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Suzhou Private Day Tour: Explore UNESCO Heritage Gardens & Grand Canal
5.0
1 Rating
Suzhou
Embark on a private day tour in Suzhou and discover the UNESCO Heritage Gardens, the Grand Canal, and more. Explore ancient classical gardens, visit historic sites, and enjoy a scenic cruise. Travel in comfort in a private vehicle.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Humble Administrator’s Garden - Constructed during the Ming Dynasty (early 16th century), this garden boasts over 500 years of history and is a quintessential example of classical gardens south of the Yangtze River. Visitors can explore hill houses, the Wave Corridor, various bridges, and pavilions. The ideal times to visit are in Spring and Summer, when the garden hosts several floral exhibitions. Every spring, the garden celebrates a grand “Azalea Festival” from mid-March to early May, showcasing hundreds of rare azaleas and filling the garden with vibrant colors and the joy of spring. From early June to mid-October, the Lotus Flower Festival takes place, making the garden a prime spot for admiring lotus flowers along the riverbank, accompanied by cool breezes. If you miss the Azalea or Lotus festivals, you might catch the chrysanthemum show in Autumn, from early September to mid-October.
- Lion Forest Garden - Renowned as one of the four most famous and representative classical gardens in Suzhou City, this garden is distinguished by its lakeside rocks and rockeries. The garden’s name comes from the lion-like shapes of these rocks.
- Panmen Gate - Like many ancient Chinese cities, Suzhou was encircled by walls and gates. Due to the city’s reliance on its canal network for commerce and transport, land transportation was impractical. Consequently, Suzhou developed a system of ‘water gates’—small forts that facilitated both land and water tariffs. Panmen Gate is the oldest surviving example of this type in China.
- Suzhou Ancient Grand Canal - Experience Suzhou via its waterways, particularly the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Enjoy a 30-minute Grand Canal tour, one of ancient China’s three greatest projects. Along the route, you’ll see Suzhou’s ancient city gates, over 20 stone bridges in various traditional styles, ancient river town dwellings, and historical relics.
What's Included
- All included gas, toll, and parking fees
- Complimentary entrance tickets to all listed sights
- Professional English-speaking tour guide
- Comfortable air-conditioned private transportation
What's Not Included
- Accommodations
- Meals
- Gratuity to the guide and driver
- Personal costs
- The 400RMB extra payment If you need Spanish/French/Italian /German guide
Additional Information
- Discover the Humber Administrator’s Garden, a site recognized by UNESCO World Heritage;
- Experience the historic Panmen Gate, Suzhou’s most ancient city entrance;
- Wander through the Lion Grove Garden, famed as one of the top four classic ancient gardens in Suzhou;
- Relish a boat trip along the Grand Canal;
- Be transported in the comfort of a climate-controlled private car for the journey;
Location
Humble Administrator's Garden
No.178 Northeast Road, Pingjiang District,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(1 Rating)
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Heathergroom
Apr 11, 2024
Excellent Day Tour - We booked this tour through Catherine and it was a highlight of our trip. She is a great tour operator and we ended up booking a few other tours through her in different cities- all were wonderful. My 80 year-old father, who is very active, said it was his favorite day trip in China. Beautiful scenery and a very knowledgeable guide named John. He was EXCELLENT! This is my 5th time to China- and my first time using Catherine and her team- I will definitely book with them again. Out of all my trips to China (I’ve brought groups here before) - her team of guides have been my very favorite guides. We booked a few different all day private tours (Beijing, Suzhou & Shanghai) and they were all excellent. You can trust her for great service and communication. In my current group- we all love history (studied some Chinese history Ans culture in college) and it can be hard to find guides that can go deep on different historical topics. Catherine and her guides exceeded my expectations in every area- including depth of historical knowledge. I was impressed. I will be going back this Fall with some friends and I plan to book this exact tour again through Catherine and request John.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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