Suzhou and Tongli Water Town Day Tour from Shanghai 9 Hours, Shanghai (SHALC-62)

Your private tour guide will be waiting for you at the lobby of your hotel at around 8:30 am and along with your private driver will transfer you to Lingering Garden. On the way to the garden, your guide will briefly introduce highlights of the day trip and some interesting facts about Shanghai and Suzhou.

Your Tour Guide: An experienced guide who speaks fluent English and has earned us over 200 5-star comments on TripAdvisor. Check out the comments on.

Your Driver: A local driver who has been working as a tourist driver for over 5 years.

Your Car: A business car with air-conditioner, GPS, 7 seats and plenty of space.

Two of our tour guides, Candy (left) and Julie (right)

Lingering Garden is one of the top four ancient gardens in China. It is ranked number 1 in the Suzhou Sights & Landmarks section of TripAdvisor.

Eastern Section

The garden is divided into eastern, middle and western sections. You will enter at the eastern section, which is larger than the other two. The eastern-section buildings and artificial hills are also taller than those in the other two sections.

Middle Section

After walking through a long corridor, you will find yourself in the middle garden, the most exquisite and culturally significant part of Lingering Garden. One third of the middle section is covered by pools, so the whole section resembles a small water town.

Western Section

The western section is renowned for its buildings, among which Zhile Pavilion is the best-known. It’s the place where former owners listened to local opera. Through the blue glass windows of the hall, the outside world looks as if it’s covered by snow. The reflection of trees in the pool in front of the hall makes the scene more idyllic.

The view of the Lingering Garden (above) and a long corridor in the garden (below)

You will be transferred to Humble Administrator Garden to kick off your 30-minute rickshaw ride. You rickshaw driver will take you from the garden to Baita East Road, where you can drive through some small historical lanes. Local people still lead a simple life there. Your rickshaw ride will end on Shantang Cultural Street, where you will find both the most historical and the most fashionable parts of Suzhou.

Your rickshaw in Suzhou

After the rickshaw ride, you will be transferred for lunch to the Yangyang Dumpling Restaurant or the Li Private Cuisine. The Yangyang Dumpling Restaurant offers special local dumplings and other local cuisine. Even if you have eaten dumplings before in other places in China, it is still worth trying them again in this restaurant. Li Private Cuisine is well-known for its local food, such as fish from Lake Tai, fried eggs and duck with local sauce.

Sanxian dumplings, the most popular food in Yangyang Dumpling Restaurant

After lunch, your driver and tour guide will accompany you to Tongli water town. If you have any questions about the town, feel free to ask your guide on the car.

Tongli water town is divided into 7 islands by 15 rivers. These are connected by 49 bridges. All the essence of the South Yangtze River region can be found in this town.

Tuisi Garden

This is your first attraction in Tongli. Tuisi Garden is much smaller than the gardens in the city of Suzhou, but you can’t judge the charm of a garden by its size. Tuisi Garden, like the top gardens in the city of Suzhou, is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The pools and pavilions in Tuisi Garden are even more charming than the ones in the gardens of Suzhou.

Sculling Boat Ride and the Three Bridges Scenic Area

You will take a sculling boat from Tuisi Garden to the Three Bridges Scenic Area. During the boat ride and your visit to the scenic area, you will be immersed in the rich history and culture of Tongli. Local people believe they can obtain good health and fortune by walking across all three bridges. You’ll want to see if that’s true.

Chongben Hall and the Folk Custom Museum

Chongben Hall and the Folk Custom Museum focus on the daily lives of ancient Tongli people. Wood carvings, paintings and interior decorations are the crystallization of Tongli people’s wisdom and your day-trip will reach a perfect ending at the museum.

A pavilion in the Tuisi Garden

Thank you for traveling with us! After the tour, your tour guide and driver will transfer you to your hotel in Shanghai, or to the airport or railway station where you will catch your flight or train. Please note that you should arrive at the airport 1.5 hours ahead of departure time for domestic flights, or 2.5 hours for international flights.