Starting from Nanchang, I want to go to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, plus an ancient town. I would like travel guide and approximate budget.

I think you are a perfectionist. If you want the horse to run, you also want the horse not to eat grass. Since you want to save money and see more attractions, I suggest you join a tour group. However, you need to be mentally prepared in advance: 1) You need to see many scenic spots non-stop, have good physical strength, and wear a pair of comfortable casual shoes. 2) Generally speaking, you only eat simple food in a group to satisfy your hunger. You may need to bring some supplementary food or snacks.

It is unrealistic to visit 4 cities plus an ancient town in 6 days. When you go from Nanchang to Nanjing, it takes half a day one way and only one day for the round trip. It took another 2 to 3 days to travel to the various towns in between, leaving little time for fun. So the second strategy is to only visit two cities and one ancient town. In order to save money and have more time, I recommend Nanjing, Suzhou, and Zhouzhuang.

Strategy 3: Try to stay in a hotel close to the station or scenic spot: 1) there are more choices, 2) it is cheaper, 3) it is close to the place where you board the bus with the group, which saves transportation costs. Nanjing: There are many cheap hotels near Confucius Temple. Suzhou: Home Inn and Hanting near the train station are both good.

Itinerary:

D1 - Nanchang to Nanjing, stay in a hotel near Confucius Temple, visit the attractions near Confucius Temple by yourself, and buy a day trip ticket.

D2 - One-day trip to Nanjing

D3 - From Nanjing to Suzhou, visit Shantang Street and Stone Road by yourself, have dinner and buy pastries on Guanqian Street in the evening

D4 - One-day trip to Suzhou

D5 - One-day trip to Zhouzhuang

D6 - Visit your favorite attractions in Suzhou or Nanjing, and then go home.

Have a great time.