1 day

Private

Instant confirmation

About this activity

Meet your private guide and driver at your central Shanghai hotel at 9am, and make the approximately 1.5-hour journey to Suzhou by private, comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle.

Founded in 514 BC, the old town of Suzhou is steeped in 2,500 years of history and serves up many well-preserved relics from the past.

Sometimes known as the ‘Venice of the East’ or the ‘Venice of China,’ its canals, stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens all help to make it one of China’s top tourist attractions. The town has also been an important center for China’s silk industry since the days of the Song Dynasty, between 960 and 1279.

On arrival, pay a visit to one of the four most famous gardens in China: The Humble Administrator’s Garden. The largest in Suzhou and a stunning example of a south-eastern Ming-Dynasty classical garden, this immaculate oasis features Lake Taihu rocks, delicate pavilions, ponds, and lush flowers and trees, including 150 types of Bonsai tree.

After exploring here, visit Suzhou’s best-known silk factory, located in the former Japanese concession and housed in what was the Japanese consulate. See the process used to produce China’s famous silk, from the tiny silkworms to the beautiful finished garments.

After your morning tour, enjoy an authentic Chinese lunch at a local restaurant (own expense), and then make an afternoon visit to your choice of one of two ancient water towns: Zhouzhuang or Tongli. Both offer picturesque natural landscapes, classical canals, and wonderful examples of Ming- and Qing-dynasty buildings.

If you choose Zhouzhuang — renowned as the first water town in China — take a stroll to soak up its charms and admire its ancient twin bridges. Plus, visit Mr. Shen Wansan’s House, the courtyard residence of a 14th-century tycoon whose wealth inspired the envy of the first of China's Ming emperors.

Admire the classical architecture of Shen’s House as you learn about his fascinating life, and take an optional boat trip (own expense) along Zhouzhuang’s beautiful canals.

If you choose to visit Tongli, take in its UNESCO-listed Tuisi Garden, one of the most splendid Qing-dynasty gardens in China. Admire the pavilion-dotted garden, see Tongli’s famous ring of three bridges, and enjoy an optional gondola boat ride (own expense) along the serene and pretty canals.

Your tour then finishes with a transfer and drop-off back at your hotel in downtown Shanghai.

Read more Show less

Included

Private tour
Private guide
Transport by private vehicle and driver
Hotel pick up and drop-off (Only for hotels located in downtown area, pick up does not include the hotel in the outskirts such as Jiading, Songjiang, Qingpu ,Jinqiao, Chuansha in Pudong areas etc. If your hotel is not in the downtown your guide will give you the instruction to meet at the downtown point)
Entrance fee to Tongli or Zhouzhuang Town
Entry/Admission - Zhouzhuang Water Town

Not included

Gratuities
Food and drinks
Boat ride along the canal (About $15 to $25.00usd per boat. Each boat can accommodate 6 pax)

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Please wear comfortable shoes
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Features

Tourism

95%

Cultural

75%

Reviews

4.9

12

R

Renate M

5 | 2018-09-02

We wanted to see more of Shanghai than just the city so we decided to take this tour. Sunny, our guide was wonderful and knowledgable. She greeted us on time and had a wonderful day planned. We spent the morning at the Humble Administrator's garden in Suzhou which was beautiful. Sunny made the place some alive with her expert explanations and sense of humour. We had a great lunch in Suzhou and then spend the afternoon in Tongli. Tongli was a refreshing surprise not crowded and less touristy than some of the other water towns. the gardens there were also beautiful. It was a full day and everything ran smoothly from beginning to end. Sunny was able to tailor the day to our interests and offered us various options to fill the day. She answered all our questions about culture and history, It was a highlight of our trip to China. I would highly recommend this tour and Sunny in particular

R

Robin W

5 | 2018-08-02

Sunny was fabulous! She made our day fun, and infused our time with valuable information as well as enjoyable activities at the gardens in Suzhou and beautiful water town of Tongli. She was also flexible and accommodated the needs of our group, which ranged in age from 9 to 65!

B

Bee Lye K

5 | 2018-06-06

Fei Fei was our tour guide, and she was punctuate and accommodative. We had the flexibility in changing our tour itineraries. Fei Fei is fluent in English and efficient in presenting the history of the places. On that day was heavy down pour, but the rain did not dampen our spirits. We were so taken in by the beauty and uniqueness of these places. We as a group, thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would not hesitate to give our thumbs-up for the tour guide plus the tour.

k

khairullah

5 | 2017-12-30

We had a onderful guide, Rita. She was patient listened to us and what we wanted The day is long but Rita made it seem very relaxed. Found us a fantastic place for lunch. We loved the Tongli wAter town as well as the gardens of Suzhou. The silk factory was very interesting.

M

MartaDeZavala

5 | 2017-05-05

We took this private tour to Suzhou and the water town Tongli. Our guide, Sunny, was punctually waiting for us at the hotel lobby and guided us to a big comfortable van with a very professional and polite driver. Sunny was really friendly and nice from the beginning she shared her wide knowledge of the towns and chinese culture with us and was always happy to answer all our questions. The tour was very well prepared as we had time to see everything, but also had some freedom to stop for shopping whenever we asked for, and where Sunny would also help us to communicate with buyers. Overall a highly recommended tour with a super good tour guide to make the day perfect!

W

William W

4 | 2017-05-02

Despite the overcast skies and threatening rain, the day was perfect for visiting Suzhou and Tongli. At Suzhou we went to the beautiful World Heritage site garden. It was spectacular in its beauty and peacefulness. After spending time there we moved on to Tongli to see the canals and shops and restaurants. This is the town that definitely has the feel and character of Venice. You can see why it's known as the Venice of the East. The garden is also very beautiful but much smaller than at Suzhou. The tour definitely met all my expectations and was well worth the price and time.

G

Gerald M

5 | 2017-03-20

What a great day! It was very nice getting off the beaten path and exploring the gardens and water canals. Sunny was an excellent source of knowledge and her command of the English language is superb! We saw the back alleys and ate lunch in a local restaurant that we would not have been able to do without Sunny! Highly recommended!

J

Joan W

5 | 2016-10-16

A great day out from Shanghai. It was a long day of driving but the 2 towns we saw were beautiful and worthy of a visit. Sunny was a wonderful guide with lots of information and a great sense of humour.

O

Oi Kwan C

4 | 2016-10-09

It was an excellent trip. The tour guide was nice and in a professional maner. We all enjoyed the trip!

Collections This experience is part of these collections