Suzhou: Gardens and Tongli or Zhouzhuang Water Town

Meet your tour guide in the lobby of your Suzhou hotel or Suzhou Railway Station. Then hop on your private vehicle and start your Suzhou adventure. Your first stop is the UNESCO listed garden in Suzhou: Humble Administrator's Garden, which is the largest and most prestigious garden in Suzhou. Admire magnificent halls, delicate pavilions, lush flowers, zigzagging bridges, bamboo groves and fragrant lotus ponds and listening to the stories and history from your local knowledgeable guide. During the peak season, the Humble Administrator's Garden will be very crowded, if you prefer lesser and more peaceful garden, you will visit the Lingering Garden instead. Lingering Garden is one of nine "Classical Gardens of Suzhou" on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and praised as one of China's four famous gardens. With a history of more than 400 years, the Lingering Garden has changed hands several times. Each owner did his best to perfect it. Follow your guide to explore the beautiful gardens and immerse yourself in the ancient charm while listening the interesting commentary from your guide. Move on to the Pingjiang road which can dating back to Song Dynasty (960-1279). Extending for almost 2 kilometers through the heart of Suzhou’s Old Town, this narrow flagstone street and the lanes extending from it are lined with well-preserved traditional architecture, shops, teahouses, guesthouses, and local homes that lend the street an authentic, ancient atmosphere. After lunch in the local restaurant, continue your afternoon visit to one of two best well-known ancient water town Tongli or Zhouzhuang. Tongli: Reputed as the “Oriental Venice”, Tongli has more than 1000 years of history. It is made up of seven islands, 12 canals or rivers, and 49 bridges to connect the town. Here you can see beautiful examples of traditional architecture, bridges, homes, gardens and canals. Here you can take a sculling boat (at your own cost) to feel the excitement of watching the ancient buildings and people passing by Zhouzhuang: The most popular, developed, and commercialized water town in China, The town is built amid canals, ponds, and lakes. What makes it special are the old buildings and bridges, boat rides, crafts, and the quaint water town scenery. The canals that crisscross Zhouzhuang have many stone bridges, about fourteen of these were built in the imperial era about 150 years ago or more. No mater which water town you will visit, you will be amazed by its fantastic ancient town scenery and learn its amazing culture from your guide. Tour end with your suzhou hotel or railway station drop off.

Spend a day to visit one of Suzhou's historic water town at Tongli or Zhouzhuang, then explore the remarkable gardens with your own local expert guide with flexible itinerary.