Shanghai Private Day Tour: Bund, Temples & Huangpu River Cruise

Walk Shanghai's layout from center to waterfront, then float the river that shaped it

A private day tour of Shanghai with a professional guide in your choice of language, covering People's Square, museums, Jing'an Temple, the Bund and a Huangpu River cruise. The tour runs 8 hours with flexible start times between 9am and 5pm. All admission fees, lunch and public transport are included, and pickup is arranged.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. People’s Square30m
2. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall1h · entry included
3. Shanghai History Museum1h
4. Nanjing Road30m
5. Jing’an Temple30m · entry included
6. The Bund1h
7. Huangpu River1h · entry included
8. Yu Garden1h

Explore Shanghai's key attractions and cruise

• Visit People's Square
• Tour Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall
• Explore Shanghai History Museum
• See Park Hotel
• Walk along Nanjing Road
• Visit Jing'an Temple
• Walk the Bund waterfront
• Take Huangpu River cruise

The experience

You start at People's Square, the geographic center where East and West Nanjing Road meet. Your guide walks you through the municipal layout, pointing out the Shanghai Museum, Grand Theater and the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall: a 600-square-meter scale model of the city, the largest in the world. The Shanghai History Museum sits nearby, holding over 400 cultural relics spanning 6,000 years. This opening stretch gives you the bones of how Shanghai is organized and why it matters.

The route then moves through Nanjing Road, the commercial spine where 1.7 million people shop daily across 600 stores, and into Jing'an Temple, one of Shanghai's most famous Buddhist sites. The temple sits in the middle of downtown chaos but functions as a quiet place to step back. Inside, you'll see Ming Dynasty bronze bells and paintings by Yangzhou's Eight Eccentric Painters. From there you head to the Bund, the waterfront symbol of Shanghai where 26 buildings in different architectural styles (the Peace Hotel, Shanghai Customs House, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank) line the west bank of the Huangpu River. The Bund is where the city's century-old colonial history meets its modern skyline.

The day ends with a 50-minute cruise on the Huangpu River itself, the waterway that made Shanghai a trading port and still defines its geography. From the ship you see both banks at once: the old colonial architecture on one side, the Pudong financial district on the other. Lunch is included during the tour, and your guide speaks English, Spanish, French, German or one of two additional languages. You set the start time between 9am and 5pm to fit the rest of your Shanghai days.

What’s included

• All admission fees to museums and temples.
• a professional private guide for the full 8 hours.
• a 50-minute Huangpu River cruise.
• lunch.
• public transportation during the tour.
• hotel pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDeparts at 09:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

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

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by MoreFunAsia Shanghai Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're new to Shanghai and want to understand the city's layout and history in one day: the fixed route covers the center, the old commercial streets, the temples and the river that defines it all. The private guide and flexible start time let you move at your own pace and begin when it suits your schedule.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

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 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Bund and why does the tour spend time there?

The Bund is the waterfront on the west bank of Huangpu River and the symbol of Shanghai. You'll see 26 buildings in different architectural styles (Peace Hotel, Shanghai Customs House, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank) that show how the city blends colonial-era architecture with its modern role as a financial center.

How long is the Huangpu River cruise and what do you see from the boat?

The cruise lasts around 50 minutes. From the ship you see the sights on both sides of the river: the historic Bund on the west bank and the modern Pudong skyline on the east, giving you a full picture of how the river shaped Shanghai's two halves.

What's inside the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall?

The hall displays Shanghai's urban development from ancient times to the present, with a 600-square-meter scale model of the city built at 1 to 500 scale: the largest city model in the world. If the hall is closed, your guide will visit the Shanghai Museum instead.

Can I choose what time the tour starts?

Yes. The suggested time is 9am to 5pm, and you can pick a start time within that window to fit your other plans in Shanghai.