Shanghai Day Tour: Zhujiajiao, Yu Garden, Bund

Water town near Shanghai boat tour with narrow bridges and traditional charm

A full-day guided tour of Shanghai departing from your hotel that takes you to Zhujiajiao Water Town for a morning boat ride through canals, then to Yu Garden — a Ming and Qing dynasty private garden in the city center — and finishes at the Bund riverfront. Your English-speaking guide leads all three stops, hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and you travel by air-conditioned minivan with a professional driver.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Zhujiajiao, Yu Garden, and the Bund

• Hotel pickup by professional guide
• Drive to Zhujiajiao Water Town
• Walk alleyways and take boat ride
• Try local food and snacks
• Drive back to downtown Shanghai
• Visit Yu Garden ancient private garden
• Explore Yu Market for souvenirs
• Visit the Bund waterfront promenade
• Return to hotel or optional Bund stroll

The Experience

The day starts with a one-hour drive from your hotel to Zhujiajiao, a water village built around canals instead of streets. Your guide walks you through the alleyways, past traditional residential houses and stone bridges, and takes you on a small boat ride along the narrow waterways. The village has local food stalls and snacks you can buy at your own expense if you want to eat there. After an hour or so exploring on foot and water, you drive back toward downtown Shanghai.

Yu Garden comes next — Shanghai's most famous ancient private garden, built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The garden holds towers, halls, green lakes, rockery formations and old trees spread across the grounds. After walking through the garden, you get about half an hour to browse Yu Market, a bazaar next to the garden selling souvenirs and local goods along pseudo-classical streets. The market is attached to the garden, so the two stops flow together.

The Bund is the final stop: a 1500-meter waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River where colonial architecture lines the western bank and Pudong's skyline — including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower — rises on the eastern side. Your guide takes you there and then escorts you back to your hotel, though you can stay longer if you want to walk the Bund at night and make your own way back. From the Bund, Nanjing Road is a 20-minute walk north if you want to explore the shopping and restaurants there.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off within the Middle Ring Road of Shanghai.
• professional English-speaking guide for the full day.
• air-conditioned minivan with chauffeur.
• traditional boat ride ticket at Zhujiajiao.
• complimentary umbrellas.
• unlimited bottled water throughout the tour.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Travel China Guide

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guide steering you through three distinct Shanghai zones in one day; choose a private guide instead if you'd rather linger at any single site or set your own pace.

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Top questions

What exactly is Zhujiajiao Water Town and what do you do there?

Zhujiajiao is a quiet village built around canals and walkways instead of roads, located about an hour outside Shanghai. You walk through the alleyways with your guide, see traditional houses and stone bridges, and take a traditional boat ride on the small canals to view the scenery from the water.

Is Yu Garden just a garden, or is there shopping and food nearby?

Yu Garden is the main attraction — an ancient private garden with towers, halls, lakes and rockery — but Yu Market sits directly next to it. You get about half an hour to walk through the market after the garden, where you can browse souvenirs and local snacks along traditional-style streets.

What does the Bund look like, and how much time do you spend there?

The Bund is a 1500-meter waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River. On one side you see colonial architecture; on the other side across the river is Pudong with its modern skyline of skyscrapers. Your guide brings you there at the end of the day, and you can stay as long as you want — the guide escorts you back to your hotel, but you're free to linger for the evening views.

Does the tour include meals, or do I need to bring food?

Meals are not included in the tour price. At Zhujiajiao Water Town there are local food stalls and snacks available for purchase. Complimentary bottled water is provided throughout the day.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to arrange myself?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, the English-speaking guide, the minivan with driver, the boat ride ticket at Zhujiajiao, free umbrellas, and unlimited bottled water are all included. You pay separately for any meals or snacks you buy, and gratuities are not included.