Yangzhou: lake gardens, temples and Dongguan Street

Pair gardens beside the water with a temple visit and an evening of eating and browsing the old streets.

Getting there and back: Pickup from hotels in the listed six Nanjing districts, by private car/minibus to Yangzhou. This version picks up at 09:00; other times can be agreed separately. Private return within the same Nanjing pickup area; airport/station transfers cost extra. Indicative Nanjing return is 17:00, not a public last-service time.

Time and walking: The hotel-return service takes about 8 hours; overtime costs extra. Daming Temple, Slender West Lake and Dongguan Street are each listed at about 2 hours, as itinerary segment references. Visitors describe several hours walking around the lake and crossing multiple bridges. Reports mention multiple bridges; they do not give stair counts, gradients or an accessibility conclusion. The selected package includes rowing on Slender West Lake; temples and streets still involve walking.

Tickets and timing: At reading, Package C started at US$93.83 per person for 13–17 people, including vehicle, Daming Temple/Slender West Lake admission and rowing, excluding guide/meals. This is neither a 1–6-person English private-tour price nor standalone admission.

Who it suits: Suits a full day of lake gardens, temples and old streets at a different Jiangnan pace. Less suitable for only a short half day or if successive gardens, temples and streets do not appeal. The low price is for 13–17 people without a guide; English reception refers to support. Separate English-guide packages exist. Chinese New Year visitors report crowds. Lake gardens and Dongguan Street food/strolling offer a different scale from Nanjing's major museums and palaces. Both use a full day: Yangzhou suits large lake gardens and temples; Gaochun suits smaller streets, food and countryside. Yangzhou's 8-hour charter and Gaochun's rough self-drive budget are not equal drive times.

Arrange the date and time with the provider before putting this in your day.