Overview
Skip the Suzhou crowds. This day trip takes you to Dongshan — a quiet peninsula on Taihu Lake — for a morning bowl of Suzhou noodles, an easy hike through bamboo and tea terraces, a walk through a 1,000-year-old village, and sunset over the lake with coffee. Round-trip from Shanghai, door to door.
Highlights
- Dongshan Peninsula — Hike bamboo trails and tea terraces above Taihu Lake, China's third-largest freshwater lake
- 1,000-Year-Old Luxiang Village — Walk a Southern Song-era village where time has barely moved
- Lakeside Sunset Coffee — Finish the day watching the sun go down over the water
- Suzhou Noodle Lunch — Slurp local noodles at a village shop loved by locals
- Easy 8km Hike — Around 300m elevation gain; if you can walk two or three hours, you can do it
- Door-to-Door from Shanghai — Hotel pick-up and drop-off with no transfers to arrange
Itinerary
Noodles, Mountain, Ancient Village & Sunset
9:00 AM — Depart Shanghai
Pick-up from your hotel. Two hours on the highway, and the skyline gives way to tea fields and peach orchards.
11:00 AM — Suzhou Noodles
Before the trail, fuel up. A local noodle shop at the foot of Dongshan — the kind where grandpa has been making noodles the same way for decades. Red soup, thin noodles, topped with whatever's fresh.
12:00 PM — Hike Mulifeng
The trail starts from the village. Climb through bamboo forest, then tea terraces open up with Taihu sprawling below — 40km of water on a clear day. Take your time, enjoy the views. Easy pace, stone steps and dirt paths.
3:00 PM — Luxiang Ancient Village
The trail drops into Luxiang — a village that's been here since the Southern Song Dynasty. Stone lanes, Ming-era archways, ancestral halls with carved wooden doors. Just people living in a place that hasn't changed much in 800 years. Take your time wandering.
4:30 PM — Village Café & Sunset
Grab a coffee at a café in the village facing the lake. If the weather's good, watch the sun slowly dip below the Taihu horizon.
6:00 PM — Return to Shanghai
Back in the car. Home by 8:30 PM.
8km total | ~300m elevation gain | Easy | Stone steps and dirt paths
What's Included
- Door-to-door transport from central Shanghai (pick-up & drop-off)
- Suzhou noodle lunch
- Yuhua Scenic Area entrance ticket
- Coffee at Luxiang village
- English-speaking driver-guide (2-3 pax) or driver + English-speaking guide (4+ pax)
- All tolls, parking and fuel
What's Not Included
- Dinner (Chinese or Western set menu available on request — $15/person)
- Luxiang old residence entrance ticket
- Pudong Airport area pick-up/drop-off: +$30–50 per vehicle (depending on vehicle size)
- Other personal expenses
- Travel insurance
Good to Know
- Easy hike: 8km, ~300m elevation gain. If you can walk for 2-3 hours, you're good
- Wear comfortable walking shoes — paths can be slippery after rain
- Bring a rain jacket from April to October — afternoon showers happen
- Suzhou noodle lunch is a local noodle shop — tell us about dietary needs in advance
- Daily departure. Private tour — your group only. Pick-up at 9:00 AM from any hotel in central Shanghai
- Questions? [email protected]
