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.