A day in the water towns and Suzhou
Private. One party. Door to door, about eleven hours.
One canal town in the morning, Suzhou in the afternoon. A car and driver for the whole day, and a guide who stays with you from the hotel back to the hotel.
The day
- 08:00
Leave Shanghai
About an hour and a half by car to Tongli. We go early because the town is quiet before ten.
- 09:30
Tongli
Fifteen waterways divide the town into seven islands, joined by forty-nine bridges. More than forty of the bridges standing today were built between the Song dynasty and the Republic. We walk the lanes and go into the Retreat and Reflection Garden, which is covered by the same ticket as the town.
More about Tongli - 11:00
On the water
A rowed boat, about thirty minutes, six people to a boat. The oar never leaves the water; it changes angle instead of lifting. There is a saying that one oar does the work of three paddles.
- 12:30
Lunch
Canal-side in Tongli, or in Suzhou if you would rather push on. Your call on the day.
- 14:00
Suzhou
Forty minutes by car. We go to the Humble Administrator's Garden or to Pingjiang Road, depending on the day of the week and how you are doing for energy. The garden takes a named reservation against each guest's ID, and we book yours when you book the tour. Pingjiang Road needs no ticket: its street plan still matches the city map carved in stone in 1229, and about eight thousand households live inside it.
- 17:00
Back to Shanghai
An hour and a half. You are at your hotel by half past six.
Every time above moves. Tell us you want longer on the water and less in the garden, and we rebuild the day around that.
What is included
Private car and driver for the day. English-speaking guide. Fuel, tolls and parking. Bottled water. The Tongli combined ticket and the Suzhou garden reservation, where we book them for you.
Not included: lunch, and anything you buy.
Choose the two halves
Tongli and the Humble Administrator's Garden are the default route, not a fixed package. Use these guides to choose a different water town or a different side of Suzhou before we set the day.
Water-town morning
Suzhou afternoon
- Humble Administrator's Gardenwater and a longer garden route
- Lion Grovea rockery route you enter and climb
- Lingering Gardenbuildings, corridors and stone
- Master of the Netsa compact house-and-garden sequence
- Tiger Hillthe pagoda, Sword Pool and public history
- Shantang Streetthe canal route between Changmen and Tiger Hill
- Pingjiang Roadan old-city street and canal without another garden gate
Worth knowing
- Mondays close the museums in Suzhou, including the Suzhou Museum and both museums on Pingjiang Road. We route around it.
- The Tongli combined ticket covers ten sites, and the Retreat and Reflection Garden is one of them. You do not need to buy that garden separately, and we will not sell you one.
- The lanes are stone and uneven, and there is a step down into the boats. Tell us in advance if that is a problem and we will change the route.
Price
By enquiry, as one total for your party, from the hours, the party size and the vehicle. A deposit of 30% confirms the day and the balance is paid on the day. Cancel more than 48 hours ahead and the deposit is refunded in full. The full terms are on the booking terms page.