Wuzhen Water Town Day Trip: Shanghai Bus Tour Review

Wuzhen Water Town Day Trip from Shanghai

Recommended Bus Tour & The Perfect Shanghai Side-Trip Itinerary

Written & Photographed by ©Hi-Couple

While Shanghai has endless things to see in the city center,

there's an incredible destination just outside the city where you can experience

the essence of traditional China.

I'm talking about the stunning Wuzhen Water Town.

If you're not familiar with "water towns,"

they are beautiful villages where scenic canals wind between ancient buildings,

creating a unique, magical vibe you won't find anywhere else.

Today, I'm sharing a super easy day-trip bus tour to Shanghai's water town,

plus ❗️ how to book the tour at a discount!

Recommended Bus Tour for Shanghai Wuzhen Water Town

Since Wuzhen Water Town is at least a 1.5-hour drive

from downtown Shanghai, getting there by public transit

can be quite a hassle.

Navigating outside the city can also be tough due to the language barrier,

so I highly recommend taking a bus tour to save yourself the stress.

Now, you might be wondering which bus tour to pick.

I personally booked and highly recommend the ​China Story Tour.

I always look at reviews first, and this one had

an overwhelming number of positive reviews and top ratings.

(And I totally agree with them!)

Another huge plus is that the China Story Tour departs in the afternoon,

meaning you get to see the breathtaking night view of the water town!

This also means you can enjoy your morning in downtown Shanghai before heading out,

making for a perfectly packed day.

You can check out and book the exact tour I took

right here:

Book the Wuzhen Water Town Tour Here

📌 The tour costs ~$51 per adult.

This is an amazing value since it includes the Dongzha rowboat ride

and Wuzhen admission tickets!

Wuzhen Water Town Day Tour Review

Meet the Guide

First, we met our guide at 12:10 PM,

boarded the bus, and departed around 12:30 PM.

The meeting point is near the New World City department store on East Nanjing Road,

which is super convenient if you're staying in the Nanjing Road area.

The bus even provided a bottle of water per person

and had Type-C and USB ports for charging, which was a lifesaver!

The actual tour starts right on the bus ride to Wuzhen.

Our guide was so engaging and entertaining,

sharing fascinating stories about Shanghai's history and culture.

Before we knew it, we had arrived!

There was never a dull moment.

After about a 90-minute drive, we arrived at Wuzhen,

and our guide took care of purchasing the entry tickets for us.

The ticket line there was incredibly long!

If we had come on our own, we would have wasted so much precious time waiting.

It made us so glad we chose the tour!

Wuzhen Water Town is divided into Dongzha (East Scenic Zone) and Xizha (West Scenic Zone).

Since Xizha is the main highlight, the itinerary covers

Dongzha quickly first before moving on to Xizha.

Dongzha

The highlight of Dongzha (East Gate) is boarding a traditional wooden boat

to enter the village—the vibe is absolutely magical.

The water town itself is incredibly beautiful, but

riding a hand-paddled wooden sculling boat

along the calm, flowing canal made me feel so incredibly glad that I came here..!

Our boatman kindly told us we could sit in the middle to snap some photos,

so we managed to get some once-in-a-lifetime shots.

Once you step off the boat, you'll start walking around

with the guide to truly soak in the atmosphere of Dongzha.

Since Dongzha is an area where locals still actually reside,

it's relatively quiet and perfect for a peaceful, leisurely stroll.

Along with exploring the village, in Dongzha you'll also get to visit

the Woodcarving Museum and the Ancient Bed Museum.

Our guide shared so many fascinating historical backstories

and explanations in such an engaging way

that we completely lost track of time while exploring.

Xizha (West Gate)

Next, we headed over to the main highlight of Wuzhen Water Town:

Xizha.

Just so you know, once you arrive in Xizha, the guide will give you a quick overview of the main spots

and then you'll have plenty of free time to explore on your own.

I actually loved this part because it allowed us to wander freely

and fully enjoy every corner of Wuzhen at our own pace!

As soon as we stepped into Xizha, we could immediately feel

how different the vibe was from Dongzha.

There were so many locals dressed in gorgeous traditional Hanfu clothing,

and the narrow alleyways were buzzing with energy!

The first place we stopped by was the famous Indigo Dye House in Xizha,

where we took some time to snap photos among

the beautifully hanging blue fabrics.

The pictures turned out way better than expected, so I highly recommend

wearing bright-colored clothes when you visit!

After that, we began exploring Xizha in earnest.

Personally, the scenery of Wuzhen Water Town possessed a unique beauty

unlike anywhere else I've ever traveled.

It was especially magical to watch the sun slowly set as the hours ticked by—

perfect for catching that golden hour glow!

Along the streets of Xizha, there were also tons of delicious

street snacks and cute souvenir shops.

You should definitely try the fried radish cakes and scallion pancakes (Congbaohui) at least once.

They make for the perfect street food snacks!

They have that universally loved, crispy, deep-fried goodness that anyone would enjoy.

As for souvenirs, I'd highly recommend picking up

a cute magnet or a pin badge.

We made sure to grab a magnet ourselves!

Near the far edge of Xizha Village, there is a towering pagoda.

If you head toward the pagoda around sunset

and then slowly walk back toward the entrance while taking in the night lights,

you'll perfectly time your exit for the return tour bus.

As the sun goes down, the pagoda slowly lights up,

and its golden glow feels like it's lighting up the entire town.

It was so much more scenic to view the pagoda across the canal

rather than looking up at it from directly underneath.

Once night fully falls, the once-quiet streets of Xizha

light up brilliantly, transforming into something truly magical.

It’s safe to say the absolute highlight of Wuzhen Water Town

is this night view—it was incredibly charming!

I snapped photos at every corner with the gorgeous night views in the background,

and then headed back to board our return bus.

Highly Recommended Shanghai Day Trip!

I always tell my friends traveling to Shanghai

that they absolutely must book the Wuzhen bus tour.

✅ The tour price includes the Wuzhen admission ticket, wooden boat ride, and more,

plus it saves you round-trip transportation costs, making it incredibly budget-friendly.

Also, if I hadn't taken the bus tour, I wouldn't have been able to

stay late enough to enjoy these stunning night views.

I’m so glad I chose the bus tour!

Book Your Wuzhen Water Town Tour Here

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