Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou triangle in 5 days

Day by day

1. Day 1 · shanghai

   Arrive Shanghai — Bund and old city

   Check in near the Bund or in the French Concession. Walk the Bund in the afternoon light, then cross to Yu Garden before it closes. Evening meal on Nanjing Road or in the Old City bazaar lanes.

   Attractions: the-bund, yu-garden

2. Day 2 · shanghai

   French Concession and museums

   Morning in the French Concession — Wukang Mansion, Fuxing Park, and the former Sun Yat-sen residence. Afternoon Shanghai Museum (free, book time-slot online) or the Shanghai History Museum inside the old racecourse clock tower.

   Attractions: french-concession, wukang-mansion, former-residence-sun-yat-sen-shanghai, shanghai-museum

3. Day 3 · suzhou

   Suzhou gardens and canals

   High-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao to Suzhou: 25 minutes. Morning in the Humble Administrator's Garden (the largest in Suzhou, UNESCO); afternoon in the Lingering Garden or the Master of Nets Garden for contrast. Canal walk in the evening along Shantang Street.

   Attractions: humble-administrators-garden, lingering-garden, master-of-nets-garden

4. Day 4 · hangzhou

   Travel to Hangzhou — West Lake afternoon

   Morning rail from Suzhou to Hangzhou (roughly 1.5–2 hours). Check in near the lake. Afternoon circuit of West Lake by boat or on a hired bicycle — the Bai Causeway, Su Causeway, and Leifeng Pagoda give distinct perspectives. The China National Tea Museum is 20 minutes by taxi if time permits.

   Attractions: west-lake-hangzhou, west-lake-cultural-landscape, lei-feng-pagoda, china-national-tea-museum

5. Day 5 · hangzhou

   Lingyin Temple, then return to Shanghai

   Early Lingyin Temple visit before the tour groups arrive. The temple complex includes the Feilai Feng grottos and takes 2–3 hours. High-speed rail back to Shanghai Hongqiao for onward connections — journey is about 1 hour.

   Attractions: lingyin-temple

Budget guide (CNY per day)

Garden entry fees average CNY 50–90 per site; rail passes between cities cost CNY 30–80 per leg.