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🎉 Shanghai - Suzhou - Hangzhou: My Epic DIY Trip! 🇨🇳
Okay, so after binging "Story of Kunning Palace," I was like, "I NEED to go to China!" 🤣 And guess what? My 8-day, 7-night adventure with a friend from Oct 18-25, 2024, was a TOTAL success thanks to all the awesome reviews out there. Now it's my turn to share the love!
✈️ Flights: China Eastern/Shanghai Airlines
- Perks: 8kg carry-on, 23kg checked baggage, and meals.
- Heads up: I flew into Shanghai and out of Hangzhou. I won't be covering flight costs or visa stuff since I wasn't flying from Vietnam.
- My Take: I expected a fancy VN Airlines experience, but the plane was kinda small, seats were cramped, and zero entertainment (no blankets, pillows, or screens!). The flight attendants barely spoke English; maybe one person could say "noodles" or "rice." 😅
- Verdict: I probably wouldn't fly with them again.
- Customs: I breezed through, but my friend got grilled a bit (showed all their documents). They hand out entry cards on the plane, so grab one and fill it out beforehand to save time. Don't forget a pen!
💰 Payments: Alipay & Cash is King
- Alipay (支付宝): Activate it BEFORE you go! I loaded 1000 RMB/person through a third party and added my Visa card. For some reason, the subway charges went straight to my Visa instead of my Alipay balance. 🤷♀️
- Cash: I also exchanged 500 RMB for each of us, which was perfect for small shops and street food.
📱 App Essentials: Level Up Your Trip!
- Maps: Apple Maps worked great in Shanghai, but it struggled in Suzhou and Hangzhou. Gaode Map (高德地图) saved the day, but you'll need to know the place names in Chinese.
- Weixin/WeChat (微信): Get it! Some places only have Weixin order codes. You'll need someone to activate it for you (lucky me, I have a Chinese friend!).
- Xiaohongshu (小红书): If you speak Chinese, download this ASAP. It's gold for finding hidden gems, opening hours, routes, and restaurant reviews. Way better than Google!
📶 SIM Card: Stay Connected
- I bought a SIM with a VPN on Shopee to access IG & Google. I had 2GB/day, which was more than enough. The downside is that you don't get a local Chinese number for food delivery apps like Meituan.
🌧️ Weather: Pack Accordingly!
- I hit some rainy days at the end of my trip. The rain was light, but the fog ruined some photo ops. Temps ranged from 10-25°C (50-77°F), with Suzhou being the coldest.
🚄 Getting Around: Trains & DiDi
- Trains: Super convenient in all three cities if you don't have huge luggage (some exits have no elevators, and the trains can get packed). Activate your train code through Alipay's "Transport" option for each city. Trains run from around 5:30 AM to 10:30 PM. If you have a late-night/early-morning flight, you'll need DiDi.
- DiDi (滴滴): Like Grab/Uber, integrated into Alipay. If you need a DiDi to get somewhere on time (show, airport), book a bit early, as it can take a while to get a car during peak hours.
- Between cities: High-speed trains are fast and cheap. Book your tickets on Trip.com in advance to avoid sell-outs!
🏨 Hotel Hotspots: Where to Stay
- Booked through Trip.com and Expedia.
- Shanghai: Shanghai People's Square Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street Treasure Hotel (上海人民广场南京东路步行街珍宝酒店) - Super modern, clean, and the BED was heavenly! Close to the subway and lots of eateries (including a great matcha place). Highly recommend!
- Suzhou: Pan Pacific Suzhou (苏州吴宫泛太平洋酒店) - Worth the hype! The hotel itself is a destination, with its own Panmen Garden (free for guests). So beautiful! The staff was helpful, and the rooms were huge. Only downside: no bidet! 😭 The breakfast buffet was delicious. Book with breakfast included because there isn't much nearby. The price is reasonable.
- Hangzhou: UrCove by HYATT Hangzhou Westlake (杭州西湖米兰逸扉酒店) - After two amazing hotels, this was a letdown. 😩 It was cheaper, but the rooms were small, poorly soundproofed, and awkwardly laid out. The sink was in the open, and the toilet wasn't great. The staff barely spoke English. The only good thing was its location near the subway and a mall. 😢
🗺️ Itinerary: My Action-Packed 8 Days
I'll post photos with comments below! 😉
- Day 1: Shanghai
- Morning: Arrive & rest
- Afternoon: China Art Museum (中华艺术馆)
- Evening: Chenghuangmiao Old Street (城隍庙老街)
- Day 2: Shanghai
- Morning: Photo walk: Yuanmingyuan Road (圆明园), Rockbund, Starbucks…
- Afternoon: Xintiandi (新天地), Wukang Mansion (武康楼)
- Evening: Lujiazui (陆家嘴) – rained and foggy! 😭 Then The Bund (外滩).
- Day 3: Disneyland! (Details in the photos!)
- Day 4: Shanghai - Suzhou
- Morning: Breakfast, then 11 AM high-speed train to Suzhou (Shanghai Station - Suzhou Station).
- Afternoon: Suzhou Museum (苏州博物馆), Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政園)
- Evening: Shantang Street (山塘街) - beautiful and lots of souvenirs.
- Day 5: Tongli Water Town - Suzhou
- Morning-Afternoon: Tongli Water Town (同里)
- Evening: Jinji Lake (金鸡湖)
- Day 6: Suzhou - Hangzhou
- Morning: Explore the hotel & take photos.
- Afternoon: 12:37 PM high-speed train to Hangzhou (arrived at 2:20 PM). Direct route from Suzhou to Hangzhou has only one trip, 6:43am and take much longer.
- Evening: Impression West Lake Show (印象西湖), Qinghefang Street (清河坊)
- Day 7: Hangzhou
- Morning: Shangtianzhu Temple (Faxi) (上天竺法喜講寺)
- Afternoon: West Lake (西湖) - Boat trip to Three Pools Mirroring the Moon (三潭印月), Leifeng Pagoda (雷峰塔)
🍜 Foodie Adventures: The Good, the Greasy, and the OMG-Delicious
Generally, the Chinese seem to LOVE noodles! They're chewy and good, but they can get heavy after a while. A lot of dishes are also pretty oily. Veggies are rare, and you usually have to order a separate plate. But the bubble tea? Never disappoints! 🧋 It's truly a tea paradise.
My highlights:
- Crab noodles: Delicious and rich, but my friend found it too oily. Super pricey in Shanghai (100+ RMB).
- Guìhuā gāo (桂花糕): Soft, chewy osmanthus cake. Yum!
- Haidilao Hot Pot (海底捞), Shanghai: We spent almost 300 RMB and were stuffed. My friend loved the tomato broth, and I was obsessed with the chicken broth with actual chicken! It was packed on Saturday night (waited over an hour!), but totally worth it. The cantaloupe was SO sweet.
- Xiaotaoyuan (小桃园) breakfast place (multiple locations): Amazing fried dough sticks (youtiao) and soy milk. They only have a Chinese menu, so brush up on your Chinese or have pictures ready. Their salty tofu (咸豆腐) was weird since we're used to sweet tofu. Their Danbing (蛋饼) crepe was incredible, I had it every morning!
- Songhelou Restaurant (松鹤楼), Shantang Street, Suzhou: Packed! The fried fish was 250 RMB (expensive!), but it was so good. Worth trying once!
- Micun Bibimbap (米村拌饭) Korean restaurant (in the mall): Delicious and affordable.
- Fat Pho Vietnamese restaurant (multiple locations) in Hangzhou: Surprisingly good pho! 60+ RMB/bowl. Skip the spring rolls.
- Michelin 王氏烧饼: Fried dough sticks a bit oily, but Nuomifantuan (糯米饭团) sticky rice balls are delicious
- Luluobo (绿箩卜) Zhongshanbeilu 中山北路: Delicious western food, around 60 RMB/portion.
- 蟹上黄 Hangzhou: Cheaper Crab rice 88 RMB and Taro dessert is alright
- Bubble tea: Chagee, HeyTea, Other Tea,... Bamboo tea? Total waste of money. Just buy one for the photo op.
🧍 People: The Good, the Bad, and the Pushy
Some people were super friendly, others were a bit grumpy. The DiDi drivers can be a little arrogant (one guy just popped the trunk and told us to load our luggage). Some of the staff seemed annoyed when we struggled with Chinese. And I hate how people cut in line, spit everywhere, smoke everywhere, and talk/yell loudly! 😂 But overall, it was fine. Some of the shop owners were really sweet and patient with my terrible Chinese. 🥰
✨ Final Thoughts: China, You've Impressed Me!
🌇 Shanghai: vibrant, Suzhou: ancient, Hangzhou: green. This trip was filled with amazing photos and new experiences. China is way more developed than I imagined. I'll definitely be back to explore other regions! Wishing you all an amazing trip! ✨💖
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