The 15 Best Shanghai Tours & Day Trips

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai - The 15-minute walk through the Former French Concession

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,382 reviews · from $79Our pick

Taste Shanghai classics, from soup dumplings to red-braised pork, on a three-hour small-group walk through Xintiandi and People's Square.

“The food on this tour was excellent throughout, with some truly great dishes, making it a very enjoyable experience. Kurt was social and clearly enthusiastic. However, he may have missed the opportunity to properly introduce the group at the start, which made things a little awkward, though it never took away from the overall experience.”

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City Tours, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours

Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

2.Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · from $246

Explore Zhujiajiao by boat, eat a local lunch, then see Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, and Shanghai Tower with a private guide.

“Spent a wonderful and relaxing day in Zhujiajiao and Shanghai with Jane. Didn’t notice how the time flew. Highly recommend this program. The most remarkable things to visit in Shanghai, I think. Very comfortable transportation and helpful guide.”

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City Tours, Full-Day, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights

3.Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 995 reviews · from $115

See Shanghai in a day with a private guide, from the Bund and Yuyuan Garden to the French Concession and Shanghai Tower.

“Annie was an amazing tour guide! From the minute she picked us up at our hotel till the moment she dropped us off, she was professional, very knowledgeable, and funny. She also helped me navigate a food allergy with lunch so I could enjoy Read more”

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Shanghai Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Shanghai: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions

4.Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 692 reviews · 1 day · from $12Best value

Review Shanghai’s hop-on hop-off bus, with three routes, multilingual audio, river cruise and tower add-ons, plus practical booking tips.

“A/c was too strong on one bus, A/C was not on on the second bus so everyone was sweating a lot on the top level.”

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Boat Tours in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours

Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

5.Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 661 reviews · from $148

Escape Shanghai for Zhujiajiao’s old streets, Ming and Qing bridges, canals, and a private boat ride with hotel pickup included.

“Our guide, Xin was super informative, friendly and very enthusiastic lady. My family had a wonderful time at Zhujiajiao water town, which is a beautiful site that can rival Venice. The town folks are very friendly, and there are loads of things to experience and food to try out during the walkabout.”

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Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, Food Tours in Shanghai, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

6.Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 616 reviews · from $90

Taste regional Chinese dishes, spirits, and xiaolongbao on a small-group Shanghai night food walk through Changning and Jing’an.

“Real Fun tour. Took us to places we would normally not go in. Very dynamic guide, plenty of good food and drinks. Not to miss.”

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Boat Tours in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews

Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow

7.Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Review of Shanghai’s Huangpu Night Cruise, with Bund and Pudong views, ticket tips, deck choices, holiday sights, and honest value advice.

“The cruise was very nice. Instructions to find the place for the tickets were a little hard to follow, but we managed. The lines to get to the boat were long, but orderly and everything was efficient. Totally worth paying the extra $15 each for the seated area on the 3rd floor.”

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Boat Tours in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours

Shanghai: Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

8.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 460 reviews · 5 hours · from $139

Explore Zhujiajiao from Shanghai with a private guide, canal boat ride, Kezhi Garden, local markets, and comfortable hotel transfers.

“Our tour with Clair was fantastic. The transportation to the water village was smooth and very comfortable. We walked through the various shops, toured the private garden, and took a boat ride. Clair shared so much information with us about history and culture, she was an excellent guide.”

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1-Day Tours, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Water Town Tours

Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Water Village Day Trip from Shanghai

9.Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Water Village Day Trip from Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 426 reviews · from $135

See Suzhou gardens, the Grand Canal, Panmen Gate, silk making, and Zhouzhuang by gondola on a full-day trip from Shanghai.

“The attractions were good, but the mini bus should be sent to the wreckers it was small we all had to sit sideways or if you were small legs right into the other chair, plus a bit run down, 5 hours in the van, the guide was average he fell asleep in the first hour of our trip and then on the way home, I gave him a tip and he said it wasn't enough”

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Observation Decks, Shanghai Tours, The Bund & Shanghai Skyline, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

10.Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 373 reviews · 1 day · from $47

See Shanghai from the 118th floor at 546 meters, with 360-degree views, optional light shows, and skip-the-line admission.

“Amazing views of Shanghi by night from the observation deck. Well worth a visit.”

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1-Day Tours, Bullet Train Day Trips, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Train Experiences

Suzhou Private Day Trip from Shanghai with Bullet Train Option

11.Suzhou Private Day Trip from Shanghai with Bullet Train Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 366 reviews · from $193

Explore Suzhou from Shanghai by private car or bullet train, with gardens, canals, old streets, a guide, and optional lunch and boat ride.

“I booked a Suzhou trip via bullet train. The whole process was seamless and easy thanks to my guide Roy. Roy had a vast knowledge of Chinese culture and history was a perfect guide for day. Highly recommend this tour”

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Food, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews

Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai’s French Concession

12.Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai’s French Concession

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 353 reviews · from $75

Eat through Shanghai’s French Concession with local guides, 10-plus dishes, seated eateries, and unlimited beer for a flavorful 3.5-hour crawl.

“Loved this tour, you got to taste a bit of everything and I even had the chance to make a couple soup dumplings myself. I would highly recommend his tour if you had the chance.”

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Full-Day, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

13.Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 352 reviews · from $109

See Shanghai’s tower views, Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Confucius Temple, and French Concession with a private guide in one flexible day.

“My daughter and I absolutely enjoyed our private tour of Shanghai with Peggy. She was incredibly professional and warm, knowledgeable about the history and culture of Shanghai, and her English was excellent. She was so flexible, we really needed some coffee so she modified the itinerary sequence and took us to an amazing coffee and pastry shop in the French concession. The restaurant she took us to for lunch was authentic, delicious and popular with locals. I am lacto-vegetarian and she made sure the restaurant could accommodate me. She is so knowledgeable about the culture and history about Shanghai, which made the tour of the neighborhoods and landmarks immensely enjoyable…”

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Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yu Garden Tours

Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden

14.Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 338 reviews · from $79

See Shanghai’s essential sights in one day, from Jade Buddha Temple and Yuyuan Garden to the Bund, with lunch, transport, and a local guide.

“This was supposed to be a tour of “best of Shanghai”—a visit to major sites for visitors to see the city. Yet we wasted an hour at a factory store, that was not part of the description of the tour on the website. When I called the representative before booking, I was specifically told there would be no such “activities”. Also wasted an hour on a very mediocre sit-down lunch. The result was that there was no time to actually spend a little time to enjoy other places we were taken. (For example, we could have had time to *walk* at the Bund, which is why people go there—vs. be…”

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Boat Tours in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Private, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours

From Shanghai: Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

15.Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · 5 hours · from $171

Explore Zhujiajiao from Shanghai with a private guide, Ming-Qing bridges, canal boat ride, local food, and hotel transfers.

“Our private tour to Zhujiajiao was an absolute highlight of our trip. The experience was perfectly organized and offered a wonderful balance of history, culture, and relaxation. A very special thank you goes to our guide Kiki, who truly made the day unforgettable. She shared an incredible amount of knowledge with us in an engaging and insightful way, and at the same time, her humor and warm personality made the tour so much fun. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and felt completely taken care of from start to finish. I would highly recommend this tour, especially with Kiki as a guide.”

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