Private Full-Day Shanghai Tour with Shanghai Tower Sunset

Sunset from the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower, the world's highest indoor observation deck.

A private full-day guided tour of Shanghai covering Old Shanghai streets, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Yu Garden, Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Tower observation deck at sunset, with a knowledgeable guide, private transportation, lunch and all entrance fees included. The guide meets you at the airport at 8:30 a.m. and returns you there or to your hotel afterward. Lunch features local specialties with vegetarian options available. The tour runs 8 to 9 hours and is wheelchair accessible.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Shanghai's history and skyline

• Meet guide at airport exit
• Transfer to Shanghai downtown
• Visit Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum
• See Huoshan Park and Xiahai Temple
• Visit People’s Square and Shanghai Museum
• Admire Shanghai Grand Theater facade
• Walk around Nanjing Road and see thinnest building
• Enjoy local specialty lunch with vegetarian options
• Explore Yuyuan Old Street and classical garden
• Walk along Lujiazui Ring Bridge in Pudong
• Stroll Shanghai Binjiang Avenue and The Bund panorama
• Visit Shanghai Tower observation deck and watch sunset
• Transfer back to airport or hotel

The Experience

Your guide meets you at the airport exit at 8:30 a.m. with a board bearing your name, then drives you into Shanghai to begin the day. The first stop is the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, housed in a former synagogue, where you learn about the more than 20,000 Jewish residents who sheltered in Shanghai during World War II after fleeing Europe. The museum holds documents, photographs and personal items from that era, and your guide walks you through nearby sites including Huoshan Park and the historic neighborhood where residents still live. From there you move to People's Square to visit the Shanghai Museum, a large repository of ancient Chinese art spread across eleven galleries covering bronzes, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, jade and Ming and Qing furniture.

After the museum you walk around Nanjing Road, one of China's oldest commercial streets, where you'll see the Paper Building—a triangular structure so narrow it looks like a piece of paper when viewed from the side. At noon you stop for lunch featuring local specialties, with vegetarian options available. Then you head to Yuyuan Old Street to experience the original Shanghai atmosphere and walk through Yu Garden, a classical Chinese garden built in 1559 with pavilions, rockeries, ponds and cloisters arranged across six distinct areas. The garden is small but contains all the elements a traditional Chinese garden should have.

In the afternoon you transfer to Pudong New Area, Shanghai's financial district, where you walk along the Riverside Promenade and the Binjiang Avenue—a waterfront built in 1997 that overlooks the Bund across the Huangpu River. The day culminates at Shanghai Tower, the city's tallest building at 632 meters. You take an express elevator that reaches 18 meters per second to the 118th floor in 55 seconds, where the indoor observation deck—the world's highest—offers a bird's-eye view of Shanghai. If the weather permits, you watch the sunset from there before your guide drives you back to the airport or your hotel.

What’s included

• Private transportation from the airport.
• knowledgeable tour guide in your chosen language.
• lunch with local specialties and vegetarian options.
• bottled water.
• entrance fees to the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden and Shanghai Tower's 118th floor observation deck.
• all taxes and fees.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot for heart conditions

Operated by MoreFunAsia Shanghai Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you have 8–9 hours between flights and want a guide who picks you up at arrivals and structures the day to end at Shanghai Tower for sunset, combining modern landmarks with the Jewish Refugees Museum and classical gardens.

Top questions

What is the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and why is it on this tour?

The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, housed in a former synagogue, documents the lives of over 20,000 Jewish refugees who fled Europe during World War II and sheltered in Shanghai. The tour includes it to show a lesser-known side of Shanghai's history, and your guide walks you through the museum and nearby historic sites where residents still live.

Does this tour include lunch, and are there options if I'm vegetarian?

Yes, lunch is included and features local Shanghai specialties. Vegetarian options are available, so let your guide know your preference when you meet at the airport.

What happens at Shanghai Tower, and will I have time to see the sunset?

You take an express elevator to the 118th floor, the world's highest indoor observation deck, where you have time to stop and admire the panoramic views of Shanghai and the Huangpu River. If the weather is clear, you'll have a chance to watch the sunset from there before heading back.

How does the pickup work if I'm arriving at the airport?

Your guide meets you at the airport exit at 8:30 a.m. with a welcoming board displaying your name. Private transportation is included for the entire day, and the driver returns you to the airport or your hotel afterward.

What is the Paper Building on Nanjing Road?

The Paper Building, also called the Thinnest Building, is a triangular structure on Nanjing Road that looks like a piece of paper when viewed from the side. It was reported by the British Daily Mail as perhaps the world's flattest building, and it still houses residents despite its unusual shape.

How long is this tour, and what languages is the guide available in?

The tour runs 8 to 9 hours from airport pickup to drop-off. Your guide is available in English, Spanish, French, German and several other languages—confirm your preferred language when you book.