Tommy, our tour guide was a wonderful, attentive and engaging person. He was thorough in ensuring we had everything organised regarding the train travel. Tommy also found a wonderful vegetarian restaurant for our lunch, He managed the time well to ensure everything fit in without rushing. We also laughed heaps which added to the day, It was great to catch a fast train (ie avoid the traffic) to Suzhou travelling through the countryside and passing a number of cities. Highly recommend Tommy and this day trip from Shanghai.

Reviewed to: Suzhou Highlights Day Tour from Shanghai by High Speed Train

We had a great time on the one day private Suzhou tour from Shanghai. Shanghai Private Tour emailed us information in advance and Johnny was a fantastic tour guide. He picked us up from our hotel and we got the bullet train to Suzhou together. He told us lots of interesting information about Shanghai and the Chinese culture on the way and he knew a great deal of history about the sites we went to. He was really friendly and answered all our questions. I would highly recommend this trip and Shanghai Private Tour

Reviewed to: Suzhou Highlights Day Tour from Shanghai by High Speed Train

This is the 3rd day trip we booked with Shanghai Private Tour for our quick 4 day trip from the USA to experience Shanghai, China. A truly amazing day!

Hotel pickup and van ride:

We met our guides a little before 8:30am in the hotel lobby. We showed up early and they were already waiting for us. This trip offers hotel pickup from about any hotel in the area (we were staying in the Bund area of town) which is great! The guides were super friendly and have great English language skills. The trip starts with a van ride to the train station. The van was extremely clean and well maintained. The driver was very professional and I felt very confident in his driving skills.

Train ride:

This was my first experience on a bullet train. You’ll go through basic security at the train station. Make sure to take your passport. The tickets were all purchased ahead of time by our guides, so the process was quick and painless. Zero time wasted going through security. The train station is very clean and nice. The train itself is modern and very smooth. It’s neat seeing speeds of 300 plus km/h (a couple hundred miles per hour) on the screen. The seats are comfortable and the train was one of the nicest I have been on. The train ride takes about 1 hour. We spent the time asking a lot of questions to our guides who were extremely knowledgeable about the many questions we asked.

West Lake:

Upon reaching Hangzhou, we were picked up by another van. Again, extremely clean with a very professional driver. The van ride takes about 15-20 minutes to get to West Lake. We started the actual tour at West Lake. It’s very scenic. We were lucky enough to get a boat ride around the lake. This took about an hour total. A very pretty area with many great photo opportunities.

Lunch and the tea farms:

We took a quick van ride from West Lake to our lunch spot. It was a clean restaurant with many food options. We picked a couple of dishes on our own and the guides recommended a couple of others. It is good food and we were happily able to try some new dishes. It’s great to be able to try new things. We ate lunch community style, which allows you to try many different types of food. After lunch, we got to hike into the area where the green tea is being farmed. It was really nice to be out of the hustle of Shanghai and be able to see some of the countryside and nature. There are some beautiful places take pictures in this area.

Ling Ying Temple:

Ok, this was the highlight for me. Easily the highlight. Make sure to wear some comfortable shoes and take some water with (bottles of water were provided to us by our guides). There’s a lot of walking and a lot of steps. It was in the low 30s Celsius when we were here (mid 80s Fahrenheit) and very humid. The tour of the temple starts with seeing the carvings of Buddha statues into the side of a hill. We’re not talking a few carvings, we’re talking hundreds. And they’re not small. This is a true work of art. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. After seeing the carvings we got to see the temple complex. Unlike the temples you’ll see in the heart of Shanghai, these temples are in a sprawling complex in the wooded hills. It’s a very picturesque place with many amazing views and many temples with many massive Buddha statues. Being here and seeing this was easily the highlight of my trip to Shanghai.

Hefang street:

We took a van ride from the temple to Hefang street. This is a road from the Qing dynasty. It’s a very old road with many shops. We spent about 25 minutes here. You’ll be able to try samples of many local foods. It was nice being able to try some of the local foods. If you’re a fan of beef jerky, make sure to try the dried pork. I thought it was really good.

Back to Shanghai:

We took a van from Hefang road back to the train station. From here, it’s a reverse of the morning. Bullet train back to Shanghai and a van ride back to the hotel. The whole day takes about 12 hours.

My thoughts:

This is the third day trip we did with this company and this was by far my favorite. Every tour we did was very good, but getting out of the city and seeing the temple was amazing and easily my favorite experience from our trip to Shanghai. It’s a bit more costly than some of the options but well worth the investment. Everyone with this tour company has been very professional, yet very fun and educational! If you’re in Shanghai for a few days, this should be one of your experiences. Very highly recommended!

Reviewed to: ‘Heaven On Earth’ Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train

Had an amazing time touring Hangzhou from Shanghai with Tommy! Particularly for someone who only speaks English, I highly recommend this tour. We visited Lingyin in the morning and Tommy explained the history of the temple and the many statues inside. Then we had a lunch at local tea village for a unique Chinese meal. In the afternoon we toured the West Lake , the tea village and the Hefang Street. All around it was a fantastic trip!

Reviewed to: ‘Heaven On Earth’ Hangzhou Day Trip from Shanghai by Bullet Train

My husband and I were travelling to China for the first time on a cruise ship but were looking for an extension to Xian to make the most of the trip. I found China Private Tour online and was a little apprehensive at first - we always travel using the advice of our local agent. My fears quickly disappeared due to the friendliness and professionalism of Bonnie - our representative in China. Everything was perfect - from our local personal guide Elva in Xian, to hotels, transport and experiences. I've since referred a friend to Tom. Anyone going to China - give China Private Tour a go - you won't be disappointed. We loved the personal touch which just made the visit even more special.

Reviewed to: 11 Days China Golden Triangle Tour with Yangtze Cruise

Just back from a fantastic trip to China! From Bonnie's help arranging my itinerary to the knowledgeable and friendly guides (Angela in Beijing, Wei in Xi'an and Avril in Shanghai & Suzhou) and the drivers the whole experience was amazing, if not too short! Too many highlights to mention, but two standouts were walking on the Great Wall (trip from Beijing) and seeing the Terracotta Warriors (trip from Xi'an). Will definitely return to see more of the country, and wouldn't hesitate to use China Private Tour again. Thanks!!

Reviewed to: Best China Private Tours: 14-Day Iconic Journey from Shanghai to Beijing via Hangzhou, Guilin, Chengdu & Xi'an

My husband and I just returned from a 15 days "Best of China:Tour customized for us by China Private Tour. We had a wonderful experience from start to finish. Roger was our coordinator in China and he was friendly, professional and efficient in making the arrangements before we left. He was quick to respond to our questions and was helpful throughout. He even called during the trip to check in on how things were going. Each destination on the trip was great- the guides and drivers were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating to our interests and needs. Thank you to Angela in Beijing, Anna in Xian, Raimon in Guilin, Yung in Chongqing,,Kitty in Yichang, Alex in Chengdu and Alex in Shanghai- and of course our drivers in each place. We will never forget the beauty of the Li River and the Yangtze River and the 3 Gorges, the beautiful cities of Xian, the cute panda in Chengdu....And we will especially remember the wonderful people that we met. Thanks to everyone. I heartily recommend China Private Tour to anyone who want to travel to China.

Reviewed to: 15 Days Best of China Tour with Yangtze Cruise

I and my wife Wendy have done a lot of traveling all around the world some lovely memorable tours and trips since I retired 12 years ago. The best by far was the one to China with China Private Tour 3 weeks of very well organised eye-opening pleasure cruises terracotta army great wall of China etc. etc. truly wonderful tour never a dull moment. Put this on the top of your wish list we promise you will enjoy many sites and memories for the rest of your life.

Reviewed to: 7 Days Shanghai Xian Beijing Golden Triangle Tour By Train

We had heard about the "water towns" near Shanghai and chose this tour because it offered a customizable, full-day trip to Suzhou and Tongli using rail transport rather than bus or car which we understood would take more time to get there and back. Our guide Rita met us on time in our hotel lobby. She was an excellent companion for the day -- a great knowledge of the history of the region, a very pleasant personality, and fluent English skills. Rita took us by taxi to the train station and got us quickly through the ticket pick-up process, the station security, and the boarding of an impressive Chinese Rail high-speed train. I don't believe we could have navigated ourselves the complicated process to use the train. Rita saved us a lot of time and stress. The trip takes only 25 minutes from Shanghai to Suzhou by train. A very pleasant trip. On arrival Rita asked us what we wanted to do as priority, and took us first to the Garden of the Master of the Nets. She gave us an in-depth tour of the gardens and buildings, and her recommendation to start here in Suzhou was excellent as we were almost alone, away from the throngs of tourists elsewhere in the city. From there we visited the Silk Museum, and had lunch in central Suzhou at an excellent local restaurant. Rita ordered a range of great dishes. After lunch we did a relaxing boat ride on the charming canal along Pingjiang Lu, followed by a visit to the Gusu District, one of the many other water towns (part of Suzhou) with a stroll along the main shopping street and views of the canals. Rita chose sites that gave us an excellent overview of the history and charm of the area, and avoided the most heavily visited tourist sites. The pace was not rushed and covered a lot. We saw very few foreign tourists throughout the day, which made it a special experience. We then boarded the fast train back to Shanghai and Rita accompanied us by taxi from the station back to the hotel. It was a super day and something we could not have done nearly as well without a guide. Highly recommended. Cost is not cheap, but it included all taxis, train fare, guide, lunch, entry fees to the Garden and the canal boat ride. It is also important to mention that our communication with Sunny in setting up this and other tours in Shanghai was impressive. She speaks good English, answered our messages within hours, and provided advice on how best to structure our tours. Well done.

Reviewed to: All Inclusive Suzhou Gardens and Tongli Water Town Discovery Tour From Shanghai

Tommy was the excellent tour guide for our trip to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang from Shanghai. The train ride from Shanghai to Suzhou was a great experience. He was good company and had an excellent knowledge of the region and was interesting to talk to about China in general. He had many anecdotes and kept us entertained. Another tour recommended for those with a wider interest in China.

Reviewed to: All Inclusive Suzhou Gardens and Tongli Water Town Discovery Tour From Shanghai