- Best time
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- How long
- 1–2 days
- Daily budget
- ¥200–400 + hotel
- Getting in
- Train · Suzhou / Suzhou North
Overview
Suzhou is the city of gardens. Scholars and officials built them here for centuries, fitting rock, water, pavilions and trees into small walled courtyards, and nine of them are now on the UNESCO list. Around them, the old town is still crossed by canals and whitewashed lanes.
Most visitors come for a day from Shanghai, but staying one night lets you see the gardens at opening, before the tour groups, and the canal lanes after dark. Book the big gardens and the museum ahead.
See, eat and plan
Humble Administrator's Garden 拙政园
The largest and most famous garden, built around ponds and lotus. About ¥70–80 by season. Tickets are sold online only; arrive at opening.
Suzhou Museum 苏州博物馆
I. M. Pei's white-and-grey building next door to the garden, worth seeing as much as the collection. Free with a reservation; closed Mondays.
Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish
A whole fish scored, fried crisp and covered in sweet-and-sour sauce. Suzhou's showpiece dish.
Pingjiang Road 平江路
A canal-side lane of old houses, teahouses and small shops. Quieter side streets branch off on both sides.
Lingering Garden 留园
Famous for its long corridors, framed windows and a huge Taihu rock. Often calmer than the Humble Administrator's. About ¥45–55.
Suzhou noodles
Thin noodles in a dark, clear broth, with toppings ordered on the side. A local breakfast.
Master of the Nets Garden 网师园
The smallest of the great gardens and the most perfectly proportioned. In season, evening visits come with short music and opera performances.
Tongli water town 同里古镇
Canals, stone bridges and Ming and Qing houses about 40 minutes out. Less crowded than Zhouzhuang; go on a weekday.
Biluochun shrimp
River shrimp stir-fried with Biluochun green tea from nearby Lake Tai.
Hairy crab
Yangcheng Lake crab, eaten from late September to November. Expensive and seasonal.
Suzhou mooncakes
Flaky pastry mooncakes, best fresh and warm with a savoury pork filling.
Fox nut
A chewy water-lily seed served in sweet osmanthus soup in late summer and autumn.
Getting there and around
Suzhou has no airport of its own. Fly into Shanghai Hongqiao (SHA) or Pudong (PVG) and take the train. High-speed trains from Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai station take 25–35 minutes to Suzhou station, just north of the old town, or to Suzhou North, which is further out but on the metro.
The old town is compact. Walk between gardens, or use metro Lines 1, 2 and 4 and short Didi rides. For Tongli and the other water towns, take a bus or Didi from the city; tours from Shanghai are also common.
Where to stay
Stay inside the old town, near Pingjiang Road or Guanqian Street. The Humble Administrator's Garden, the museum and the canal lanes are all on foot, and you can be at the gates when they open. Business hotels around Suzhou Industrial Park are cheaper and newer but feel far from the old city.
Good to know
- Book the gardens and museum ahead through the official channels with your passport. The Humble Administrator's Garden does not sell tickets at the gate.
- Mondays: the Suzhou Museum is closed. The gardens open daily.
- Go early: gardens are designed for slow, quiet looking; by mid-morning the famous ones are busy.
- Weather: spring and autumn are best. June is wet, July and August hot and humid.
- Paying: set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly. See paying in China.
- Next stops: Shanghai is half an hour away, Hangzhou about 1.5 hours.
Prices, hours and visa rules change. Confirm key bookings before you go.