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Traveling to China independently often makes many people hesitant, especially those who don't speak Chinese. However, the experiences of traveler Nguyen Tran Hieu in Shanghai and Suzhou prove that with thorough preparation, any challenge can be overcome. The information Hieu shares will help Vietnamese tourists feel more confident when experiencing the culture, cuisine, urban life, and exploring the ancient streets of China.
Traveling independently in China offers travelers the opportunity to experience the culture in their own way.
Preparation in Vietnam: Visa, flight tickets, hotel, and application.
According to tourist Nguyen Tran Hieu, the most important preparation step is applying for a Chinese visa, which costs approximately 2.9 million VND and takes 5 days to process. Next is booking round-trip air tickets and hotels to ensure a smooth trip. Hieu chose to fly directly with Vietnam Airlines, departing at 7:40 AM and landing at 12:30 PM Chinese time, with a ticket price of 9.68 million VND.
Regarding hotels in Suzhou, Hieu chose the JI Hotel, priced at 2.88 million VND for two nights, located right on Quanqian pedestrian street and near the old town along the Pingjiang River. The hotel is only about a 5-minute walk from bus stop 529, making it convenient to travel to popular tourist attractions, and a 10-minute walk from Lindunlu metro station, providing easy access to Suzhou Railway Station.
In Shanghai, the Fish Inn East Nanjing Road hotel costs 1,489,000 VND per night and is located near the bustling Nanjing Street, a few steps from the East Nanjing Road metro station and close to a public bicycle rental station, making it convenient to rent a bicycle to explore the city.
Quan Tien pedestrian street is right next to the JI Hotel where Hieu is staying.
Hieu also prepared a GoHub eSIM with 15GB/7 days for 365,000 VND to use apps and data. In addition, he bought a T-union card on Klook for 492,000 VND, pre-loaded with 100 yuan, to facilitate convenient travel by metro, Maglev, and train.
During this trip, he called apps like Alipay, MetroMan, Moovit, Google Maps, and Google Translate "lifesavers" for his self-guided trip. Alipay not only helped with payments but also allowed him to order food, buy train tickets, tour tickets, and rent bicycles, and it even integrated a translation tool. MetroMan helped him find metro lines and stations in English, while Moovit helped him look up bus routes in Suzhou if he knew the route number.
When you need walking directions or to locate attractions, Google Maps remains a convenient option, especially when you've saved locations offline beforehand. Google Translate becomes a valuable assistant when communicating with ticket vendors or asking for directions.
A VPN can be used when needed, but a 4G eSIM or hotel Wi-Fi network is more stable. Travelers should also prepare some cash in case of emergencies.
Metro stations in Suzhou and Shanghai have English station names, but buses and taxis are less common, so lookup and translation apps are essential.
Land in Shanghai and then travel to Suzhou.
On the first day, Hieu landed at Pudong Airport in Shanghai. It took about an hour to complete immigration procedures, collect luggage, finish biometric declarations, and get his visa stamped. Typically, customs officers would ask basic questions about the length of stay, hotel, and itinerary.
After passing through customs, he picked up his T-union card at the counter and traveled by Maglev train to Longyang Road station, which took about 30 minutes. The Maglev ticket cost 50 yuan, but if he had a flight on the same day, it would be reduced to 40 yuan.
Fingerprint scanners are used before passing through customs.
The T-union card is used to pay for transportation.
Maglev cards can be purchased at kiosks and paid for with Alipay.
From Longyang Road, Hieu used MetroMan to find his way to Shanghai Railway Station. There, he bought a train ticket to Suzhou (42 yuan) and presented his passport at the counter. After boarding the train and arriving at Suzhou Railway Station, he took the metro to Lindunlu station, then walked to the hotel. The total travel time from Pudong Airport to the hotel was approximately 3 hours.
In the evening, he strolled around Quanqian pedestrian street, enjoying beef noodles, sandwiches, and corn milk for a total of 42 yuan, then visited the riverside street of Pingjiang.
A shop on Binh Giang Street
Discover Suzhou, Wuzhen, and the local way of life.
On Monday, Hieu started at 6:30 AM, taking the metro to Jinji Lake (Ligongdi South), the ticket costing 4 yuan. He strolled around Jinji Lake and took photos at Huxin Pavilion. Afterwards, he took the metro to Suzhou South Bus Station to go to Wuzhen, but found that tickets were not sold there. He had to return to Suzhou North Square Bus Station to buy a ticket for the 11:00 AM bus to Wuzhen, arriving at 12:30 PM.
As soon as he got off the bus, Hieu immediately bought a return ticket to Suzhou on the latest 5 PM train, and tickets to visit West Wuzhen (150 yuan) and East Wuzhen (110 yuan). If you arrive early and intend to visit both areas, you can buy two tickets for a total of 190 yuan. There is a free shuttle bus between the two areas, and staff can provide guidance using Google Translate.
Suzhou North Bus Station is located next to Suzhou Railway Station.
For tickets from Suzhou to Wuzhen, travelers should remember to bring their passport.
Tickets from Wuzhen back to Suzhou
Hieu joined a boat trip along the Xishi River for 60 yuan per person, with the boat carrying 8 people and lasting 40 minutes. After disembarking, he explored the ancient town on foot. He said about 3 hours was enough time to sightsee, take photos, and enjoy the local cuisine.
Returning to Suzhou at 7 PM, Hieu continued strolling around Guanqian pedestrian street and the Pingjiang River until 11 PM, admiring the Gate to the East building and the night market near Shidaiguangchang metro station.
A pedestrian street and fair near Kim Ke Lake at night.
On Tuesday, Hieu planned to visit Humble Administrator's Garden, but due to the crowds, he only strolled around the outside and bought souvenirs. Afterwards, he checked out of the hotel and traveled back to Shanghai.
From his hotel near Lindunlu, Hieu took the metro to Suzhou Railway Station, bought a train ticket to Shanghai for 38 yuan, presented his passport at the counter, and the train departed at 1 PM. Upon arriving at Shanghai Railway Station, Hieu took the metro to East Nanjing Road, checked into his hotel, and rested.
Railway at Suzhou Station
Discover vibrant Shanghai and its unique hidden corners.
In Shanghai, Hieu explored bustling shopping districts such as Tianzifang, Nanjing Pedestrian Street, the Shanghai Bund, and Yu Garden Street. Hieu rented bicycles through Alipay to travel between nearby locations, costing only 2 yuan for the first 30 minutes which were free. In the evening, Hieu stopped at Yu Garden for dinner before cycling back to the hotel.
Shanghai Bund at night
Du Vien Street
On his last day, Hieu woke up later, had a light snack at a convenience store, and stopped by Trung Nguyen Cafe near West Nanjing Road to enjoy Vietnamese coffee. Afterward, he visited 1933 Old Millfun, a complex concrete structure that was once Shanghai's largest slaughterhouse, now a complex of restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops with many unique photo opportunities. Before heading to the airport, Hieu traveled by Maglev metro, swiping his T-union card for 40 yuan to Pudong Airport, ending his trip.
1933 Old Millfun - a building that was once a slaughterhouse, now a restaurant and café complex.
Nguyen Tran Hieu advises tourists to note down metro stations near attractions, use bicycles to save energy, monitor their SIM card's 4G data usage, and use Google Translate for assistance. Preparing everything from Vietnam, especially good shoes and stamina, will make the trip smoother. The total cost of the trip was approximately 20 million VND, including visa, airfare, hotel, transportation, food, and entrance fees. Hieu plans to return to China to explore Beijing and Hangzhou further.
