Private Day Trip: Tongli Water Town from Shanghai with Lunch

The day begins when your private driver/guide picks you up from your hotel at 8am. Admire the transition from big-city Shanghai to rural China as you drive the two hours to Tongli in climate-controlled comfort.

One of China's most celebrated water towns, Tongli is divided into seven separate islands by a network of canals, linked by a beautiful series of arching bridges: it blooms with fresh flowers. Many of China's old canal towns disappeared under the bulldozers during the rush to modernization, so Tongli really is a trip back in time.

Your guide will lead you through the town, ensuring you get the best views of gardens, ancient bridges, and stone houses. Watch the locals riding boats as they go about their daily routine among the waterways, capture shots of watery vistas, and soak up the atmosphere.

Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant, then visit your choice of a pearl gallery or silk museum, before heading back to Shanghai at 3pm. You'll arrive at your hotel around 5pm.