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1 Day Suzhou City Highlights Tour

Short Glimpse of Best Suzhou

Wandering where to explore the quainter and scenic side of China? Hangzhou and Suzhou in southeastern China are the best places to go. They have been praised as "the Heavenly Cities" by ancient Chinese travelers, poets as well as great world explorer Marco Polo because of their prosperity, rich culture and fabulous landscape. Hangzhou is famous for its legendary West Lake and tasty Dragon Well Tea, while Suzhou is known by people for its garden arts and romantic water towns.

Our 3 Days Hangzhou Suzhou Tour bring you all the special charms that Hangzhou and Suzhou have to offer. You will discover the most highlighting places seemingly trapped in time from the famous West Lake to classical Lingering Garden, watertown-like Shantang Street, silk experiences, etc. Best price guaranteed, experienced tour guide and driver, 24/7 Customer Support.

  • Type : Private Tour
  • Tour Code : CD-SHT-03
  • Price : from request
    1. 1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling in low seasons;
    2. 2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate.
  • Theme : History / Culture / Architecture
  • Physical Demands :

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

  • Cruise leisurely on the West Lake in Hangzhou to enjoy the tranquil views of ancient pagodas, traditional arched bridges, tree-lined walkways, beautiful hills, green islands and lush gardens, etc.;
  • Visit a beautiful tea village in Hangzhou to find out how China’s most famous Dragon Well Tea is cultivated and gain some knowledge about Chinese tea culture;
  • Witness the highest standard of gardening skill of ancient China and enjoy some leisure stroll in Suzhou Lingering Garden, a World Heritage Site and one of Four Greatest China Gardens;
  • Take an interesting visit to Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory to observe each step of the magic process of silk making, including silkworms eating mulberries, machinery unraveling cocoons, workers spinning silk, etc.
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Itinerary Day by Day (Can Be Customized)
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Day 1 Hangzhou Arrival

Today’s highlights: West Lake, Lingyin Temple, Feilai Peak, Meijia Dock Dragon Well Tea Village, China National Tea Museum

Welcome to Hangzhou! Your local travel guide and driver will meet you at Hangzhou airport / train station or your hotel and escort you to start today’s Hangzhou exploration! (Note: the number and order of attractions can be adjusted based on your schedule and interests.)

First, make the symbolic visit to the picturesque West Lake, which is the iconic site of Hangzhou and a pretty UNESCO World Heritage. Just as the famous traveler Marco Polo did and wrote: “A voyage on this lake offers more refreshment and pleasure than any other experience on earth”, you will start with a 45-minute leisure cruise to enjoy the tranquil lake views as well as the ancient pagodas, traditional arched bridges, tree-lined walkways, beautiful hills, green islands and lush gardens including visit to the beautiful Three Ponds Mirroring the Moon. After the cruise, stroll or take a sightseeing vehicle leisurely around to pass the famous Su Causeway, Bai Causeway, Broken Bridge, Gushan Hill, parks of Fish Viewing at the Flower Pond, Lotus Swaying in the Breeze, Orioles Singing in the Willows, etc. (As the lake is too large, you can take the sightseeing vehicle at any place on the route to save energy. The fee is included.)

Next, go to Feilai Peak (Peak Flying from Afar), which flew to China to spread Buddhism from India according to the legend. It features in over 300 Buddhist carvings lining the riverbanks and hillsides and tucked away inside grottoes. With over 1,000 years, it is the precious fresco treasure in the whole regions south of Yangtze River. Continue to the adjacent Lingyin Temple of nearly 1,700 year, which is the oldest and one of the most popular temples in Hangzhou. Hidden in the luxurious forest, it offers charming and peaceful landscape mixed with the strong Buddhist atmosphere among the large scaled of magnificent and antique temple clusters.

Then, drive uphill to Meijiawu Tea Village, a refreshing wonderland surrounded by mountains with a large area of emerald Dragon Well tea plantations in neat lines and curves. Walk among the tea plantations with fun and take beautiful photos (Optional activity: you can pay a visit to the local tea grower’s family and experience picking tea leaves, watching stir-drying tea leaves, enjoying tea ceremony, tasting Dragon Well tea, etc., which needs extra payment.). After that, go to China National Tea Museum to learn systematically about Chinese tea culture including the history, procession, customs and classification of tea, and admire diverse kinds of tea wares, machines, displays, etc.

After today’s visiting, be escorted back to your hotel in Hangzhou downtown. Have a good sleep!

Evening Ideas: 1) watch a magnificent night show - Enduring Memories of Hangzhou, a live performance by Yimou Zhang with changing lights, music and dancing on the West Lake, which usually starts at 7pm, needs extra payment; 2) feast your eyes with an amazing Music Fountain Show at Third Park, near the eastern lakeside of West Lake, free charged.

  • Picturesque West Lake with Lotus Flowers in Summer Picturesque West Lake with Lotus Flowers in Summer
  • Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset
  • West Lake Boating Experience West Lake Boating Experience
  • Lingyin Temple Lingyin Temple
  • Hangzhou Dragon Well Tea Plantation Hangzhou Dragon Well Tea Plantation
  • Lawson Family from UK - Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Our customers Lawson's Family from UK visited Meijiawu Tea Plantation in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China in October, 2019.

Day 2 Hangzhou - Suzhou (B, L)

Today’s highlights: Hefang Street, Hu Qing Yu Tang, Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal Cruise, Qiaoxi Conservation Area

Good morning! After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet at your hotel and then escort you to enjoy a nice historical walk at Hefang Street, a unique pedestrian street to see the typical old and prosperous Hangzhou in South Song era. Stroll to admire the ornate old styled Chinese architectures, interesting local handicrafts, delicious snacks, etc. Then, walk to the century-old Chinese pharmacy on the street - Hu Qing Yu Tang, which is also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum and was built by Xueyan Hu, a famous merchant in late Qing dynasty. Many locals still visit senior doctors there for treatment today. Marvel at the magic of traditional Chinese medicine by looking at the countless traditional Chinese medicines and herbs, various traditional tools and watch the live processing of medicines.

Later, go to Wulinmen to take the 0.5 hour’s sightseeing cruise on Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal. That great canal dug from Spring and Autumn period is over 2,500 years old, which is one of the three greatest projects in China and a World Cultural Heritage. Appreciate the view of the modern and old houses on banks passing by and see the vibrant scene of different cargo ships and passenger ships coming and going just like that in the past centuries.

Disembark at Gongchen Bridge and have an interesting cultural visit to Qiaoxi Conservation Area which was called “Little Shanghai” for its prosperity in Ming and Qing era due to the convenient linking by the Grand Canal. Now, this cultural street block preserves lots of old folk dwellings and industrial sites and has a series of themed museums and exhibitions to introduce the culture and history of the Grand Canal, Hangzhou and China. Go to China Museum of Knives, Scissors & Swords to admire various scissors used in daily life and learn the developing story of Zhang Xiao Quan. It is a nationally renowned brand of knives and scissors of nearly 400 years old and still favored by lots of domestic consumers. Besides, have a great look at plentiful of swords for military defense and knives from ancient to now! Walk to the adjacent China Umbrella Museum. You will know how the world first umbrella was inspired from lotus leaves, their special status in Chinese literature, irreplaceable meanings in the wedding and marriage in China, detailed processing, etc. with displays of rich types and colors of umbrellas of different materials in China and the world. Then, go to the nearby Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion to watch the live demonstration of painting on oiled paper umbrellas and various handicrafts, such as making potteries, embroideries, bamboo weaving, etc. (Optional activities: You can experience one of the handcrafting activities if you are interested and time permits, which needs extra payment.)

After the visiting, your guide and driver will escort you to take the high-speed train to Suzhou (1.5 hours). Check in to your hotel and have a good rest.

  • Hefang Street Hefang Street
  • Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal - Gongchen Bridge Section Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal - Gongchen Bridge Section
  • China Umbrella Museum China Umbrella Museum
  • China Museum of Knives, Scissors & Swords China Museum of Knives, Scissors & Swords
  • Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion

Day 3 Suzhou Departure (B, L)

Today‘s Highlights: Lingering Garden, Tiger Hill, Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory

In the early morning of today, meet your tour guide and driver, then set out for today’s exciting Suzhou tour.

Start with an interesting visit to Lingering Garden, one of the Four Greatest Gardens in China as well as the perfect representative of traditional Suzhou Gardens. The Lingering Garden has synthesized almost all the classic features of Suzhou gardens. It is composed of residential areas, shrines, family temple and garden, making full use of the changes between big and small, bend and straight, bright and dark, tall and low, tight and disperse, with the surrounding landscapes, such as plants, lakes, sky, etc. as backgrounds to create an ingenious system of space. Stepping into the garden, you will find the architectures, rockeries, corridors, pavilions, ponds and trees in Lingering Garden are all standing in the best place, neither too crowded nor too sporadic. The most incredible thing is that, in the same place, looking from different angles, you can enjoy different scenery. Making a step, you will get another feeling of another kind of scenery.

After visiting Lingering Garden, move on to next site - Shantang Ancient Street, a wonderful watertown-like street. It used to be an important trade and culture center during Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now is famous as “the miniature of old Suzhou and the window of Wu culture”. Enjoy the ornate water-town style architectures, marvel at the bustling streets and savor at local snacks.

In the afternoon, you will go to explore the iconic historical site in Suzhou – Tiger Hill. The hill is only 36 meters in height, but covers about 3.5 acres areas with a number of historical sites some of which have history over 2,500 years. The most famous sites include the Yunyan Pagoda which is an over-1000-year-old pagoda with seven stories in height and famously leans much like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Sword Pool where the King of Wu, He Lu, tested and buried his treasured swords about 2500 years ago. Apart from the history, the Tiger Hill is also an amazing place to go for a walk, enjoy natural scenery and experience local custom.

Next, you will transfer from Tiger Hill to Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory for a great entertaining and educational experience. Acting as a living museum of Suzhou Silk, this factory exhibits not only the ancient looms in different dynasties and different weaving techniques, but also the demo of silk manufacturing from cover to cover. You can feast your eyes on each step of the magic process, including silkworms eating mulberries, machinery unraveling cocoons, workers spinning silk and so on. A sea of fancy silk items like scarves, pajamas, bags, cheongsams, shirts, etc. are also on display.

After the tour, you guide will escort you to the railway station to catch a train to the next destination. Tour ends!

  •  Lingering Garden Customer Our delighted customers visited Lingering Garden
  • Suzhou Tiger Hill Suzhou Tiger Hill
  • Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory Silk Products in Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory
  • Pingjiang Road Spring Beautiful Pingjiang Road in Spring

The quotation for this trip is from request Per Person

1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1= RMB 6.45. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.

What's included?

  • Professional licensed English-speaking guide;
  • Admission tickets for all attractions listed in the itinerary;
  • Accommodation as listed in the itinerary (4-star standard);
  • Necessary vehicle transfers as listed in the itinerary;
  • High-speed train from Hangzhou to Suzhou (second class) as listed in the itinerary;
  • Airport (and train station) pick up and drop off;
  • Luggage Transfers: between airports (railway station) and hotels;
  • All meals as listed(“B” for Chinese and Western breakfast buffet in your hotel; “L” for Chinese Lunch in local restaurant; “D” for Chinese dinner in local restaurant.);
  • Accident insurance;
  • Our service charge, including tour planning, handling, operational and communication charges.

What's excluded?

  • China visa;
  • Personal expenses;
  • Accommodation not listed in the itinerary;
  • Single Room Supplement;
  • Tourist sites which are not listed in the itinerary;
  • Recommended optional activities;
  • Excess Baggage Charges;
  • Optional tips to guides, drivers, etc.

Check What our delighted customers are saying about our services

Hi Samantha,

Thanks!

We are enjoying China very much. You made us confident that we would have the experience we wanted. That is why we booked with you and we were not disappointed.

We had a good day with Timo. Timo would have exceeded our expectations if Peter had not set our expectations so high. Timo is a very close second place.

Peter is great! Peter suggested we hike this afternoon when it is more clear and we agreed.

Lunch at Bravo Hotel was good; enough left over for dinner. We walked around the lake across from the hotel this afternoon. It is a pretty area.

Having Fun!

We are happy with China Discovery and would recommend them to others.

Joseph

Joseph‚ USA, February 28, 2024

Hi Jack,

All good, hope all is well with you too.

It was an incredible experience for my family as from the start till finish, the itinerary was meticulously planned, a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation suitable for young and old alike. This allows us to fully immerse in the activity and destination without feeling rushed or overwhelmed

I must commend our tour guide, Grace, whose dedication, thoughtfulness and patient truly enhanced our journey. Her enthusiasm for sharing the culture and history of each location made the experience more enjoyable.

Overall, our trip exceeded our expectations, leaving us with only good memories. Thank you again Jack for providing such a wonderful experience and sorry to bother you when you are on vacation. We look forward to the opportunity to travel with your company again in the near future.

Warms Regards.

Debbie

Debbie‚ Indonesia, February 27, 2024

Hi Wonder,

it was such a wonderful trip, giving me a great impression of Chengdu and Chongqing, thanks to the professional guide by Ellen and David.

Thank you Wonder and Benny for arranging the trip. It was fun, food was good and we did enjoy it very much!

Evelyn

Evelyn‚ Hong Kong (China), February 27, 2024

Dear Jack,

Apologies for delayed feedback because we were busy travelling in Jan and Feb. We have just returned to HK yesterday night. Pls find attached our comments.

1. Yes, fast and helpful responses to queries via WeChat and whatapps.

2. The tour arrangements were very professionally delivered as stated in the itinerary by our guide and driver, who were courteous and friendly. The pickup and transport were timely and safe.

3. Yes, willing to recommend. Had mentioned to our relatives and friends who enquired.

4. Very professional and helpful.

Leong

Leong‚ Singapore, February 26, 2024

Hi Rita,

Greetings from Malaysia. Thank you for your email.

We enjoyed the tour very much and are satisfied with all the arrangements from the guide picking us up at the airport, the itinerary, transport arrangements between Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou and the shows recommended. Both Seven (Shanghai, Suzhou) and LuLu (Hangzhou) were excellent guides, very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

Definitely will recommend your services to my relatives and friends. We hope we can visit China again.

Nothing to complain about, only that our visit is too short!

Susan

Susan‚ Malaysia, February 21, 2024
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"It was an incredible experience for my family as from the start till finish, the itinerary was meticulously planned, a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation suitable for young and old alike..." read more »
Reviewed on February 27, 2024
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Nomad
"It was an incredible experience for my family as from the start till finish, the itinerary was meticulously planned, a perfect balance of adventure and relaxation suitable for young and old alike..." read more »
Reviewed on February 27, 2024
Read all reviews(1,810+)

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Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.

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We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.

The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.

There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.

All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!

Photo gallery of this trip

  • Picturesque West Lake with Lotus Flowers in Summer Picturesque West Lake with Lotus Flowers in Summer
  • Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset Leifeng Pagoda at Sunset
  • West Lake Boating Experience West Lake Boating Experience
  • Lingyin Temple Lingyin Temple
  • Hangzhou Dragon Well Tea Plantation Hangzhou Dragon Well Tea Plantation
  • Lawson Family from UK - Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Lawson Family from UK - Meijiawu Tea Plantation, Hangzhou, Zhejiang
  • Hefang Street Hefang Street
  • Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal - Gongchen Bridge Section Beijing Hangzhou Grand Canal - Gongchen Bridge Section
  • China Umbrella Museum China Umbrella Museum
  • China Museum of Knives, Scissors & Swords China Museum of Knives, Scissors & Swords
  • Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion
  •  Lingering Garden Customer Lingering Garden Customer
  • Suzhou Tiger Hill Suzhou Tiger Hill
  • Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory Suzhou No.1 Silk Factory
  • Pingjiang Road Spring Pingjiang Road Spring

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