During this trip, you will explore some hidden gems in “the most beautiful and welcoming city in South China”: Suzhou.
First, you will visit the Humble Administrator’s Garden where you can gain an insight into the Chinese garden art of 500 years ago, take a rickshaw to Pingjiang Street, have lunch at a well-appointed local Suzhou restaurant, then take a nice walk in the nearby bazaar to walk off your repast.
In the afternoon, your guide will take you to the most elegant garden in Suzhou: the Master of the Nets Garden. Transport can be tailored to suit your needs, with Shanghai hotel return transport as standard.
Explore the largest and finest gardens in southern China in one day: the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Master of the Nets Garden.
Take a rickshaw to the narrow alleys of Suzhou and experience the elegance of South China.
Visit Suzhou Garden Museum in the Humble Administrator's Garden.
Stroll along the old Pingjiang Street and experience the essence of Suzhou.
On the morning of your tour, your guide will be waiting for you in the lobby, holding a placard displaying the China Highlights logo and your name on it. Simply show your confirmation letter and you will be guided to our vehicle.
A comfortable car will transfer you and your guide to the largest garden in Suzhou, which is widely considered to be the finest garden in southern China. The journey will take about 1½ hours.
Good to Know:
The Humble Administrator's Garden, built in 1509 during the Ming Dynasty, is located at 178 Dongbei Street in Suzhou City. It is the largest and most renowned classical landscape garden in Suzhou, covering an area of 5.2 hectares (13 acres).
As one of the four most famous gardens in China, it is a 5A tourist attraction and listed in the Key National Historical Conservation Units, and it currently stands as one of the most valuable cultural relics in the world.
The Suzhou Garden Museum consists of four exhibition halls: Original Gardens, History of Suzhou Gardens, Garden Interest, and Administration of Gardens, displaying the vicissitudes of life and elegant demeanor of Suzhou’s gardens over the past 2,000 years.
Instead of a long walking trip to the parking lot taken by other groups, our rickshaw will be waiting for you at the garden gate. You will ride it in comfort to the heart of Pingjiang Street following your trip to the garden.
You will stop at a restaurant in Pingjiang Street that has been carefully selected by China Highlights. Enjoy some freshly prepared local food on the second floor where you can view the best part of Suzhou.
Good to Know:
The street was built alongside the Pingjiang River 800 years ago. It is 1,606 meters (a mile) long and located in the northeast part of the ancient town of Suzhou, next to the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Suzhou Garden Museum. In the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties, Suzhou was also called Pingjiang, so the road was named after the area. Compared to Shantang Street, it is much quieter and more rustic.
Good to Know:
Next, we will drive you to the most elegant garden in Suzhou: the Master of the Nets Garden. It is the smallest yet finest landscape garden in Suzhou City.
This 0.6-hectare (1½-acre) garden replicates an elegant structure of a typical official's residence in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The present garden was founded on the former site of a Song Dynasty official's mansion. Its owner, an early Qing Dynasty official, Song Zongyuan, gave the garden its present name based on an earlier one, the "Fisherman's Retreat". It consists of a residential quarter and the actual garden.
Inside the refined residential quarter, the halls are linked closely by a corridor. The garden, petite but with many features, consists of a pond and is decorated with plants, rocks, pavilions, and stone bridges.
Going back to your hotel in Shanghai will normally take about 1½ hours, depending on traffic. Or…
Onward travel: If a Shanghai train station is your destination, allow the same time. Going direct to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport normally takes about 1½ hours, while you should allow 2 hours for transferring to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
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We delve deep and conduct research into how best to tour Suzhou. We research our customers’ favorite spots and photo sites, and work out the best routes to cover Suzhou’s top sights:
For each of our Shanghai tours, our product team inspects every aspect several times to establish its quality and make sure our information is authoritative and up-to-date.
Our tour guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and well-trained. They only work for China Highlights. We do not employ freelance tour guides.
China Highlights’ distinction is that we do not source from local travel agents, who offer the most perfunctory and unimaginative tours. Having built and based our own branch in Shanghai in 2010, we have taken every care since then to make our own unique tours and tailored experiences.
We at China Highlights aim to deliver a high quality tour to each and every one of our customers. We have more than 50 local staff in Shanghai to solve your problems on the spot.
Emergency contact: +86-13910694045 (24/7 customer service)
| Season | Adult (age 12+) | Child (age 2 – 11) | Infant (age < 2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder Season | $125 USD | $95 USD | free |
| Peak Season | $145 USD | $105 USD | free |
Note: The peak season includes the following dates: China National Day: 01/Oct/2018 - 07/Oct/2018. Chinese Spring Festival: 04/Feb/2019 - 10/Feb/2019. Other dates are indicated as shoulder season.
