13 Best Things to Do in Suzhou (Gardens, Canals + Night Views)

Suzhou is only 30 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed rail, and after spending 3 days there, I found this ancient city worth the trip.

You can easily visit Suzhou in a day trip, but I stayed longer to visit additional attractions.

It’s one of China’s oldest cities, famous for its classical gardens and canal streets. And like many cities in China, it’s even better at night.

Here’s the top things to do in Suzhou — the ancient streets, gardens, landmarks, and waterfront areas.

If it’s your first time visiting China, make sure to read my ultimate travel guide for first-time visitors.

Book before your Suzhou trip:

📶 China eSIM card — eSIM I used that includes access to apps like Google, Instagram, etc.

🏨 Best hotels in Suzhou: Booking.com | Trip.com (what I use for China)

🎟 Top-rated Suzhou day tours and garden tickets

🚂 Book your Shanghai to Suzhou train ticket on Trip.com

Table of Contents

How to Get to Suzhou from Shanghai

A busy train station platform with travelers walking and waiting, two high-speed trains on either side, and a modern, curved metal roof overhead.

The easiest way to get from Shanghai to Suzhou is by high-speed train. The journey takes as little as 25–30 minutes and tickets start from around ¥21 (~$3 USD).

There’s over 300 departures daily, so you don’t need to plan too far in advance, but book ahead on holidays or busy weekends just in case.

Key things to know before booking:

In Shanghai: Trains depart from Shanghai Hongqiao, Shanghai Station, and Shanghai South Station; choose the one closest to you.
In Suzhou: Choose Suzhou Railway Station or Suzhou North depending on where you’re staying.

🚂 Book your Shanghai to Suzhou train ticket on Trip.com.

Best Areas to Stay in Suzhou

The two main areas to stay in Suzhou are near Guanqian Street, where I stayed, or near Pingjiang Road near the canals.

Attractions closest to Guanqian Street:

Xuanmiao Temple
Guanqian Shopping & Food Street
Yiyuan Garden

Attractions closest to Pingjiang Road:

Humble Administrator’s Garden
Suzhou Museum
Lion Grove Garden

I loved this hotel I stayed at, which had two floors and a swing:

Interior of a modern home featuring a loft bed with a black metal railing, a swing hanging from the ceiling, a brown sofa, a turquoise coffee table, and wooden accents.

Streets & Canals

1. Pingjiang Road

The historic canal along Pingjiang Road in Suzhou, China, flanked by traditional buildings and weeping willow trees. Top things to do in Suzhou.

Pingjiang Road is the most well-known historic street in Suzhou. It runs parallel to a canal lined with stone bridges and willow trees.

The streets have tea houses, small restaurants, souvenir shops, and street food vendors. You’ll see visitors in traditional hanfu outfits doing photoshoots.

Night street scene with illuminated lanterns hanging from a tree and people walking along the sidewalk.

It gets busiest in the afternoon and evening — early mornings are quieter, but seeing it lit up at night is worth staying for.

If you’re visiting on a weekend, expect crowds throughout the day.

Cost: Free to walk | Nearest landmark: Suzhou Guanqian Street | Amap

2. Shantang Street

Shantang Street is a 1,200-year-old canal street that runs about 3.83 km (2.38 mi) from Tiger Hill to Changmen Gate.

It’s one of the longest preserved historic streets in Suzhou and is part of the UNESCO-listed Grand Canal World Heritage Site.

The atmosphere is different from Pingjiang Road — a bit wider, with more traditional-style architecture. Though both sites are equally as busy!

I’ve heard evening is even more stunning, with the canal reflections lit by lanterns.

Cost: Free to walk | Nearest metro: Shantang Street Station, Exit 3 | Amap

🎫 Book a Shantang Street boat tour on Trip.com

3. Guanqian Street

Guanqian Street is Suzhou’s main commercial pedestrian street, with the nearby Xuanmiao Temple.

This is the area I stayed in; more modern than Pingjiang or Shantang, with a mix of food stalls, tea shops, and retail brands.

It’s fun to walk through at night when it’s busiest, but the streets are wider so the crowds are less overwhelming.

Cost: Free to walk | Nearest metro: Guanqian Street Station | Amap

4. Dongbei Street

Dongbei Street is the heritage gateway street of Suzhou’s old city and where you’ll walk through to get to Humble Administrator’s Garden and the Suzhou Museum.

If you have time, walk the full length of it — there are traditional residential alleyways, and tea houses tucked in along the way.

You can also take the red pedicabs to get around.

Cost: Free to walk | Nearest metro: Xiangmen Station, Exit 3 | Amap

5. Shiquan Street

Shiquan Street is one of Suzhou’s best-preserved ancient streets, running 1.8 km (1.1 mi) through the southern part of the old city.

I stumbled upon this area when I went to a vegan restaurant and I’m glad I did — it’s definitely out of the radar of tourist guides.

The street is lined with Ming and Qing dynasty-style buildings now housing restaurants, trendy shops, teahouses, and boutiques.

Cost: Free to walk | Nearest metro: Nanyuan North Road Station, ~5 min walk | Amap

Gardens & Historic Sites

6. Humble Administrator’s Garden

A traditional Chinese garden featuring a covered pavilion with intricate wooden details, a stone bridge over a pond, and visitors walking along the pathway surrounded by lush green trees.

The Humble Administrator’s Garden is the largest classical garden in Suzhou and is walkable from Pingjiang Road.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was built during the Ming Dynasty in the early 16th century.

Visit for the pavilions, winding covered walkways, lotus ponds, and rockeries.

People gather under umbrellas along the pond's edge in a lush, green park with large trees and a traditional wooden pavilion.

This is easily one of the most popular things to do in Suzhou, which means it gets quite crowded.

I booked my ticket on Trip.com — if you’re visiting on a weekend, make sure to reserve your time slot a few days in advance as each time slot fills up fast.

I was in Suzhou on a weekend, and waited in the entry queue around 20–30 minutes even with a prebooked time slot.

Aim for the earliest time slots if possible to get ahead of the tour groups.

Cost: ¥80 (~$11 USD) (peak season) / ¥70 (~$10 USD) (off-peak) | Nearest metro: Suzhou North Station | Hours: 7:30AM–5:30PM (last entry 5PM) | Amap

🎫 Book your Humble Administrator’s Garden entrance ticket on Trip.com.

7. Tiger Hill

A tall, multi-tiered stone pagoda surrounded by green trees, with visitors walking nearby in a park setting.

Tiger Hill is one of Suzhou’s oldest landmarks and is located closer to Shantang street outside of central Suzhou.

The most popular thing to see is the Yunyan Pagoda, a leaning brick tower that was completed in 961 AD.

The grounds also has a series of gardens, pavilions, ponds, and stone paths leading up to the pagoda.

Tiger Hill ended up being one of my favorite things to do in Suzhou. The grounds are spacious with a lot to explore, including a bamboo forest:

A pathway leading through a bamboo forest with a wooden gate and sign, surrounded by tall green bamboo trees under a partly cloudy sky.

I bought my ticket at the site (using Alipay), but you can prebook a ticket on Trip.com.

Cost: ¥70 (~$10 USD) (peak) / ¥60 (~$8 USD) (off-peak) | Getting there: Bus 2 or tourist shuttle from Shantang Street | Hours: 7:30AM–6PM | Amap

8. Xuanmiao Temple

Xuanmiao Temple is a Taoist temple complex at the center of Guanqian Street, originally built in 276 AD and rebuilt multiple times since.

I passed this temple every day to and from my hotel. It was especially beautiful lit up at night, though closed by then.

Xuanmiao Temple is still an active place of worship, with a public square next to it:

Cost: Free (outer grounds) | Nearest metro: Guanqian Street Station | Amap

Landmarks & Scenic Areas

9. Jinji Lake

Jinji Lake is a large urban lake in eastern Suzhou, about 7.18 square kilometers (2.77 sq mi), surrounded by parks and promenades.

It’s a popular spot for locals to walk, cycle, and take evening strolls. There’s eateries in the main area as well.

It would take three hours to walk the whole lake — I just kept walking, rested on one of the many benches, then turned around to take the metro back.

I visited at night when the walking paths and art installations were lit up, like the famous Gate of the Orient, a 301.8-meter-tall (990 ft) building:

It looks like a giant pair of trousers if you’re standing directly underneath. The scope of it is impressive to see in real life.

When I visited, The Starry Night painting was projected onto the building.

Cost: Free | Nearest metro: Jinji Lake East or West Station | Amap

🎫 Book a fun Jinji Lake cruise on Trip.com

10. Jinji Lake Fountain Show at Night

I timed my visit to catch the fountain show, which only runs on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm for about 30 minutes.

If you want a front row spot, arrive early. I was a bit late but walked toward the tail end of the show and still got a decent view.

Cost: Free | Show times: Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm | Nearest metro: Jinji Lake West Station | Amap

More Things to Do in Suzhou

These attractions were on my list that I would have visited if I had more time (or scheduled my time a little better):

11. Lingering Garden

The Lingering Garden is another UNESCO World Heritage classical garden.

It’s smaller than the Humble Administrator’s Garden but less crowded as it’s located outside of the main tourist area.

The central Guanyunfeng stone is one of the most famous decorative stones in China.

Cost: ¥55 (~$8 USD) (peak) / ¥45 (~$6 USD) (off-peak) | Getting there: Bus 1, 2, or 4 to Liu Yuan stop | Hours: 7:30AM–5:30PM | Amap

🎫 Book your Lingering Garden entrance ticket on Trip.com

12. Suzhou Fengqiao Scenery Spot

Fengqiao is a historic scenic area in the western part of Suzhou.

The Hanshan Temple is right next to the bridge and is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in China.

The scenic area includes the bridge, the canal, and the temple grounds. It’s supposedly on the quieter side compared to the central tourist areas.

Cost: Free (scenic area) | Hanshan Temple: ¥20 (~$3 USD) separate ticket | Getting there: Bus 1 or 62 to Fengqiao stop | Amap

🎫 Book your Fengqiao Scenic Area ticket on Trip.com

13. Panmen Scenic Area at Night

Panmen is the only surviving ancient city gate in Suzhou, with both a land gate and a water gate still intact.

I wanted to visit at night when the gate and surrounding canal walls are lit up.

Cost: ¥40 (~$5 USD) (scenic area) | Hours: Day + evening sessions (check locally) | Getting there: Bus 1, 300, or taxi | Amap

🎫 Book your Panmen Scenic Area ticket on Trip.com

🎬 If you’re a fan of the cdrama Shine On Me, Suzhou is one of the main cities in the storyline.

➡️ Guide to Finding Cdrama Filming Locations, Merch & Ads in China

Is Suzhou Worth Visiting?

A stone arch bridge over the canal on Shantang Street in Suzhou, China, with traditional whitewashed buildings lining the waterway

Despite how busy it gets, Suzhou is worth visiting. If you’re able to avoid the weekend though — make sure you do!

The canal streets are genuinely beautiful and even more stunning at night.

If you’re only able to visit Suzhou on a day trip, I recommend staying until the evening to see Suzhou lit up.

The sites I enjoyed most were Tiger Hill, Jinji Lake Scenic Area and Pingjiang Road (both in the evening).

Have a great time in Suzhou!