Tongli in a Day from Shanghai: a UNESCO Garden in a Living Water Town

The water towns within reach of Shanghai are not interchangeable. Tongli, in Wujiang district of Suzhou, is one of the few that has kept a resident population of any size - eleven thousand people in an old town of 0.87 square kilometres - and it contains a garden of genuine international standing, which is why it rewards a day rather than two hours.

The site has been occupied since the Songze and Liangzhu periods, five or six thousand years ago. It is formally a National Historic and Cultural Town and a 5A graded scenic area, and what that has produced is a run of small Ming and Qing courtyards rather than a single monument. The one building to give time to is the Tuisi Garden, laid out in the late Qing and built against the water rather than around it, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 as an extension to the Classical Gardens of Suzhou.

Admission to the town, lunch and any boat trip are payable locally and are not included in the price shown. We leave Shanghai in the morning and return the same evening.

• Tongli, a 5A water town with 11,161 residents and water over 40 per cent of its area
• The Retreat and Reflection Garden, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000
• The three bridges of the local wedding custom: Taiping, Jili and Changqing
• Ming and Qing courtyard houses rather than one showpiece building
• A town that produced one imperial laureate, 45 palace graduates and 95 provincial graduates

• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfasts and lunches as shown)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

Admission to the old town of Tongli is payable locally at about CNY 80 per adult, reduced for students, children and seniors, and the ticket is valid for two days; it covers the Tuisi Garden. Lunch is payable locally, and a punt on the canals is priced per boat rather than per person. None of this is included in the price shown; your guide settles it and the amount is added to your invoice at cost.

Practical notes. About two hours each way by road from central Shanghai, so this is a full day rather than a morning. The walking is on stone paving and over arched bridges, with steps at each crossing. Weekends are busier but Tongli is far less crowded than the towns closer to Shanghai. Lunch can be taken in the town or, if you prefer to keep the day moving, on the road; tell us which.

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour. Only your own party travels with the guide and vehicle, so the pace and the order of stops can be adjusted on the day.

Q: What is the best season for this itinerary?
A: April to June and September to November bring the mildest weather and clearest light. The programme runs year round, and we adjust the daily timings in mid-summer and winter.

Q: Can you handle dietary requirements and accessibility needs?
A: Yes. Vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and allergy-aware menus are arranged when you tell us in advance. Step-free and low-mobility versions of the route can also be planned.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your travel dates and group size for a same-day quotation. A deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due before arrival, and prices are guaranteed for 7 days.