Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

Water town canals, garden pavilions, and the city from 632 meters up

A private day tour of Shanghai pairing a half-day in Zhujiajiao Water Town—a 1700-year-old preserved settlement with canals, old bridges and antiquated architecture—with a half-day tour of Shanghai's landmarks: Yu Garden, the Bund's skyline and the observation deck of Shanghai Tower. Your guide and driver handle transport, entry fees, and an authentic local lunch are included; the tour runs eight hours total.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zhujiajiao and Shanghai city

• Meet guide at hotel lobby
• Drive one hour to Zhujiajiao water town
• Stroll old lanes and canals
• Visit houses with gardens
• Enjoy boat ride on canal
• Have authentic Chinese lunch
• Return to Shanghai city
• Visit Yuyuan Garden or Jade Buddha Temple
• See city skyline at the Bund
• Visit Shanghai Tower observatory
• Return to hotel, port, or airport

The Experience

Your guide meets you at your hotel lobby, then drives an hour to Zhujiajiao, where you spend the morning walking old lanes lined with traditional architecture and wandering along canals crossed by stone bridges. The water town has stood for over 1700 years and remains one of the best-preserved in the region. You'll visit a few houses with gardens, take photographs from the bridges, then board a boat for a relaxing ride through the surrounding waterways—the kind of moment that justifies the early start.

Lunch happens in a local restaurant in the water town, where you eat regional dishes without having to hunt for a place or negotiate a menu. After eating, you drive back to Shanghai city for the afternoon half. Yu Garden comes first—a 400-year-old garden with Chinese pavilions and authentic old architecture (if it's closed on Monday, your guide takes you to Jade Buddha Temple instead). Then you head to the Bund to see the skyline: the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower and the colonial buildings along the Huangpu River all line the waterfront.

The tour ends at Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building at 632 meters. You ride to the observatory and get a 360-degree panoramic view of the entire city. If you've already seen some of these landmarks, you can swap them for Pearl TV Tower, World Financial Center, Jinmao Tower or Shanghai Museum instead. Your guide then takes you back to your hotel, cruise port or airport, depending on where you started.

What’s included

• Private transportation and guide throughout the day.
• hotel pickup and drop-off (or airport and cruise port pickup if you select the Outskirts Departure option).
• entry tickets to Zhujiajiao, Yu Garden and Shanghai Tower.
• an authentic Chinese lunch in the water town.
• boat ride on Zhujiajiao's canals.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Amazing Shanghai Trip

Is this one for you?Book the City Departure option if your hotel is in Shanghai and you want the guide to collect you there and return you at the end of the day. Choose Outskirts Departure if you're arriving at or leaving from the airport or cruise port and need pickup and drop-off at those points instead—the logistics stay the same, just the endpoints change.

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Top questions

What is Zhujiajiao Water Town actually like when I get there?

Zhujiajiao is a 1700-year-old water town with old stone bridges, narrow lanes lined with antiquated architecture, and canals running through it. You walk the lanes, visit a few houses with gardens, and take a boat ride on the water to see the surrounding area—it's the kind of place where photographs come naturally.

How long do I spend in Zhujiajiao versus Shanghai city?

The tour splits into two halves: roughly four hours in Zhujiajiao (including the drive there and back), then four hours in Shanghai visiting Yu Garden, the Bund and Shanghai Tower.

What happens if Yu Garden is closed when I want to go?

Yu Garden closes every Monday, and your guide will take you to Jade Buddha Temple instead, which is also a historic site with traditional architecture and gardens.

Can I pick different attractions if I've already seen the Bund or Shanghai Tower?

Yes—if you've visited some of the main stops before, you can swap them for Pearl TV Tower, World Financial Center, Jinmao Tower or Shanghai Museum based on what interests you.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay for separately?

The tour includes private transportation, your guide, entry tickets to Zhujiajiao, Yu Garden and Shanghai Tower, and an authentic local lunch. Food and drinks beyond lunch, and gratuities, are not included.

Do I need to arrange my own pickup, or does the driver come to me?

Pickup is included if you choose the City Departure option (from your Shanghai hotel) or the Outskirts Departure option (from airport or cruise port). If you book City Departure and want airport or cruise port drop-off instead of hotel drop-off, that costs an extra $25 per vehicle.