Shanghai Yu Garden Ticket: Ming Dynasty Garden Entry

Walking into 450 Years of Carved Stone and Still Water

You get admission to Shanghai's most intact Ming Dynasty garden, where carved stone and still water replace the city outside. The QR code entry is fast, the garden opens at 9am with last entry at 4pm, and you can spend two to three hours moving through pavilions and courtyards at your own speed. Public transport gets you there without a car.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Yu Garden in Shanghai

• Arrive at Yu Garden
• Explore ancient private garden
• Enjoy elegant garden retreat
• Appreciate brick, stone, wood carvings
• View clay sculptures and rockeries
• Relax by clear lake and greenery

The experience

You step through the entrance and the noise of Shanghai's streets stops. Yu Garden sits right in the city center, but once you're past the gate, the pavilions scatter ahead of you like they've been there for centuries, because they have. Built in the Ming Dynasty by an official for his aging father, the garden was designed around one idea: a place to rest. The brick carvings, stone work, and wood detail on every surface tell you someone spent years on this, not weeks. The rockeries rise unevenly, the trees have grown thick, and the lake reflects the sky without hurry.

Your admission ticket gets you access to the whole garden: the pavilions, the walkways that wind between them, the courtyards where light falls in patterns. The garden is compact enough to walk in an afternoon, but dense enough that you'll stop often. Stone carvings frame doorways. Wooden railings curve in ways that make you pause. A small forest in the middle of the city is how people describe it, and they're not exaggerating. The opening hours run from 9am to 4:30pm for entry, with the garden closing at 6:30pm, so you have time to move without rushing.

The ticket comes as a QR code sent to you. That's the only entry method that works. Reference numbers or barcodes won't get you in, so keep the code on your phone or print it. Public transportation stops nearby, so you don't need a car to reach the garden. The space works for any fitness level. You walk at your own pace, and there's no single route you have to follow.

What’s included

Your ticket includes admission to the entire Yu Garden, access to all pavilions and walkways, and the right to spend as long as you need moving through the courtyards and viewing the carved stone, brick, and wood details throughout the garden.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesday to SundayDepartures at 09:00 and 12:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (7 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Child (1 to 6 years)

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel China Guide

Is this one for you?Right for anyone visiting Shanghai who wants to step out of the city without leaving it: the garden's compact size and flexible hours mean you can fit it into a morning or afternoon without planning around a guided group or a fixed schedule.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 6 years).

What time does Yu Garden open and close?

It opens at 9am and closes at 6:30pm. Last entry is at 4pm.

How do I enter with my ticket?

Use the QR code sent to you. Reference numbers and barcodes are not valid for entry.

How long does a visit usually take?

Most visitors spend two to three hours walking through the pavilions and courtyards.

Is there parking or public transport nearby?

Public transportation options are available near the garden. You don't need a car.

When was Yu Garden built?

It was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), over 450 years ago, by an official for his father.

Can anyone visit, or are there fitness requirements?

The garden is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You walk at your own pace.

What will I see inside?

Pavilions, rockeries, carved stone and brick work, wooden railings, courtyards, and a lake. It's the best-preserved ancient private garden in Shanghai.