China · SHANGHAI TOURS

The 15 Best Shanghai Tours & Day Trips

167 tours  ·  from $2

Shanghai gives up its skyline in an evening and its back lanes over a week. These 15 cover the Bund and Pudong, the food streets, the canal towns an hour out and the bullet-train days, each priced and paced honestly.

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai - Starting at Huangpi Nan Road and Xintiandi
Food, Food & Drink, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

1.Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

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

Spend about three hours walking from Huangpi Nan Road through Xintiandi, the Former French Concession, and People's Square. Guides such as Jade, Kurt, TJ, Jim, and Wang Jian lead tastings of soup dumplings, scallion oil noodles, red-braised pork, roast duck, tea, and desserts. Morning, lunch, evening, and late-night departures are available.

“Fantastic guide (Jade), fantastic food and fantastic cat! Five stars! A wonderful time - make sure you have plenty of room in your stomach when you start.”

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Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour - A local lunch beside the canals
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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

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver, pairing Zhujiajiao’s canals and local lunch with Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, and Shanghai Tower. Guides such as Snow, Caroline, Xin, Judy, Jane, and Queena are praised for clear English and flexible planning. Monday visits replace Yuyuan Garden with Jade Buddha Temple.

“We had a wonderful day exploring both Shanghai city highlights and Zhujiajiao Water Town with our guide, Queena. She was knowledgeable, friendly, and very attentive throughout the tour. We visited the Shanghai Tower, Yu Garden, and The Bund, and later enjoyed a relaxing boat ride through the beautiful canals of Zhujiajiao. The lunch was delicious as well. Overall, it was a perfect experience and we highly recommend Queena and this tour! She had superb English and her enthusiasm was the best! 10/10”

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Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights - Jade Buddha Temple after lunch
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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

Spend 7 to 8 hours seeing old and new Shanghai with a private guide such as Annie, Sammy, or Fei Fei. Walk the Bund, Yu Garden, Old Town, French Concession, Jade Buddha Temple, and Pudong, with hotel pickup, a private car, lunch, and entrance fees depending on the package you choose.

“My day with Sammy was just awesome! We really had a great time and Sammy showed me a lot of beautiful sights in Shanghai. I enjoyed it very much. I learned a lot about the City and its history.”

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Shanghai: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions - The Red Route links Shanghai’s essential sights
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

Use a 24 or 48-hour Shanghai sightseeing bus ticket to reach more than 20 major sights on three routes. Audio commentary comes in eight languages. Optional packages add a Huangpu River cruise, Bund tunnel ride, Shanghai Tower, or Jin Mao Tower’s 88th-floor view.

“Great way to get an overview of the city. Had the 48 hour ticket which is definitely needed. Plus the 3 Attractions are well worth the value”

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Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride - The Canal Boat Ride
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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

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from your Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town. Your guide leads you through old streets, markets, gardens, bridges, and canals, with entrance fees and a boat ride included. Lunch or dinner is available as an upgrade.

“We had a very pleasant half-day trip with an excellent guide, a cozy boat ride and a delicious local lunch. Highly recommended to everyone, thank you Xin!”

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Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour - Family-run restaurants and food with local appeal
Evening Experiences, Food, Food & Drink, 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

Join UnTour Food Tours at 6 pm for three hours of family-run eateries, regional Chinese dishes, beer, yellow wine, spirits, and a xiaolongbao lesson. Guides such as Li, Li, Topher, Jasmine, and Andres explain the food and neighborhoods. The group is capped at 12 and ends near Jiangsu Road metro station.

“This was a great tour! We booked this for our first day's arrival in Shanghai as a way to help us timeshift. That turned out to be the right idea. Our tour was small, only 5 guests, which made getting around really easy. Each stop on the tour was interesting, and we enjoyed the chance to meet a few other travelers. It definitely helped us acclimate and opened out palette to a range of cool flavors. Highly recommended.”

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Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow - Following the route from Shiliupu Pier
Cruises & Boat Tours, Evening Experiences, Huangpu River Cruises, 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

Spend about 45 minutes on the Huangpu River, passing the Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center. Choose a daytime or evening sailing, then use the indoor, semi-open, or open-air decks. Ticket collection is in person, and the correct code comes by email or chat.

“The cruise was quite nice but there are not a lot of places to sit and you have to pay extra to get a good seat”

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Shanghai: Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden - The private drive from Shanghai
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Shanghai: Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

8.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

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

Travel from your Shanghai hotel in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide such as Michael, Cassie, Annie, or Robert. Walk Zhujiajiao’s old markets, visit Kezhi Garden, taste local snacks, and cruise the canals by private boat during this flexible five-hour tour.

“We enjoyed so much and Michael was a wonderful guide!”

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Suzhou and Zhouzhuang Water Village Day Trip from Shanghai - The Grand Canal and Panmen Gate in short stops
1-Day Tours, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews

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

Travel from Shanghai to Suzhou and Zhouzhuang with an English-speaking guide. Visit the Master-of-Nets Garden, Grand Canal, Panmen Gate, and a silk museum, then cruise Zhouzhuang’s canals by Chinese-style gondola. Lunch, entrance fees, and central hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“Tom was a Shanghai native and knows the city and its environs like the back of his hand. The town of Souzhou and the water village are definitely worth seeing!”

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Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket - Reaching the 118th floor
Observation Decks, Shanghai Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

10.Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

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

Visit Shanghai Tower’s Top of Shanghai deck on floors 118 and 119 for wide city views from 546 meters. Add access to floors 125 and 126 for a musical light show. Bring your passport, submit your name and passport number in advance, and arrive at your booked time.

“Must do in Shanghai on a clear day. However, might be cheaper to book on site if you dont mind the queue.”

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Suzhou Private Day Trip from Shanghai with Bullet Train Option - Choosing between car and bullet train
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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

Travel from Shanghai to Suzhou by private car, bullet train, or both, with a personal guide such as Annie, Roy, Melinda, or Sammi. Visit Humble Administrator’s Garden, Pingjiang Road, Tiger Hill, and Shantang Street, with optional lunch, garden entry, and canal boat ride.

“Our guide Melinda English speaker was very attentive and knowledgeable. We were happy and the meal was great . To be honest I would do it over again with stay overnight to explore more , but not during summer time. The canal was beautiful, It’s little too hot now however in overall , It’s highly recommended.”

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Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai's French Concession - Soup dumplings at Huijin Shopping Mall
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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

Spend 3.5 hours eating Shanghai classics in the French Concession with a local English-speaking guide. Visit four seated eateries for dumplings, noodles, pork belly, and dessert, then finish with local craft beer. Groups are limited to 12, and vegetarian meals are available with advance notice.

“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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Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights - Reading Shanghai from the Bund
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Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

13.Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

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

Spend eight hours seeing Shanghai with a private guide, from a Pudong observation deck and the Bund to Yu Garden, the Confucius Temple, and the Former French Concession. You can adjust the day to suit your interests, travel by car or public transport, and add dumplings and entrance tickets through selected options.

“Apple was a great tour guide! She showed up early in the hotel lobby. We changed my tour last minute to include the water town because my flight the next day got moved. You 100% should go see water town if you have time. It is beautiful and Apple got us amazing snacks while there. We went to see the bund and the garden. Highly recommend the tour. The dumplings and noodles were so good! Apple was very knowledgeable. You should go on this tour.”

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Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden - A short pause at People’s Square
Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, 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

Spend eight hours seeing Shanghai’s essential sights with an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Elena, or Michael. Visit the Shanghai Museum, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, and Xintiandi. Hotel pickup, lunch, transport, and admission tickets are included, though the schedule can feel rushed.

“Very poor service from the tour operator , Shanghai is very hot during the summer and doing the tour with a vehicle with bad Air Conditioner was unacceptable it seemed that the guide was in a hurry not giving us enough time to enjoy the tour , with other companies that offer the same service i think is time to change , this was the second time in less than 10 days that Viator did wrong and we didn't get the value for what we paid for.”

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From Shanghai: Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride - A private ride from your Shanghai hotel
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From Shanghai: Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

15.Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

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

Leave your Shanghai hotel for a five-hour private visit to Zhujiajiao. Walk the old street and market, see Ming and Qing bridges, sample local food, and ride the canals with an English-speaking guide such as Snow, Kalvin, or Caroline. A private car, driver, entrance fee, and boat ticket are included.

“Timing was punctual. Jenny is very friendly and communicate very well. Helped us negotiate prices for our shopping. Gave us extra curriculum to try ear 👂 cleaning. Overall the tour was excellent, and I very much recommend.”

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New in Shanghai Tours

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★ 4.9Wild Animal Park TicketFrom $4043 reviews
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