Overview
A laid-back day trip from Shanghai to Digang, a 1,000-year-old water village on the Grand Canal. Explore old lanes, sip tea at a century-old teahouse, taste local snacks and pick seasonal fruit.
Itinerary
Digang: Canal Old Town & Fruit Picking Day Trip
Slow down for a day in Digang, a picturesque thousand-year-old village set on the banks of the Grand Canal near Huzhou, on a relaxed private day trip from Shanghai. Your English-speaking guide and private car collect you from your hotel and drive you into the gentle water-town countryside of northern Zhejiang.
Surrounded by water on all sides, Digang is a wonderfully authentic old village with well-preserved architecture that hints at its prosperous past. You will wander the ancient streets at an easy pace, stopping for photos among whitewashed walls and tiled roofs. A highlight is the famous "One Yuan Teahouse", a beautifully time-worn spot where stepping inside feels like travelling back fifty years or more, full of warmth and everyday local life. You can sit down for a cup of tea and soak up the unhurried atmosphere.
Lunch is a tour of Digang's traditional flavours: you can try the village's celebrated noodle dishes, A-wen rice cakes, fish-head noodles and the much-loved Shi family wontons from a 20-year-old shop, with your guide guiding you to the best stalls.
In the afternoon you drive to a nearby orchard for hands-on seasonal fruit picking. Depending on the time of year this may be loquats, nectarines, cherries or strawberries; you can sample as you pick and take a generous share of fresh fruit home. It is a fun, gentle activity suitable for all ages.
There is no hiking on this tour, just easy strolling, good food and the simple pleasure of the orchard. Afterwards your private car returns you directly to your Shanghai hotel.
A laid-back day trip from Shanghai to Digang, a 1,000-year-old water village on the Grand Canal. Explore old lanes, sip tea at a century-old teahouse, taste local snacks and pick seasonal fruit.
What's Included
✓ Included
✕ Not included
Cancellation Policy
Free cancellation is available on most tours up to 24 hours before the start time. The exact cancellation terms for this tour are shown during booking.
Traveler Reviews
One detail from the day: what I remember is the change from one stop to the next: different room, different smell, different crowd. Canal Old Town & Fruit Picking Day was only one part of it.
The useful part in Shanghai was having someone explain how to order the same dishes later. I left with names in my phone, not just photos. I would rather keep the pause at Canal Old Town & Fruit Picking Day than add another stop.
A practical note: one Shanghai dish was outside my comfort zone, which was half the reason I booked. Asking how locals eat it made the stop much more interesting. With 10 hours to work with, the balance felt sensible.
In hindsight, not every minute was engineered into a “moment.” There was time for coffee, questions and simply watching Shanghai go by. My only advice is not to shorten the time at Canal Old Town & Fruit Picking Day.
In short, I booked mainly for Canal Old Town & Fruit Picking Day. I was glad I did because of Shanghai.