Shanghai is one of China's largest cities, with so much to explore, from the iconic Bund and historic Yu Garden to hidden alleyways and trendy shops.

Before choosing a tour, think about what works best for you. How much time would you like to spend exploring? Would you prefer a private tour or a shared experience?

Private or small group. Private tours are just you and your group, with a dedicated guide throughout to enjoy maximum flexibility. Small-group tours are capped at just 8–10 guests for an intimate experience, while offering great value, starting from just US$30 per person.

Half day or full day. Our Food Tour, French Concession Tour, Bund & Suzhou Creek Tour, and Moped Tour can all be enjoyed in half a day. If you have a full day to explore, consider Real Shanghai in a Day or the Fengjing Watertown Tour.

Private Shanghai Tours

Shanghai (8 hours)

The Real Shanghai in a Day: Classic Icons Meet Hidden Gems

Visit landmarks like Yu Garden, the Bund and the French Concession, then venture into the alleys, the old town and a local market few visitors reach.
Shanghai (4 hours)

Panoramic French Concession: From Alleys to Mansions

Explore the diverse neighborhoods from local alleys to villas and mansions. Try a Chinese art craft and enjoy coffee in this charming neighborhood.
Shanghai (6-7 hours)

The Authentic Fengjing Watertown

Explore an authentic watertown in Shanghai, still home to locals and brimming with local life. Plus, enjoy a private boat ride and discover a hidden gem from the Mao era.

Small-Group Shanghai Tours

Shanghai (3 hours)

Shanghai Breakfast and Culture Tour

Savor authentic Chinese breakfast and desserts at award-winning restaurants, while uncovering untold stories as you stroll through landmarks like Nanjing Road and People's Square.
Shanghai (3 hours)

Shanghai Dinner and Culture Tour

Explore Shanghai's local streets, taste regional cooking at several family-run eateries, and hear the stories behind the food.
Shanghai (3 hours)

French Concession Walking Tour: History, Hidden Lanes & Cafes

This tour runs through narrow alleys, elegant villas and green parks, taking in the iconic landmarks and the hidden corners most visitors walk past.
Shanghai (2.5 to 3 hours)

The Bund & Suzhou Creek Walking Tour: Rivers in Shanghai

Stroll along Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River on this intimate walking tour, uncovering Shanghai's transformation from water town to global powerhouse.
Shanghai (3 hours)

Electric Moped Tour: Discover Old Shanghai

Explore Shanghai on a 10-km moped ride through Suzhou Creek, the Bund, the Old City and the French Concession, blending history, hidden gems and local flavor in just 3 hours.

The Real Shanghai in a Day

See Yu Garden, the Bund and the French Concession in one day, told through the stories behind them rather than a run of dates. Between the landmarks you stop at a wet market, the lanes behind the old town and the revitalized banks of Suzhou Creek.

Private tour for 8 hours. We get around by premier taxi (a private car is available at extra cost), plus 6-7 kilometers of walking, with coffee and a Chinese art-craft experience included. $149 per adult for two guests, falling to $99 per adult for five.

See the full itinerary

Panoramic French Concession Tour

The French Concession reveals two sides of Shanghai: the shikumen lanes where families still hang laundry in the passageways, and the villas of the people who once ran the place. This tour covers both, from Xintiandi and Fuxing Park to Tianzifang and Wukang Road.

Private tour for 4 hours. We get around by premier taxi, plus 3 kilometers of walking, with boutique coffee and a Chinese art-craft experience included. $75 per adult, $60 per child.

See the full itinerary

The Authentic Fengjing Watertown

Fengjing is a 1-1.5 hour drive from downtown Shanghai and is still a town people live in rather than a tourist trap. You walk the canal alleys, cross bridges that have stood for centuries and ride a private boat beneath them, with a stop at a preserved People's Commune site from the Mao era.

Private tour for 6-7 hours including the round-trip transfer by car. Private boat and snacks included. $165 per adult for two guests, falling to $110 per adult for five.

See the full itinerary

Shanghai Breakfast and Culture Tour

Breakfast is the meal Shanghai does best and the one most visitors sleep through. You eat your way through crab roe soup dumplings, crispy shengjian, scallion pancakes made to order, rice sweets from a shop trading since 1875 and stewed milk dessert from one since 1851.

Small-group tour for up to 10 guests. 3 hours on foot and about 3 kilometers. $65 per adult, $52 per child.

See the full itinerary

Shanghai Dinner and Culture Tour

This evening tour takes you to the local eateries most visitors walk past, for soup dumplings, soup wontons, shengjian and braised pork belly with Shanghai-style steamed rice. It ends at the Bund with the buildings lit.

Small-group tour for up to 10 guests. 3 hours on foot and about 3 kilometers. $70 per adult, $56 per child.

See the full itinerary

French Concession Walking Tour

Explore the same French Concession neighborhoods as our private tour, condensed into a 3-hour small-group walking experience. You visit Fuxing Park, Sinan Mansions, a lane people still live in, the publishing houses of Shaoxing Road and Tianzifang, with a coffee stop on the way.

Small-group tour for up to 10 guests. 3 hours on foot and about 3-4 kilometers. $35 per person.

See the full itinerary

The Bund and Suzhou Creek Walk

Take a walk along Shanghai's charming rivers, from Suzhou Creek's converted warehouses and quiet promenades through Rockbund and on to the Bund itself. You will discover how a river town became the busiest port in the Far East.

Small-group tour for up to 10 guests. 2.5-3 hours on foot and about 3 kilometers. From $30 per person.

See the full itinerary

Electric Moped Tour of Old Shanghai

Ride 10 kilometers on an electric moped along Suzhou Creek, past the Bund's back streets, through the old city and into the French Concession. You cover ground a walking tour cannot, and stop for street snacks at an eatery trading since 1881.

Small-group tour for up to 8 guests. 3 hours. $55 per person.

See the full itinerary

How Much Time Do You Have?

With a full day, choose Real Shanghai in a Day, an eight-hour introduction to the city. For half a day, the Panoramic French Concession Tour takes four hours. If you have around three hours, the Breakfast Tour fits a free morning, and the Dinner Tour makes a good evening plan.

Your Own Group or with Other Travelers?

Choose a private tour if you'd like a guide just for you and your traveling companions. If you enjoy meeting other travelers, join a small-group tour, priced per person. Most take up to ten guests; the moped tour is capped at eight.

Iconic Landmarks or Off-the-Beaten-Path?

For Shanghai's best-known sights, choose Real Shanghai in a Day, covering the Bund, Yu Garden and the French Concession. For quieter lanes and a closer look at local life, try the French Concession Walking Tour or the Electric Moped Tour. Both take you beyond the main sights.

Historic Shanghai or Modern Shanghai?

For Shanghai's history, choose the French Concession Walking Tour to explore its old villas, residential lanes and colonial past. If you're more interested in how the city has changed, try the Bund & Suzhou Creek Walk. Its renewed waterfronts and views of Pudong's skyline tell the story of Shanghai's growth into the city it is today.

Walking, Riding, or Eating?

Choose the French Concession or Bund & Suzhou Creek walk if you enjoy exploring on foot; expect around 3–4 km. To cover more ground, the Electric Moped Tour follows a 10 km route on mopeds. If food is your priority, choose the Breakfast Tour or the Dinner Tour: both combine walking with stops at local eateries, with all tastings included and enough food for a full meal.

Staying in Shanghai or Venturing Out to a Nearby City or Town?

To stay in central Shanghai, choose one of our city walks, food tours or private city tours. For a day away from the center, try the Fengjing Watertown Tour for canals, local life and a former Mao-era commune; the Suzhou Day Tour for a classical garden, temple and historic waterways; or the Tongli Watertown Tour for a water town and a classical garden in one trip. All three offer pickup and return transfers from central Shanghai.

Getting In from the Airport

The maglev from Pudong Airport reaches Longyang Road in around eight minutes, where you change to the metro. From Hongqiao, the metro runs straight into the center.

Getting Around

The metro covers almost everywhere you would want to go, with English on every sign and announcement. Taxis are cheap by Western standards, but hailing one on the street is harder than booking through DiDi, China's equivalent of Uber.

When to Come

March to May and September to November are the comfortable months. July and August are hot and humid; winter is mild on sunny days but can feel cold and damp when it rains.

Paying for Things

Alipay and WeChat Pay run almost everything, and both accept a foreign Visa or Mastercard linked before you travel. Set it up at home rather than on arrival.

Coming Through Visa-Free

China's 240-hour visa-free transit covers travelers from dozens of countries, both Shanghai airports included, provided you fly on to a third country.

Shanghai Tour FAQs

What is the difference between a private tour and a small-group tour?

When do the small-group tours run?

Do you pick us up from the hotel?

Can you run a tour on our arrival or departure day?

Are the tours suitable for children?

Are the food tours suitable for restricted diets?

If Shanghai is the start of a longer trip, consider our multi-day journeys throughout China! Shanghai in Style covers the city over several days, and our other multi-day journeys run on to Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and further. For something built from scratch, tell us what you are after on our multi-day journeys page.

Reading ahead: our guides write a monthly column on things to do in China, such as Shanghai's 24-hour spas and Suzhou gardens after dark. You can also meet the guides who will lead your tours.