Suzhou · Heritage retreat
Jiangnan Garden Retreats
Stay close to the language of gardens, with courtyards, water and considered simplicity.
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Food & Tea
Jiangnan: Gardens, Water & Tea
Shanghai · Suzhou · Hangzhou · Wuyishan
9DAYS
4DESTINATIONS
∞POSSIBILITIES
OVERVIEW
Follow the quiet arts of the east, from a garden path to a tea table.
A thoughtfully paced journey through Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuyishan, combining celebrated places with time for local context and personal discovery.
- The Bund at duskShanghai
- Classical gardensSuzhou
- West LakeHangzhou
- Nine Bend RiverWuyishan
Indicative route · Locations are schematic; transport is confirmed during planning.
Your journey, day by day.
DAY 1Arrive in Shanghai
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Arrive and continue to your accommodation. Settle in at your own pace, with a gentle neighbourhood walk or time to rest depending on your arrival. An introduction to local food offers a first sense of Shanghai.
STAY IN Shanghai
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 2Shanghai · The Bund at dusk
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Make time today for the bund at dusk, with walks and exploration at a pace that suits you. Shanghai reveals itself in contrasts: the grand waterfront buildings of the Bund and the glass towers across the river; plane-tree avenues and experimental art spaces; intimate dumpling shops and ambitious dining rooms. Spend time with its architecture, browse independent design studios and watch the city lights gather over the Huangpu. Adjust the length of each visit to your interests and leave part of the afternoon free for independent discovery or a quiet pause.
STAY IN Shanghai
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 3Shanghai · Historic neighbourhoods
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Make time today for historic neighbourhoods, with walks and exploration at a pace that suits you. Shanghai reveals itself in contrasts: the grand waterfront buildings of the Bund and the glass towers across the river; plane-tree avenues and experimental art spaces; intimate dumpling shops and ambitious dining rooms. Spend time with its architecture, browse independent design studios and watch the city lights gather over the Huangpu. Adjust the length of each visit to your interests and leave part of the afternoon free for independent discovery or a quiet pause.
STAY IN Shanghai
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 4Continue to Suzhou · A first perspective
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After breakfast, continue to Suzhou using the transport best suited to the final route and operating schedules. Allow time for the transfer and a comfortable break. Settle into your accommodation, take a gentle neighbourhood walk and enjoy regional flavours. Leave the main visits for the full days ahead.
STAY IN Suzhou
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 5Suzhou · Classical gardens
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Make time today for classical gardens, with walks and exploration at a pace that suits you. In Suzhou, a garden can contain an entire world. Follow paths through rockeries, ponds and carefully framed views, then discover the craft of silk and the easy rhythm of canalside streets. A quiet morning in a classical garden and an afternoon in an old neighbourhood reveal a city built around the art of paying attention. Adjust the length of each visit to your interests and leave part of the afternoon free for independent discovery or a quiet pause.
STAY IN Suzhou
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 6Continue to Hangzhou · A first perspective
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After breakfast, continue to Hangzhou using the transport best suited to the final route and operating schedules. Allow time for the transfer and a comfortable break. Settle into your accommodation, take a gentle neighbourhood walk and enjoy regional flavours. Leave the main visits for the full days ahead.
STAY IN Hangzhou
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 7Hangzhou · West Lake
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Make time today for west lake, with walks and exploration at a pace that suits you. Willow-lined paths, a lake that changes with the light and tea fields rising beyond the city: Hangzhou rewards an unhurried visit. Explore West Lake on foot, meet the traditions of Longjing tea country and find peaceful corners among the wooded temple hills. It is a place to let the day unfold rather than fill every hour. Adjust the length of each visit to your interests and leave part of the afternoon free for independent discovery or a quiet pause.
STAY IN Hangzhou
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 8Continue to Wuyishan · A first perspective
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After breakfast, continue to Wuyishan using the transport best suited to the final route and operating schedules. Allow time for the transfer and a comfortable break. Settle into your accommodation, take a gentle neighbourhood walk and enjoy regional flavours. Leave the main visits for the full days ahead.
STAY IN Wuyishan
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
DAY 9Wuyishan · A fond farewell
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Enjoy breakfast and a final pause in Wuyishan, depending on departure time. Continue to the station or airport for your onward journey, or extend your stay in China. Transfer and transport arrangements are confirmed in the final proposal.
STAY IN Wuyishan
Sample day · Visits, guides, meals and transport are confirmed in your final proposal.
Beautiful places to pause.
Stay inspiration, selected around the route. Specific properties are confirmed during planning.
Shanghai · City hotel
Shanghai City Stays
Architecture, neighbourhood life and the city’s dining scene, within easy reach.
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Hangzhou · Country retreat
Hangzhou Tea-Country Retreats
A softer pace among tea hills and wooded temple paths beyond the city.
Discover stay inspirationDATES & SAMPLE BUDGET
The right time. The right journey.
This is a sample itinerary, available for personal planning rather than a live scheduled departure. Choose your preferred season to begin a travel brief.
Illustrative starting budget, per personUS$6,450
Based on two guests sharing. Final cost varies with travel dates, accommodation, routing and inclusions. International flights are excluded from the sample budget. No live availability is implied.
JOURNEY DETAILS
Considered from the beginning.
Planning priorities
- A pace matched to your interests and abilities
- Clear transfers and sensible travel days
- Local context and language preferences
- Stay locations that suit the route
Confirm in the proposal
- Exact accommodation and room categories
- Transport, admissions and meals
- Access requirements and alternatives
- Operator details and booking terms
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LOCAL GUIDES
A local perspective.
Share your interests and preferred language to start a guide request. Service coverage and dates are confirmed during planning.
EXPLORE GUIDE OPTIONSMEDORA TRAVEL APP · COMING SOON
Follow your curiosity.
A concept connecting city architecture with time to observe the streets around it.
PREVIEW THE ROUTE CONCEPTYour journey. Your way.
Tell us what you dream of discovering. We’ll help shape the starting point.