A short excursion on weekend is surely an interesting and fun experience. When you are visiting Shanghai and want to go outside the city on weekend then Suzhou could be the best option. Suzhou which also can be dubbed as the Venice of the East and has become one famous garden city is located nearby Shanghai. So, what are you waiting for?

From Shanghai to Suzhou Excursion
Train to Suzhou

Suzhou can be reached from Shanghai by train, public long distance bus, and private car. Take the bullet train is the best option for tourists. There are frequent trains (approx. 40 min. with 26RMB-31RMB from the Shanghai Railway Station), with the most popular trains for day-trippers being the D196, which leaves Shanghai at 7:56am and arrives at 8:32am; and the D232, which departs at 8:26am and arrives at 9:02am. There are many return trains to Shanghai in the afternoon, including no. D5435 (departs 5:54pm, arrives 6:38pm).

How to Spend Weekend in Suzhou
Zhouzhuang Water Town

Tourist attractions and historic sites that you can't miss in Suzhou are Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden and Zhouzhuang Ancient Watertown. Suzhou is known for its Jiangnan-style gardens dating back to as far as the sixth century. The Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest garden in Suzhou. It was built in the Ming Dynasty for a former government worker and poet, Wang Xianchen and covering a total area nearly 52,000 square meters.
Lingering Garden is tagged one of the four best classical gardens in China, together with Humble Administrator's Garden, the Summer Palace in Beijing and the Summer Resort in Chengde. It is one of the masterpieces for the layout of Chinese classical garden. The garden hosts occasional free outdoor opera performances that take place in the garden courtyard during admission hours.

At last but not least, a trip to Zhouzhuang Ancient Watertown. The canals are the specialty of Suzhou and the reason for its being known as "The Venice of the East." The town has a history of over 900 years and most of residencies and houses in the town were built in Ming (1368-1644) or Qing Dynasties (1644-1911). Today, visitors can still rent a boat and wandering the old canal, admiring its architectural layouts of the classical water town. A short trip to Zhouzhuang Watertown can be enjoyed with join our 1 day Shanghai side trip. Leave behind its hustling bustling Shanghai and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of Suzhou.