Trip Summary
China's refined east in seven days: two nights in Shanghai, a lantern-lit night in Wuzhen, poetry by West Lake in Hangzhou, then cable cars up the granite pines of Huangshan — the mountain every Chinese ink painting is about.
Trip Highlights
- The Bund and Pudong's tower decks at blue hour
- Wuzhen after dark — lanterns on black-water canals
- Longjing tea village and West Lake by open-top boat
- Huangshan sunrise above the sea of clouds from Bright Summit
Day by Day
Day 1 — Shanghai
Arrive; Bund, Yu Garden bazaar, Huangpu cruise.
Flight in · Shanghaiinternational flights, destination pre-filledBook → Stay · The Bundriverfront or the leafy French ConcessionBook → Car rental · Shanghaipick up at Shanghai Pudong International Airport on arrivalBook → 
Day 2 — Shanghai depth
French Concession lanes, Tianzifang, Pudong tower at dusk.
Stay · The Bundriverfront or the leafy French ConcessionBook → 
Day 3 — Wuzhen
Coach 1.5 h; water-town lanes, raft, stay for the night lights.
Shanghai → Jiaxing trainHSR to Tongxiang for Wuzhen, ~1 hBook → Stay · Wuzhen Water Towna night inside the west zone, lanterns on the waterBook → Car rental · Jiaxingpick up at Jiaxing Railway Station on arrivalBook → Tickets · Wuzhen Water Townskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 4 — Hangzhou
To Hangzhou; West Lake boat, causeway walk, tea village.
Jiaxing → Hangzhou trainHSR ~40 minBook → Stay · West Lakenorth shore for sunrise and the boat piersBook → Car rental · Hangzhoupick up at Hangzhou East Railway Station on arrivalBook → Tickets · West Lakeskip-the-line entryBook → Day 5 — To Huangshan
HSR to Huangshan North; Tunxi old street evening.
Hangzhou → Huangshan trainHSR to Huangshan North ~1.5 hBook → Stay · Mount Huangshan Scenic Areasummit hotel — wake up above the sea of cloudsBook → Car rental · Huangshanpick up at Huangshan North Railway Station on arrivalBook → 
Day 6 — Huangshan summit
Cable up at Yungu; Bright Summit, Flying-Over Rock, sunset at Cloud-Dispelling; hotel on top.
Stay · Tunxi Old Streetdown the mountain — timber-fronted old town, pick-up for onward trainsBook → Tickets · Mount Huangshanskip-the-line entryBook → Day 7 — Sunrise & out
Dawn at Lion Peak, descend the western steps, fly from Tunxi or train from Huangshan North.
Flight out · Huangshandeparture flights from Huangshan, destination openBook → 
Travel in China