Suzhou Garden + Zhouzhuang Water Town Day Tour

Highlights Itinerary Inclusions/Exclusions Important Info

Highlights

Meandering canals. Ancient stone bridges. Traditional architecture. Admire it all on this one day private tour of Suzhou’s highlights. Awaken your ‘inner poet’ as you immerse yourself in the idyllic scenery to be found at the Humble Administrator’s Garden with its wispy willows, traditional architecture, hills, lawns, flowers and meandering streams. Appreciate the serious nod to design and art at its best with an exploration of the famous Suzhou Museum. Round out the day with a visit to Zhouzhuang Water Town, located around an hour from the heart of Suzhou. With a reputation for its many ancient bridges that span the canals at key points, you’ll be amazed at the pedigree found here, with each bridge harboring rich history within its structure. Inclusive of transfers between highlights and an enthusiastic local guide with a love of Suzhou, you’ll appreciate this window into a beautiful city’s history and traditions.
Why not incorporate this tour with other travel to nearby Shanghai or Hangzhou? We can take away the confusion about what to see and when to create a beautiful travel memory designed especially for you. Just ask us! We’ll take care of every detail.

Vehicle	Air-conditioned vehicle with licensed driver
Guide Service & Language	Professional English-speaking guide

Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Your day trip begins with the morning departure from your hotel in Suzhou where the guide will meet you in the lobby (our guide will contact you in advance to confirm the pickup time). After a short drive, you’ll arrive at one of the most renowned and spectacular gardens in China, the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in downtown Suzhou. Be at peace in this classically designed private garden as you wander through the picturesque landscape in which traditional architecture, hills, lawns, flowers and meandering streams harmonize the natural and build environment in poetic elegance. Savor the artistic features and architectural values of the Suzhou Museum, which contains the new building designed by world famous architect I. M. Pei and the historic site Prince Zhong’s Mansion of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The housed relics take you in-depth to admire the ancient collections especially of the Ming and Qing Dynasties’ paintings and aircrafts. Wander around the garden style museum, taste the historic and cultural sense of Su-style gardens. Follow on to drive about 1hour to the picturesque Zhouzhuang Water Town. Water surrounds the town with many clear branching streams, lakes and rivers crossed by ancient stone bridges. Old residences feature black tiles and white walls. The ancient town has a history dating back more than 900 years, many houses having been built in the Ming and Qing dynasties. A walk along the best tour route takes you to visit local landmarks. Of particular note is Shen House, the 100-room residence formerly owned by the richest man south of the Yangtze River in the early Ming dynasty; and Zhang House built in the mid-15^th century. These elegant homes feature peaceful pools, a water gate, wharf and figurines, artwork and folk instruments reflective of the wealth and status of former owners. Echoing through the majestic halls and pavilions of the Chengxu Taoist Temple are close to a thousand years of history, Taoist architecture and masterpieces to add to your memories. Later in the afternoon, you may take a boat trip (at your expense) along the waterways to see Zhouzhuang in a different way. At the end of the tour, you will then be returned to your Suzhou hotel.

Inclusions / Exclusions

Inclusions:

Admission fees: to sightseeing spots and activities specified
Activities specified in the itinerary
Excellent professional English speaking guide
Ground transport in air-conditioned vehicle with licensed driver as specified
Pick up and return to your hotel
Travel agency liability insurance during the tour
Government taxes and fees.

Exclusions

International/domestic flights and trains to/from Suzhou
China visa
Gratuities to guides and drivers and any expense of personal nature
Hotel accommodation
Boat ride in Zhouzhuang Water Town
Meals: Meals are excluded. Your guide will make recommendations and order for you, if required.
Our tour package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase travel insurance before your trip to protect for any unforeseen circumstances

Important Information

This is a private tour for your group of family or friends. No other travelers will join you. It’s always available for your schedule!
Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Prices based on twin occupancy.
The prices shown above are not valid during China’s Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival etc.).

Prices Start From

$164+PP
USD

Select Tour Options

Small Group

Private Tour

Adults

123455+

Children

0123455+

Infants

0123455+

Younga P wrote a review 15 July 2024

Fabulous 3 city tour (Hong Kong/Xi’an/Beijing) planned and executed by China Tours!

My family and I loved our recent private tour with China Tours! We started by working with Lora to plan our itinerary first. We let her know which cities we wanted to visit and what we wanted to see in each city. She was so responsive to my many questions and requests from providing information necessary to get our visas to making recommendations of when we should see the Terra Cotta soldiers based on our travel schedule to letting me know we were able to get entry tickets to see the Forbidden City. I felt very comfortable in a country where I didn't speak the language because Lora was always available to provide assistance. When we arrived in each location, the guides and drivers were fantastic. I was able to connect with each guide prior to reaching the destination and they were always waiting for us. The guides, Chas in Hong Kong, Helen in Xi'an and William in Beijing were fabulous!!! They were all so accommodating and helpful. They knew their cities well and made great food recommendations! Since we were on a private tour, they were very willing to make adjustments based on what we wanted to do or see when prior reservations were not required. My husband, daughter and I are very grateful to Lora, Chas, Helen and William for providing us with such a wonderful experience in China! Thank you!

Date of experience: July 2024 • Family
Mara wrote a review 7 July 2024

Great Experience with China Tours!

We had a great experience with China Tours. We traveled to the cities Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. The organization was impeccable, the guides and drivers very professional. We would recommend the agency to others!

Date of experience: June 2024 • Friends
Cruiser61335187814 wrote a review 6 July 2024

Great experience

We had a great time in Beijing and surroundings. Guide Maggie was very knowledgeable and speaks English really well. She was flexible and proactive as we had some last minute requests and some sites were crowded and she did a good job navigating that. During our preparations, office person Martha responded fast and accurately. We stayed at the Novotel which we liked as it has a good location for an evening stroll and mall.

Date of experience: July 2024 • Family
hilaryt714 wrote a review 2 July 2024

Book without a second thought

Our trip was delayed from 2020 with no problems. Martha responded to changes in our itinerary brilliantly.
There were two of us on our small group tour and the service was exceptional. Hotels were of a high standard and we were happy with them. All guides were enthusiastic and helpful, we only had to ask.
In the end we took high speed trains within China which we enjoyed as we got to see more of the country.
Highly recommend this tour group

Date of experience: May 2024 • Couples
WingF wrote a review 23 June 2024

Perfect China Trip

The small group tour of Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai organised by China Tours was a great way to see these 3 fantastic cities of China. Each of the local guides Nancy (Beijing), Elysha (Xi’an) and Lucy (Shanghai) were very friendly, knowledgeable and interesting and had a passion for their jobs. They were all super helpful answering any questions and offering advice and tips for navigating each city in our own free time, including recommendations for places to eat and other attractions to see not covered by the tour. All the main attractions and sites were visited with plenty of time spent at each. The main highlights for me were the Forbidden City and Great Wall (Nancy took us to a great part of the wall that was not overcrowded) in Beijing and the Terracotta Army in Xi’an (including meeting the farmer who made the discovery in the 1970’s). It was not a rushed tour and was also flexible. In Xi’an because of the weather the itinerary order was changed to suit the group. Being a small escorted tour meant that you were not just one of many in the usual large group tours which made it more personal and enjoyable. A special mention for Nancy and Elysha who made suggestions, with no hidden agenda, in Beijing and Xi’an respectively to see live shows as add-ons which turned out to be unexpected delights. Martha of China Tours was very easy to deal with and was patient with all my requests and queries when booking the tour. Overall I can highly recommend China Tours if you plan to visit China and wish to arrange a tour. From start to finish everyone was extremely helpful and communicated in very good English.

Date of experience: June 2024 • Solo
TravelerToo wrote a review 20 June 2024

Fantastic Tour Itinerary, Guide, and Hotels

I can’t imagine a better way to see and experience Taiwan than this 9-day tour. Starting in Taipei and driving counterclockwise we went from the top to the farthest southern tip of the country and back. Hotels were much nicer than expected as were all of the locals we met along the way. As most travelers know, a few words in the local language are much appreciated so set your Google translate app to Traditional Chinese and say hello! Our tour leader Cathy was funny, smiley, organized, and felt like my 2nd mother as she constantly made sure I was all right and happy. The trip itinerary was varied and extensive (maybe a few too many temples but that’s my problem). Perhaps the most impressive was the coordination between our tour leader and the travel company when an issue arose as when an indigenous cultural site unexpectedly closed. Cathy arranged for us to attend a special performance of another group which turned out to be one of the many highlights of the tour.
This tour was excellent, a great introduction to an interesting country, a great value for the price. I highly recommend it. Oh, and try to get Cathy Lin as your guide; you won’t regret it.

Date of experience: June 2024 • Solo