Suzhou 3 days 2 nights Tour

TOUR ITINERARY Tour code: GWAC-SZ-01 Day Activities Hotel DAY 01 You will take the train to Suzhou, and upon arrival at the train station you will be met by your English-speaking guide. Suzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. It is widely known as the “Chinese Venice”. You will then be taken to your hotel, which is where you will stay for the next 2 nights. If you signed up for our “deluxe tour”, your hotel will be a 5 star establishment, and if you signed up for our “common tour”, your hotel will be a 3 or 4 star residence. After arriving at your hotel, you can hve the rest of the evening to unpack and unwind from your travels. 3 or 4 star for common; 5 star for deluxe DAY 02 Following breakfast in the hotel, we’ll get started on your sightseeing. Our first stop will be the temple of Hanshan. Located right on the Grand Canal, Hanshan Temple has become the city’s most important landmark. The temple was first built between the years 502-519. It was named after Han Shan, a Tang-dynasty monk who lived there. Hanshan has been immortalized by the famous poem Anchorage by the Maple Bridge written by the prominent Tang Dynasty poet, Zhangji. Zhang's poem reads" The moon is down, the raven calls, the cold frost fills the sky; Off near the Gusu Town (Suzhou) as midnight passes by. The chiming of a temple bell comes to my boat tonight". You can still see the Maple Bridge and the stone inscription of the poem. A large bell not the original one mentioned by Zhangyi in his poem hangs in the bell tower. The original Song bell was somewhere in Japan and this one was contributed by some Japanese. Many Chinese tourists will like to pay a small fee to strike the bell for this practice, as it is believed to bring good luck. After our time at Hanshan Temple, will head to the Hunble Administrator’s Garden (known in Chinese as Zhouzheng), which is probably the most beautiful and famed of Suzhou’s classical gardens. Being the most representative of Chinese classical gardens, the garden was first constructed during the Ming Dynasty. The garden focuses on a central pond with pavilions, terraces, chambers, and towers. Located nearby, the garden is divided into three parts: the eastern, middle and western parts. Don't miss the Garden Museum - actually don't miss any of this lovely place. You should wear comfortable shoes, as there's a lot of walking here. Following a Chinese lunch, we’ll resume our touring by heading to Tiger Hill. The 36-meter-tall Huqiu (Tiger Hill) stands outside the Lumen Gate to the north west of Suzhou. It was where the King of the State of Wu( a small state in the Spring and Autumn Periods over thousands of years ago) Fu Chai, buried his father-Helu along with 3,000 swords. Legend has it that on the third day after the burial, a white tiger appeared to guard the tomb, hence the name of the hill. The Yunyan Temple, another key attraction on the hill, is one of the most famous Buddhist land in this part of China. Even Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty could not resist its peaceful ambience so he decided to make the temple his temporary residence during his Suzhou trip. Our final stop today will be at the Fisherman’s Garden, otherwise known as the Garden of the Master of the Nets. This is the smallest garden yet supposed to be the most delicate one in the city. The 0.6-hectare garden is an elegant structure of a typical official's residence in the Qing Dynasty. The present garden is found on the former site of a Song dynasty official's mansion. Its owner, an early Qing-dynasty official Song Zongyuan, gave its present name based on the earlier one, "Fisherman's Retreat". Garden of Master of the Nets consists of a residential quarter and the garden proper. Inside the refined residential quarter, the halls are linked closely by a corridor. The garden, petite but substantial, is focused on a pond and decorated with plants, rocks, pavilions, and stone bridges. The garden is especially fancied by overseas visitors and is praised as the most ornate and intact private gardens in Suzhou. Some tourists even offer a huge amount of money to buy it. You will then be taken back to your hotel, and the night is free to be spent at your own leisure. You might want to take an evening boat ride along the canal that circles the old city center, or you may want to walk through Pingjiang Road, a lovely place located canalside in the traditional part of town that is rich in old-world flavor. (B+L) 3 or 4 star for common; 5 star for deluxe DAY 03 Following breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to the train station, and you will go on to your next destination, ending your stay in Suzhou. If you would like to extend your stay in Suzhou, or your time in China overall, then head to our China Package tours page to find out how! (B)

Tour Inclusions：

1. Hotels with daily western breakfasts;
2. Meals in accordance with that listed on the itinerary.
3. professional local guide & driver;
4. Private air-conditioned car or van for transportation;
5. Admission of the first gate.
6. Two bottles of mineral water per day.

Tour  exclusions：

1. Tip of the guide
2. Personal costs