Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Shanghai, China
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy a more immersive way to explore popular Shanghai areas such as Xintiandi and the French Concession—and sample many traditional dishes—on this small-group food tour. With your guide in the lead, discover sights and bites you'd miss on your own. Look forward to sampling Shanghainese dishes such as scallion oil noodles, soup dumplings, steamed buns, and more, and learn about the history and culture of the city.
- Discover multiple Shanghai areas, bites, and eateries in one tour
- Choose from morning, lunch, evening, or late-night tours
- Includes all food and drink tastings: enough for a generous meal
- Enjoy a more personal experience on a small-group tour
What's Included
- Local guide
- Food and drink tastings (enough for breakfast, lunch or dinner)
- Local beer or desert for late night session
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 333 Huai Hai Zhong Lu, Huang Pu Qu, Shang Hai Shi, China, 200021
Please meet up at Exit 2, Site of the first CPC national congress-South Huangpi Road Metro Station (Line 1). Or Take Didi (the Chinese version of Uber) to No333 Huaihai Road which is the front door of Xintiandi Plaza. 你好，请带我去上海地铁1号线一大会址-黄陂南路站2号出口，或者淮海中路333号新天地广场正门.
End point
- People's Square, Huangpu, Shanghai, China
Tour will end around the People Square.
Itinerary
Find your way to a central meeting point in Shanghai, where you meet your guide and small group. Depart on foot for the Xintiandi area.
Make your first stop at a local restaurant serving up the best soup dumplings in the city. Find a table among the locals, then taste the famous dish and participate in an in-depth discussion on the flavor and consistency of the broth, the quality of the meat filling, and the texture of the dumplings' skin. Learn about the history of this dish as a Shanghainese staple.
Then, set off to the French Concession, home to historic shikumen houses. This atmospheric neighborhood is home to many top restaurants where you can try local dishes, and see how residents eat. Taste dishes such as spring rolls, roasted duck, scallion oil noodles, and red-braised pork.
Between stops, cleanse your palate with green or black tea and listen to your guide's commentary on Shanghai's culinary culture and traditions.
This tour ends at the People's Square.
Make your first stop at a local restaurant serving up the best soup dumplings in the city. Find a table among the locals, then taste the famous dish and participate in an in-depth discussion on the flavor and consistency of the broth, the quality of the meat filling, and the texture of the dumplings' skin. Learn about the history of this dish as a Shanghainese staple.
Then, set off to the French Concession, home to historic shikumen houses. This atmospheric neighborhood is home to many top restaurants where you can try local dishes, and see how residents eat. Taste dishes such as spring rolls, roasted duck, scallion oil noodles, and red-braised pork.
Between stops, cleanse your palate with green or black tea and listen to your guide's commentary on Shanghai's culinary culture and traditions.
This tour ends at the People's Square.
1
Xintiandi
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Former French Concession
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
People's Square (Renmin Guang Chang)
50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Wheelchair accessible
- Children under 3 are free of charge
- Stroller accessible
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Service animals allowed
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Near public transportation
- Please wear comfortable walking shoes
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 1,700 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
387 reviews
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Travelers consistently praise this Shanghai food tour for its excellent value, diverse and authentic culinary offerings, and generous portions from a variety of local venues. Guides are noted for their deep knowledge, engaging delivery, and attentiveness, which enrich the cultural and historical context. Small group sizes enhance interaction and comfort, while the well-curated itinerary provides a flexible, immersive experience featuring regional dishes and off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods.
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Violet, our guide, was great. The food was super tasty - would recommend. Our group was small which was nice and intimate.
Jade was the best guide ! We had a fantastic tour with amazing foods and our guide was super knowledgeable about food and Shanghai+ she was super funny. Don't hesitate!
Our guide, Jim , is the best
He was knowledgeable of the locations ( stops) he knew the foods and he was very patient with us. All of the traditional foods were amazing. The tea stop was superb. I Highly recommend this tour and ask for Jim.
Great food tour,sampling among others the various shaghai dumplings. Han is a great guide and we had fun inspite of the rain.
It was a great tour, the food was delicious and our guide TJ was amazing, her knowledge was impressive. I would highly recommend.
A wonderful experience with Jade, she is so fun and made the experience so comfortable! The range of food was fantastic and I was so so full by the end. You take a journey from small hole in the wall food places to higher end restaurants and she took care of it all. A definite must do when visiting Shanghai, you will not regret it 😀
Terrific food tour of Shanghai! Han was a wonderful guide and the places were excellent. Chinese food is one of the two great cuisines of the world. No trip to Shanghai is complete without this tour!
This was a great experience. Our guide, Jim, was very knowledgable and every bite was amazing. Would definitely do this again.
The tour was a great way to try little bits of Shanghai’s many food options. Han was an awesome guide! She had perfect English and brought us to delicious places you would never think to go to as a tourist and gave us all the history and context of the dishes and neighborhoods.
I booked this tour for myself and colleagues who were visiting the city and wanted a unique experience. Our guide (Jim) reached out prior to arrival and gave me helpful instructions on where to meet.
Our group (3) joined 2 others, and it was a perfect sized tour (5) for the walk and venues. Jim was so kind and knowledgeable, and he really took the time to offer history and a view into the day to day lives of those living in Shanghai and what they ate.
Admittedly I was a curious as to the quality considering the cost - I am sure you can find cheaper tours), however all those thought quickly evaporated when we met Jim and headed off on our tour. We visited hole in the wall businesses, fruit and tea shops, dumplings and parks, soups and steam buns. My colleagues were very grateful for the experience and so was I - i would recommend wholeheartedly.
TJ was a great guide we had so much food and was so full and satisfied it was great to experience so many different shanghainian food. Our guide was so knowledgeable and really gave insight into what its like to live in Shanghai. I would highly recommend especially for first time travellers its the best way to experience food you probably otherwise wouldnt try on your own.
Very enjoyable food experience. Tasted a variety of local foods, enjoyed all of it. Good variety of different foods. TJ was a great guide.
T.J. was our spectacular tour guide. Her knowledge about Shanghai was amazing. Her enthusiasm and love for her city was wonderfully displayed. Food choices were very delicious and plentiful. We would do it again!!
Han did a great job showing us restaurants with local food and has a lot of knowledge about the food and Shanghai.
Great tour Jade was an excellent guide. The food was great I would highly recommend this experience.
Jade took us on a great food tour with lots to eat & different foods to try! Had a great evening with 4 other foodies and Jade looked after us all and made it a very happy experience! Highly recommend the tour with Jade. Thank you!
Jade is awesome. She really knows her stuff! Food is fantastic. Went to so many great food spots! Had fun! 11/10
I had a lovely evening with Jade as well as 3 other travellers. She took us to the best restaurants in the center Shanghai - would definitely recommend!
What a wonderful way to spend our first evening in Shanghai. Tj was super friendly and did a great job explaining what we were eating and sharing a bit about life in Shanghai. Go hungry - the food was yummy and there was a lot of it.
A very good food tour, but nothing spectacular about it.
It's at a high price point and better tours available at lower price points.
Response from Host, Oct 2026
Thanks.
Had an excellent time & the food was great!
Learned a lot & would definitely do the tour again. Very insightful!
I had a fantastic afternoon with my guide, Jim. He was not only knowledgeable about the neighbourhoods we were in, and the history and customs of the Chinese people but also, he was just wonderful to be with. I felt like I made a new friend. I don't normally do food tours, but this one was awesome, and I would highly recommend it.
Truly a wonderful experience that blended cultural understanding and local food and drink into a fun afternoon of eating. The intimate group made it feel like friends dining out as much as it was a tour!
This tour was delicious, fun, and very informative. Gin was a great guide. Even though it was raining, we had a great time. The food was amazing and we were absolutely stuffed by the end. Highly recommend.
We have had a fantastic time and sooo much food. Jade, our guide was outstanding, she was so much fun, personable, knowledgeable and very engaging. We were a small group only, 3 participants, but it never felt odd. She made sure everyone felt looked after.
The food was plentiful, very yummy and very authentic. We visited little local places we wouldn’t have known or found ourselves.
TJ was a super fun tour guide. A true local. Passionate and enthusiastic. She shared with us her favourite foods and how to eat them.
What an amazing and insightful tour we had with Jade. She was very attentive, personable, and entertaining. She went an extra mile by making our birthday celebration so special. She gave us lots of useful pieces of information and simply took care of us. Thank you, Jade.
Highly recommended if you're interested in trying new things but don't know where to go and don't speak the local language. My guide, Han, took me to hidden gems that locals actually go. I especially enjoyed the tea tasting with the tea shop owner.
Tour was great… even though we had to leave a little early the food was awesome and the guide great!
Outstanding tour. Thoughtful and well informed. A combination of history, culture and delicious food. We had a group of 8 family and friends and had a blast. We had 2 English speaking guides Ken and Han. We highly recommend this tour.
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per personWas $79.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai
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