Wherever you are in the world, we hope this guide will help you get to Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden with ease!
Details on how to get to Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden, including flights, high speed trains and subways.
How to get to Suzhou for international travelers
Destination Airport:
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) or Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), some flights are also available from Wuxi Sunan Shuofang Airport (WUX) or Nanjing Lukou Airport (NKG).
Transfer suggestions:
Shanghai Pudong/Hongqiao→Suzhou:
High-speed train: Take Metro Line 2 from the airport to Shanghai Hongqiao Station, transfer to high-speed train to Suzhou Station (about 30 minutes, ticket price about RMB 40).
Airport bus: Directly to Suzhou Bus Station (about 2.5 hours, ticket price about 80 RMB).
Wuxi/Nanjing Airport→Suzhou:
Airport bus or high-speed train directly to Suzhou Station.
Tickets for airplanes/high-speed trains:
Use “Trip.com” or “12306” (English supported), passport required.
How to get to Suzhou from major cities in China
Beijing→Suzhou
High-speed train: G5/G109/G111, etc., Beijing South Railway Station→Suzhou North Railway Station (about 5 hours), about RMB 567 for second class seat.
Shanghai→Suzhou
High-speed train: Shanghai Hongqiao Station→Suzhou Station, second class seat RMB 39.5, every 15 minutes.
Guangzhou→Suzhou
Airplane (fastest): Guangzhou Baiyun Airport → Wuxi Shuofang Airport (about 2.5 hours), then transfer to airport bus.
High-speed train (need to transfer): Guangzhou South → Shanghai Hongqiao (about 7 hours), then transfer to Suzhou (15 minutes).
Chengdu→Suzhou
High-speed train (transfer required): Chengdu East → Nanjing South (about 9 hours), then transfer to Suzhou (1.5 hours).
Airplane: Chengdu Shuangliu→Shanghai Hongqiao (about 3 hours), then transfer to high-speed rail.
Chongqing→Suzhou
High-speed train (need to transfer): Chongqing West → Hangzhou East (about 8 hours), then transfer to Suzhou (1 hour).
Airplane: Chongqing Jiangbei→Shanghai Hongqiao (about 3 hours), then transfer to high-speed rail.
Xiamen→Suzhou
High-speed train (need to transfer): Xiamen North → Shanghai Hongqiao (about 6 hours), then transfer to Suzhou.
Airplane: Xiamen Gaoqi→Shanghai Pudong (about 1.5 hours), then transfer to high-speed rail.
Zhangjiajie→Suzhou
High-speed train (need to transfer): Zhangjiajie West → Changsha South (about 2.5 hours), then transfer to Suzhou (6 hours).
Airplane: Zhangjiajie Lotus→Shanghai Pudong (about 2.5 hours), then transfer to high-speed rail.
Guilin→Suzhou
High-speed train (need to transfer): Guilin North → Guangzhou South (about 2.5 hours), then transfer to Suzhou (7 hours).
Airplane: Guilin Liangjiang→Shanghai Pudong (about 2.5 hours), then transfer to high-speed rail.
How to get to Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden Local Transportation Guide
From Suzhou Station/Suzhou North Station to Humble Administrator’s Garden
Metro Line 4:
Suzhou Station → Beisi Pagoda Station (2 stops), exit Exit 4 and walk 1.1 kilometers.
Cab:
Suzhou Station to The Humble Administrator’s Garden is about 8 kilometers and costs about 20 RMB (note that the roads in the old city are narrow and prone to traffic jams).
About The Humble Administrator’s Garden
The Humble Administrator’s Garden, located at 178 Northeast Street, Gusu District, Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China, is the pinnacle of classical garden art in southern China, and is one of the “Four Famous Gardens of China” along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Summer Resort in Chengde, and the Garden of Reunion in Suzhou.
It was built in the early years of Zhengde of the Ming Dynasty (1509), and it took 16 years to complete, with the participation of Wen Zhengming, who was hired by Wang Xianchen, the imperial historian, to participate in the design.
The whole garden is centered on water and adopts the layout of “one pond and three mountains”, blending natural beauty, architectural beauty and humanistic beauty, and is regarded as “the mother of all gardens”.
It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.
Opening Hours and Tickets
Peak season (March 1-November 15) 7:30-17:30
Low season (November 16th – end of February) 7:30-17:00
Tickets: 80RMB in high season, 70RMB in low season, reservations required 1-7 days in advance.
Things to note
Best time to visit: March-May (spring flower show), September-November (lovely fall colors).
Dressing advice: the garden is full of stone paths, non-slip shoes are recommended; pay attention to sun protection in summer.
Prohibitions: Pets and dangerous goods are prohibited; smoking, drone flights and climbing rockeries are prohibited.
Language service: The scenic spot provides English guide rental (RMB 20/time).