Suzhou
Classical gardens, canals and the water towns of the Yangtze delta
Suzhou is the garden city of China. The classical gardens here — the Humble Administrator's, the Lingering Garden — set the rules for Chinese garden design for five centuries, and nine of them are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Between the gardens are canal lanes, the leaning pagoda of Tiger Hill, I. M. Pei's last museum building, working silk workshops, and the water towns of Tongli and Zhouzhuang an hour away.
Places to see in Suzhou
The highlights we build into almost every Suzhou itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
UNESCO classical gardens
The Humble Administrator's Garden and the Lingering Garden — the model for every Chinese garden since.
Tiger Hill
A 1,000-year-old leaning pagoda built on the tomb of a Wu king.
Pingjiang Road
Canal-side lanes, teahouses, and kunqu opera drifting out of open windows.
Tongli and Zhouzhuang
Stone bridges, Ming houses and boatmen an hour from the city.
Suzhou Museum
I. M. Pei's last major building, next to the Prince Zhong mansion.
Silk workshops
Follow the whole process from cocoon to brocade — and buy direct from the loom.
Master of the Nets Garden
The smallest and most perfectly proportioned of the classical gardens.
Lion Grove Garden
A maze of rockery lions that children love to climb.
Hanshan Temple
The sound-of-the-midnight-bell temple made famous by a Tang poem.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Suzhou
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
- Free revisions until the trip is right
We reply to every inquiry within one business day.