+5More Photos
Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuzhen, Nanxun and Suzhou on a food-led circuit: a themed banquet or tea most days, Hanfu and tea picking, brand-name hotels
A six-day loop through Jiangnan — the region of canals, gardens and tea south of the Yangtze — built around its food. Starting and ending in Shanghai, it takes in Hangzhou, the water towns of Wuzhen and Nanxun, and Suzhou, with a themed meal on most days: a Hangzhou-cuisine lunch and a courtyard banquet on day two, a Jiangnan tea banquet by West Lake on day three, a Suzhou-style afternoon tea on day four and a Shanghai banquet on the last evening. The other meals are deliberately left free so you can eat in the old towns.
Along the way: the Grand Canal and Qinghefang old street in Hangzhou; West Lake, with a Hanfu costume experience and tea picking in the plantations; the stone bridges of Wuzhen’s Xizha district, walked in Hanfu; Nanxun after dark with the Yiyuan Song Charm light show; Lion Grove Garden, Twin Pagoda Market and Shantang Street in Suzhou; and Wukang Road, the City God Temple quarter, Nanjing Road and the Bund in Shanghai.
Hotels are international-brand properties (5-star per the operator): Wyndham Garden or Crowne Plaza in Shanghai, Wyndham or Crowne Plaza in Hangzhou, Marriott, Hilton or Four Points in Nanxun, KYLN or Four Points in Suzhou. Arrival is on a Tuesday in Shanghai, with transfers from Pudong and Hongqiao airports and the railway stations, and a Chinese- and English-speaking guide throughout.
Scheduled transfers meet arrivals at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport and the railway stations and take you to the hotel. There are no group activities today: rest, or go out and explore the neighbourhood around the hotel on your own. Dinner is at your own arrangement.
By coach to Hangzhou, the city the old saying pairs with Suzhou as “heaven on earth”. First the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal, the UNESCO-listed waterway that linked the region to Beijing from the seventh century. Then Qinghefang Ancient Street and the Southern Song Imperial Street, the restored commercial streets of the old capital of the Southern Song, lined with tea houses, pharmacies and snack shops.
Lunch is Hangzhou cuisine — the region’s light, lake-and-river cooking. Dinner is the Qianjia Courtyard specialty banquet in a traditional courtyard house.
A walk in the West Lake scenic area, the UNESCO-listed landscape of causeways, islands and pagodas, followed by a Hanfu costume experience and tea picking in the plantations — an introduction to the green tea the hills around the lake are known for. Lunch is the Jiangnan tea banquet, a meal built around tea and tea-infused dishes.
After lunch, on to the Wuzhen Xizha scenic area, the best-preserved of the water towns, where you walk the canals, stone bridges and Song-style streets in Hanfu. In the evening, Nanxun, a smaller and quieter water town whose silk merchants built European-style mansions beside the canals; the Yiyuan Song Charm light-and-shadow show is included. Dinner is at your own arrangement in the old town, then check in to the hotel.
To Suzhou for the Lion Grove Garden, one of the UNESCO-listed classical gardens, known for its maze of Taihu-stone rockeries. Then Twin Pagoda Market, a renovated neighbourhood market beside the Song-dynasty twin pagodas, with craft stalls, fresh-food shops and local snacks. Lunch is local market cuisine.
In the afternoon, a Suzhou-style afternoon tea at Lanliyuan, taken slowly in the local manner. Then Shantang Street, the canal-side street laid out in the Tang dynasty that runs from the old city towards Tiger Hill, before returning to the hotel. Dinner is at your own arrangement.
Back to Shanghai. A walk along Wukang Road in the former French Concession, with its plane trees and 1920s and 30s villas and apartment blocks. Then the City God Temple tourist area beside Yu Garden, where lunch is at your own arrangement among the bazaar’s snack stalls; Zhangyuan, the restored shikumen quarter; and Nanjing Road pedestrian street.
Late afternoon on the Bund, the riverfront of pre-war banks and trading houses, with the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu. Dinner is the Shanghai No. 1 banquet, the final themed meal of the trip.
A free morning at the hotel, then a transfer to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport or Hongqiao Railway Station, timed to your flight or train.
4 hand-picked hotels over 5 nights of this itinerary. Open any property for photos, video, a full introduction and what's on site.
Family-friendly Wyndham Garden opened in 2025 in Huinan, south-east Pudong, about 20 minutes' drive from Shanghai Disney Resort and Pudong Airport, with a seasonal infinity pool, big kids' club and free airport transfers.
See the hotel › 10 photos
Wyndham-brand tower in the centre of Linping, the district on the north-east side of Hangzhou, with 150 rooms from 32 m², three restaurants (Chinese, Japanese and an all-day buffet), a heated indoor pool, a 24-hour gym and a 1,900 m² banquet hall; Linping station on Metro Line 9 is next door and West Lake about 40 minutes by car.
See the hotel › 9 photos
New Marriott (opened December 2025) in the elephant-shaped landmark tower of Nanxun's new town, 5.5 km from Nanxun ancient town and 2 km from Huzhou Nanxun high-speed station: 259 rooms on floors 29–38, a 27th-floor sky lobby, Goji Kitchen + Bar all-day dining, Xiang Ding Huaiyang restaurant, and a 24-hour gym and heated indoor pool on the 39th floor.
See the hotel › 10 photos
Hyatt's JdV-brand hotel opened in December 2025 in the Chun Shen Li complex in Xiangcheng, northern Suzhou, next to Xutugang metro station (Line 2) and a short drive from Yangcheng Lake: 327 rooms, suites and apartments designed by HBA, a Chinese restaurant, a noodle bar and an all-day restaurant, two fitness centres and 700 m² of event space.
See the hotel › 10 photosWhere a day says “or similar”, a comparable property of the same standard may be used on some departures. Room photos are representative; the room category is set by your booked package.
Your tour price covers:
The following are not covered by the tour price:
Practical guidance to help you prepare for and get the most out of this trip.
How the price is built. Per person in Canadian dollars, two travellers sharing a twin or double room; triple rooms are offered at the same per-person rate. A service fee of CAD $150 per person is added at checkout. The single supplement is CAD $600, and room sharing with another traveller cannot be arranged. Gratuities for the guide and driver are not included and are at your discretion. Flights to and from Shanghai are not included — ask us for a fare from your city.
Departures. The tour starts on fixed Tuesdays with arrival in Shanghai, from late August to 22 December 2026. Transfers are provided from Pudong and Hongqiao airports and the Shanghai railway stations on the arrival day, and back to either airport or Hongqiao Railway Station on day six, timed to your flight or train.
Children. A child under 12 sharing the existing bedding with the accompanying adults pays the child rate of CAD $799; note that a child without a bed does not receive hotel breakfast. A child who needs their own bed pays the adult price. Guests under 18 must travel with an adult, and older travellers or anyone with limited mobility should check with us before booking — the water towns and gardens involve a fair amount of walking on stone paths and steps.
Meals. Five breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners and one afternoon tea are included, as listed day by day. Dinner on days 1, 3 and 4 and lunch on day 5 are left free on purpose — in Nanxun and Suzhou the old towns are the place to eat, and on day 5 the City God Temple bazaar in Shanghai is the classic spot for soup dumplings and snacks.
Group and transport. This is a group tour with a Chinese- and English-speaking guide. Under the operator’s seat-in-coach arrangement, transport may be shared with other travellers and the order of the itinerary may be adjusted, with all listed services unchanged. Hotels are the properties named or similar; the operator describes them as international 5-star.
Cancellation. More than 31 days before departure: free cancellation or amendment. 15 to 30 days before: 50% of the tour fee is charged. Within 14 days: no refund, and rescheduling incurs a 50% charge. If the operator cannot run the tour because of force majeure (natural disaster, civil unrest), the tour fee is refunded in full. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Visa. A Chinese visa is your responsibility. Twin Pagoda Market and Shantang Street are free browsing time, not shopping stops arranged by the operator.
“We had a great time on our trip to China. Great thanks to Karen who organized all our papers and documents, flight, train schedule and tickets with super duper efficiency and patience. Karen always returned our calls and answered…”
“We joined two tours with Ali Travel — Jiangnan and Jiuzhaigou in March and April. The tours were amazing and the tour guides knowledgeable and caring, with good arrangements. The scenery was beautiful and the hotels were nice. We…”
“Ali Travel's service is excellent, and the advisors at every store are professional. We are two seniors and have travelled with them to Cuba, Yellowknife, the Dominican Republic, Cancún and China — every experience was fantastic.…”
Verbatim excerpts from public Google reviews of Ali Travel’s five GTA stores — 4.4–4.7★ across 281 reviews as of August 2026. These are reviews of our service, not of this specific departure. Read all reviews on Google →
Reserve online and pay the CAD $300 per-person deposit right away (unless a different amount is stated for this tour) — that secures your booking. We then confirm availability, usually within 24 hours, and update your booking status — if we cannot confirm your reservation, your deposit is refunded in full. The balance is due 30 days before departure. The deposit option applies to bookings made more than 60 days before departure — within 60 days of departure, full payment is required at booking.
Price adjustments (Travel Industry Act, 2002 — O. Reg. 26/05): increases resulting from retail sales or federal tax changes excepted, if the total price rises by more than 7% you may cancel for a full refund — and no price increase is permitted after you have paid in full.
Card details are entered directly into Moneris, Canada’s largest payment processor — your card number never reaches our servers.
Cancellation charges, from the date we receive written notice:
Once airline tickets have been issued, the air portion is non-refundable regardless of the schedule above.
Ali Travel Inc. is registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario as a travel retailer (#50025124) and wholesaler (#50026847) — both checkable on TICO’s public register. Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund may reimburse you if we, or an end supplier such as an airline, become insolvent and the travel is not provided.
The Fund has a per-person limit, exclusions and a claim deadline — TICO’s page sets out what it covers.
One named consultant stays with your booking from confirmation to your return — the same person for documents, seat and room requests, changes, and anything that comes up while you are away. Call (416) 560-5888 or visit any of our five stores across the Greater Toronto Area.
Passport names and dates of birth are needed because flights are ticketed in your legal name; we never sell your personal information, and it is shared only with the suppliers delivering this trip. Privacy Policy →
Land package · plus Service fee $150 (mandatory, per person)
Per person · double occupancy · departures 13 Oct–22 Dec 2026
Price notes
Prices shown are the land package. Service fee $150 per person is mandatory and is added at checkout.
International flights not included — quoted from your city.
Peak dates (public holidays, summer): est. +CAD $600 per person, confirmed before you pay.
Maplelux Holidays serves travel agencies. Choose how you would like to continue.
Wyndham Garden Shanghai Pudong opened in 2025 in Huinan Town, in the south-east of Pudong. It is rated 5 diamonds on Trip.com and is built with families in mind, with themed kids' rooms and large play areas. It is a suburban hotel, well placed for Disney and the airport rather than for downtown Shanghai.
All rooms have a 65-inch TV, a safe and wired and wireless internet. Family and themed rooms are available alongside standard, deluxe and suite rooms.
Breakfast is served in the all-day restaurant, which seats 150. The Chinese restaurant serves Shanghainese, Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, and a garden café offers coffee and dessert soups.
The outdoor infinity pool opens June to October, 08:00 to 22:00, with a children's pool. The gym is free and open 24 hours; there is also billiards, a basketball court, a 400 m² playground and a 300 m² kids' club.
Shanghai Wild Animal Park is 1.6 km away and Huinan metro station is about 12 minutes by car. Shanghai Disney Resort and Pudong Airport are both about 20 minutes' drive.
Free Pudong Airport pick-up and drop-off, and a free shuttle to Disney and the Wild Animal Park; book both a day ahead. Free parking and a free guest laundry room.
Wyndham Hangzhou Linping occupies a glass tower on Renmin Avenue in the centre of Linping, the district at the north-eastern edge of Hangzhou near the Alibaba campus. The 150 non-smoking rooms are 32 m² and larger — Deluxe King (32–42 m²), Deluxe Twin (42 m²) and Deluxe Business Twin (60 m²) — with a pillow-top mattress, sofa bed, in-room coffee bar, smart TV, under-floor heating and a bathroom with shower, bathrobes and hair dryer. Welcome fruit, coffee and tea are offered on check-in.
The Chinese restaurant is known for seafood and combines Jiangsu-Zhejiang, Cantonese, Sichuan and Hunan cooking; Xiangxieli serves the buffet breakfast and Western and Chinese dishes through the day; Tanaka is the Japanese restaurant.
Heated indoor pool, 24-hour fitness centre, a large KTV room, and five event venues including a 1,900 m² grand banquet hall for up to 2,800 guests. Wi-Fi and parking are free.
Linping station on Metro Line 9 is beside the hotel; Linping South high-speed railway station is 4 km and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport 38 km. West Lake and Hefang Street in the old city are roughly 25 km to the south-west.
Huzhou Marriott Hotel Nanxun opened at the end of December 2025 in the new urban district of Nanxun, the canal town in northern Zhejiang famous for its silk merchants' mansions. The building's outline is modelled on an elephant — a nod to the "four elephants and eight oxen", the nickname for Nanxun's richest families in the late Qing dynasty — and has become the town's landmark. Guests arrive at a sky lobby on the 27th floor; the 259 rooms and suites occupy floors 29 to 38, start at about 42 m², and look out over the plain of lakes and canals, with a marble bathroom, bathrobes and Marriott bedding; M Club lounge access is available for executive-floor guests.
Goji Kitchen + Bar on the 27th floor is the all-day restaurant with an open kitchen, buffet breakfast and à-la-carte dining. Xiang Ding is the Chinese restaurant, cooking Huaiyang cuisine with five private dining rooms. The lobby lounge serves afternoon tea by day and cocktails in the evening.
A 24-hour fitness centre and a heated indoor pool on the 39th floor, both with views across the countryside; a grand ballroom, junior ballroom and meeting rooms; free parking and EV charging.
Nanxun ancient town — the Xiaolianzhuang garden, Zhang Shiming's residence and the Jiaye library — is 5.5 km away; Huzhou Nanxun high-speed railway station is 2 km. Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport is about 90 km and Shanghai Hongqiao about 113 km by road.
KYLN Hotel Suzhou is a JdV by Hyatt hotel that opened on 23 December 2025 in Xiangcheng District, the northern part of Suzhou between the old city and Yangcheng Lake. The name comes from "kiln": the district was where the imperial kilns fired the golden bricks used in the Forbidden City, and the interiors by HBA use clay, wood and brick-like textures throughout. The 327 rooms, suites and serviced apartments have floor-to-ceiling windows over the Xiangcheng skyline and are laid out for both short stays and longer ones; the hotel is pet-friendly.
CHROMA, the Chinese restaurant, cooks "boat cuisine" — the seasonal dishes once served on the pleasure boats of Jiangnan's waterways — at lunch and dinner. J Noodle Bar serves noodles, Suzhou-style dim sum and tea cocktails. Cai Lian 1090 is the all-day restaurant for breakfast and à-la-carte Chinese and international dishes.
Two fitness centres — Yuan, with Johnson cardio and strength equipment, and Cheng, with a Pilates studio and rooms for private training — plus a ballroom and five multipurpose rooms totalling 700 m².
The hotel sits inside the Chun Shen Li commercial centre beside Xutugang station on Metro Line 2, a short metro ride from Suzhou North high-speed railway station and about 25 minutes by car from the Humble Administrator's Garden and Pingjiang Road in the old city. Yangcheng Lake, known for hairy crab, is to the east.