Private Full-Day Tour: Shanghai Old and New Highlights

Meet your private guide at your central Shanghai hotel at 9am or your preferred start time as stated in the Special Requests field on booking. Tell your guide if there’s anything you want to see more of on your tour: your itinerary is flexible and can be customized around you.

When you book, choose to travel by private vehicle with lunch and Yu Garden and Jade Buddha Temple admission included, or opt to explore by public transport or private vehicle with lunch and entrance fees at your own expense.

Start at Shanghai’s French Concession, once the center of colonial life and now a hip area. Visit the ‘French Park,’ to see locals enjoying activities like ballroom dancing, Tai-chi, singing, and water calligraphy, and stroll around the Concession with its charming avenues of ‘French trees’ and traditional houses.

Next, visit one of Shanghai’s most active temples: Jade Buddha. Admire its two exquisite Jade Buddha statues from Myanmar and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere as you hear about local Buddhist culture and history.

Visit People’s Square, a garden-like square great for watching locals go about their daily life. View the striking modern architecture of buildings like the Shanghai Museum and Urban Planning Hall, and if it’s the weekend and the weather is dry, see the interesting ‘Marriage Market’.

Have an authentic Shanghai lunch of select dumplings, noodles, meat, and vegetables, or ask your guide to recommend another restaurant if you have special dietary needs.

Afterward, visit the 500-year old classic Chinese Yu Garden, and view the traditional Qing-Dynasty architecture of the Old Town Bazaar. See the Huxingting Tea House near the ‘Nine Zigzag’ bridge and enjoy free time to shop for tea, antiques, jade, pearls, silk, and other wares. If you wish, experience a tea ceremony (own expense) and sample some high quality local tea.

Next, travel to The Bund, the colonial-era promenade along the Huangpu River. Admire the stunning views of old and new Shanghai, including buildings such as the Bund's Old Customs House and iconic skyscrapers like the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Financial Tower, Jinmao Tower, and Shanghai Tower.

If it’s a clear day, visit one of the towers' observation decks for bird’s-eye views, and then walk along Riverside Promenade (Binjiang Da Dao). Afterwards, explore the trendy Xintiandi quarter, where traditional shikumen houses, homes to the middle classes in the 1920s and 1930s, testify to Shanghai’s one-time European glamor.

Aside from the above itinerary, talk to your guide about experiencing other attractions such as Shanghai Museum, Tianzifang Art area, the Jewish Ghetto, Nanjing Road, and the Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Center, or riding the city’s magnetic-levitation Maglev Train or other activities.

Your tour ends with a drop-off at your central hotel or other downtown area of your choice.