Suzhou 2 Gardens & Tongli Water Town Day Trip from Shanghai

Two classical gardens, a 2,500-year-old city gate, and seven islands laced with canals

A private day trip from Shanghai to Suzhou and Tongli Water Town with a live English-speaking guide, covering the Master of Nets Garden, Panmen Gate, and a boat ride through the water town's 15 canals. Hotel pickup and dropoff, lunch, entrance tickets and transport are included. You choose between traveling by private vehicle or bullet train.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Suzhou gardens and water town

• Visit Tongli Water Town
• Optional boat ride in Tongli
• Drive to Suzhou city
• Have local lunch and rest
• Visit Panmen Gate
• Visit Garden of Master of Nets
• Drive back to Shanghai hotel

The experience

The day starts in Tongli Water Town, where seven islands are cut through by 15 canals and nearly every building sits at the water's edge with small staircases leading down to the waterfront. You walk through the ancient town and have the option to take a boat ride on the river. After exploring, your guide drives you to Suzhou city for lunch at a local Chinese restaurant before the afternoon's garden visits.

Panmen Gate comes next: the oldest city gate in Suzhou and the only remaining water-and-land gate in China, built around 2,500 years ago during the Warring States Period. From there you move to the Master of Nets Garden, the smallest of Suzhou's residential gardens but designed with such precise use of space that it feels far larger than it actually is. The garden demonstrates how classical Chinese designers combined art, nature and architecture into a single composition. After the gardens, your guide drives you back to your Shanghai hotel.

You choose your transport option at checkout: travel by private vehicle for the full day, or take the bullet train (second class) between Shanghai and Suzhou with private vehicle transport in Suzhou itself. A professional English-speaking guide is included. If you need Spanish, German, Italian or French, an additional 400 RMB fee applies, paid to the guide on the day.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide (or Spanish, German, Italian or French for an additional fee).
• entrance tickets to all three sites.
• lunch at a local Chinese restaurant.
• roundtrip transportation between Shanghai and Suzhou by private vehicle or bullet train (second class).
• hotel pickup and dropoff in Shanghai.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private tour from SuzhouGuide in 5 languages · 08:00, 08:15, 08:30 and 09:00Includes entrance tickets, a private English-speaking guide, a local lunch, pickup and drop-off at Suzhou city hotels, and whole-day transfers. Pickup is included.

By bullet train from ShanghaiGuide in 5 languages · 8 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 09:00Price covers entrance tickets, a private English-speaking guide and driver, lunch, pickup and drop-off at Shanghai hotels, and a round-trip bullet train ticket. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 09:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (8 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 7 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessible

Operated by Catherine Lu Tours

Is this one for you?Pick the bullet train if you're traveling from Shanghai and want to minimize driving time. Choose the private vehicle option if you prefer flexibility to explore Suzhou at your own pace between the four gardens and water town.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How long is the full day trip from Shanghai?

The tour runs 11 hours total, including travel time between Shanghai and Suzhou, all three garden and gate visits, and lunch.

What is Tongli Water Town actually like to walk through?

Tongli Water Town spreads across seven islands divided by 15 canals, with nearly all buildings built directly at the waterfront and small stone staircases connecting homes to the water. You walk through the ancient streets and can pay separately for a boat ride on the canals.

What makes the Master of Nets Garden worth visiting if it's the smallest garden in Suzhou?

The Master of Nets Garden uses space so skillfully that it creates the illusion of being much larger than its actual size, demonstrating classical Chinese garden design at its most refined. The layout synthesizes architecture, nature and art into a single composition.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between Shanghai and Suzhou?

No. You choose at checkout between private vehicle transport for the entire day or bullet train tickets (second class) between the cities, with private vehicle transport in Suzhou itself. Hotel pickup and dropoff in Shanghai are included either way.