Suzhou: gardens priced by the month
Suzhou's classical gardens do not follow the national Apr 1–Oct 31 template — they price by month (peak is April, May and July through October; June is off-peak), and each garden keeps its own hours boundaries: Tiger Hill switches on May 1 and November 1, the Lingering Garden on March 1 and November 15. The Suzhou Museum, I. M. Pei's last building, is free, closed Mondays, and one of the few top Chinese museums that officially accepts passport bookings.
¥80 in peak season (April, May, July–October) and ¥70 off-peak (January–March, June, November–December). Open 7:30–17:30 with last entry at 17:00. Buy at the gate or book online up to 7 days ahead via the official Suzhou Gardens tourism site or the 'Jun Dao Suzhou' mini-program. Half price (¥40) for full-time students and seniors 60–69; free for children under 6 / 1.2 m and seniors 70+. Discount rules are written around Chinese ID and student documents; foreign adults pay the standard price (OTA listings show passport holders at the same standard rate).
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苏州园林旅游网（官方购票平台）；苏州市旅游咨询中心（苏州市园林和绿化管理局） ⚠️ Suzhou gardens split price by MONTH, not by a single calendar day: peak = April, May, July–October; off-peak = January–March, June, November–December. June is OFF-peak despite summer weather. 2026-10-17 falls in peak (¥80). ⚠️ OTA cross-check anomaly: Ctrip/Ly.com list 'adult (non-mainland-China passport)' tickets at ¥70 — that is the off-peak rate, not a foreigner discount; the official peak rate ¥80 applies to everyone. The evening show 'Zhuozheng Wenya' (night tour) is a separate ¥182–228 ticket with fixed entry slots (foreign ticket with English guide ¥268) — it does not include day entry. Annual garden pass exists for frequent visitors.Reviewer notes (conflicts, traps, old values)
Free admission, but the main branch is real-name reservation-only: book up to 7 days ahead (same-day possible while slots remain; system hours 8:00–23:00) via the official website, the 'Suzhou Museum Full Reservation' WeChat mini-program or 'Jun Dao Suzhou'. Open Tuesday–Sunday 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00); CLOSED on Mondays except statutory holidays. Foreign visitors: passports are officially accepted — each passport = one booking per day, max 6 per account; entry checks your reservation number and passport. No-show rule: 2 consecutive misses or 4 within 90 days triggers a 90-day booking ban. The West Branch (399 Changjiang Rd) needs NO reservation — just walk in.
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苏州博物馆官网《预约须知》（含官方英文版）；苏州市人民政府开放服务公告 Free since 2008. Extended evening hours (to 20:00) run in summer and major holidays (e.g. the May Day window), announced on the official channels. ⚠️ The famous I.M. Pei building is the MAIN branch at 204 Northeast Street, right by the Humble Administrator's Garden — do not confuse it with the much larger West Branch, which is in a different district and has different (no-reservation) rules. Arrive within ±30 minutes of your slot or the reservation is void. Reservation-exempt groups (70+ seniors per the reservation notice; 60+ per the opening guide; disabled, soldiers, veterans, martyrs' families, firefighters, honour blood donors, members) are certificate-based Chinese policies — foreign visitors simply reserve with passport.Reviewer notes (conflicts, traps, old values)
¥70 peak (April, May, July–October), ¥60 off-peak (January–March, June, November–December). Hours 7:30–18:00 from May 1 to Oct 31 and 7:30–17:30 from Nov 1 to Apr 30 (last ticket 17:00, last entry 17:30). Half price for full-time students and seniors 60–69; free for children under 6 / 1.2 m and seniors 70+. Book online up to 7 days ahead (slots released daily at 00:00) via the official Suzhou Gardens site or 'Jun Dao Suzhou'; time-slot entry scans the ID card used for booking.
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苏州市旅游咨询中心（苏州市园林和绿化管理局）；苏州园林旅游网 ⚠️ Tiger Hill's HOURS boundaries are May 1 / Nov 1 — different from Lingering Garden's Mar 1 / Nov 15 and from Zhuozheng's flat 7:30–17:30. On 2026-10-17 it runs the long 7:30–18:00 window. The leaning Yunyan Pagoda (虎丘斜塔) can no longer be climbed (conservation); viewing is from the ground. South gate is the historic main entrance and connects to the Shantang River boat pier — a good way to arrive by water. Ctrip shows a ¥125 Tiger Hill + Lingering Garden combo; official single tickets are the safer baseline.Reviewer notes (conflicts, traps, old values)
Suzhou attraction tickets at a glance
Official published prices. Where a season boundary exists it is named in the catch column — boundaries differ from site to site across China, and an official "off-peak" window can still be a crowded one.
| Attraction | Ticket (official) | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Humble Administrator's Garden | ¥80 peak / ¥70 off-peak | 7:30–17:30 all year; night tour is a separate ticket |
| Tiger Hill | ¥70 peak / ¥60 off-peak | Hours switch May 1 / Nov 1 |
| Lingering Garden | ¥55 peak / ¥45 off-peak | Hours switch Mar 1 / Nov 15 |
| Suzhou Museum (main branch) | Free — reserve online | Book 7 days ahead; closed Mondays; passports accepted |
Suzhou prices by month, not by a single date: peak is April, May and July–October; off-peak is January–March, June and November–December. June is off-peak even though it is summer — the only city on this site where a midsummer visit is officially the discounted window.
Getting around
The big gardens cluster in the old town's northeast — the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Suzhou Museum share a block, the Lingering Garden is a short walk west, and Pingjiang Road's canal lane is the evening stroll between them.
Tiger Hill sits northwest outside the walls, best paired with the Hanshan Temple. Jinji Lake and the modern SIP are a metro ride east if the old town feels complete.
Never assume one timetable: the Humble Administrator's Garden keeps 7:30–17:30 all year, Tiger Hill switches on May 1 and November 1, and the Lingering Garden on March 1 and November 15. The ¥182–228 night tour of the Humble Administrator's Garden ("Zhuozheng Wenya") is a separate evening product with fixed slots — it does not buy daytime entry. Suzhou Museum no-shows can get an account banned for 90 days.
A day count that works
- Day 1: Humble Administrator's Garden early, Suzhou Museum after, Pingjiang Road at dusk.
- Day 2: Lingering Garden, Master of the Nets Garden, Hanshan Temple bell.
- Day 3: Tiger Hill in the morning; Tongli or Zhouzhuang water town in the afternoon.
Suzhou guides on this site
The first Suzhou guide is in production — the fact library for all 4 documented sites above is already verified.
The full attractions index shows which guides are live and which are in production.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Suzhou garden should I visit if I only see one?
- The Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest and the standard introduction (¥80 peak / ¥70 off-peak). Add the Suzhou Museum next door the same morning — it is free, shares the garden's block, and Pei's building is half the reason to come.
- Can foreign visitors book the Suzhou Museum?
- Yes — the museum officially confirms passport booking on its English page, which puts it ahead of most Chinese museums. Reserve online up to 7 days ahead, arrive for your slot, and remember the main branch closes Mondays. If it is full, the West Branch needs no reservation at all.
- When is Suzhou cheapest?
- The off-peak months are January–March, June and November–December. June is the surprise: it is off-peak despite being summer, while April, May and July–October are peak. Hours boundaries differ per garden, so check the specific site rather than the season label.
Page last reviewed: 2026-10-17.