Historical Grand Canal and Fabulous Hangzhou
Embark on a journey along the historic Jinghang Grand Canal, the world's longest ancient canal. As a key city on this waterway, Hangzhou offers a unique opportunity to delve into China's canal heritage. Explore local history, discover the fragrant Dragon Well tea plantation, and experience the tranquility of West Lake on a scenic cruise.
Let's work together to design the perfect vacation for you. Simply share your interests and needs, and we'll create a tailored itinerary filled with unforgettable experiences.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Create Your Unique Oiled-Paper Umbrella.
Discover the artistry of China's traditional oil-paper umbrellas. These intricate creations, once essential for daily life, are now prized as beautiful works of art.
Experience the Traditional Method of Picking Tea Leaf.
Immerse yourself in the heart of China's tea culture as you witness skilled tea farmers expertly harvest fresh leaves from lush plantations.
Glide across the Serene Waters of West Lake.
Taking a boat ride on West Lake allows you to appreciate its beauty from a different perspective.
Discover the Grandeur of Hangzhou's Most Revered Buddhist Temple.
The colossal statue of Buddha in the temple is one of the largest indoor statues in China. It's a breathtaking sight and a popular attraction for visitors.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
Wonderful memories in Hangzhou with Derek!!!
During the private tour we were escorted by our guide Derek, which made our time truly memorable!! He works with true passion and dedication , and made us feel welcomed and well taken care of during our whole time together. He was very knowledgeable of all the places we visited (West lake , Lingyin temple, tea village), and kept us entertained the whole time with interesting insights, legends and stories. He gave us a lot of tips, and thanks to his great English knowledge, we were able to not only learn a lot about China , but also have a fun time together He had a very good relationship with our driver and the lady from the Tea Village experience, which at the end of the trip made us feel like in a small family. He is a truly professional, reliable, fun, friendly, knowledgeable guide, and if you have the opportunity I would 100% recommend booking a tour with him !! more
Dec 2024, GourmetChaser
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Marvellous
Wonderful place full of nice surprises...we appreciated everything but overall our guide Derek, very professional guy and nice person...We also ate nice cookies recommended by him...Now we are full of marvellous memories... more
Nov 2024, narcisa o
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Romantic city of Hang Zhou
Situated just outside of Shanghai, Hang Zhou was an absolute delight offering mesmerising picturesque landscapes in the likes of the Xi Lake (West Lake). The city offers a calm but yet vibrant vibe. It was worth the visit. We thoroughly enjoyed the company of our tour guide, Leaf Zhang, who was very organised and went above and beyond to help us throughout the trip. Leaf showed us a glimpse of what the city has to offer sharing stories of folklores and its history. Another must place to visit on route was Wu Zhen, with its historical architecture and cultural theatrics. We happened to visit it during their annual Drama festival and it was one of the highlights of the trip! more
Oct 2024, J S
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Suggested Itinerary
Your private guide will be waiting for you at airport/train-station arrivals.
Enjoy the Southern Song Dynasty Snacks Banquet upon arrival. The banquet includes a cup of healthy flower tea, West Lake lotus root starch, Hangzhou style cat's-ear noodles, wrapped fried bread sticks with shallots, and local moon cakes. During the banquet, enjoy a traditional stringed and woodwind instrumental performance and a tea ceremony.
After lunch, your first visit will be the Lingyin Temple, one of the most important and wealthiest Buddhist temples in China, boasting plenty of pagodas and Buddhist grottoes. Then have a relaxing visit to West Lake, one of the major landmarks of Hangzhou. Stroll alongside the lake, and take a cruise to Fairy Island.
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we will start the day from the Meijiawu Tea Plantation – the place of origin of the best Dragon Well tea in China. Have a walk round the tea plantation, see how farmers pick tea leaves, and taste a cup of tea.
Have lunch at a local restaurant, after which we will start to explore the history of the Grand Canal!
Take the cruise on the Jinghang (Beijing- Hangzhou) Grand Canal. Imagine the scene on the canal banks in times past, and get a feeling for recent developments in the city.
Afterward, try to paint your own oiled-paper umbrella at the Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion, where the oiled-paper craftsman will teach you. In the Pavilion you can observe other traditional craftspeople working on their creations; crafting teapots, or making fans, umbrellas, or even scissors.
We will escort you to the train station/airport for your departure. Please make sure that your train/flight departs after 6 pm.
Tour Price
Price includes: