Shanghai Shore & Cruise Excursion: Suzhou City Highlights

Tour Highlights
• Visit Suzhou, praised by Marco Polo as Venice of the East, famous for its UNESCO World Heritage classical gardens
• Wander through Humble Administrator's Garden, the finest garden in all of southern China
• Visit Panmen Gate, the oldest city gate of Suzhou and the only existing water and land gate in China
• Admire Tiger Hill, the oldest pagoda in Suzhou (2,500 years old) nicknamed the Leaning Tower of China
• Stroll along Shantang Street, a window of Wu Culture and a platform to experience the lifestyle of Suzhou

About This Tour
• Departure: Daily departing from Shanghai.
• Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours.
• Guide Languages: Chinese & English.
• Pickup & Drop-off Place: Shanghai Cruise Port
• Advice on Meals: Lunch is not included. We suggest a filling breakfast and perhaps some packed snacks. For an authentic local lunch experience, simply inform your guide, who will help you find a spot.

Tour Itinerary at a Glance
• Pickup from Shanghai Cruise Port
• Drive to Suzhou (less than 2 hours)
• Visit Humble Administrator's Garden (1 hour & 30 minutes)
• Lunch on your own
• Visit Panmen Gate (1 hour)
• Visit Tiger Hill (1 hour)
• Visit Shantang Street  (1 hour)
• Transfer back to Shanghai Cruise Port (less than 2 hours)

Tailor This Tour to Meet Your Needs
• If you want to customize this itinerary, contact us via WhatsApp (+86 139 1083 0737) or email (info@GrandChinaTravel.com). We'll create a tailor-made tour package just for you.

Price Remark
• Prices are not valid during National Day (Oct 1-7), Chinese New Year, and Labor Day (May 1-5).

Price Inclusions
• Professional English language speaking tour guide
• Air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver
• All admission tickets to sightseeing places
• All government taxes

Price Exclusions
• Hotel accommodation.
• Your personal expenses.
• Meals are excluded allowing you flexibility on menu.
• Travel insurance is not included. Please purchase before your trip to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.
• Gratuities to guide & driver. They are customary and would be of great encouragement and reward for quality service.

Additional Info
• Confirmation will be received at time of booking.
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
• The itinerary is subject to change due to traffic conditions or bad weather.
• The itinerary is flexible; changes can be made upon written request from travelers.
• IMPORTANT: It is required by the government regulations that travelers must provide their name, gender, nationality, passport number and date of birth to their tour operator upon booking a tour. Failure to do so could result in being denied access or admittance to sites and attractions during sightseeing. When you book this tour, please complete all required fields at checkout. Please bring your passport with you on the tour.

Cancellation Policy
• Cancellations made 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time will receive a 100% refund.
• Cancellations made within 24 hours of the tour's start time or after the tour begins are non-refundable.
• Cancellation request will be confirmed within 2-5 business days, with refunds issued within 14 working days.

Know Before You Go
• Please keep your passport with you at all times, as it might be needed for entrance ticket purchases.
• Pickup time, guide's name, and contact information will be confirmed via WhatsApp or email.
• Your guide will be waiting at the designated meeting place, holding a GoGrandChina welcome sign with your name.
• Meals are not included; please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• If you book an Airbnb, please note that door-to-door pickup and drop-off might not be provided.
• There's a 20-minute grace period for waiting. Failure to show up will result in tour cancellation & no refund.

Shanghai Cruise Port Pickup, Transfer to Suzhou
Your private guide will be holding GoGrandChina pickup sign and waiting for you at Shanghai Cruise Port 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.

Lunch at Your Own Expense
Please feel free to ask your guide for suggestions and recommendations

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 Tiger Hill
Tiger Hill has been a popular tourist destination in China for thousands of years, as is evident from the poetry and calligraphy carved into rocks on the hill. The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. The hill is sometimes referred to in parallel with Lion Hill which clearly resembles a sitting lion. The highlight of Tiger Hill is the Yunyan Pagoda located on the highest point of the hill. The pagoda is more than a thousand years old, and despite repeated preservation and restoration efforts, the structure has gradually begun to buckle and slant under its own weight. It now leans at a 3-degree-angle, earning it the unofficial title of the Leaning Tower of China. There is a small section within the park that houses a collection of carefully trimmed trees and smaller plants (Chinese bonsai). Within the inner portion of the park, you will find a small tea plantation and a lovely bamboo forest.

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 Shanghai Cruise Port
After visiting Shantang Street, your private guide and driver will transfer you back to Shanghai Cruise Port.