Upon arrival in Suzhou, check in your garden style hotel

With a history of over 2,500 years, Pingjiang Road retains the complete ancient city pattern of the Song Dynasty, known as the “living ancient city of Suzhou”. In the daytime, walk along bluestone alleys, cross ancient stone bridges, and visit ancient courtyards and traditional folk shops to feel the simple and quiet Jiangnan folk style.

Free time for dinner nearby (at guest’s own expense). Multiple local restaurants and eateries are available within walking distance of the historic district.

At night, the whole street is lit by soft lanterns; ancient houses and bridge shadows reflect on the water — quiet and romantic, completely different from the lively daytime style, presenting the most tender night scene of ancient Suzhou.

As the core landscape of modern Suzhou, Jinji Lake combines open lake scenery and urban modern architecture. Ligongdi, a century-old dyke across the lake, gathers characteristic commercial blocks, art galleries and landscape platforms. At night, neon lights, lake waves and skyline buildings set off each other, perfectly interpreting the integrated beauty of Suzhou’s ancient heritage and modern fashion. 21:30 return to hotel for rest.

One of the Four Great Classical Gardens of China and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. It is famous for its exquisite layout, layered scenery and compact, changeable garden design. The garden integrates rockeries, ponds, pavilions, corridors and ancient plants — every step presents a different scenery, fully reflecting the supreme artistic conception of “borrowing scenery and changing scenery” in Chinese classical gardens. It is a masterpiece of Suzhou garden architecture in the Qing Dynasty.

Panmen is the most complete surviving ancient city-gate complex of Suzhou, featuring the rare co-existence of a land gate and a water gate. The grand ancient city wall stands beside the water, together with the iconic Ruiguang Pagoda. Visitors can walk part of the city wall ramparts, learn about Suzhou’s ancient city defence system, and enjoy the harmonious view of city wall, moat, pagoda and water landscape, tracing back to the city’s two-thousand-year-old urban history.

Lunch break at guest’s own expense; your guide will recommend local restaurants near the scenic area.

Based on the garden-style exhibition center visited on the first day, further deepen the understanding of Suzhou silk craftsmanship. Learn about the whole process from silkworm breeding and silk reeling to hand weaving and embroidery, and appreciate the difference between traditional handmade silk and modern machine-made products, as well as the unique craftsmanship of Suzhou embroidery’s fine stitching, vivid patterns and layered colors.

Known as “the first ancient street in Jiangnan”, Shantang Street has a history of more than 1,200 years. Take a traditional ancient-style rickshaw to leisurely tour the ancient street and feel the retro Jiangnan rhythm, then take a  boat cruise to wander along the ancient river, viewing the riverside ancient houses, stone bridges and green willows from the water perspective.

At night, Shantang Street is brightly lit, with ancient buildings covered in lanterns, bustling folk markets and flowing river lights, presenting the most lively and prosperous night scene of Suzhou’s ancient streets. Return to hotel for rest afterwards.

Spend a full day visiting Tongli, a typical Jiangnan ancient water town. Depart the hotel at 08:30 and drive to Tongli Water Town.

A national 5A-level scenic spot and a representative of Jiangnan water towns, known as “a water town built on water”. Different from crowded commercial ancient towns, Tongli retains a strong life atmosphere and well-preserved ancient architectural groups. The whole town is crisscrossed by water lanes, with 49 ancient stone bridges connecting hundreds of ancient courtyards. Visitors can walk along the water-side bluestone roads, cross ancient bridges, visit traditional water-town dwellings, and experience the slow-paced and peaceful Jiangnan water-town style. Lunch break inside the water town at guest’s own cost.

Transfer back to Suzhou city in the afternoon, concluding the Suzhou classic tour with unforgettable memories of gardens, canals and water towns.