Hangzhou and Wuzhen Scenic Tour (4-day)

TOUR ITINERARY Tour code: GWAC-HZ-02 Day Activities Hotel DAY 01 arrive in Hangzhou You will fly or take the train to Hangzhou, and upon arrival at either the Hangzhou airport or train station, you will be picked up by your English-speaking guide. Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province in East China, is one of the more modern and prosperous cities in China, located at about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Shanghai. It sits at the southern end of the Grand Canal and is one of China's seven ancient national capitals. Hangzhou's "heavenly" beauty attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to its exquisite West Lake (Xi Hu) area each year to enjoy the placid lake, beautiful gardens, reflecting pools, lavish temples and lakeside teahouses. After your pick-up you’ll be taken to your hotel for the evening. If you have signed up for our “deluxe” tour, you will stay at the 5-star Radisson Plaza Hotel, and if you have signed up for the “standard” tour, you will stay at the 4-star Friendship Hotel. 3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 02 Hangzhou (B, L) Following breakfast in the hotel we’ll get started on your touring with a cruise on Hangzhou’s most famed attraction, West Lake. West Lake is a man-made lake and is created after the Chinese love for garden style parks for recreation. Hangzhou's West Lake Scenic Area, in the southwest of the city, covers 60 square kilometers (23 square miles), of which West Lake itself occupies 5.6 square kilometers (2.2 square miles). West Lake is a place of tranquility where urbanity becomes a silhouette on the northeast horizon and mountains near and far surround it on the other three sides. The occasional pagoda and Chinese-style arched bridge add atmosphere to the tree-lined walkways, verdant islands and hills. We’ll take our boat to Fairy Island in order to visit “Three Pools Mirroring the moon”. Three miniature stone pagodas, which act like beacons, built over 800 years ago and 2 meters in height, are the centerpieces of the scenic spot called "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon". To the west of “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon “Island stand rounded hollow stone pagodas with five round holes like windows around the top and bottom levels. On the night of the Mid-Autumn festival, when the moon shines full and bright in the sky, a candle is lit inside each of the pagodas. The light from the holes and the moon cast their reflections on the water, hence the name. We’ll then continue on to the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Located on the north bank of the Qiantang River, Six Harmonies Pagoda was built in 970 to dispel the river's tidal bore, which was thought to be an evil manifestation. It was believed that unwanted natural phenomenon could be subdued by the building of pagodas, according to Buddhist understanding. Fortunately for tourism in Hangzhou the tidal waves don’t seem to have been significantly suppressed, and still hold the world record of 9 meters (30 feet). Liuhe Ta (Six Harmonies Pagoda), was once a seven-storey stone pagoda, but later a 13-story wooden pagoda was built around the outside enclosing the wooden structure. The top level, accessed by a spiral staircase in the stone pagoda, offers a fine view of the surrounding mountains, the Qiantang River and Qiantang River Great Bridge, which is the largest double-decker (road above, rail below) bridge built by China. The ceiling of each level is carved and painted with flowers, birds and animals in an elegant and delicate style. Hangzhou is one of China’s most important centers for the production of traditional Chinese medicine, and has been so for many centuries. To learn more about this aspect of Hangzhou we’ll pay a visit to the Hu Qingyu Hall and Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum. The Hu Qingyu Hall Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine Museum is a museum of Chinese Traditional Herbal Medicine and a key cultural relic and historic site under the protection of the government in China as well. The Huqingyu Tang Chinese Medicine Museum is housed in the ancient building of the original Hangzhou Chinese herbal medicine shop. The exhibition halls introduce the origin, development, and application of traditional Chinese medicine and its role in the world history of medicine. For lunch, we will dine at the Tianxinglou Restaurant, which is located in the biggest hotel on the GaoYin Street and has a unique elegance and antique flavor. It is famous throughout China for it's Hangzhou style dishes. After lunch we’ll pay a visit to the village of Meijiawu. Meijiawu Village is located in the western part of the West Lake scenic area. It has a history of over 600 years. Situated among lush green hills, it is a rustic, natural scenic spot. You can have a tea culture experience by learning tea picking and processing. It also showcases tea products of all kinds including jasmine tea, Dragon Well tea, green tea, black tea, and wulong tea. You will then be taken back to your hotel. The night can be spent at your own leisure, but you might want to check out the city’s numerous delightful teahouses. In addition, there are numerous bars and pubs throughout Hangzhou. 3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 03 Hangzhou-Wuzhen-Hangzhou (B, L) After breakfast in the hotel we will make the drive to the town of Wuzhen. Wuzhen is one of China’s ancient water towns, where waterways thread their way through the flagstone streets and alleys. Wuzhen is located in north Zhejiang province, and is only about an hour’s drive from Hangzhou. The name "water town" is especially apt; besides lying on the Grand Canal, the settlement is completely encircled by two rivers - the Dong Shi and a smaller tributary, which meet at a T-junction. The waterways of Wuzhen are kept topped up with water by the adjacent Hangzhou to Beijing Grand Canal, which is still used to supply the dry north with water from the wet south and local goods transport. It was a major transport artery in times gone by, which led to the rise to prosperity of water towns like Wuzhen. After taking some time to walk along the alleys and byways of Wuzhen, we’ll take a boat cruise through the town’s canals. On the wooden boat you can enjoy the atmosphere of the traditional cultures and the original ancient features of the town that have been preserved intact, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. Following our cruise through Wuzhen we will drive back to Hangzhou, and you’ll be taken to your hotel. The rest of the evening can be spent at your discretion.  3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 04 Hangzhou-departure (B) After breakfast you will be taken to the either the Hangzhou airport or train station, and you will travel on to your next destination, ending your tour. A trip to Hangzhou can easily be bundled with a visit to Shanghai. To combine your visit to Hangzhou with a tour to Shanghai, check out our Shanghai Expo world Tour page.

Tour Inclusions：

1. Hotels with daily western breakfasts;
2. Meals in accordance with that listed on the itinerary.
3. professional local guide & driver;
4. Private air-conditioned car or van for transportation;
5. Admission of the first gate.
6. Two bottles of mineral water per day.

Tour  exclusions：

1. Tip of the guide
2. Personal costs