Suzhou is among the oldest cities in China’s Yangtze Basin. If natural beauty, exploring magnificent gardens, traditional waterside architecture and delicious food excite you, you must not miss a tour to Suzhou. We know it takes a lot of planning for a foreign tour and so, we have got you a detailed guide on how to plan a Suzhou tour.
What is the best time to visit Suzhou?
Suzhou experiences a moderate climate having four seasons and plenty of rainfall. This makes it a place suitable for tourist to visit all year round. The peak travel season in the city is from the month of April to October when the place is replete with breathtaking scenic views with the colors of autumn and spring. If you do not like traveling during monsoons, avoid flying to Suzhou between mid-June and mid-July as it is the heavy rainfall period.
Annual average temperature: 15.7C
Monsoon: June and July
Crowded period: January end to early February during the Chinese Spring Festival, first week of May on Labor Day, first week of October (National Day).
What places to visit in Suzhou?
The Lion Forest Garden:
Situated close to the famous Humble Administrator’s Garden. The Lion Forest Garden is a small yet beautiful garden to visit in Suzhou. The garden got its name because of the lion shaped rocks from the Taihu Lake. The place also has a connection to Buddhism. The rocks are arranged brilliantly forming a tunnel through which visitors trail.
The Humble Administrator’s Garden:
This garden was constructed in the early 16th century and is recognized as one of the most famous gardens along with the Chengde Summer Palace, Beijing Summer Palace and the Lingering Garden across the country. It is the city’s largest classical garden divided into middle, east and west regions. Each section offers distinctive features for you to explore.
Panmen Gate:
Located in the east-west corner of Suzhou near the old canal, the Panmen Gate is the only existing land and water gate across China. Attractions you must explore at this site include the Ruiguang Pagoda, Panmen Gate and the Wumen Bridge. The Wumen Bridge is recognized as the longest single-spanned arch bridge I the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal.
The Mater-of-Nets Garden:
This one on the list of places to visit in Suzhou is the smallest yet the most beautiful garden in the city. The Master-of-Nets Garden is known for its skillful architecture in an area so small. On the east section, there are residential buildings while the west boasts of admirable gardens.
Tongli Water Town:
Of the six ancient water towns, Tongli Water Town was originally constructed during Song Dynasty. The town is located at a distance of 30minutes drive from the city. Its net-like water system categorizes the town into seven islands and 49 bridges connect the islands. It is place worth seeing in Suzhou.
What are the popular delicacies to have in Suzhou?
Suzhou is another fantastic place in China boasting its food scene of Su stylistic food culture. Locals in the city are fond of noodles and that makes it a great option for tourists too. When in the Eastern China city, try Sengjian, (English name: Pan-fried Pork Buns) a type of bun stuffed with vegetables and pork. One of the best palaces to try Shengjian is Yaba Shengjian Restaurant. Other delicacies to try in the city include Yangcheng Lake hairy crab, squirrel-shaped Mandarin Fish and sugar porridge. Suzhou inhabitants are very fond of sweets. Do not miss out the mouth-watering candies and other preserves. You can even pack some to take it back as souvenirs from Suzhou for friends.
How many days tour should be planned for Suzhou?
Suzhou is a vast city with amazing gardens, water towns and other beautiful attractions to choose from. It is next to impossible to explore all these places in a single tour. For an easy and comfortable Suzhou tour, you should make a list of the attraction you are interested to explore in the city. Usually, a 2-3 days tour to Suzhou is a good travel window to see most of the places (the ones who wish to see). You can also have a combined Suzhou-Shanghai tour of a week as Shanghai is only 30 minutes from Suzhou city by a high-speed train.
Things to do in Suzhou in a nutshell:
- Visit the Suzhou Museum
- Eat delicious local food
- Walk by the ancient streets like Shantang Street and Pingjiang Road
- Admire classic garden in the city.
- Watch a Kunqu Opera performance
- Go on a shopping spree in the Guanqian Street
- Go on a boat ride along the Grand Canal
Now that you got the basic idea of how to plan a Suzhou tour, why not go book the tickets with ieagle!
