Local Suzhou Tours

2 Days Suzhou Local Tour

2 Days Suzhou & Tongli Tour

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Suzhou

Famed as the "Venice of the Orient", Suzhou is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and classical gardens. Located in the south of Jiangsu Province, with the Yangtze River to the north, almost half of the city is covered by water, which includes a vast number of ponds and streams in addition to the city's numerous canals.

At present, more than sixty gardens are maintained in Suzhou, and a number of them, including the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Lingering Garden, the Garden of the Master of Nets, and the Mountain Villa with Embracing Beauty, have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. For its special beauty and rich culture, Suzhou provides artists, scholars and painters a pleasant retreat to seek inspiration and to relax. Not far from Suzhou there are dozens of well-preserved water towns built in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Visitors should not miss seeing the wonderful sights of such villages like Zhouzhuang, Mudu, and Tongli.

Suzhou History

Suzhou is one of the oldest towns in the Yangtze River Delta, founded in about 600 BC but really making its fame one thousand years later when the Grand Canal was accomplished. The great location helped Suzhou become a prosperous trading area and the silk industry especially boomed here. Suzhou has been an important center for China's silk industry since the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and continues to hold that prominent position today.

The long history of Suzhou city has left behind many attractive scenic spots and historical sites with beautiful and interesting legends. The elegant classical gardens, the old fashioned houses and delicate bridges hanging over flowing waters in the drizzling rain, the beautiful lakes with undulating hills in lush green, and the exquisite arts and crafts, etc. have made Suzhou a renowned historical and cultural city full of eternal and poetic charm.

Suzhou Transportation

Getting to Suzhou

By Train
Suzhou is conveniently located on the Jinghu Railway linking Shanghai and Nanjing, the provincial capital, to both of which there is hourly railway service. Suzhou Railway Station is among the busiest passenger stations in China, having 139 trains stopping daily. T-Trains (fast trains with a T before the train numbers) only take 45 minutes to Shanghai and an hour and half to Nanjing.

By Air
Suzhou does not have its own international airport at present except for two municipal airports. However, with the neighboring metropolis Shanghai, the air transportation for Suzhou is actually quite smooth with two airports for you to choose from: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. Hongqiao Airport is 86 kilometers (about 53 miles) away from Suzhou. Every day shuttle buses run between Shanghai and Suzhou. The whole journey takes about one hour and forty minutes. You can also get to Suzhou by flying to Pudong International Airport, which is located 120 kilometers (about 65 miles) away from Suzhou.

By Coach
There are four long distance bus stations having services to the nearby cities and beyond. There are plenty of buses heading to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Zhouzhuang, Tongli, to and from Suzhou.

By Ship
Boats running along the Great Canal can take visitors up to the north, Zhejiang, Yangzhou (two well-known cities in the area) or down to Hangzhou in the south. Boat travel from Suzhou to Hangzhou has become increasingly popular due to the amazing country scenery witnessed during the journey.

Getting Around in Suzhou

By Bus
Being a developed city, Suzhou has good public transportation. Public buses routes run into all parts of the city. Fares are flat rated, usually 1 Yuan for a non-air-conditioned bus and 2 Yuan 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.
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By Taxis
Taxis are convenient and are generally a hassle-free alternative to public transportation. There are lots of taxis looping the city so there is usually no problem to flag one down to stop for you. The starting price is 10 Yuan for 3 kilometres, over 3 km, 1.8 Yuan/per km for a Santana and 1.4 Yuan/per km for a Xia Li cab.
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By Bike
The easiest way to tour around Suzhou is by bike. Pedaling from garden to garden is pleasant. This is a very popular way for tourists to explore the gardens. Most of the stores that rent bicycles for visitors are located east of Suzhou Railway Station. Generally, the price is 2 Yuan for four hours, 3 Yuan for five to six hours, and 5 Yuan for the whole day. But be minded that you'll need to leave a deposit and show your identity card when you rent a bike.
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By Pedicab
These man-powered vehicles are a good and cheap way to get around. The starting price is 2 Yuan, rising to between 3 to 5 Yuan for a longer trip. You can usually negotiate the price when taking a pedicab.
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