Private Day Trip to Suzhou from Shanghai

Hotel Pick-up & Transfer to Suzhou
Your private guide will be holding ICT pick-up sign and waiting for you in your hotel lobby (or other appointed meeting place) at the appointed time. You will be transferred to Suzhou in a comfortable air-conditioned private vehicle.

Visit Humble Administrator’s Garden
Humble Administrator’s Garden is the largest garden in Suzhou and is considered to be the finest garden in all of southern China. Humble Administrator’s Garden was first built during the Shaoxing period (1131-1162) of the Southern Song Dynasty. Rebuilt by an imperial official in 1509 during the Ming dynasty, the garden is unique for its water features, which form the main backdrop to a surrounding landscape of miniature forests and hill-like rock formations. The garden is also home to several pavilions and halls, of which the Hall of Distant Fragrance (Yuanxiang Tang) is the main structure. The building is named after the nearby lotus pool, which perfumes the air with a soft fragrance during the summer. In 1997, Humble Administrator’s Garden, along with other classical gardens of Suzhou was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Salat at Taipingfang Mosque after lunch at local Halal restaurant

Visit Panmen Gate
Suzhou was once surrounded by a moat, and its first city walls and tower were erected to defend this water passage. The Panmen Gate is the original entrance to the city and is said to boast a history spanning 2,400 years. It was the only gate in those ancient times to be equipped with both a water entrance and a higher land entrance. The present gate structure was rebuilt in 1986, but the original structure could be traced back to the Yuan dynasty during the peak of the Mongol empire. The Panmen Gate is part of a larger scenic area that houses two other main attractions. Wumen Bridge was the highest bridge in Suzhou in those early days, and was the central passageway leading to the land entrance. Ruiguang Pagoda was the ancient city’s first such structure, and its present form has been reconstructed from bricks supported by wooden platforms.

Visit Shantang Street
Providing a window into local culture, Shantang Street has nearly 1,200 years of history. Stroll down the pedestrian road that follows the river from the west gate of the ancient city to the scenic Tiger Hill. The first half of the street is packed with old residences and shops selling snacks and handcrafts, like wood engravings and embroideries. Watch wooden boats floating under small arched bridges, which add even more charm to this nostalgic part of town dating back to the Tang Dynasty.

Transfer Back to Your Hotel
After visiting Shantang Street, your private guide and driver will transfer you back to your hotel. Its a busy day, but will also include a visit to the Silk Factory to see a display of the life-cycle of the silk worm and demonstrations of how the silk is harvested from the cocoons and eventually woven into fabric.