After a warm welcome from the guide and driver at the meeting point, you start the evening watching a thrilling show from the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe. Witness talented artists who have won countless medals and awards for their acrobatic skills. The show combines trapeze acts, balancing feats, aerial stunts and motorcycle stunt show and will keep you glued to your chair from the start to the finish.

You will then venture out into the night to experience the sights and sounds of Shanghai. View the beautiful colonial and art deco buildings along the Bund, the waterfront promenade which runs alongside the Huangpu River. On the other side of the river, marvel at the sleek skyscrapers on Pudong. Illuminated at night, they create an impressive backdrop for photographs.

The evening ends at Xintiandi, an entertainment area filled with bars, restaurants and boutiques. Nightlife with a Chinese touch goes on here until the late hours and you will have the opportunity to stay and savour the atmosphere. You can opt to return back on the transfer, or stay to experience the nightlife and make your own way back to the hotel.

After being collected from the hotel by the guide and driver, you will head to Shanghai Tower. This iconic skyscraper boasts several unique architectural features such as a curved, spiral form that completes a 120-degree twist, thereby lessening wind loads on the building by 24 per cent and allowing the structure to withstand the force of typhoon winds. The ear-popping lifts are some of the fastest in the world.

A visit would not be complete without a climb to the ‘Top of Shanghai’ on the 118th floor – the world’s highest indoor observation deck. From this sky-high location, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the Huangpu River and the sprawling city below, a densely packed mass of streets and high-rise buildings.

Then head down to the 37th floor to visit the Guanfu Museum which has five galleries filled with Chinese antiquities. You can enjoy browsing the 500-plus artefacts, including Buddhist art, furniture, silk and an impressive ceramic collection dating back to the Song Dynasty. Also on this floor, you can stroll through the highest indoor Chinese-style garden in the world.

At the end of the tour, the driver will take you back to your hotel.

From your hotel, set off with your guide on this half-day historical tour that delves into Shanghai’s fascinating Jewish heritage. Head to the Jewish Refugees Museum founded on the site of the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue. Built by Russian Jews at the beginning of the 20th century, this synagogue lies at the heart of the 1940s Jewish ghetto.

The museum commemorates Jewish refugees who lived in Shanghai after fleeing Europe to escape the Holocaust during the Second World War. While the downstairs area remains a place of worship, the upper floors are devoted to exhibition space and a screening area that runs films about the Jewish experience in Shanghai. View artefacts that are not only dedicated to the refugees but also to the Chinese who took these people in. Wander through an array of exhibits documenting the lives of the immigrants who fled to the city.

After leaving the museum, spend some time exploring the surrounding area and other famous landmarks, including the Moller Villa and the Fairmont Peace Hotel before returning to the hotel.

After your guide and driver welcome you at your Shanghai hotel, we head straight out of the metropolis in a western direction towards Suzhou. Located around 20 kilometres from downtown along the Taihu Lake, Tongli Town is a perfect example of a Venice of the East in China: true to its word of being a highly-valued tourism destination, the waterways of this more than 1000-year old town form the real side of what once was. The waterways entwine the old city, with 5 major lakes surrounding the quaint town centre, where a collection of ancient bridges are there to admire. Some bridges still stand as highlights in Tongli, silently telling the stories and legends of the ancient town, just south of the Yangtze. Gently sailing through this town is a must and included.

Lunch will be included at a local restaurant before we head into Suzhou. Of all the cities in China, Suzhou has been blessed with a top 20 spot in the most interesting places in the whole country. The cultural aspect of Suzhou itself lies in the meticulously-maintained gardens, filled with symbolism and give ample examples of the richness in Chinese garden design. One of the most significant gardens, under UNESCO protection, will tell its own story of affluence and strong ties with architecture. A garden that has maximized its space to create an oasis of peace has to be the Garden of the Master of the Nets. It is the smallest of the Suzhou residential gardens, yet it is one of the most impressive ones because of its illusion of an area that is much greater than its actual size.

We, unfortunately, do not have enough time this day to watch more stunning examples of classical Chinese garden design, but with the Gardens of the Master of the Nets as our example that reflects the profound metaphysical importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture, one has an understanding of what one may expect more.

This approximately 2-hour journey starts from your booked hotel with a visit to the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street where you will be guided for a stroll. These encounters with the vibrancies of Shanghai at night are good warming up to what is to be expected.

From here, it is a short ride to the Bund – also called Zhongshan Road -, Shanghai’s iconic waterfront and regarded as the symbol of the city. It starts from the Baidu Bridge, which is at the connecting point of the Huangpu River and the Suzhou Creek, to the East Jinling Road and winds southeast for about 1.2 kilometres. We board a river cruise for leisurely sailing over the Huangpu River, where we give you front row seats for seeing both sides of Shanghai – Pu Dong (East) and Pu Xi (West). Like colourful pinnacles on both sides of the riverbank, we ensure that you can admire the impressive, brightly lit up skyline.

An evening tour in Shanghai is not complete with walking over the Bund, also known as the International Architecture Exhibition because of its variety in architecture. Nowadays, local residents tend to head out to the Bund for a stroll, enjoy the nightlife and get a taste of traditional, modern or fusion cuisine at one of the restaurants and chic pubs inside these historical buildings. We move across the Huangpu River and into the Pudong side to capture the atmosphere of modern Shanghai at Lujiazui Commercial Area, which is the newly developed and fast-growing part of Shanghai city. We give you some free time to wander around, get some great evening shots or find yourself seeking new venues for dinner and drinks. It is possible to stay here and look for a great spot to end this day in Shanghai (transfers are on your own arrangement) or hop onto the vehicle for a comfortable transfer back to your accommodation.

This 7-hour journey from and to Shanghai partially follows the Yangtze River and into the Qingpu District, bringing over 1700 years of historical value to the region. Affectionally called ‘The Venice of Shanghai’, Zhujiajiao is the mecca for people who enjoy lovely waterways, cobblestoned streets, numerous bridges, constructed like arches over the canals and more than 10,000 (!) buildings dating back to the Qing and Ming Dynasty. Walking on the almost labyrinth-style stone pathway and the winding long lanes, customers often refer to this feeling as ‘walking in an elegant and fresh painting in China’. Small rivers shaded by trees, bridges over small rivers, houses dated back to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, unsophisticated local people, all of these are the charm of the small town. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Spending a couple of hours may look like a long time but once you get immersed into the local rhythm, time will fly. It is very easy to get lost and blend in with the local community who have been living amidst the hectic of the modern big city to a brand-new world full of antiquity, leisure and tranquillity. It is one of these smaller places within easy reach of Shanghai that will increase your appreciation of ancient Chinese culture and preservation of architectural treasures of old. But it is time to call it a day at the end of the day.

We end our full-day exploration of this charming town by heading back to your booked accommodation in the hustle and bustle of modern Shanghai.

Transfer from your booked accommodation to a central meeting point in the Xintiandi district is on own arrangement. Upon arrival at the meeting place, you are welcomed by your guide; a local expert with an insurmountable knowledge of the alleyways and hidden roads, unbeknownst by many.

Once your vintage bicycle is fitted according to your length, it’s pedalling time! Via the famous French Concession, a former residential area has now become popular thanks to its tree-lined avenues, café culture and French-style architecture blended with Chinese buildings, and charming Fuxing Park, a local snack stop perfectly breaks up the first part of the morning. Explanations and stories aplenty will flow through the morning as the cycling guide explains the ins and outs of his home.

Leaving the facades of modern Shanghai far behind, the remainder of the morning is spent in Old Town. This is one of the best districts where the traditional wet market concept remains a daily sight to behold and stops to see a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds and smells fill the air. From here, going deeper into the Lilongs (lanes) of Shanghai of a bygone era is just logical progression. Admire a way of living that has changed little since the city’s heyday days as a quaint fishing village. Turning back towards the more modern side of Shanghai, and our meeting point, one stop at a local Buddhist temple along Ji’an Road complements all our visits on this day. Within the temple’s yellow-brick walls, hues of spirituality and traditions still reign supreme.

Our final pedal-powered movements lead us back to the meeting point at Xintiandi district before returning to your Shanghai hotel on own arrangement.

A short drive from Shanghai and Wuzhen welcomes the Chinese cultural-savvy and historically interested traveller. Joined by a local English-speaking guide from your hotel lobby in Shanghai, the 1.5-hour one-way transfer gradually leaves the towering landscape of this metropolis behind. Seen as one of the finest examples of a well-kept water town, Wuzhen elates every visitor from beginning to end.

Dating back more than 7,000 years, the best way to explore Wuzhen is on foot and, of course, over the water. A myriad of cobbles-stone streets and equally charming bridges zigzag through this protected zone. Your guide will explain the stories behind the old houses and points out spots for an Instagram-perfect moment. Lunch is included during this day.

The afternoon is reserved to watch some of the local handicraft and traditional entertainment activities such as a puppet show. Some of these ancient performances date back to as early as the Ming and Qing Dynasty and have maintained its stunning yet romantic characteristics throughout the years. This is one of these no-rush explorations favoured by many as Wuzhen captures the Chinese essence as being one of the main transportation ways of old for ships to carry goods.

The day comes to an end as you and your guide will join your driver for the day for a comfortable drive back to bustling Shanghai. A day out and about in award-winning Wuzhen sadly comes to an end as soon as your vehicle drives up to your hotel lobby and your Chinese travel ambassadors thank you for your day out and about.