Wuzhen & Xitang Water Towns Private Day Tour with Meals

Two water towns in one day: canals and bridges by afternoon light, then riverside dinner under the night sky

A private full-day tour from Shanghai visits Wuzhen, a 1,300-year-old water town, and Xitang, over 2,000 years old, with a professional guide, boat ride along the canals, local lunch and dinner, and hotel pickup. The itinerary splits the day between morning exploration of Wuzhen's stone bridges and Ming-era houses, an afternoon boat ride, and an evening in Xitang timed to catch the sunset and night lights reflecting off the water.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Wuzhen and Xitang Water Towns

• Pick up from Shanghai hotel at 9:30am
• Travel to Wuzhen water town
• Stroll old town and learn history
• Enjoy local lunch in Wuzhen
• Take boat ride along Wuzhen canals
• Transfer to Xitang water village
• Watch sunset and explore Xitang
• Have riverside dinner in Xitang
• Walk local shops and bars
• Return to Shanghai hotel

The Experience

Your guide picks you up from your Shanghai hotel at 9:30am and drives north into Zhejiang province to Wuzhen, a water town built over thirteen centuries. The morning unfolds on foot through narrow cobbled pathways, crossing stone-arched bridges and passing Ming-era houses that line the canals. Your guide walks you through the town's history as you move. Local lunch happens in town, then you board a boat for an afternoon ride along the canals—the kind of moment that photographs well and lets the pace slow down after the walking.

Late afternoon brings a transfer to Xitang, a water village over two thousand years old. This is where the light changes: the sunset hits the water and the town's reflection deepens. Your guide explains Xitang's place in the history of the Yangtze River region and points out locations used in the 2006 film Mission Impossible III. Dinner is riverside, at a table where you can watch the ancient town light up after dark. After eating, you have time to walk through local shops and bars to see how the town moves at night before the drive back to Shanghai.

The tour runs nine to ten hours total. You travel in a comfortable vehicle with a professional driver and guide who speaks English or Chinese—you choose the language at booking. Bottled water is provided throughout the day. Both entrance fees and the boat ticket are included, so there's no stopping to buy tickets at either town.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup at 9:30am from either a city or outskirt location.
• comfortable vehicle with professional driver.
• English or Chinese-speaking private guide for the full day.
• entrance fees to both Wuzhen and Xitang.
• boat ride along Wuzhen's canals.
• local lunch in Wuzhen.
• riverside dinner in Xitang.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• return transfer to your Shanghai hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Amazing Shanghai Trip

Is this one for you?Book this if you're visiting both Wuzhen and Xitang in one day and want a private guide managing the route and timing; choose the city hotel pickup if you're staying central Shanghai, or the outskirt option if you're based elsewhere.

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Top questions

What is Wuzhen water town like when I get there?

Wuzhen is a 1,300-year-old town built around canals, with narrow cobbled streets, stone-arched bridges, and Ming-era houses lining the water. You walk through the old town with your guide, who explains its history, then take a boat ride along the canals in the afternoon to see it from the water.

Do I have time to see both water towns, or is it rushed?

The tour splits the day between the two: you spend the morning and early afternoon in Wuzhen (including lunch and a boat ride), then transfer to Xitang in the late afternoon to catch the sunset and have dinner by the riverside. You also have time to walk through Xitang's shops and bars after dark before returning to Shanghai.

What meals are included, and when do I eat?

Local lunch is included in Wuzhen after the morning walk, and a riverside dinner is included in Xitang in the evening. Both are local cuisine eaten in the towns themselves, not at a separate restaurant.

Can I book a guide who speaks Chinese instead of English?

Yes. You choose between an English-speaking or Chinese-speaking guide at the time of booking. The guide is private to your group for the full day.

Where does the pickup happen, and what time?

Your guide picks you up from your hotel in Shanghai at 9:30am. You can choose either a city hotel departure or an outskirt hotel departure when you book, depending on where you're staying.

Is the boat ride included, or do I pay extra?

The boat ride along Wuzhen's canals is included in the tour price, along with all entrance fees to both water towns. No additional tickets are needed once you arrive.