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Private Shanghai Tour: Exploring Suzhou and Zhouzhuang or Tongli - The Water Cities of Jiang'nan
4.9
43 Ratings
Suzhou
Experience the charm of the water cities of Jiang’nan on a private tour from Shanghai. Explore Suzhou and choose between Zhouzhuang or Tongli, immersing yourself in the rich history and culture of these ancient towns.
Experience the charm of the water cities of Jiang’nan on a private tour from Shanghai. Explore Suzhou and choose between Zhouzhuang or Tongli, immersing yourself in the rich history and culture of these ancient towns.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Humble Administrator’s Garden - Your local guide and driver will pick you up from your Shanghai hotel at your preferred time. Board a comfortable, air-conditioned MPV van and enjoy a pleasant ride to Suzhou. On the way, spend a few minutes discussing with your guide to choose the sites to visit in Suzhou. The following is a recommended itinerary,…
- Humble Administrator’s Garden - Your local guide and driver will pick you up from your Shanghai hotel at your preferred time. Board a comfortable, air-conditioned MPV van and enjoy a pleasant ride to Suzhou. On the way, spend a few minutes discussing with your guide to choose the sites to visit in Suzhou. The following is a recommended itinerary, but as a private tour, your schedule is entirely flexible, so be sure to inform the guide if any adjustments are needed. Typically, upon arrival in Suzhou, you can choose to visit one of the top classic gardens: The Master of Net’s Garden. Spend quality time exploring different sections, appreciating the charm and elegance of the thousand-year-old garden while learning about its interesting history, culture, and customs from your guide.
- North Temple Pagoda Residential District - Next, you have the option to choose another site in Suzhou, such as the Suzhou Silk Factory, where you can enjoy a fascinating silk-making process from tiny silkworms to fine finished materials. Alternatively, you could visit other sites such as Beisi Pagoda, the Leaning Pagoda at Tiger Hill, or the Panmen scenic area. After the morning activities, take a break and enjoy a delightful local lunch based on your dietary preferences.
- Zhouzhuang Water Town - Continue the fun afternoon tour to the famous water town. If you choose the ZhouZhuang option, you will stroll through the old alley streets to soak up its charm and admire the famed twin bridges. Additionally, visit Mr. Shen Wansan’s House, the courtyard residence of a 14th-century tycoon whose wealth inspired the envy of the first Ming emperor of China. Admire the classical architecture of Shen’s House as you learn about his fascinating life. You may also choose to enjoy a relaxing gondola ride to fully appreciate the beautiful township scenery.
If you choose the Tongli water town option, you will visit the UNESCO-listed Tuisi Garden, walk across the lucky Three Ring bridges, explore the stone-paved alley streets, and enjoy an optional gondola boat ride to immerse yourself in the serene and picturesque township scenery. Your tour will then conclude with a transfer and drop-off back at your hotel in downtown Shanghai or another downtown area as per your request.
What's Included
- Transport by private air-conditioned MPV van
- Entrance fee to one selected water town (Tongli or Zhouzhuang)
- Private amazing guide
- Downtown hotel pick-up & drop-off included
- Options for outskirt hotels/airport pick-up & drop-off at surcharge
- Transport by private air-conditioned MPV van
- Entrance fee to one selected water town (Tongli or Zhouzhuang)
- Private amazing guide
- Downtown hotel pick-up & drop-off included
- Options for outskirt hotels/airport pick-up & drop-off at surcharge
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Boat ride along the canal (About $15 to $25.00usd per boat. Each boat can accommodate 6 pax)
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Boat ride along the canal (About $15 to $25.00usd per boat. Each boat can accommodate 6 pax)
Additional Information
This private day trip from Shanghai will allow you to see the typical south-east (Jiang’nan) style water-way city Suzhou and the No.1 water town Zhouzhuang or Tongli with about 900 years history. Enjoy a great city and water village overview as well as the local culture from your professional guide. Since this exclusive private tour is just made for…
This private day trip from Shanghai will allow you to see the typical south-east (Jiang’nan) style water-way city Suzhou and the No.1 water town Zhouzhuang or Tongli with about 900 years history. Enjoy a great city and water village overview as well as the local culture from your professional guide. Since this exclusive private tour is just made for you and your party, you can enjoy the travel journey at your own pace. Take this wonderful opportunity to discovery the beauty of the ‘Oriental Venice’.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Please wear comfortable shoes
Location
Humble Administrator's Garden
No.178 Northeast Road, Pingjiang District,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(43 Ratings)
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Angel_w
Apr 21, 2024
Great Day Tour from Shanghai to Tongli - Great tour to Tongli with guide Rita who was very friendly and knowledgeable. She was flexible and keot our kids entertained during the tour as well. Highly recommend Sunny tours!
Review provided by Viator
Angelinparisabudhabi
Apr 21, 2024
Great Day Tour from Shanghai with Knowledgeable and Friendly Guide Rita - Our day tour out of Shanghai to the water town Tongli with private driver and guide Rita was excellent. Rita did an amazing job explaining topics of interest and kept the tour exciting for our 3 young kids. She was very flexible, which was just what we needed. Tongli is an enjoyable and less crowded water town experience. Highly recommend! This was our 3rd booking with Sunny tours this trip and we recommend them for all your Shanghai and Hangzhou tours and transfers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
285ycp
Apr 11, 2024
Great day trip to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang - We had a great trip out of Shanghai with our tour guide Rita. She is very experienced and knowledgeable. She explained to us in details the history of the venues. she was also very patient with us. My family spent much time in shopping and looking at those interesting small shops around. As a result we ended quite late but Rita was very accommodating. She speaks very good English too. A highly recommended trip for everyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P2833jfrosel
Mar 18, 2024
Great experience - Our guide, Roy, is exceptionally attentive and helpful. I brought my parents, who require special care, and Roy provided the necessary assistance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S1465ldclaireb
Dec 2, 2023
Can't recommend enough! - We had an amazing day with Sunny. The day was designed around our needs and Sunny ensured we got to see exactly what we wanted. It was fabulous the right amount of info sharing combined with allowing us to just enjoy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
209leynal
Nov 29, 2023
Thank you Sunny & Linda! - Sunny and Linda were both wonderful and friendly guides! Apart from seeing historic areas of Suzhou, Tongli and the silk museum - they also explained to me the history behind all the areas and gardens we visited which I absolutely loved! As my Chinese was limited so they helped me with simple tasks like getting the tickets to access the areas we needed to go to, ordering food during lunch and getting milk tea. Would highly recommend both to be your guides!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
E5766lxmarcd
Nov 20, 2023
Fantastic tour with Rita - Our tour guide was Rita. Thanks to her we were able to get a great tour of a nice house if Suzhou followed by a relaxing walk and boat ride along the water town of Zhouzhouang. Her knowledge of history, poetry and high culture was a welcome addition to the experience. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Desserts_heart
Nov 18, 2023
An interesting and enjoyable trip to the Master of Nets Garden and Tongli Water Town - We booked this trip at the last minute via Trip Advisor, based on the reviews. Our guide was a very nice lady named Rita and the driver was a quiet young man, who drove carefully and steadily whilst fetching us from one place to another. The vehicle which we travelled in was very comfortable. Rita is effectively bilingual and set us at ease with her genuine warmth and friendliness. She is very knowledgeable and we were treated to a rich and detailed insight of the history and culture of China, e.g. the eight ancient capitals and the five most famous mountains. We discussed the destinations with her and agreed that we should go to the Master of Nets Garden and Tongli Water Town as both were representative of Suzhou, but less crowded. Master of Nets Garden was designed such that there were visions of lovely scenery almost every which way we turned and the occasional artist sketching away unobtrusively in a corner. Rita told us a great deal about the unique architectural details, in particular the carvings and the furniture styles which varied from dynasty to dynasty. We found it all highly informative and extremely interesting, e.g. the various dynasties and the depth of meaning of the Chinese language, as reflected in a carving about harmonious families. We asked to have Suzhou dishes for lunch and Rita suggested a restaurant which offered both Suzhou and Jiangnan cuisine. We enjoyed the local cuisine, which was flavourful and delicious.
Our trip to Tongli Water Town took place in slightly cooler weather. Rita explained that there are still many residents living in Tongli and they all know one another. The highlight was the boat ride, which took us through the canal that runs through the water town. There are quite a number of bridges which span the canal and most are high enough for the boatman to pass under without ducking -- except one memorable one! Tongli, with the clear canal waters, and the willow and camphor trees, makes a romantic backdrop. We saw a girl being photographed; she was dressed in period costume (we wonder if it was more fashionable than historically-accurate) and the whole setting was as pretty as a picture. We also saw what we thought might have been a couple taking photos for their wedding album.
The tour was a short one (being only a day trip), but it was made enjoyable and interesting by Rita, who was not just a guide, but genuinely engaged us person-to-person. We are very glad to have had her as our guide. Thank you so much, Rita!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Harold_s
Oct 23, 2023
Best tour with Rita- Private Suzhou and Zhouzhuang or Tongil Tour from Shanghai - My tour was conducted by Rita. She was the most knowledgeable tour guide I have ever had. She knew the complete historical information and provided it in a way that was fun. We spent the day going to both Suzhou and Zhouzhuang. Both were very different from each other and very interesting.
I would highly recommend this tour, especially if you are fortunate enough to have it given by Rita. She is truly a wonderful person to spend a full day of touring with.
Review provided by Viator
Pimuma_v
Jan 31, 2024
A Mixed Experience - The Private Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Tour from Shanghai proved to be a convenient option for those with limited time to plan their trip. However, the experience had its highs and lows.
The Good:
- One of the undeniable highlights of the tour was the inclusion of a private air-conditioned Mercedes minivan. This not only ensured a comfortable journey but also added a touch of luxury to our travel experience.
- The guide accompanying us was knowledgeable and went the extra mile to provide detailed insights into the historical and cultural significance of the sites we visited.
Could Be Better:
- The itinerary appeared to be disproportionately focused on Suzhou, somewhat overshadowing the potentially more captivating Zhouzhuang.
- A significant part of our time was spent navigating Suzhou, including cross-city travel to places like Tiger Hill. Unfortunately, the visit to Tiger Hill was limited to a quick photo stop downstairs, without the opportunity to ascend the pagoda. This particular stop was added on the day of the tour, consuming more time than anticipated.
- The biggest disappointment came when we finally arrived at Zhouzhuang which is China's number one water town. Contrary to the promised 3hours, we were only given half an hour to explore this enchanting destination. This limited time frame left us without the chance to leisurely stroll around or experience the highly anticipated boat ride along the picturesque canals.
In conclusion, the Private Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Tour from Shanghai is a suitable choice for those seeking a hassle-free and comfortable travel experience. However, improvements in the tour's balance between Suzhou and Zhouzhuang, as well as better time management at the various stops, could elevate the overall satisfaction of participants.
Review provided by Viator
