Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour from Shanghai: Private Guide & Garden

Four to five hours exploring Ming Dynasty streets and a Qing Dynasty garden on your own schedule

A private half-day tour from Shanghai to Zhujiajiao, the ancient water town 1,700 years old, with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and entry to Kezhi Garden. You walk the old alley streets lined with Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture, learn local history and culture from your guide, and stroll through a private Jiangnan-style garden built during the Qing Dynasty. A gondola ride along the river canals is available as an upgrade option depending on which tour time you choose.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Zhujiajiao3h
2. Kezhi Garden30m · entry included

Explore Zhujiajiao Water Town

• Pickup from Shanghai hotel
• Drive to Zhujiajiao ancient town
• Wander old alley streets
• Appreciate Ming and Qing architecture
• Learn local culture and history
• Optional gondola ride on canal
• Visit Qing Dynasty private garden
• Enjoy garden ponds, pavilions, and bridges

The experience

Your guide and driver pick you up from your Shanghai hotel at your preferred time and drive you to Zhujiajiao in a comfortable, air-conditioned car. The town itself was established roughly 1,700 years ago and sits in Qingpu District, about an hour from downtown. Once there, you spend leisure time wandering the old alley streets, narrow lanes full of local flavor, while your guide points out the intact Ming and Qing Dynasty architecture along the riverside and explains the town's history, culture and customs. The streets are built around the water, which is what earned Zhujiajiao its nickname, the Oriental Venice.

Your guide then takes you to Kezhi Garden, a private garden from the Qing Dynasty that once belonged to a wealthy local family. The garden is dotted with ponds, pavilions, rockeries and bridges, and you walk through it at your own pace. If you book one of the boat ride options, you'll also take a relaxing gondola ride along the river canals to see the town from the water and get a fuller sense of how the architecture and landscape fit together.

Hotel pickup and drop-off in downtown Shanghai are included, as is entry to the garden. The tour operates in all weather, so dress appropriately for the season. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in downtown Shanghai.
• professional private guide speaking English.
• comfortable air-conditioned vehicle for transport.
• entrance fee to Kezhi Garden.
• boat ride along the river canals (only with the boat ride option at checkout).

Options for this experience

4 options

Morning tour without boat rideGuide in English · 8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 11:30Morning tour only: an excellent guide and a private car are included, along with entry to Kezhi Garden. The boat ride is not included and can be paid for separately if you wish. Pickup is included.

Afternoon tour without boat rideGuide in English · 8 departure times: the first at 12:00, the last at 15:30Afternoon tour only: an excellent guide and a private car are included, along with entry to Kezhi Garden. The boat ride is not included and can be paid for separately if you wish. Pickup is included.

Boat ride included in the afternoon tourGuide in English · 12:00, 12:30 and 13:00A great guide, a private driver with a car, and the boat ride are all included. Departure time is flexible to suit you. Pickup is included.

Morning tour that features a boat rideGuide in English · 8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 11:30A great guide, a private driver with a car, and the boat ride are all included. Departure time is flexible to suit you. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day16 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 15:30

AgesAdult (6 to 88 years) · Child (3 to 5 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearby

Operated by Sunny Private Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the morning departure if you want to explore the town's old streets and gardens before the afternoon crowds. Pick the afternoon slot if you prefer a later start from your hotel. The boat ride option transforms the tour into a full water-town experience, letting you see the riverside architecture from the canals themselves, while the no-boat option keeps the focus on walking the alley streets and the garden grounds.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 5 years); Infant (under 3).

Can I choose what time of day I want to do this tour?

Yes. You can book a morning departure or an afternoon departure, and you'll tell your guide your preferred pickup time from your hotel. Morning and afternoon options are both available with or without the boat ride upgrade.

What is Kezhi Garden like?

Kezhi Garden is a private Qing Dynasty garden built by a wealthy family. It features traditional Jiangnan-style landscaping with ponds, pavilions, rockeries and bridges arranged throughout, and entry is included in your tour.

What exactly is the boat ride option?

If you book a tour with the boat ride option, you'll take a relaxing gondola ride along the river canals in Zhujiajiao. It's an upgrade available on both morning and afternoon departures and lets you see the water town from the water itself.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour runs four to five hours from pickup at your hotel to drop-off, including time in the old alley streets, the garden, and the boat ride if you've booked that option.

Is transportation from my hotel included?

Yes. Your guide and driver pick you up from your Shanghai downtown hotel at your preferred time and drive you back after the tour in an air-conditioned vehicle.