Culture
Suzhou's classical gardens, Beijing's hutongs, and the Forbidden City.
Fifteen nights across Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Chongqing and Zhangjiajie, at a pace that doesn't rush the gardens or the mountains.
China rarely gets the long, unhurried trip it deserves. Most itineraries try to cover the country in a week and end up sprinting between cities. This one takes fifteen nights and moves through five very different places , a canal town, two megacities, a mountain gorge, and a sandstone forest , without needing to compress any of them.
This is one of the China itineraries we've planned for a couple before , 15 nights, 16 days across Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Chongqing and Zhangjiajie, built for two adults travelling together. It's shared here to show what a longer couple's trip through China could look like. A version built around your own pace and dates would look a little different , and that's the point.
Why This Trip
The trip opens in Shanghai with a river cruise past the Bund's lit-up skyline, then slows right down in Suzhou , three nights among classical gardens and canal streets, with a private boat ride through Tongli Water Town.
From there it's Beijing for the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, a fast train south to Chongqing for its cave-riddled riverside, and a close in Zhangjiajie, where the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar rise straight out of the forest.
Travenza tip: keep Suzhou at three nights, not two. It's the one city on this route built for wandering rather than sightseeing, and the extra night is where that actually pays off.
per adult, based on 2 adults travelling together, excluding international airfare
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Day By Day
Private transfer to your hotel on the Bund. In the evening, a river cruise past the illuminated skyline, with a stop at the historic Peace Hotel and a walk down Nanjing Road.
A private half-day tour covering the Bund, and a choice of Yu Garden, the Jade Buddha Temple, or the Former French Concession.
A short train to Suzhou, followed by an evening walk down Pingjiang Road, a canal-side street of teahouses and old-town architecture.
A visit to one of China's most famous classical gardens, followed by the Suzhou Museum, designed by I. M. Pei.
A private tour of Tongli, including Tuisi Garden and a boat ride through the town's canals.
A morning at the Lingering Garden, then a train back to Shanghai for a two-night stay.
A full-day bullet train trip to Hangzhou , a boat ride on West Lake, Xixi Wetland Park, a tea tasting at Meijiawu Village, and Hefang Street.
A train to Beijing, followed by an evening walk through the hutongs around Nanluoguxiang, ending at Houhai Bar Street.
A full day covering the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Bird's Nest stadium at Olympic Park.
A full day through Beijing's three best-known landmarks, with a private guide throughout.
An evening train south to Chongqing, arriving late and checking in for a two-night stay.
A private tour covering Hongya Cave's illuminated architecture, the Liziba train passing through a residential building, and the riverside at night.
A morning train to Zhangjiajie and check-in for a three-night stay.
A full day through Zhangjiajie National Forest Park , the Golden Whip Brook, the Bailong Elevator, and the sandstone pillars of Tianzi Mountain.
A visit to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon and its glass bridge, followed by Tianmen Mountain's Glass Skywalk and 99-bend road.
Transfer to Zhangjiajie airport for the flight home.
What's Included
Suzhou's classical gardens, Beijing's hutongs, and the Forbidden City.
Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars and glass bridge, and the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
A canal boat ride through Tongli Water Town and an evening river cruise past the Bund.
Hefang Street in Hangzhou and Nanjing Road in Shanghai.
The Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Suzhou Museum.
Suzhou's classical gardens, Beijing's hutongs, and the Forbidden City.
Zhangjiajie's sandstone pillars and glass bridge, and the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
A canal boat ride through Tongli Water Town and an evening river cruise past the Bund.
Hefang Street in Hangzhou and Nanjing Road in Shanghai.
The Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, and Suzhou Museum.
Where You'll Stay
Two-night stays in Shanghai on either side of Suzhou, three nights in Beijing at Novotel Beijing Peace, two nights in Chongqing at the Kempinski, and three nights in Zhangjiajie at the Sunshine Hotel, all with breakfast.
Suzhou's three nights are on an independent basis, giving the trip a deliberately looser stretch in the middle.
The Fine Print, Handled
Itinerary planning, hotel reservations, private transfers, train tickets, sightseeing, visa assistance, and travel support.
Customised by pace, hotel category, and whether a city like Hangzhou is added or dropped.
Ready When You Are
A canal town, two capitals of a kind, a river gorge city, and a mountain range that looks unreal in photographs and more so in person , fifteen nights is enough to let each one settle in before the next.
This is one of the itineraries we've built for a couple travelling together before, shared here to show what the trip could look like. A version built for your own pace and dates would look a little different.
Estimated from ₹2,91,500 per adult · All inclusive