Tianjin City Highlights Shore Excursion: Private Tour
Tianjin landmarks tour: Porcelain House, Ancient Culture Street, Museum & Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel experience
This is a private, nine-hour sightseeing tour of Tianjin departing from the cruise port with an English-speaking guide, modern air-conditioned vehicle, entrance tickets and personal driving service included. The tour visits the Porcelain House (a five-story villa decorated with 4,000 pieces of ancient porcelain and 20 tons of crystal), Tianjin Ancient Culture Street (a Qing Dynasty-style pedestrian street with 100 shops selling antiques and folk crafts), the Historical Museum in the Wudadao district, and the Tianjin Eye, a 125-meter Ferris wheel built above the Yongle Bridge with 48 passenger capsules. The itinerary is fully customizable, and pickup and drop-off at the cruise port are included.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Tianjin city highlights
- Visit the Porcelain House
- Walk Tianjin Ancient Culture Street
- Tour the Tianjin Historical Museum
- Ride the Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel
What’s included
- Private English-speaking guide.
- modern air-conditioned vehicle with personal driving service.
- entrance tickets to the Porcelain House, Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, the Historical Museum and the Tianjin Eye.
- local taxes, toll and parking fees.
- pickup and drop-off at the cruise port.
Times
- Every day 07:30 08:30
Information
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Operated by Encounter China Tours
The experience
You're arriving at Tianjin cruise port with a few hours to explore the city, or you have a full day between ship time and want to see the highlights without arranging a guide or transport yourself. This tour picks you up at the port and builds the day around four stops that show different sides of Tianjin's character, from its ornate architecture to its street culture to its modern landmarks.
The Porcelain House is the first major stop: a five-story French-style villa from a century ago, now entirely decorated with 4,000 pieces of ancient porcelain, 400 jade carvings, 20 tons of crystal and agate, and millions of ceramic chips. The roof carries a 768-meter dragon relief made from over ten thousand porcelain pieces, and the interior walls, called the "peace wall", hold 635 vases from the Republic of China and late Qing Dynasty. You'll also see famous paintings rendered in ceramic chips, including the Mona Lisa. From there, the tour moves to Tianjin Ancient Culture Street on the west bank of Hai River, a pedestrian street modeled after Qing Dynasty shops with about 100 small booths selling antiques, folk crafts like Clay Figure Zhang sculptures, and traditional goods. The street's architecture and decorative carvings depict history, mythology and nature.
The Historical Museum sits in the center of Tianjin's Wudadao district and covers 1,000 square meters of exhibition space. It holds over 1,000 historical photographs and materials spanning more than 400 years of Sino-foreign relations from the mid-16th century onward, with records involving more than 10 countries including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. The permanent exhibitions trace Tianjin's role as a center of modernization in China over the past 100 years. The final stop is the Tianjin Eye, a 125-meter Ferris wheel built directly above the Yongle Bridge: the only such wheel constructed over a bridge. It has 48 passenger capsules, each holding 8 people, and completes a full rotation in 25 minutes. You can ride it, photograph it from the riverbank, or simply view it from a distance. The wheel's shape gives the landmark its name.
The tour includes an English-speaking guide, modern air-conditioned vehicle, all entrance tickets, local taxes and parking fees, and personal driving service. Pickup and drop-off at the cruise port are provided. The itinerary is fully customizable, so you can adjust stops or timing to fit your ship's schedule. Meals, drinks and personal expenses are not included, but you can add them at checkout if you wish.
Is this one for you?Choose this if your ship docks at Tianjin and you need a private guide who speaks English and handles all logistics (pickup, transport, and entry fees), so you can focus on seeing the city in one day.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Chinese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.
What is the Porcelain House and why is it worth seeing?
The Porcelain House is a five-story French-style villa decorated with 4,000 pieces of ancient porcelain, 400 jade carvings, 20 tons of crystal and agate, and millions of ceramic chips. The roof features a 768-meter dragon relief made from over ten thousand porcelain pieces, and the interior walls hold 635 vases from the Republic of China and late Qing Dynasty era. It's a unique example of how a historic building has been transformed into an art installation.
How long does the Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel take to complete one rotation?
The Tianjin Eye takes 25 minutes to complete a full rotation. Each of its 48 passenger capsules holds 8 people, and the wheel is 125 meters tall, built directly above the Yongle Bridge: the only Ferris wheel constructed over a bridge.
What can I buy at Tianjin Ancient Culture Street?
Tianjin Ancient Culture Street has about 100 shops selling three main categories of goods: cultural relics, antiques and old furniture; traditional folk commodities such as baby dolls and Clay Figure Zhang painted sculptures; and restaurants, tea houses and entertainment venues. The street's architecture is modeled after Qing Dynasty shops.
What does the Historical Museum in Tianjin cover?
The Historical Museum, located in the Wudadao district, displays over 1,000 historical photographs and materials spanning more than 400 years of Sino-foreign relations from the mid-16th century onward, involving more than 10 countries including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Its exhibitions trace Tianjin's role as a center of modernization in China.
Will I have time to ride the Tianjin Eye, or just see it from outside?
The tour includes entrance tickets to all attractions, so you can ride the Tianjin Eye if you choose. However, looking at it from afar and taking photographs are also good options. Since the itinerary is fully customizable, you can decide how much time to spend at each stop based on your interests and ship departure time.
What happens if my ship arrives late or I need to return by a specific time?
The tour is fully customizable, so you can adjust the itinerary and timing to fit your cruise port schedule. Let your guide know your ship's departure time when you book, and the route and stops can be arranged around it.
Tianjin City Highlights Shore Excursion: Private Tour
9h · EN +1 · at your hotel
from US$ 363 per person