Suzhou Off-the-Beaten-Path Summer Day Trip, Weekend No-Queue Strategy

Perhaps everyone knows that Suzhou has long become a hot tourist destination. Those old streets and ancient towns we used to visit are still crowded even if you try to visit on a weekday to avoid the peak times! Fortunately, I've carefully planned a super niche weekend day trip itinerary that almost entirely avoids queues and waiting! 🚶 Itinerary: Suzhou City God Temple - Green Yang Wonton (Guanqian Store) - Suzhou Confucian Temple - Xiao Jiang Potstickers (Cultural Palace Store) - Xietang Old Street - Wanchangxing - Suzhou Four Seasons Hotel 👉 Suzhou City God Temple If you're too scared to visit Xiyuan Temple and Hanshan Temple because of the overwhelming crowds, why not go to Suzhou City God Temple instead! It's only a few dozen meters away from the bustling Guanqian Street, but it seems to separate all the noise and crowds outside the temple gates. Surrounding must-try food: Green Yang Wonton (Guanqian Store), located behind Guanqian Street, so there's basically no need to wait for a table. As an old-brand wonton and dim sum shop, both the environment and service are quite impressive. 👉 Suzhou Confucian Temple Here you can find a temple for worshipping Confucius, the Suzhou Stele Museum of national treasure level, as well as various gardens and corridors. You can easily take in nearly 1000 years of history, and there are very few tourists, so you can look and take photos however you want! Surrounding must-try food: Xiao Jiang Potstickers (Cultural Palace Store), an authentic Suzhou-style potsticker old shop, also offering rare shrimp and beef potstickers. 👉 Xietang Old Street The brand-new Jinji Lake is home to a 700+ year old town. The ten-mile Xietang of the old Gusu city has now become a shopping and dining paradise only known to locals! Unlike the overly crowded Pingjiang Road and Shantang Street, here you can only find leisure and comfort. It's perfect to find a coffee shop or tea house for an afternoon tea, so relaxing! Surrounding must-try food: Wanchangxing's traditional Suzhou-style noodle feast, the sesame shrimp noodles that you can't find anywhere else are amazing! A small dish of sesame shrimp topping, directly condensing more than 10,000 tiny shrimps that never grow up, no wonder it's so delicious that you can't stop! 👉 Suzhou Four Seasons Hotel An independent island hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, it also offers a direct view of Jinji Lake. Strolling on the hotel's exclusive lakeside path in the evening, seeing Suzhou from a different angle, is truly breathtaking la~