Short answer
Suzhou has nine metro lines, fares from ¥2 to ¥8, and gates you open with a QR code in Alipay or WeChat. A ride costs less than a coffee.
Two lines cover the sights. Line 4 stops at Beisita, about 1.2–1.5 km from the Humble Administrator's Garden and the Suzhou Museum. Line 1 stops at Xiangmen, about 700 m from Pingjiang Road. Suzhou Railway Station is a Line 2 and Line 4 interchange.
The catch is the last kilometre. Stations sit a 10–20 minute walk from the gardens, last trains leave between roughly 22:15 and 23:15, and Tiger Hill and Tongli have no useful station. Plan that final leg. For the sights themselves, see our Suzhou travel guide.
The lines a visitor uses
One operator, one fare system, one QR wallet. Lines 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11 serve the suburbs and the industrial park. Four lines serve the sights.
| Line | Where it runs | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mudu to Zhongnanjie, west to east | The old-town axis: Lindunlu, Xiangmen, Leqiao. Transfers to Line 2 at Guangji Nanlu, Line 4 at Leqiao. |
| 2 | Qihe to Sangtiandao, north to south | Suzhou Railway Station sits on it. |
| 4 | Longdaobang to Tongli, plus a Muli branch | Beisita for the two big gardens and the museum, Nanmen for Panmen Gate, the far end for Tongli. |
| 11 | East towards Huaqiao | Joins the Shanghai Metro. Slow, but the cheapest way to cross the border. |
Trains run every few minutes during the day, and station names appear in Chinese characters plus Latin transliteration.
What a ride costs
Fares are distance-based, with a network maximum of ¥8. Almost every trip inside the old town hits the minimum.
| Distance | Fare |
|---|---|
| Up to 6 km | ¥2 |
| 6–16 km | ¥2, plus ¥1 per further 5 km |
| 16–30 km | Plus ¥1 per further 7 km |
| Over 30 km | Plus ¥1 per further 9 km |
| Network maximum | ¥8 |
A Suzhou Tong transit card takes 5% off every fare and works on buses. Guides also list a one-day pass near ¥15 and a three-day pass near ¥25. The pass range gets revised, so check the official channel or a station service desk.
Four ways through the gates
- Alipay transport QR. Search
Transport, choose Metro, pick Suzhou, activate, then scan on entry and exit. Passport verification and a bound bank card come first. - WeChat Pay. The same thing from the Services screen.
- Ticket machines. English menus, taking coins, small notes and usually QR payment. A plastic token or paper ticket comes out, and ¥100 notes may be refused.
- Suzhou Tong card. Bought at a service desk with a passport.
Which station for which sight
Stations are near the sights, not at the gates. Walk times are approximate.
| Sight | Station (line) | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Pingjiang Road | Xiangmen (1) | About 700 m |
| Master of the Nets Garden | Lindunlu (1) | About 1.4 km |
| Humble Administrator's Garden | Beisita (4) | About 1.5 km |
| Suzhou Museum | Beisita (4) | About 1.2 km |
| Panmen Gate | Nanmen (4) | About 500 m |
| Tiger Hill | Sujin (4) | About 3.5 km, so a taxi or bike finishes it |
| Tongli water town | Tongli (4) | About 5 km, so a bus or taxi finishes it |
The two biggest names on a Suzhou list are the two where the metro leaves you a taxi ride short. Our guide to the Suzhou gardens says which cluster together and which need the extra leg.
Your first ride, in five steps
- Set up the wallet before you flyPassport verification and a working bank card, on your own wifi.
- Activate the Suzhou card in the appAlipay → Transport → Metro → Suzhou. First activation sometimes wants a second confirmation.
- Enter through the security scanEvery station has a bag scanner. Keep drinks in an outside pocket.
- Scan in, then read the platform signDirection is the terminal station name, not north or south.
- Scan out, and stay inside the gates when changing linesThe fare is calculated on exit; skip the exit scan and the maximum fare applies.
Timing, peaks and the last train
- First trains leave the terminals around 05:40–06:00.
- Last trains leave between roughly 22:15 and 23:15, later on some lines at the weekend. Check the official channel for your line and direction.
- Weekday peaks run about 07:30–09:00 and 17:30–19:00, and Line 1 through the old town is the crowded one.
- Gate closing happens a few minutes before the last departure.
When the metro is the wrong tool
- DiDi has an English interface and shows the fare before you accept. Best for Tiger Hill, Tongli and anything after 22:30.
- Shared bikes from Hellobike or Meituan are hired inside Alipay and WeChat, and the flat old town suits them.
- Trains to Shanghai take under an hour, against roughly two hours of metro-hopping via Huaqiao.
One planning item matters more than transport: garden tickets are real-name and online-only, and the busy ones sell out days ahead. Our two-day Suzhou itinerary puts the bookings and the metro legs in the right order.
The mistakes that cost money
- Not scanning out. The maximum fare is deducted, which on a day of short hops can be several times the correct total.
- Using a screenshot of the QR. The code rotates, so a static image fails.
- Assuming the metro reaches the headline sights. Tiger Hill and Tongli are 3–5 km from their nearest station.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the Suzhou Metro without any Chinese?
Yes. Ticket machines have English menus, station names carry Latin transliteration, and the transport QR in Alipay or WeChat means you never have to speak.
How much is a Suzhou Metro ride?
¥2 for journeys under 6 km, rising on a stepped distance scale to a network maximum of ¥8. A Suzhou Tong card takes 5% off and also works on buses.
How do I pay as a foreigner?
The transport QR in Alipay or WeChat, which needs passport real-name verification and a bound card first. Ticket machines take cash and QR payments; a Suzhou Tong card comes from a service desk.
What time is the last train?
Last departures fall between roughly 22:15 and 23:15 depending on line, direction and day, with later services on some weekend timetables. Check the official channel for your line.
Does the metro go to the gardens?
Close, not to the gate. Beisita on Line 4 is about 1.2–1.5 km from the Humble Administrator's Garden, the Suzhou Museum and Lion Grove Garden. Panmen Gate is the exception, roughly 500 m from Nanmen.
Can I reach Suzhou from Shanghai on the metro?
Partly. Line 11 runs east to Huaqiao, where it meets the Shanghai Metro, so a metro-only trip works but is slow. A high-speed train takes under an hour.
What happens if I forget to scan out?
The ride counts as incomplete and the maximum fare is deducted. Raise it at a station service desk before you leave the city.
Related reading
Compiled from Suzhou Rail Transit line, fare and interchange data, station walking distances, and transit-card and ticketing information from travel guides and visitor reports, cross-checked 29 September 2026. Fares, day-pass availability and first and last train times change between lines and seasons — the timetable in the station you are standing in, or the official Suzhou Rail Transit channel, is the authoritative version.