Shanghai Expo Site Tour and
Hangzhou Water Town Tour

TOUR ITINERARY Tour code: GWAC-HZ-05 Day Activities Hotel DAY 01 arrive in Shanghai You will either fly or take the train to Shanghai, and upon arrival at either the train station or airport you will be met by your English-speaking guide. You will then be taken to your hotel, which is located in the downtown portion of the city. You will have the rest of the evening to unpack and unwind from your journey. 3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 02 Shanghai (B) Today you will have a full day to visit the World Expo's remaining popular pavilions of China, Russia, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, and your tickets will be provided. Your guide will pick you up and accompany you throughout the tour. The theme of last year’s expo is “Better city-better life”.  The Shanghai Expo featured the participation of over 190 countries and companies, with many having their own pavilions. 3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 03 Shanghai (B, L) Following breakfast, we’ll start your touring in Shanghai with a visit to Yuyuan Garden. Yuyuan Garden is a famed classical garden, and even though it may be small, it contains numerous pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds and cloisters, and all have unique characteristics. There are six main scenic areas in the garden: Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall, Yuhua Hall and the Inner Garden. Each area features several scenic spots within its borders. Nearby Yuyuan Garden is the Yuyuan Market. Located next to the Yuyuan Garden and also known today as the City God Temple, it was built in the fifteenth century during the Ming Dynasty. The City God Temple is a Taoist temple which is composed of many halls such as the Grand Hall, Middle Hall, Bedroom Palace, Star Gods Hall and etc. The City God Temple has a great influence on the residents of Shanghai. The religious festivals of the temple are considered to be the festivals for all Shanghai people. Next it is off to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. If you’re stunned by Shanghai today, go see how it will look in 2020. The centerpiece is an enormous scale model of the city centre that takes an entire upper floor. It shows current and future development, and it’s mind-boggling. There are raised walkways for viewing the model from different angles, and the detail is fascinating, showing clearly what’s planned, and what already exists. City planning is a hot topic throughout the world, and the centre is themed around "City, Human, Environment and Development", which concern city dwellers from any country. The glimpse of present and future Shanghai can provide much food for thought, as well as enjoyment and a good overview of this often overwhelming city. We’ll then go to get a bird’s eye view of Shanghai at the Shanghai World Financial Center. Shanghai World Financial Center is the highest building in Shanghai, as it creates a new Shanghai landmark along with the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower. It takes about 1 minute from first floor to 95th by the elevator with a speed of 10 meters per second. In the 100th viewing pavilion, visitors can see the peak of Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jinmao Tower. In the 55 meters long viewing gallery, visitors can see the moving cars and passerby clearly through 3 transparent glass floors. The observation bridge atop the building will be the highest outdoor observation deck in the world. We’ll next see Shanghai’s most famed and iconic site, the Bund. The Bund is a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It affords marvelous views across the river of the Pudong district and its numerous towers. The most famous and attractive sight which is at the west side of the Bund are the 52 various buildings of different architectural styles including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance. For lunch we will eat at the Seagull Place. Seagull Palace is located along the Huangpu River. The main building is in shape of a huge seagull, and is one of the signature buildings in Shanghai. It serves a Shanghai-Style food and is decorated in a western style. Our final activity today will be a visit to the Shanghai Hua ling Silk City. Shanghai Hua Ling Silk City is a multi-function shopping mall containing silk traders, restaurants and heath care. It showcases Chinese silk products of all types including silk bedding and silk clothing. It has become a popular spot for foreign tourists looking for authentic quality products. You will then be taken back to your hotel, and the rest of the day can be spent at your own leisure. You might want to take a walk down Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s main commercial street, as well as the city’s numerous bars, clubs and restaurants.  3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 04 Shanghai-Xitang-Hangzhou (B, L) After an early breakfast in your hotel we’ll depart Shanghai (by private car) for the water town of Xitang, and the drive will take about 1.5 hours. Xitang is a beautiful town that seems like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai. Cobbled streets, old buildings, bridges arching over canals, rowing boats lingering on the river, locals singing folk songs, this is Xitang, a charming, ancient water town. Mornings in Xitang bring fresh air and light fog; during the evening, the setting sun casts a rosy glow on the old tiled roofs. It truly is a world away. Something that makes Xitang so special is the number of bridges. There are 104 in total, built in varying styles spanning the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some looks like rainbows over the river and others like long flutes. After walking down the lanes and admiring the beautiful vistas, we’ll take a cruise through the town’s canals. From your boat you’ll be able to see some scenes of the inhabitant’s daily lives. The elderly play with their grandchildren on the bridges and in the lanes, and women wash vegetables and clothes in the rivers running beside their houses. If you need a break from the stresses of Shanghai, there's really no better place to chill out and experience the quieter side of Chinese life. When our time in Xitang is at an end, we will drive on to Hangzhou which is only a short ride away. 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. You will be taken to your hotel, and the rest of the night can be spent at your own leisure. 3 or 4 star for Standard; 5 star for deluxe DAY 05 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. Then it is off to the Ling Yin Temple. Commonly translated as "Temple of the Soul's Retreat", Ling Yin is one of the largest and wealthiest temples in China. It was originally founded in 326 AD, but has been rebuilt no less than sixteen times since then. The current buildings are modern restorations of late Qing buildings. The hillside to the south of the temple is also famous as a site of old Buddhist caves and rock carvings. Many of these date back to the time when the temple was first founded and a great many were carved during the blossoming of Buddhism during the Tang dynasty. Despite some damage inflicted by red guards during the Cultural Revolution, the temple and grounds escaped much of the wholesale destruction that other temples in China suffered because of the protection of Premier Zhou Enlai. Today the temple is thriving, though most of the thousands of visitors who come do so for sightseeing and not for religious reasons. For lunch we will dine at the Hangzhou Marco Polo Hotel. Located next to West Lake, the Marco Polo Hotel is a four-star business hotel. It serves Chinese food and a western style buffet. Braised Beef and fish with pine nuts are some of the recommended 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 06 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.

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