heritage.

Evening: Free dinner and hotel rest.

City: Nanjing
Intensity: Moderate

Day 10Niushoushan and LaomendongNanjing

Morning: Visit Niushoushan Cultural Tourism Zone and the striking Foding Palace.

Afternoon: Continue the deeper visit through the park’s exhibitions, gardens and viewpoints.

Evening: Laomendong night market.

City: Nanjing
Intensity: Moderate

Day 11Return to Shanghai and ZhangyuanNanjing to Shanghai

Morning: Return to Shanghai by rail or private car, depending on group size and comfort preference.

Afternoon: Visit Zhangyuan, where shikumen lanes, boutiques, cafes and restaurants create a polished old-meets-new Shanghai experience.

Evening: Free evening and packing time.

City: Nanjing to Shanghai
Intensity: Easy

Day 12Departure bufferShanghai

Morning: Breakfast and free time according to flight or rail schedule.

Afternoon: Private transfer to Pudong, Hongqiao Airport or railway station.

Evening: Return journey.

City: Shanghai
Intensity: Light

Route Map

Route, transport and overnight flow

A map-style view of how the journey moves across east China. Transport labels show the planned connection between each city.

Fixed Journey

Rail / private car connectionsOvernight city

Travel flow

01Shanghai → SuzhouPrivate car or high-speed rail

02Suzhou → HangzhouPrivate car or high-speed rail

03Hangzhou → NanjingPrivate car or high-speed rail

04Nanjing → ShanghaiPrivate car or high-speed rail

Overnights

Shanghai2NBund, Yu Garden and Huangpu River
Suzhou2NGardens, museum, silk and old streets
Hangzhou3NWest Lake, Lingyin, wetlands and tea
Nanjing3NCity walls, museums, Qinhuai and Niushoushan
Shanghai1NZhangyuan and departure buffer

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation

Every Jade Days journey is matched to a curated selection of refined hotels — from internationally branded five-star properties in major cities to character-rich retreats in smaller destinations. The hotels below are representative examples of where you may stay on this journey. Your final accommodation will be drawn from these or others of equivalent quality, selected to suit your dates, group and preferences.

Nights 2

The Westin Bund Center Shanghai

Shanghai

Nights 2

Suzhou Marriott Hotel Taihu Lake

Suzhou

Nights 3

Grand Metropark Hotel Hangzhou

Hangzhou

Nights 3

Mhub by MGM Nanjing

Nanjing

Hotels are subject to availability and may be substituted for properties of equivalent standard.

DATES & AVAILABILITY

Your journey, on your dates

Every JadeDays departure is private — hosted for your own party of two to six, never merged with strangers. So there is no fixed departure list to fit around: this journey can begin in any month of the year, on the date that suits you.

Tell us when you would like to depart, and we will shape everything else around it — confirming hotels, guides and internal travel personally before your dates are locked in.

When would you like to depart?

Choose a departure date to see your return day.

The earliest selectable departure is 14 days from today.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Before booking

When is the best time of year for the gardens and water towns?

Jiangnan rewards the shoulder seasons. Spring (March to May) brings the classical gardens to life — fresh green willows, blossom over the canals — while autumn (late September to November) offers clear, mild days and osmanthus in the air. Summer is lush but humid, with bursts of warm rain; winter is quiet and atmospheric, with soft light over the water towns and far fewer visitors. Every season has its own character here — tell us when you'd like to travel and we'll shape the days around it.

How much walking is involved on this route?

Jiangnan is the gentlest of our journeys underfoot. The region is flat — this is canal and delta country — and the days are built around unhurried strolls: stone lanes, garden paths, waterside promenades, with teahouse pauses never far away. Private transfers cover everything between sights. If anyone in your party prefers a slower rhythm, this is the easiest route on which to give it to them.

What is the journey like if it rains?

Rain is part of Jiangnan's character — the gardens and water towns were designed with it in mind, full of covered corridors and pavilions built precisely for watching the weather. A soft drizzle often makes the canals more atmospheric, not less. On wetter days we simply re-order things: the forecast is watched, umbrellas appear, and teahouses and museums give the day its shape instead.

How do we travel between Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing?

By high-speed rail between the cities, with a private car and driver in every city. The cities of the Yangtze delta are remarkably close — most hops take under an hour by rail — and your own vehicle and driver handle everything at either end, so travel days never feel like lost days.

Is this a good choice for a first trip to China?

Yes — especially if your picture of China is classical gardens, canal towns, tea and silk rather than a checklist of monuments. Jiangnan explores one region in depth, at a gentle pace and with short travel legs, which makes for a very easy first encounter. If what you're after is the country's grand icons across several regions, our China Highlights in Style journey may be the better starting point — and we're happy to talk through which suits you.

What is the food like in Jiangnan?

Some of China's most refined cooking. Jiangnan cuisine is delicate and gently sweet rather than spicy — freshwater fish, soup dumplings, seasonal greens, river shrimp, and dishes built around remarkable local produce. It's an easy region for Western palates and a rewarding one for the curious. As on all our journeys, dietary needs are planned for in advance and your guide handles every table.

Questions about travelling in China?

Visas, payments, safety, food and how our private journeys work — answered in one place. Read the full FAQ →

From itinerary to booking

Choose a departure, then confirm the place with JadeDays.

This is one of the four fixed JadeDays journeys. Select a preferred date, then JadeDays confirms seats, hotel allocation, guide availability and the final quote before any deposit is paid.

Book This Journey

01Choose a departureSelect a departure date on this checkout page, then confirm traveller details with JadeDays.
02Confirm the final quoteA JadeDays expert checks the live hotels, guides, transport and any seasonal adjustments.
03Secure with depositPayment happens through a hosted Stripe-style checkout after the confirmed quote is clear.

Talk to us

Have a question about this journey?

Send JadeDays a note and we will help you understand dates, pacing, rooming and whether this route is the right fit.