Suzhou Ancient Grand Canal
Suzhou Ancient Grand Canal
4
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
541 reviews
Excellent
216
Very good
237
Average
69
Poor
9
Terrible
10
Skeney57
Sydney, Australia24,996 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Normally I would rate this as good but as an optional extra on our organised trip it was frankly a rip off for a 20 minute cruise on a crowded little seat. The canal is a great engineering feat in how it joins so many cities all the way to Beijing and was the backbone of transportation for centuries. But our little journey was basically a cruise up the back of the houses & shops that back onto the canal with a couple of old (¬ so old) bridges arching over the water. Might not be the Venice of China but at least it was cleaner!
Written October 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aussie_Binturong
Queensland, Australia368 contributions
Oct 2024 • Friends
We visited Suzhou with Trip-a-deal. It was really interesting to walk around - heaps of shops and eateries, even people walking around in traditional dress. I really liked the multi-storey building that appeared to be built over the canals because you can see the water and those really big goldfish when you looked down.
We did the boat ride which enabled you to see the backs of the local homes and people going about their daily chores but at 220 Yuan for less than 30 minutes it was overpriced. Each boat had a driver and a guy standing at the front of the boat, maybe guiding. Well our front-of-boat guy was smoking and the smoke was wafting right into the boat, diminishing the experience greatly. Disgusting. So go to the canals but skip the boat ride.
We did the boat ride which enabled you to see the backs of the local homes and people going about their daily chores but at 220 Yuan for less than 30 minutes it was overpriced. Each boat had a driver and a guy standing at the front of the boat, maybe guiding. Well our front-of-boat guy was smoking and the smoke was wafting right into the boat, diminishing the experience greatly. Disgusting. So go to the canals but skip the boat ride.
Written October 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maria Floratou
Patras, Greece1,526 contributions
Aug 2019 • Friends
Suzhou is located in southern Jiangsu Province in the center of the Yangtze Delta. The city is divided by the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal from north to south. The city is covered by water, including a vast number of ponds and streams. This is an ancient city with over 2,500 years of history and numerous points of interest the unique characteristics of the past are still retained today.
Written August 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,581 contributions
Oct 2019 • Business
It is delightful to be along the canal in the early evening when the sun sets and the area is lit up. We dined at a restaurant overlooking the canal and enjoyed the views.
Written October 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen W
Brisbane Region, Australia2,182 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
A boat ride on the Suzhou Ancient Grand Canal is really a great way to enjoy the magnificence of the ancient river in the southern region of Yangtze River, very enjoyable various boat rides available for great tours.
You can see the ancient city gates of Suzhou, stone bridges in varying traditional designs and very,very old river town dwellings.
Suzhou Grand Canal is located at the Taihu Lake Basin in the downstream of Yangtze River and Suzhou Grand Canal crosses the city centre of Suzhou.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal along with the Suzhou Grand Canal section is in the World Heritage listed UNESCO.
The world-famous Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest manmade watercourse in the world (1794 kilometres)
The ancient Grand Canal commences in Beijing reaching Hangzhou in the south. The Grand Canal is a major link in communications between North and South China both culturally and economically.
You can see the ancient city gates of Suzhou, stone bridges in varying traditional designs and very,very old river town dwellings.
Suzhou Grand Canal is located at the Taihu Lake Basin in the downstream of Yangtze River and Suzhou Grand Canal crosses the city centre of Suzhou.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal along with the Suzhou Grand Canal section is in the World Heritage listed UNESCO.
The world-famous Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest manmade watercourse in the world (1794 kilometres)
The ancient Grand Canal commences in Beijing reaching Hangzhou in the south. The Grand Canal is a major link in communications between North and South China both culturally and economically.
Written May 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fireman452
Tallahassee, FL1,480 contributions
Sep 2019 • Couples
Riding the Suzhou boat ride cuts across all types of people and architecture. We were in one of the motorized boats so it was a very smooth ride. Would definitely recommend it to first timers in Suzhou.
Written September 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jinky L
manila380 contributions
Mar 2017 • Friends
A bland, 30-minute ride on a wooden boat. No commentary was provided on the buildings and houses we were passing by on the river.
Written March 15, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ASM040
Canberra, Australia26 contributions
How this item is ranked so high on Suzhou's to do list is beyond belief. As one approaches the foreshore, for the location given, one is met by a number of dilapidated buildings. There are no clear signs on the services on offer. Please give this a miss.
Written April 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ron B
Miami, FL378 contributions
Oct 2017 • Friends
For those who want to experience a short cruise in Suzhou, compared to the Grand Canal cruise, there is a wonderful alternative. Many local tourists go on a canal cruise along the Shantang river, a canal on the north east of town. Access is fast and simple - take the red line of the subway from the train station one stop south and get off at Shantang Jie. From the station continue a few minutes south and you will reach the canal. Shantang Street (山塘街 Shantang Jie) runs on the north side of the canal. On the right it is a long, narrow street which serves as a fascinating traditional market, where the locals shop. On the left, a few minutes’ walk will take you to the boat cruise terminal. The cruise lasts for about half an hour and is not expensive.
Written November 21, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
luis y
Floral Park, NY13 contributions
Nov 2016 • Solo
suzhou
through a labyrinth of canals
i find myself in a bygone time
gliding gently in a boat
amidst the waters of time of old
with the boatman rowing his oar
pushing forward around the bends
old buildings still standing
ancient china slowly unfolding
under the stone bridges along the way
every turn a vision of some memory
was it a young couple enjoying the day
or a family on a long awaited holiday
at the end of the journey
as i climb the steps to reality
i stop by for a cup of coffee
at a nearby starbucks cafe
through a labyrinth of canals
i find myself in a bygone time
gliding gently in a boat
amidst the waters of time of old
with the boatman rowing his oar
pushing forward around the bends
old buildings still standing
ancient china slowly unfolding
under the stone bridges along the way
every turn a vision of some memory
was it a young couple enjoying the day
or a family on a long awaited holiday
at the end of the journey
as i climb the steps to reality
i stop by for a cup of coffee
at a nearby starbucks cafe
Written March 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If you are not in a pre-booked your, where can you purchase a ticket for a boat ride?
Written March 22, 2019
There is a ticket center near the dock. We went around 7pm on a Thursday night and there was no long line. We were able to purchase the ticket right away.
Written March 23, 2019
Ours was arranged by our tour group, it was well worth doing
Written February 4, 2019
What is the closest metro station to the place and is it walkable from there？How much is the ride？
Written April 6, 2017
The closest Metro station is "Leqiao" on Line 1. Line 4 will be closer but it is not finished yet. It is about 3km walk due south on Renmin Lu. The wharf is on the left just before you cross the canal. The price was about 300Rmb from the hotel, might be cheaper at the wharf. I was not impressed with the ride because it was cold, the windows were closed, and you could not see anything. I would recommend a nice walk along the canal at Panmen or Xiagman Gate. Enjoy your travels.
Written April 7, 2017
Where do I go to start the canal boat trip? Does it start from shangtang street? I will be arriving at suzhou railway station.
Written May 31, 2016
Hi! is it better to prebook the boat ride on Grand canal or take one when we get there? ,
Written March 16, 2016
Can we have a short cruise of Grand Canal for 1-2 hour in Wuxi on 13 April, 2016?
Written March 13, 2016
Not sure that there are canals for tourist in WUXI, But in Suzhou you will be able to have such a nice trip.
Written March 14, 2016
We are a couple aged more than 60 and want to have a short cruise of grand canal, stretching between 1-2 hours? We shall be in Suzhou on 14 April, 2016 for one day only. What should we do while in Suzhou? When and where we can catch the boat/ship? What would be the charges approximately? Can we get our cruise booked on line?
Written March 13, 2016
There are a number of places where you can board a boat, I have done this a few times now, each time was pre -booked. So I suggest that you enquire at your hotel, when you get there for the closest warf to your hotel.
Written March 14, 2016
Hola,
Tengo una duda,¿ a qué estación de trenes debo llegar en Sozhow? veo que hay 2 o 3.
Gracias!!!
Written November 26, 2015
There are several train stations, I think if you come on the high speed train you might come in to the north Suzhou station, but that is 10Km north of other Suzhou station. There is also a train station at Wuxi. Google the high speed train from Shanghai to Suzhou for exact details of which station you need. There are a number of places where you can board a boat for canals. Research before go. Very few people speak English or Spanish. So print out the chinese to take with you.
Written March 16, 2016
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