solid guide, covers the basics well. one thing i'd add is that the cocktail scene at the Old Bund is way better than it looks from the outside. most people walk past the touristy spots straight to the river view bars, but there's a hidden speakeasy called 404 behind a fake bookshelf on 2nd floor of building 12. no sign, just a brass doorbell. their old fashioned uses local aged baijiu instead of bourbon and it actually works, like 68 RMB a pop. way more interesting than the generic mojitos everywhere else.

also, if you're hitting Club Soho late, know that the line can get stupid long after midnight on saturdays. we usually pregame at a nearby convenience store beer then show up around 11:30 to skip the wait. the bouncers are pretty chill if you're not wasted.

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good breakdown, covers the essentials. one thing i'd mention is that a lot of people skip the yinzhou district for nightlife but there's a korean-style pocha called bbang on qianhe road that stays open til 5am. it's not fancy, just soju and fried chicken in a tent-like setup with plastic chairs, but the energy there after midnight is something else. also, the metro stops running around 10:30pm so if you're bouncing between tianyi square and laowaitan after that, just walk it's a 15 minute stroll along the river and you'll pass those lit-up bridges that look great at night

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the guide's pretty spot on but one thing nobody mentioned is that the Old Bund has this alleyway bar called The Bunker thats tucked behind a noodle shop on Renmin Road. its got this whole underground vibe with exposed brick and they play old school hip hop instead of edm. the owner's a local guy who used to dj in shanghai and he makes a killer negroni for like 45 RMB which is cheap for that area

also if you're around Tianyi Square late and want something greasy besides dumplings, there's a skewer cart on the north side of the square that does lamb and chicken hearts until 2am. the guy speaks zero english but just point and hold up fingers for how many, they're like 3 RMB each and way better than the touristy stuff near Drum Tower

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the guide's budget estimates are pretty spot on but i'd say putuo island can be done for closer to 400 if u skip the cable car and just walk up to the main temple. the walk is maybe 30 mins and gives u better views anyway. also the ferry from zhoushan terminal has a second floor with indoor seating that's worth the extra 10 RMB if its windy, which it usually is

one thing the guide doesnt mention is the ningbo museum in yinzhou district. its free and only takes about 2 hours but the building itself is wild, looks like a giant rock. they have a good exhibit on the city's port history that makes the day trips make more sense context wise. i'd tack it on before or after a trip to xikou since theyre on the same side of town

for food the guide says tangyuan before u leave but the best spot is actually a tiny shop called lao ningbo tangyuan on kaixuan street near the old city wall. they make them fresh and the sesame filling is way better than the frozen ones u get everywhere else. 10 RMB for a bowl of 6 which is a steal

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honestly the xikou trip is really worth it but skip the main attractions on weekends if u can. the town itself is nice to just wander around and the walk up to xuedou temple is beautiful even if u dont go inside. the steamed buns everyone mentions are good but the real move is getting them fresh from the little stalls near the bus station not the tourist ones in the main square

for putuo island i'd say go on a weekday if u can manage it, the ferry was way less packed and the temples felt more peaceful. the vegetarian meals at the temple canteens are legit and cheap, like 20-30 RMB for a full plate. just bring cash because the card machines there are hit or miss

tiantai mountain is my favorite honestly because it's less crowded than xikou and the waterfalls in june are incredible. the guoqing temple is old and quiet and the hike up is pretty chill. if u go in summer bring bug spray the mosquitoes are no joke up there

cixi is fine for a quick half day but if u want a real water town experience i'd go to nanxun instead it's about an hour by bus but way prettier and less touristy than the famous ones. cixi feels more like a regular town with some canals

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yeah the guide's pretty solid overall but one thing i'd add is the ferry to putuo island, if you're going in summer, check the weather the day before. i went in july and got stuck on the island for an extra night because they canceled all ferries due to a typhoon warning. not a disaster but i didnt pack a change of clothes and ended up buying a 60 RMB t-shirt from a temple gift shop that said "blessings from putuo" in giant letters. still wear it as a joke though

for xikou, the bus from south station is fine but the bus back to ningbo stops running at like 5pm. i missed it and had to split a taxi with some random tourists, cost us 180 RMB total which wasnt terrible split four ways but still annoying. check the last bus time before u wander off up the mountain

also if you're into hiking, tiantai has a trail that goes past the main temple up to a smaller one called zhiyi's tomb, it's like an extra 40 minute walk but you get views of the whole valley and there's like nobody there. the path starts behind the main hall at guoqing temple, easy to miss

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