u/elwenion2

I had 1 day in Hnagzhou, took the bullet train on the previous night from Shanghai, about 45 min. Wasn't sure it'd be worth it since West Lake gets hyped so much but it actually delivered.

My Day:
Morning: West Lake, went early before the crowds, rented one of the shared bikes (Meituan, paid like 0.8 euro for a week of access, insane value) and just rode the causeways - the plan was that i can cover the whole lake on the bike
Midday: Lingyin Temple, old Buddhist site with these carved grottoes in the cliffs, incense smoke through the pine trees, take the ticket online ahead of time on trip.com as it tends to sell out!
Afternoon: tea near the plantations, this is literally where Longjing tea comes from and seeing the plantations is just amazing. Go and buy the tea you get free tasting usually - no need for overpriced tea house ;)
Evening: Qinghefang Old Street, silk shops, roasted chestnuts, red lanterns...

Important:
- Book Lingyin Temple tickets online the day before at least, weekend slots fill up
- Go to West Lake before 10am for a less crowded experience
- Stay near the lake not downtown if you can, makes the whole day flow so much easier

Just got back and wanted to share the itinerary since I spent ages trying to figure out the water town logistics before going.

How I split the days:

Day 1: arrived, walked the Bund, found a cheap Sichuan place near the waterfront, went to bed early. Jet lag is real

Day 2: Zhujiajiao. Metro Line 17 from Hongqiao, about an hour, super easy. Free to walk around. Go before 10am if you can, it gets crowded fast. Half a day is enough, I was back in Shanghai by early afternoon.

Day 3: Tongli via Suzhou. Bullet train from Hongqiao to Suzhou is literally 25 minutes and like €7 return. Spent the morning in Suzhou then took the metro&DiDi to Tongli. This was honestly my favourite day of the whole trip. Less touristy than Zhujiajiao, more of a real town feel.

Day 4: actual Shanghai. Bund at sunrise, Shanghai Tower (book ahead), Yu Garden, Jing'an Temple. Packed but doable in one day.

Stuff that actually matters:

• Set up Alipay before you go. Seriously. Everything runs on it
• Download your VPN before flying, you can't do it once you land
• 12306 app for trains, cheaper than booking through Trip.com or other sites
• Translation app handles everything, lack of English wasn't a problem once

Zhujiajiao is a chilled water town with canals, stone bridges and old alleys.

I just did an easy DIY day trip from Shanghai to Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town and wanted to share how straightforward it was to do on your own.

🚈 Getting to Zhujiajiao by public transport
- Make your way to Hongqiao Railway Station
- Take Metro Line 17 to Zhujiajiao Station
- Then it is about 1.5 km to the old town.
-- You can walk
-- Take the local bus
-- Grab a DiDi
-- Take a small boat from near the metro exit if you want a more scenic arrival.

I spent about half a day there, which felt perfect for a relaxed visit without rushing. Prefer the morning hours for less crowd and heat in the summer. Entry is free to walk around.

AliPay and WePay is everywhere, like in every part of China so don't forget to set it up before travelling!

If you want a more detailed guide - I wrote everything up: https://travelisse.org/shanghai-day-tip-zhujiajiao/
Hope this helps anyone thinking about adding Zhujiajiao to their Shanghai trip!

I have a WeWork Day Pass that I can't use myself. 

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