Shanghai

First, it's written that this tour includes a driver, but there was neither a driver nor a car. All transportation was by taxi, and the taxi fare was at my own expense. However, I was satisfied with the guide! They took me wherever I wanted to go and were a great help, and I really enjoyed it! They taught me various things, such as how to arrange taxis, set up Alipay, call DiDi taxis, buy tickets, and order food at restaurants. Since English wasn't really spoken in Shanghai, I felt very secure being guided by someone who understood Japanese on my first visit to Shanghai. I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, but even there, there were very few staff who understood English, so I thought it would be better to go with a Japanese-speaking guide when visiting for the first time. I have no complaints about the guide, but I received a message from Klook the day before saying, "Please give 300 yuan to the guide," which meant I had to exchange money at the hotel. It was a bit of a shock to be told that so suddenly, and I was surprised that the pick-up fee was 300 yuan (6000 yen) when I thought it was 300 yen. If that was the case, it would have been better to go to a hotel in the city on our own. It would have only cost about 50 yuan (1000 yen) if we had gone ourselves. Please be careful about yuan and yen when applying!

Do yourself a favor and just book this class with CICI. She is an absolutely terrific host and the food was delicious. Impecable technique!! Treat yourself with a great experience in Shanghai!!

Experience: This is my first time making xiao long bao, so there are some things I didn’t do well, but fortunately the instructor taught me carefully and patiently, so that the appearance of my xiao long bao was not too bad. In short, if you want to have some cultural experience and make xiao long bao for the first time, it is worth a try.

The staff at all the stops were extremely helpful and made sure that we got on the correct bus! There are several tour bus operators to choose from, and I am happy that I selected Shanghai City Sightseeing Bus!

Our tour guide Jenny very kind and take care all we need, everything was smooth from beginning untill end of tour, Jenny explained clearly and answer all the questions, we feel comfortable and happy join this tour

This day trip to Wuzhen, although short, allowed me to experience the unique atmosphere of Jiangnan's water towns from morning till night as I walked through Dongzha and Xizha. During the day, it's a misty, rainy town, and at night, it's a world of lights. The same river and the same rooftops present completely different scenery at different times. I started with Dongzha in the morning. Dongzha retains a more original sense of life. In the old streets and narrow alleys, you'll find residents' homes with clothes drying and couplets hanging. Underneath your feet are stone slabs polished by time. Strolling along the river, you see houses with white walls and dark tiles on one side, and the slowly flowing river on the other. Lanterns occasionally hanging under the eaves bring the scene to life like old photos. Entering various small museums, such as the Blue Calico Fabric Museum and the Distillery Workshop, you can see the tools and processes of traditional handicrafts, and you can better understand that "ancient towns" are not just backdrops for taking pictures, but a way of life that actually existed. In the afternoon, I moved on to Xizha, where the atmosphere was noticeably different. The streets of Xizha are wider, and the planning is more complete. B&Bs, coffee shops, and cultural and creative shops line the streets one after another. Compared to the sense of life in Dongzha, Xizha has more of a resort town feel. I took a special trip on a gondola, slowly moving towards the end of Xizha along the waterway. Sitting on the boat and looking at both sides, you can see the riverside inns, wooden windows, and stone bridges slowly passing by, as if you have become part of this ink painting. Compared to walking, taking a boat allows you to truly feel the meaning of the words "water town." On the way back along the water, you can see many riverside inns with wooden windows that open to river views. I made a special effort to wait in line to buy the locally famous shredded radish cake. A long queue formed in front of the small shop, and the aroma of fried dough and radish filled the air. When it was my turn, I took the freshly baked radish cake, still warm to the touch, and took a bite. The outer skin was crispy, and the inside was savory, fragrant, and juicy. Standing on the stone slab road of the ancient town, enjoying the evening breeze while eating the hot snack, that moment was more satisfying than any formal meal, and it became one of my most "human" memories of Wuzhen. After dusk, the night view of Xizha was the highlight of the trip. The sky slowly darkened, and the lanterns by the river and the outline lights of the buildings lit up one by one, reflecting on the water and illuminating the entire river. There were more tourists, but in some of the quieter corners, you could still find an alley with only yourself and the sound of water. This day trip to Dongzha and Xizha, although the itinerary was a bit tight and I could only get a superficial view of many places, was still rewarding. Dongzha allowed me to see more "authentic" traces of life, allowing me to imagine the daily life of residents washing, drying, and chatting here in the past. Xizha, on the other hand, is like a stage prepared for modern travelers, making the ancient town more comfortable, more photogenic, and more suitable for a slow stay. The combination of the two styles gave me a more three-dimensional impression of "ancient water towns." On the way back, as I recalled the stone slab road during the day and the lights reflected on the river at night, I felt that the value of travel may not lie in "how many attractions you visited," but in whether you really slowed down for a moment and focused on looking at the scenery around you. Wuzhen gave me such an opportunity to temporarily pause the fast-forward button of life.

The main show is good, worth going. The park/theatre has other shows, you may spend few hours there. However, you dont really need the "free" double-decker bus tour, unless u just want to sit in the bus. I'd suggest you take metro to the park instead, save the time.

The guide 刘导 was very good and educated on chinese history, poetry, sayings, religion, etc... I had a very enjoyable time. Unfortunately, the tour is in mandarin and you likely won't get as much out of it if you only know basic mandarin. However, you should still get a jolly good tour if you like old chinese things.

Guide is Zhu Ping, a local Suzhou resident. Very knowledgeable of Suzhou. Avery bubbly guide who is always with a smile. the tour is abit rush but that I guessed is the pace for 1 day tour in Suzhou. Overall, a good tour.