Shanghai Top 5 Highlights Private Day Tour: All Inclusive

See Shanghai's five landmarks in one day without arranging transport or tickets

A full-day private tour of Shanghai covers five major sights: Shanghai Tower for city views, Yu Garden and its bazaar, Jade Buddha Temple with two jade Buddha statues, the Bund waterfront, and the Former French Concession. The 9-hour tour includes a private English, Spanish, Italian, French or German-speaking guide; all entrance fees; a dumpling lunch; and full-day private transfer with either a private vehicle or subway navigation, depending on which option you choose at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Shanghai Tower1h · entry included
2. Yu Gardenpass by
3. Jade Buddha Templepass by
4. The Bundpass by
5. French Concession30m

Explore Shanghai's top highlights

• Visit Shanghai Tower for city views
• Explore Yu Yuan Garden and Bazaar
• Visit Jade Buddha Temple
• Walk along The Bund and see landmarks
• Stroll in Former French Concession area

The experience

The day starts at Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building, where you get a bird's-eye view of the city's layout before moving into the historic core. Yu Garden, built in 1559, is the largest of Shanghai's classical gardens, and the attached bazaar fills with small shops selling hand-made crafts and snacks: the guide steers you through both. The Jade Buddha Temple, constructed during the Qing Dynasty, holds two jade Buddha statues imported from Burma: one seated, one reclining. Your guide explains the temple's history and architecture as you walk through.

Lunch is a dumpling meal at a local Shanghai restaurant your guide recommends based on what you're craving. After eating, you move to the Bund, the waterfront strip that defines Shanghai's skyline, where you can see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower across the Huangpu River and the modern towers of Lujiazui. The tour wraps in the Former French Concession, where your guide walks you through the neighborhood's colonial-era streets and explains Shanghai's layered history.

The full-day transfer is included: you choose at checkout whether you want a private vehicle picking you up and dropping you off, or subway guidance through the city's transit system. Either way, the guide handles navigation. Comfortable walking shoes matter. You'll cover ground at each stop, and the day runs nine hours total.

What’s included

• All entrance tickets to Shanghai Tower, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund and French Concession.
• a private guide speaking English, Spanish, Italian, French or German.
• full-day transfer with either a private vehicle or subway guidance (your choice at checkout).
• a dumpling lunch at a local Shanghai restaurant.

Options for this experience

2 options

Transfer with subwayGuide in 5 languages · 6 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 08:20The price covers a private guide, entrance tickets, a local lunch, and subway or metro tickets. Pickup is included.

Transfer by private vehicleGuide in 5 languages · 6 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 08:20Includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 08:20

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (8 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 7 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

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 12 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Catherine Lu Tours

Is this one for you?Book the private vehicle option if you want door-to-door pickup and no transit navigation. Choose the subway option if you're comfortable with Shanghai's transit system and want to lower the tour cost. Either way, all five sights and the guide fit into nine hours, so the fixed schedule is what makes the whole day work as one tour.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What's actually inside Shanghai Tower that I get to see?

Shanghai Tower is the highest building in China, and the tour includes entry so you can go up for a panoramic bird's-eye view of the whole city from the top.

Is the dumpling lunch at a specific restaurant, or does the guide pick one?

Your guide recommends an authentic local Shanghai restaurant based on what you're in the mood for, then takes you there for a dumpling meal as part of the tour.

Do I need to know anything about Jade Buddha Temple before I go?

The Jade Buddha Temple was built during the Qing Dynasty and is one of Shanghai's most famous Buddhist temples. It holds two jade Buddha statues that were imported from Burma (one seated and one reclining), and your guide explains the temple's construction history and architecture as you walk through.

How does the transfer work if I pick the subway option instead of a private vehicle?

If you choose the subway option at checkout, your guide navigates you through Shanghai's transit system to each stop instead of traveling by private car, which keeps the tour cost lower while still getting you to all five sights.

What's the Former French Concession like, and why is it on the tour?

The Former French Concession is a neighborhood that preserves Shanghai's colonial history. Your guide walks you through the area and explains the historical background, showing how the city's past shaped its present layout and architecture.