Suzhou, the historic garden paradise, is easily accessible by air, rail, and road, being in the highly developed Yangtze Delta area. Bullet trains link it with Shanghai and Hangzhou. There is a small subway system in the city.
By Air
Suzhou doesn't have a useful airport, so most tourists go via Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) and Pudong International Airport (PVG).
Hongqiao Airport is 86 km (53 miles) from central Suzhou. Terminal 2 is connected to Hongqiao bullet train station (15 minutes walk). Suzhou's two bullet train stations both have frequent services to Hongqiao Station (30 minutes journey).
Pudong Airport is on the east of Shanghai, and hence inconvenient for Suzhou. It takes over an hour to get across China's largest city for onward transport to Suzhou.
To make visiting even more convenient, the whole Jiangsu/Zhejiang/Shanghai area is now 6-day visa free for citizens from 51 countries.
Railway
Bullet trains have revolutionized domestic travel. They go to Shanghai in about half an hour.Suzhou Station (苏州火车站 Sūzhōu Huǒchē Zhàn), conveniently in the downtown area, is on the Shanghai-Nanjing mainline. There are frequent high-speed trains to Shanghai, scenic Wuxi, and historic Nanjing and regular trains to many places. There are 38 G and D trains to Shanghai Hongqiao and additional bullet trains to/from Shanghai Station.
Suzhou North Railway Station (苏州北站 Sūzhōu Běi Zhàn), less accessible in the northern suburbs, is Suzhou's main bullet train station. About 17 high speed G trains leave to Beijing South Station daily, and 56 G trains leave for Shanghai Hongqiao.
Check how to plan a Shanghai to Suzhou tour by train.
Long-Distance Buses
Five long-distance bus stations have services on advanced highways to the nearby cities and beyond. The three most useful for foreign travellers are Suzhou South (largest), Suzhou North, and Suzhou West.
Minimum journey times and fares: about 1½ hours for Shanghai (50 yuan), 2 hours for Hangzhou (69 yuan), 2½ hours for Nanjing (70 yuan), and 3 hours for Yangzhou (72 yuan).
Suzhou South Gate Long-Distance Bus Station
- Chinese name: 苏州南门汽车客运站 Suzhou Nanmen Qiche Keyun Zhan
- Frequent buses to Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou and most other East China destinations.
- Location: Just to the south of the downtown area - 601 Nanhuan East Road (南环东路601号)
Suzhou North Long-Distance Bus Station
- Chinese name: 苏州汽车北站 Suzhou Qiche Beizhan
- Buses mainly depart to nearby cities such as Wuxi, with less-frequent services to other cities including Nanjing.
- Located: just to the west of Suzhou Train Station - Xihui Road (西汇路)
Suzhou West Station (New District Long-Distance Station)
- Chinese name: 苏州新区汽车客运站 Suzhou Xinqu Qiche Keyun Zhan
- Buses mainly depart to Hangzhou, Wuxi, and towns/cities in the province.
- Located: well west of the city center - 78 Jinshan Road (金山路78号)
By Boat
Take a boat to enjoy the scenery along the river.The Grand Canal runs north-south through Suzhou, which has a lot of canals, and it is sometimes called "the Oriental Venice". Boat travel from Suzhou to Hangzhou and the water towns has become increasingly popular due to the amazing country scenery witnessed during the journey.
Water Town Transport
See the following links for water town transport. The main water towns are Tongli (rated 5 on TripAdvisor in 2016, 10 km or 6 miles from Suzhou), Shantung Street (rated 7, in the city next to Tiger Hill), and Luzhi (rated 25 on TripAdvisor, 25 kilometers from Suzhou).
City Transportation
Metro
There is a small metro system with two lines. Line 1 is the east to west line and line 2 goes north and south. Line 2 links Suzhou North Station and Suzhou Station.
City Bus
Public buses routes run into all parts of the city. Fares are flat rated, usually 1 RMB for a non-air-conditioned bus and 2 RMB for an air-conditioned one. There is no fare collector on the bus, so please ensure that you have small denominations of change ready for the driver when boarding.
Taxi
China Highlights' private transportation will increase your convenience and enjoyment of Suzhou. See below.Taxis are convenient and are generally a hassle-free public transportation alternative. There are lots of taxis, so there is usually no problem to flag one down. The starting price is 10 RMB for 3 kilometres. Over 3 km, it is 1.8 RMB/km for a Santana and 1.4 RMB/km for a Xia Li cab.
Rickshaw
These man-powered vehicles are a cheap way to get around. The starting price is about 2 RMB, rising to between 3 to 6 RMB for a longer trip. You can usually negotiate the price when taking a pedicab.
Bicycle
The easiest way to tour around Suzhou is by bike. Pedalling from place to place is painless and even pleasant. This is a very popular mode of transport for the many tourists who want to explore the gardens in the city. Generally, the price is 2 or 3 RMB for four hours and 6 RMB for the whole day. You'll need to leave a deposit and show your identity card.
Suzhou Touring
We can get you effortlessly to Tongli, one of the beautiful water towns around Suzhou.With China Highlights, you can expect the best personalized private tours. Everything from area transportation to your flight tickets and visa can be arranged for you. We provide free travel advice too.
Here are our top Suzhou tour recommendations: