Suzhou Alleyway Walking Food Tour

Total RIP OFF!!! Lost Plate cancelled at the last minute as they have no one to conduct the tour (I have email from them). Then they told me that they cannot refund because they have not been paid and asked me to cancel (also have email from them to prove this). BIG TRICK!! Tripadvisor/Viator refused to refund because i 'cancelled' too late. It is not even my fault. I am caught between the 2 and made to suffer. Not equitable.

Hilary was the reason this tour was special. She took a real interest in me as a person, and her English was as good as any friend I have back home. She even invited me to sightsee with her mom afterward. I told her she literally adopted me, so it's official. The food was great and got better as the day went on. We hit what felt like 100 spots, many tucked down narrow alleys I never would have found. The tea shops were a highlight since I'm a big tea fan. Plum juice and milk tea was also good. My favorite meal was a tie between the sweet and sour squirrel fish and the crab the next day. The roe was so good. I also bought five sweets at the market because they were that good. Hilary was flexible too. When I needed to stop for sunscreen, she was happy to adjust. It felt easy and unhurried. If you're new to Suzhou, take this tour. Go hungry because it will be a lot of food, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Hilary was a fantastic guide. She did very well dealing with our quite large group!!

Had a great tour of Suzhou with Hilary. We enjoyed our time trying new foods and stopping at a few cultural spots. Hilary went above and beyond to help ensure we enjoyed our time, especially on a very hot day. If you are visiting Suzhou, I would recommend taking this tour.

The perfect way to start out your Suzhou visit. Hilary was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make our experience memorable.

The tour was great! We went to a lot of places and ate a lot of food we would have never come across on our own. It opens you up to eating at more of the local places instead of all of the Instagram trending ones. All of the food was delicious! Even while walking we stumbled upon things not on the tour and were able to grab a few bonus snacks. Our guide Hilary was amazing. Super patient, super knowledgeable, and very prepared. We were traveling with a baby and she was helpful in navigating the challenges with a stroller and allowing us places to change and feed while on the go. She also explained a lot of history and fun facts.

We had a wonderful morning with Hilary - who was a superstar guide. It was a perfect balance of sightseeing, walking and eating local Suzhou food. We really valued that Hilary was able to gauge our interests and adjust her approach to suit us. It really was a fantastic 1/2 day. Highly recommend.

The tour was superb! Hillary was very accommodating and really knows where the best spots in town are. She is very kind and answered all our questions. She even showed us the town and gave us some history lessons!

We had a great tour with Hillary. She was very knowledgable about the history of Suzhou and brought us to try lots of great local food. Happy with the tour and would highly recommend

The tour was amazing, and we had a great time with Hilary, our guide! Good value for money with lots of tasty things to try along the way. The portions were a great size, too, and we left feeling very satisfied by the end. A good variety of foods and the walking and learning between stops helped to build up the appetite again. Hilary created a welcoming atmosphere, and her friendly personality helped make us all have a great time. Highly recommend as a way to see unique parts of Suzhou while also trying interesting foods.

This was a brilliant tour 5 excellent local restaurant stops with a good variety of foods and the pleasure of walking around pleasant quiet local streets and alleys and seeing local sites temples and gardens as well. Highly recommend and Hilary our guide did a great job, a good communicator with a sense of humour and interest.

Hilary really went above and beyond. We had a great time strolling around Suzhou with her and tasting all kinds of food. She is a fantastic guide!

Had a great time on this tour with my friend -- we visited some gardens and temples in addition to eating so much delicious food at 5 different places! Our tour guide, Hilary was wonderful, funny, and super adorable. I learned so many new things about Chinese culture and food.

This tour was the highlight of our visit in Suzhou! We loved discovering the local specialties, they were all so delicious. Hilary is an amazing guide. She cares for everyone in the group, has a great sense of humor, and even got some gifts for us :) you can tell she loves being a guide and meeting people from abroad. She also gave us recommendations for another restaurant in Tongli, which we also enjoyed tremendously.

Hilary’s food tour was absolutely amazing! She introduced us to authentic local spots that I would never have found on my own, and every dish was both delicious and meaningful. Her passion for food and culture really shines through, and she created such a welcoming and fun atmosphere for everyone. A must-do experience!

We did a guided tour with Hilary and she was just amazing. Had a brilliant personality and packed with knowledge around the food and Suzhou. Would love to go back again and book another food tour with Lost Plate :)

Thank-you Hilary! It was really special learning about Suzhou through this food tour. We had a great time chatting to you and learning about life and history of Suzhou. If I was to give feedback, I would love to hear more about the history of the foods and how it changed over time. We really enjoyed chatting to the chef about the bubble wontons and watching her make them.

Had such a brilliant time on this tour. The food we tried was amazing and so well thought out (even though we left completely stuffed), and Hilary - our tour guide - was absolutely brilliant. Not just was she super knowledgable and helpful, but she ended up helping us book a table at a restaurant that we’d been struggling to sort out ourselves! Can’t recommend this tour enough. Thank you Hilary!!

wonderful, and much of that was thanks to our guide Hilary! Even in the summer heat, she stayed patient, never rushing us. She’d also communicated thoroughly beforehand, making the tour feel tailored. Hilary was amazing with the kids—playful and engaging, matching their energy with such warmth. The food? Incredible! Suzhou has so much to offer, but don’t miss the rice wine cakes (jiu niang bing in Chinese）and local noodles—both unforgettable. Highly recommend this tour, especially with Hilary. She made it fun and seamless!

I enjoyed this fantastic food trip in Suzhou, and I can't recommend it enough, especially with our guide, Hilary. Her knowledge, attention to detail and interest in making us comfortable made this a great tour. With her excellent English and warm demeanor, she made every moment enjoyable. Hilary really does everything in her power to feed you well, but more than that she puts an effort in to making you feel comfortable. She is easy to talk to and is able to answer all your questions. If you're considering a food tour in Suzhou, book with Hilary—she's the best!

Enjoyed the tour with Hilary! She took us to various local restaurants in Suzhou to sample a variety of different dishes. You also get a brief glimpse of the city in between restaurants. Hilary recommended spots to visit after the tour, which was helpful. Overall, I recommend this activity as a way to spend a day in Suzhou.

We had an amazing experience on our food tour in Suzhou! Our guide, Hilary, was absolutely incredible—warm, knowledgeable, and especially wonderful with our son, which made the tour even more enjoyable for our whole family. The food was fantastic—authentic, varied, and full of flavor. We loved getting to try local dishes we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Walking through Suzhou with Hilary was a real highlight; she took us through charming neighborhoods and hidden spots we never would have found on our own. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting a deeper, tastier look at Suzhou!

This was a great tour. It lasts about 4 hours and you get to try 5 popular local dishes. I loved the relaxed pace of the tour. But the best part was our guide Hillary. She felt like a good friend showing is around their home town. I highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Suzhou, or even Shanghai.

An amazing tour! The best way to see Suzhou! Our local guide Hilary was amazing, super knowledgeable, and even helped me after the tour to my next destination! The food was incredible and we walked through many areas I had missed completely while exploring on my own. I would say this is a must do in Suzhou! Especially if you are short on time in the city.

The Suzhou brunch tour provided a perfect introduction to Suzhou, walking through the old town, along the canals and past hidden gardens. We enjoyed six dishes, all Suzhou specialities served in a wide range of restaurants from tiny back street stalls to a modern chain. All the food was delicious. Our guide Hami was friendly and knowledgeable and happily answered all our questions about the food and Suzhou.

Our tour guide, Gloria, was very knowledgeable. She had personal stories of Suzhou which made the tour all the better. She described the food in great detail at each stop. All the food was very good! We are adventurous eaters so we enjoyed it all! Gloria was wonderful!

Best walking tour we have ever done. Gloria was incredible guide. Not only was her English perfect, her local knowledge & way she conveyed it to us was priceless. The kids & I felt very comfortable with her. The food places & food were all so yummy & interesting. Big tip: Dont eat too much at first place, as you need to leave room for the other places.

The tour of Suzhou old town, the rich history of the city, expertly narrated by our guide Tom, the delicious food, made for a memorable experience. I look forward to doing more food tours - Shanghai and Xian. Thank you so much Lost Plate for the Food Tour.

Great tour to get to know very local places and food you probably wouldn’t find on your own. Kate has been an awesome guide and could explain us each and every detail. I can highly recommend this tour!

What an experience to discover Suzhou! Joy took us on an adventure, helping us discover parts of the ancient city we would never find ourselves. Her knowledge and understanding of the area was incredible and we loved every second of it. You simply can’t find these places to eat on your own as a tourist. This is my second Lost Plate tour after an equally amazing experience in Shanghai. I’m so glad I chose to do both!

Learning about the city and local food culture. The alley ways and hidden garden and temple was a huge plus.

The tour leads through the old town with a nice park and a lot of amazing Suzhou style food, such as noodle soup, donuts rolled in a pancake with soya milk, jiaozi and tofu dumpling, wonton soup. I couldn't really say which one my favorite was, because all dishes were unique and super delicious we haven't eaten it before. The coffee house was the perfect ending with its cold coffee creations. We had a great time with our guide, Joy and enjoyed the tour very much.

I had a great experience on that tour. You basically wander in small alleys in Old Suzhou and eat at very tiny little restaurants along the way. Great for picture taking and for eating local dishes. I will definitely bring friends from out of town with me on this tour.

Just got back from the Suzhou Food tour completely stuffed and in a food coma. We visited at least 6 places trying different noodles, dumplings, soya milk and fried bread and finishing the tour with a coffee. In between restaurants we meandered through alleyways and streets absorbing the local life. I really enjoyed the food and tried out ones that I wouldn't normally order. Lostplate were really accommodating to peoples' dietary requirements. Come hungry and pace yourself, you cannot finish all the food during the tour for sure, which is such a shame, but definitely can try them!

Having been on a Lost Plate food tour in Phnom Penh earlier in the year, I was absolutely delighted to find the newly launched Suzhou equivalent. I hoped that, as it was my last day in Suzhou after living there for nearly a year, it would be a memorable experience. I wasn't disappointed... Agnes and Emily were very attentive hosts and made sure everyone had everything they needed. The food was fantastic and quite varied, a lot of work had obviously been put into selecting top quality yet authentic restaurants. The coffee shop at the end was quite a find too - a fitting end to an excellent tour and my stay in Suzhou. In fact I've promised to take my Chinese friend in Xi'an on the Xi'an tour when I next pay her a visit. TLDR, just do it - you won't regret it, even if you think you know Suzhou food.