Zhouzhuang and Tongli are two picturesque water towns near Suzhou, and there are interesting histories, old stone bridges, elegant gardens and well-preserved residential houses in the water towns. This private day tour will let you start the tour from Suzhou to explore both water towns with your local guide.
At 8.00 am, your guide will pick up you at the hotel lobby of the centrally located Suzhou hotels or Suzhou Railway Station, then start the day tour to Tongli Watertown. It takes about 40 minutes from Suzhou downtown to Tongli by car.
According to the history, Tongli is an important region in the ancient Wu regime about 1700 years ago, and It is renowned as a 'museum of ancient architectures' now because there are various well-preserved old houses and gardens tracking back from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) here.
Enjoy the sightseeing in Tongli Watertown by viewing the river, old bridges and impressive gardens. In Tongli, the Tuisi Garden or Retreat & Reflection Garden in English is a must-see attraction. It was built in 1885–1887 with the elegant designing to accommodate the traditional Watertown for the host to enjoy their life. Moreover, the Retreat & Reflection Garden was inscribed with other classical Suzhou gardens on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2001.
After lunch at a local restaurant, you will take one-hour car ride to Zhouzhuang Water Town.
Zhouzhuang is one of the most famous water townships in China. It is renowned for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, and the old stone bridges etc.
Zhouzhuang has a history more than 1000 years, and the present name Zhouzhuang could be tracked back to 1086AD. Nowadays, it is a popular water town for touristes all over the world. The Double Bridges including Shide Bridge and Yongan Bridge are considered the symbol of Zhouzhuang. Moreover, there are Fuan Bridge, Shenting House, Zhangting House, Milou House, and Chengxu Temple in Zhouzhuang, which are interesting attractions to explore.
Later, you will take one-hour car ride back to your Suzhou hotel where the tour concludes.
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Local guide in Suzhou
Transport by private vehicle
Bottled water
Lunch
Entrance fees
Gratuity
Tour duraton: 1 day
Difficulty: Easy
Tour duration: 9-10 hours
Group size: Min 1 - Max 15