Private Shanghai Tour: Aquarium, Bund, Yu Garden & Tower

A single guide means the itinerary bends to what interests you, not a fixed schedule.

This private guided tour of Shanghai pairs a knowledgeable English-speaking guide with door-to-door pickup and entrance fees to five major stops: Yu Garden's classical pavilions and Nine Bend Bridge, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium's 155-meter submarine tunnel and 15,000 water creatures, Shanghai Tower's 118th-floor observation deck and highest bookstore, the Bund's 26 historic buildings, plus the local Bird and Flower Market and fabric tailoring district. The guide recommends lunch spots based on your preference and adjusts the day's pace to match your interests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Pudong15m
2. Shanghai Ocean Aquarium1h · entry included
3. Shanghai Tower2h · entry included
4. The Bund30m

Explore Shanghai's highlights with guide

• Meet guide at hotel at 09:00 a.m.
• Transfer to Shanghai Old City by public transport
• Walk around Shanghai Old City and old alleys
• Visit Yu Garden and Zigzag Nine Bend Bridge
• Visit Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse
• Visit South Bund Fabric Market
• Explore Bird and Flower Market
• Guide recommends local dining options
• Transfer to Pudong New Area
• Walk along Lujiazui Ring Bridge
• Visit Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
• Visit Shanghai Tower and Duoyun Books
• Take express elevator to 118th floor observation deck
• Admire panoramic views from 119th floor
• Transfer to the Bund
• See 26 buildings of various architectural styles
• See Bund City Sculptures, Monument to the People's Heroes, Huangpu Park, Waibaidu Bridge
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel at 9 a.m. and the day starts in Shanghai Old City: the narrow alleys where the earliest banks, gold shops and tea houses of Shanghai once stood. Walking here is how you see how Shanghainese people actually live, not through a bus window. Then you move to Yu Garden, the largest ancient garden in Shanghai, built as a private estate during the Ming Dynasty. The pavilions, halls and rockeries are small in footprint but contain every element a classical Chinese garden should have. You'll cross the Zigzag Nine Bend Bridge (the number nine symbolizes good luck in Chinese tradition) to reach the Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse, the oldest teahouse in the city.

The afternoon shifts to modern Shanghai. At the South Bund Fabric Market, hundreds of tailors work in one building: 80 percent of customers are foreign visitors who come to commission bespoke clothing. Your guide can walk you through choosing fabric and connecting with a tailor if that interests you. The Bird and Flower Market, at the crossing of Tibet Road and Fangbang Road, fills with locals hunting for bonsai, live birds, fish and insects. It's one of the few places where you're standing alongside residents doing their own shopping, not tourists. Your guide will recommend a place to eat: small local eatery or full-service restaurant, your call.

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium sits in Pudong's finance district and holds more than 300 species and 15,000 water creatures. The main draw is the submarine viewing tunnel, 155 meters long, where you walk through acrylic and watch sharks, rays and schools of fish swim overhead and past the glass. The exhibits span ten zones (China, South America, Australia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Cold Water, Polar, Deep Ocean and more) with rare species like poison dart frogs, leafy sea dragons and emperor penguins. From there you take the express elevator up Shanghai Tower (632 meters, the city's tallest building) to the 118th-floor observation deck in 55 seconds. Before heading to the top, stop at Duoyun Books on the 52nd floor, the highest bookstore in China, designed like a landscape garden with bookshelves shaped as mountains. The final stop is the Bund, where you walk past 26 buildings spanning different architectural styles (the Peace Hotel, Shanghai Customs House, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank), and look across the Huangpu River at the Pudong skyline.

What’s included

• Knowledgeable tour guide in your choice of language.
• private transportation with door-to-door hotel pickup and return.
• entrance fees to Yu Garden, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, and Shanghai Tower.
• bottled water throughout the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (18 to 75 years) · Child (3 to 17 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by MoreFunAsia

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a single guide who knows Shanghai well enough to adjust the day to what actually interests you: the pace stays yours, not locked to a group schedule. The private format also means you're not waiting for others to board a bus or move through the aquarium tunnel. Your guide moves when you're ready.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 17 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the submarine tunnel at Shanghai Ocean Aquarium actually like?

The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium's submarine viewing tunnel measures 155 meters in length and lets you walk through acrylic while sharks, rays and schools of fish swim past on all sides. It's one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world and the main reason the aquarium draws crowds.

Can I spend more time at one stop if I want to skip another?

Yes. This is a private tour with a single guide, so the itinerary is flexible. If Yu Garden or the aquarium holds your attention longer, your guide can adjust the day and shorten or skip another stop to keep the day balanced.

Does the guide recommend where to eat, or do I have to arrange lunch myself?

Your guide recommends lunch spots based on what you're in the mood for: a small local eatery or a full-service restaurant. You choose and pay for the meal itself, but the guide handles the suggestion and can take you there.

What's on the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower?

The 118th floor holds the Top of Shanghai Observatory, the world's highest indoor observation deck. You take an express elevator that reaches 18 meters per second and gets you there in 55 seconds. The 119th floor has additional viewing areas overlooking both sides of the Huangpu River.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs 7 to 8 hours from hotel pickup to return. The exact length depends on how long you spend at each stop and where your guide takes you for lunch.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available if you need one.