Mon/Thur/Sat/Sun at 9:30am, Duration 3.5 hours
Suzhou Alleyway Food Tour
$55 USD per adult, $28 USD per child
Approx. 3km walking
The Essentials:
Known as the “Venice of the East,” Suzhou has over 35km of navigable canals and 60 of China’s most well-preserved gardens. On this walking tour, you’ll walk back in time while exploring Suzhou’s residential old-town, explore its lush gardens and monasteries, and discover what locals eat in the city that’s been the center of wealth and culture for 1,000s of years.
Includes
Far more than a meal’s worth of food and drinks at 5 sit-down restaurants, plus multiple cultural stops along the way.
Group Size
Small groups of 2-8 people per tour.
Start & End Location
Starts at Beisita Subway Station in Suzhou. Ends 10 minute walk away from Yangyuxiang Subway Station. An email will be sent with meeting location details immediately after booking.
Cancellation Policy
Reservations cancelled 24 hours or more before your tour start time are fully refundable.
Dietary Requests
- Vegetarian
- Dairy Free
- No Spicy
- No Nuts
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
We can accommodate the checked dietary requests on this tour. All requests must be communicated at time of booking. Visit our FAQ section for more details.
What You'll Do:
Meeting Location:
This tour starts at Beisita Subway Station, located outside of the 800 year old pagoda that stands taller than any other building in Suzhou’s old-town. An email will be sent with meeting location details immediately after booking.
Authentic Morning Noodles
Suzhou locals have a daily morning ritual: drink tea, eat noodles, and listen to opera. This decades-old noodle joint is known for having the best broth in town, along with a huge selection of seasonal condiments served on small plates that lets the eater decide their flavor of the day.
Homemade Silken Tofu
For over 50 years, this family has been serving neighbors fresh silken tofu from their home, hidden deep inside a narrow alleyway – a labor of love that starts every day at 5am.
Suzhou's Ancient Gardens & Temples
While walking our way through the alleys and canals that crisscross the city, we’ll visit Suzhou’s only Buddhist nunnery and explore a secret Ming-dynasty garden centered around 5 “peaks” and ornamental stones from nearby Taihu lake.
Traditional Old-Suzhou Snacks
Situated just inside the city’s ancient gate, this street used to be the center of business for traders from the “Grand Canal” which connected north and south China. Today, it’s the best place to grab neighborhood snacks like fresh soy milk, local spring rolls, Chinese donuts, and pancake-wrapped dough sticks.
Floating Wontons
Eat at a famous “bubble wonton” joint, frequented by celebrities and neighbors alike, and try these delicately wrapped wontons that are magically filled with air and float atop a bowl of rich broth. You’ve never had anything like it!
Classic Chinese Dessert
End the tour at a dessert shop popular with today’s younger crowd. Try a subtly sweet soup made with slow-cooked red beans topped with chewy glutinous rice balls.
Plus More Surprises!
* This itinerary is subject to changes and adjustments based on daily vendor operations and availability, but it will always be awesome.
A place so storied, it has two nicknames: "Venice of the East" and "Garden City."
China’s “Grand Canal,” a 1,700km waterway that connects north and south China, lifted Suzhou’s status and opened it up to the rest of the country over 1,500 years ago. It soon became a dreamy utopia where China’s elite would retire, building their own courtyards with private gardens, and sustaining cultural sites with their well-funded pocketbooks. This made Suzhou a far more significant hub than nearby Shanghai and its sleepy fishing village.
Today, Suzhou remains a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and offers us a glimpse into this ancient capital of wealth and culture. On this tour, we’ll walk through centuries-old gardens and monasteries, try time-tested dishes served in humble eateries, and observe local life – all while winding our way through a network of canals and alleys that make up the heart of the ancient old-town.
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