On this tour, you will visit Lingyin Temple, Meijiawu Tea Plantation, West Lake and Six Harmonies Pagoda. The local tour operator will reject your booking if you do not inform your hotel name for pick-up at time of booking. Lingyin Temple, whose literal translation means 'Temple of Soul’s Retreat,' is one of the largest Buddhist temples in China and also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hangzhou. At Meijiawu Tea Plantation, you will find one of the major production bases of the Dragon Well Tea variety. You will also experience profound local tea culture and local life here. Afterwards, continue on to West Lake formed from a shallow bay during ancient times from the Qiantang River which runs into the sea. It was formerly named Wulin Waters, Golden Buffalo Lake, Qiantang Lake and Xizi Lake. However, as it lies in the west of Hangzhou, it was later named West Lake. A 1-hour boat ride is inclusived after lunch. Six Harmonies Pagoda is a masterpiece of ancient Chinese architecture and a major tourist attractions in Hangzhou. It is also one of the best places to appreciate the impressive Qiantang tidal bores. 

Meet your guide at your hotel lobby and set out to Shaoxing which is 1-hour-drive away. Upon arrival, you will board a wupeng (black awning) boat, maybe the most comfortable and comprehensive way to learn this ancient city lining the grand canal. As the boat journey ends, proceed to a local restaurant for a relaxing Chinese lunch. Itinerary in the afternoon covers two attractions pertinent to famous figures in arts and literature in Chinese history. First you will visit Shen Garden. This private garden of a wealthy Shaoxing businessman is known among any other local gardens, not for its size, but as a set for the Song Dynasty poet Lu You’s tragic love story with his wife. Later you will be on to Lan (Orchid) Pavilion. This site has been feverishly sought after calligraphy enthusiasts since it is the place calligrapher Wang Xizhi in East Jin Dynasty wrote his masterpiece.   You tour concludes with coach drop-off to your original departure point in Hangzhou. Itinerary: 08:00 - 08:30  Hotel pick-up 08:30 - 10:00  Transfer to Shaoxing 10:00 - 11:30  Boat cruise along the town 11:30 - 12:30  Lunch time  13:00 - 15:00  Shen Garden 15:00 - 17:00  Visit Lan Pavilion 17:30           Back to your hotel Pick-up from below hotels in Hangzhou: 1. Sofitel Hangzhou West Lake 2. Holiday Inn Hangzhou 3. Culture Plaza Hotel Zhejiang 4. West Lake Golden Plaza Hangzhou 5. SSAW Hotel Hangzhou 6. Haihua Plaza Hangzhou 7. Grand Metro-park Hotel Hangzhou 8. Sheraton Hangzhou Wetland Park Resort 9. Hangzhou Hotel 10. Wuyang International Hotel 11. Oriental Deluxe Hotel Zhejiang 12. Hyatt Regency Hangzhou 13. Hangzhou Shangri-La Hotel 14. Hangzhou Amethyst Hotel 15. Four seasons Hangzhou 16. JW Marriot Hangzhou 17. Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou 18. The Azure Qiantang, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hangzhou The above list represents the hotels most frequently picked up from. If your hotel is not in the above list, please provide your hotel name and address upon booking for a pick-up arrangement or please go to the following hotel to join in the tour. Sofitel West Lake Hangzhou 333 West Lake Avenue, Hangzhou Phone: +86 571 8707 5858 Pick-up time: 08:30AM

Your day tour will start with a hotel pick-up between 08:00 and 08:30. Drive for 1.5-hours to the water town of Wuzhen. First, make your way to the Ancient Bed Museum, which is China’s unique display of antique beds with exquisite carving. This is a novel miniature of folk crafts in the local area. Later, you will move on to a local distillery where Sanbai wine is produced and distributed. If you like, try and take home some Sanbai wine at the front shop. The third stop of folk crafts will be at the Hongyuantai Indigo Fabric Dye House, where you can watch the complete cycle of making impressive indigo cloth. The Shadow Puppet Theatre is another can’t miss point for any visitor to Wuzhen. Here, you will not only feel the affection the veteran artists have for this art, but also a longing to return to a simple and slower way of life. After a Chinese lunch in a local restaurant, you will have a whole afternoon to your own arrangement. Whether you stroll on stone pathways, over time-worn bridges or go boating on the Grand Canal, find your own way to engage with the water town. As the tour ends, you will head back out to Hangzhou.