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Suzhou is relatively flat, and once past the ring-road, traffic is light and easy-going enough to enable a pleasant ride about town. Jinji Lake, Dushu Lake and a few outlying temples are within casual cycling distance. Many hostels rent bikes for around ¥25 a day.
Zhuo Zheng Yuan 拙政园
Said to have cost a boatload of silver and taken sixteen years to build. Free tours through the garden start every 5-10 minutes, though these tours are conducted only in Mandarin. Included in the tour is a "Chinese marriage", a look at carved tree roots, followed by a boat ride through the garden canals. The incredible collection of bonsai trees ('pen cai' or 'pen jing' in Chinese) at the end of the garden furthest from the main entrance is worth a trip all by itself.
Wang Shi Yuan 网师园
Founded in 1140, and rebuilt in 1770 by the bureaucrat Song Zongyuan. The enclosed complex of house and garden is one of the smallest, most beautiful, and most perfectly proportioned in Suzhou. Don't let the small size deceive you, this garden has enough to occupy you for half a day or more. On certain evenings there are demonstrations of many traditional performing arts.
Liu Yuan 留园
One of the largest classical gardens in Suzhou.
Huanxiu Shanzhuang 环秀山庄
Mainly a rock and water garden.
Lion Forest Garden, Shi Zi Lin 狮子林
Has an incredible collection of pitted, eroded rocks that were greatly appreciated by classical Chinese scholars. It was originally part of a Buddhist monastery. The gardens are a reminder of the Buddhist story of the lions. The layout of the garden follows many twists and turns. It is easy to get quite lost in these winding paths.
Canglang Pavilion, Canglang Ting 沧浪亭
One of the oldest of Suzhou's wonderful collection of private or "scholar's" gardens. More densely forested than other gardens, so ideal for hot days when you want to escape the sun. This garden is best viewed from within its many pavilions, with windows framing different views.