Fully Guided Suzhou Private Classic Day Tour

Tour Itinerary

Pick you up at your hotel lobby or Suzhou train station with a welcome signage "Suzhou Private Tour".  One day Suzhou classic tour includes the following acctractions:

Our pick up sign"Suzhou Private Tour"

Your tour begins with Lingering Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the city's finest classical gardens. It has been listed as one of the four most famous national classic gardens together with the humble administrator's garden, the Summer Palace and Mountain Summer Resort in Chengde are called China's four largest gardens. Landscape architectural space processing is very exquisite, using a variety of artistic techniques, built a unique space system, becoming one of the world civilization examples of architectural space art processing. Wander through the trails and portals of this delicately-planned garden that carefully combines traditional Chinese architecture with natural beauty.A good place to let your mind and body rest.

Next agenda is Panmen Gate. The history of the Panmen Gate dates back to 514 AD. Built by Wu State during the spring and autumn period, Panmen is the only ancient city wall still intact in Suzhou.

Enjoy lunch at a local Chinese restaurant that recommended by your experienced guide. (THEY ARE FOODIES, they really know where and what to eat in the city.)

After lunch, pay a visit to Hanshan Temple (Cold Mountain Temple) near the town of Fengqiao. Made famous in a poem by Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Ji, this Buddhist temple is known for its large bells, unique black roof and domed bridge. Take a wander around its halls, pavilions, corridors and well-maintained gardens. A good place to let your mind and body rest.

For an authentic taste of city life in old Suzhou, a stroll down Pingjiang Historic Street, which is a great way to get acquainted with the local vibe. Quiet, leafy and slow-paced, the street is lined with old Chinese houses as well as restaurants and teahouses serving traditional foods and drinks. What’s more, there are a variety of upscale cafes catering to the chic crowd at each corner. You can taste a few traditional Chinese snacks while your guide tells you more about the history of the street.

The last stop is Suzhou No. 1 Silk Mill has a long and rich history of silk culture, including mulberry tree and silk worm cultivation and turning raw silk into beautiful fabric. Suzhou's climate and soil are perfect for silk production, and the city has been a center of China's silk trade for many centuries. The Suzhou No. 1 Silk Mill has been a proud steward of this heritage for over 80 years. It's more like a museum which shows you how the silk is made from cocoons from the begining and the whole silk process. Not to be missed.

After the tour ends, drive you back to your hotel or train station.

If you visit Suzhou from Shanghai, there are some useful tips for you to purchase Train Ticket:
From Shanghai to Suzhou:
Option 1: G7104 Shanghai Hongqiao Station to Suzhou Station: Depart at 08:54AM and arrive at 09:30AM
Option 2: G7006 Shanghai Station to Suzhou Station: Depart at 09:00AM and arrive at 09:25AM
Please choose one of the above options according to your hotel location

From Suzhou to Shanghai
Option 1: G7119 Depart at 17:56 from Suzhou Station and arrive at Shanghai Hongqiao Station at 18:32
Option 2: G7243 Depart at 18:02 from Suzhou Station and arrive at Shanghai Station at 18:27

Optional Activities
We provide off the beaten track Suzhou activities as below to enhance your tour experience. You can choose some of them to customize the above tour. Or if time permits, you can add one or two of them in the above itinerary (Only additional entrance fee required. And some are free charge of entrance fee).

A Touch of Life in Suzhou - Morning Wet Market Experience    (Free of Charge)
Visit the local wet markt is an oppotunity to experience the local's life in the hidden parts of the city, avoiding the beaten tracks or fully packed tourist sites. You will be immersed in the local culture as we make our way through the hustle and bustle of narrow alleyways surrounded by the buzzing of vehicles and yelling of street vendors. For the time being the Wet Market scene in Suzhou is all still very much "old China"and is very much alive.

Getting into Suzhou Tiger Hill Wedding Gown Street    (Free of Charge)
If you want to look gogorgeous on your wedding day but don't want to splurge your entire life savings on your wedding, then Suzhou Tiger Wedding Gown Street is a paradise for you. It is a street after street of endless shops selling nothing but wedding stuff with affordable price but good design & quality. Think of it as a one stop solution to all your wedding day needs.

Delvo into the brillant culture of Su Embroidery     (Free of Chagre)
Gian a comprehensive cultural introduction of Su Embroidery with your guide by visiting the Su Embroidery Research Institute. Su Embroidery is one of the four major styles of Chinese embroidery. Here you'll be able to learn the process of how to make the most exquisite silk hand embroidery - Su Embroidery.

Shopping Like A Local   (Free of Charge)
Shopping at Suzhou is not only enjoy the materials, but also to receive a kind of taste and culture. The rivers and lakes at the south of the Yangtze River bring intelligence to the Suzhou people, which make them produce particularly delicate goods. Just follow your tour guide, enjoy your shopping in Suzhou, you'll get a feeling of leisure.

Experience Chinese rickshaw ride at Suzhou old Town      (100RMB/rickshaw, max: 4 people)
If you want to travel Suzhou in-depth, riding on a rickshaw at Suzhou old town is fantastic. See the narrow lanes, the open markets and the local people's life more clearly. And the professional rickshaw pullers are often familiar with Suzhou’s history, culture and folk customs, from whom you will gain a more understanding of traditions and cultures of this famous garden city.

Private Boat Ride on Grand Canal      (180RMB/boat, max: 6 people)
Enjoy a private boat ride on Grand Canal in Suzhou to appreciate the ancient black-tiled-roof houses, old bridges, and get a fell for the life of the locals. Tranquil, peaceful and historical, just like a time machine to take you back to the old era when ancient people communicated mainly by shipping on the waterway. 

Act as A Local - Enjoy A Cup of Tea at Local Teahouse    (80RMB/person on average)
Drink tea and enjoy the Suzhou opera in an old-world ambience is a prat of local's life. The local teahousw is famous for its tea and "Ping Tan" (a Chinese form of storytelling accompanied with music played by stagers.) You'll definitely be attracted by the architecture and the Ping Tan nice sound from inside. It is a good way of appreciating the Suzhou culture by drinking tea and listening to the traditional Ping Tan. 

Experience Pottery in Suzhou   (100RMB/person)
If you are interested in Chinese ceramics culture, why not take a short class to learn how make a pottery in your way.  Your teacher will teach you how to make a good pottery artwork even you are the first time to experice the ceramic pottery making, our tour guide will translate to you. 

Learn How to Perform Suzhou Kunqu Opera        (Price is TBA)         
Kunqu Opera in Suzhou is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Under the guidance of your teache, get your own way to know how to use Kunqu style body language to show your emossion.  you'll wear the Kunqu dress and learn how to act the Kunqu Opera. Also, you could have chance to learn how to do Kunqu Opera style make-up.

Price Per Person in US Dollars