Private Tour: Full-Day Shanghai with Lunch

Your private guide will collect you from your downtown Shanghai hotel at 8:30am – you can, of course, start your tour from other locations in Shanghai, but a surcharge may apply.

Your first stop will be the Yuyuan Garden, set in the heart of bustling Shanghai. The Ming Dynasty governor Pan Yunduan spent almost twenty years and almost all his savings to build this garden to please his parents in their old age. It's still a place of special serenity, with its network of ponds, bridges, pavilions, weeping willows, and secluded alcoves, the perfect contrast to the vibrant bazaar outside.

From here, it's just 15 minutes to Shanghai's infamous The Bund, the mile-long (1500-meter) promenade along the Huangpu River that's rich in colonial architecture. Admire landmarks including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Shanghai Tower across the river in Pudong as you stroll along the waterfront, while your guide points out iconic buildings and explains their history.

Break for a typical Shanghainese lunch at a local restaurant before your next stop, the Shanghai Museum, just a short drive away. With a collection of well over 120,000 artefacts and artworks, it's a must-visit when in Shanghai. Your guide will lead you through highlights of the collection, which spans ancient Chinese bronze, ceramics, painting, calligraphy, and jade.

It's another short drive to the Jade Buddha Temple. Built in 1882 to preserve two priceless jade statues of the Buddha, which a monk named Huigen brought from Myanmar, it has an old-time aura and classical architecture that's rare amid the modernity of Shanghai. Soak up the atmosphere here and learn about Chinese religion before you drive back to your hotel, arriving around 5;00 p.m.