Overview
A cool, relaxed private day from Shanghai into Cixi's hidden hills. Stroll a shaded stream-side bamboo trail, explore a thousand-year village and pick bayberries in season, with your own car.
Itinerary
Shanghai: Cixi Stream Trail & Ancient Village Day Trip
Leave Shanghai behind for a refreshingly cool and easygoing day in the secret hills of Cixi on this fully private tour, designed for gentle strolling, nature and local life rather than demanding hikes. Your English-speaking guide and private driver pick you up from your hotel for the scenic drive into Zhejiang's green countryside.
The centerpiece is a beautiful ancient trail that follows a clear mountain stream, shaded by towering bamboo and dotted with four traditional rest pavilions. Tucked among the slopes, the air here runs several degrees cooler than the lowlands, a natural air-conditioned escape on a warm day. You'll wander past crystal-clear pools and a quiet old temple, where vivid guardian statues and weathered stone tablets hint at centuries of history, all at a comfortable, unhurried pace.
Next you'll visit a charming thousand-year-old village famous for its flowing water, ancient trees and Ming and Qing-dynasty relics. Cradled on three sides by hills and shaded by giant old trees, it's the kind of timeless place where the modern world simply fades away, perfect for a slow wander, a cup of tea and a taste of everyday rural China.
In early summer, the village stroll is swapped for a visit to a bayberry orchard, where you can pick and eat the sweet, juicy local fruit straight from the tree. A relaxed lunch is included, and because the tour is private the day flexes entirely around you before your car returns you to Shanghai in the late afternoon.
A cool, relaxed private day from Shanghai into Cixi's hidden hills. Stroll a shaded stream-side bamboo trail, explore a thousand-year village and pick bayberries in season, with your own car.
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
My camera roll says Cixi Stream Trail & Ancient Village Day was the big moment. My actual favourite was Shanghai; it felt less obvious and more personal.
What helped was simple: transport to the trailhead was the piece I would not have wanted to arrange myself. Once there, the day felt simple. With 10 hours to work with, the balance felt sensible.
Looking back, my legs noticed the climbs the next morning. I would still do the same route, just with lighter shoes and fewer things in my daypack. My only advice is not to shorten the time at Cixi Stream Trail & Ancient Village Day.
Looking back, this felt like travelling with someone who knew the area, not following a person holding a flag. That difference showed most at Shanghai. The time around Cixi Stream Trail & Ancient Village Day was not the part I would cut.