Yu Garden Shanghai: Tickets, Hours and When to Go

Yu Garden Shanghai costs ¥40 for adults in the peak months and ¥30 the rest of the year, and it opens 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, closed on Mondays. Go on a weekday morning soon after opening, because weekends, holidays and afternoons are the busiest. The garden is more than 400 years old and one of the Old City's busiest sights.

Is Yu Garden worth visiting?

Yes, for the architecture and the history rather than for quiet contemplation. Pan Yunduan, the son of a Ming dynasty minister, began the garden in 1559 for his father's old age. It covers about 2 hectares with more than 40 scenic spots of halls, rockeries and ponds, and is protected at the state level.

The streets around it are commercial and crowded. Work on the garden stalled for nearly twenty years after Pan Yunduan was posted to Sichuan as governor, and it was not finished until 1577.

Best time to visit Yu Garden

Go on a weekday morning, as close to the 9:00 opening as you can. Weekends, Chinese public holidays and afternoons are the busiest times, and the garden's narrow corridors leave little room to step aside.

Autumn is the most pleasant season overall, and spring brings the garden's flowering plants. April to June and September to November are the peak-price months. Rain does not empty the place either, since even rainy evenings draw crowds, so plan around the time of day rather than the forecast.

If photos are the goal, shoot inside the garden in soft morning light. Save the surrounding Yu Garden Bazaar for after dark, when it lights up. If Yu Garden is one stop on a longer trip, see our Shanghai tour package options.

Yu Garden tickets, hours, and prices

According to the garden's official visitor information, Yu Garden keeps daytime hours only, so plan around the 4:00 PM last entry rather than closing time.

Detail	Information
Hours	9:00 AM – 4:30 PM, last entry 4:00 PM
Closed	Mondays, except national public holidays
Adult ticket	¥40 (Apr 1–Jun 30, Sep 1–Nov 30); ¥30 other months
Half price	Ages over 6 to 18, full-time students up to undergraduate level, visitors 60+ (valid ID)
Free	Children 1.3 m or under, or aged 6 or under, with an adult (up to three per adult)
Tickets	"上海豫园" WeChat mini program, or North/South Gate ticket windows
Time needed	1–2 hours

There are two entrances. The North Gate is at 168 Fuyou Road and takes groups and individual visitors. The South Gate, at 279 Yuyuan Old Street by the Zigzag Bridge, is for individual visitors only. During Spring Festival, opening hours follow the garden's own announcements, so check before you go.

The prices and hours above cover the walled garden only. The bazaar streets and the bridge around it sit outside the ticketed area.

What to prioritize inside the garden

With one to two hours and more than 40 scenic spots, don't try to read every plaque. The garden is split into six areas divided by "dragon walls" with undulating tiled ridges, so move at a steady pace and save your attention for a few standouts.

Photo: Yu Garden Shanghai November 2017 006 by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

In the Sansui Hall area, the Grand Rockery is a 12-meter rock hill with peaks, caves and gorges. Dianchun Hall served as headquarters of the Small Swords Society during their 1853–1855 uprising. Look for the Exquisite Jade Rock (玉玲珑), a porous boulder 3.3 meters tall and weighing about 5 tons. Legend says it was meant for Emperor Huizong's palace garden in the Northern Song capital before the boat carrying it sank in the Huangpu River.

Paths inside are uneven, with steps, stone bridges, slopes and rockery caves. Wear flat shoes, and allow extra time with a stroller or anyone who struggles with stairs.

Nine Bend Bridge and the area outside the walls

The Nine Bend (Zigzag) Bridge crosses the pond outside the garden to the Huxinting Teahouse, and the South Gate sits at its foot. Its zigzag shape is said to confuse evil spirits.

Photo: Yu Garden Shanghai November 2017 001 by King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

The bridge and the bazaar are outside the paid area and free to walk on regular days. During Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, the bazaar charges CNY 50–80 for entry. If time is tight, you can still cross the bridge, see the teahouse and walk the bazaar without a garden ticket.

Yu Garden Bazaar: food and souvenirs

Yu Garden Bazaar surrounds the garden next to the City God Temple, in traditional-style buildings. Most of the eating and shopping in the area happens here.

For food, the best-known stop is Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant at the end of the Nine Bend Bridge. It dates back to the late Qing dynasty and is one of Shanghai's most famous places for xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings. Food near the garden is priced for tourists, so walk a little further out for better value. For souvenirs, the shops sell handicrafts, antiques, silk and tea.

A half-day plan around the Old City

The sights here cluster tightly, which makes sequencing easy if you respect the garden's hours.

1. Enter the garden close to the 9:00 AM opening.
2. Exit toward the Zigzag Bridge and Huxinting Teahouse.
3. Walk through the bazaar for xiaolongbao and stop by the City God Temple next door.
4. Walk about 15 minutes to the Bund for the riverfront and skyline.

That order puts the garden first, while it is quietest. To get there by metro, use Yuyuan Garden Station on Lines 10 and 14. If you would rather go with a guide, our Shanghai day tour covers Yu Garden, the Bund and the French Concession.

FAQ

How much does Yu Garden cost?

Adult tickets are ¥40 from April to June and September to November, and ¥30 in the other months. Children 1.3 m or under, or aged 6 or under, enter free with an adult, up to three per adult.

Is Yu Garden open on Mondays?

No. The garden closes every Monday, except when the Monday falls on a national public holiday.

How long do you need at Yu Garden?

Allow one to two hours for the garden itself. Add time for the bridge, the bazaar and lunch.

When is the best time to visit?

A weekday morning, soon after the 9:00 AM opening. Weekends, holidays and afternoons are the busiest.

We run private day tours in Shanghai that include Yu Garden. If you want it as part of a longer trip, you can ask for a custom plan through our customize your journey page.

Cover photo: Shanghai - Yu Garden - 0034 by Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.