Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Shanghai, China
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Get to know Shanghai with your own guide on this full-day private tour. Admire bird’s-eye views from a Shanghai Tower, stroll along the Bund, and visit the Yuyuan Garden and bazaar. Plus, explore the Confucius Temple and Former French Concession area, and enjoy a traditional tea ceremony. Choose to travel by public transport (own expense) if you're in a group of four or fewer, or upgrade to get around by private vehicle.
- Visit top Shanghai attractions including the Confucius Temple and Yuyuan Garden
- Admire aerial views from your chosen Pudong tower, such as the Oriental Pearl or Shanghai Tower
- Stroll along the Bund and visit the Yuyuan bazaar and Concession area
- Flexible itinerary with personalized attention from a private guide
What's Included
- Personal tour guide services
- Guide will meet you at your centrally located hotel and return you to your hotel
- Private car or metro/taxis (if option selected)
- Authentic dumpling lunch (if option selected)
- Entrance fees (if option selected)
- Flexible start time (choose when booking)
- Tips-recommended
- Observation decks in Lujiazui area (allows you to choose based on conditions)
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Please note: Languages other than English and Mandarin will require an additional fee of USD 50 per day, payable in cash to the guide on the day of the tour. Please note: Drop off and pickup outside of central Shanghai, such as Pudong International Airport, Hongqiao International Airport, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station, Shanghai Disney Area, Qinpu District, Jiading District, Chuansha District, or Songjiang District, Fengxian District, will incur an extra USD40 for your whole group and includes both pickup and dropoff. You can pay in cash (USD or RMB) directly to your guide when meeting.
Itinerary
Book your desired tour option, and depart your downtown Shanghai hotel or another chosen central location by private vehicle or public transport (depending on option selected). Tell your guide if there’s anything you want to see more of during your tour: your itinerary is flexible.
Head into the Pudong financial district and visit the observatory of a tower of your choice, selecting from the Oriental Pearl Tower, World Financial Center, or Shanghai Tower, China’s highest building (own expense).
After admiring the views, stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s colonial-era waterfront beside the Huangpu River. View the European architecture dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and then visit the 13th-century Confucius Temple (own expense), dedicated to the Chinese philosopher.
Savor a dumpling lunch (own expense) at a centuries-old restaurant, and afterward, explore the Yuyuan Garden (own expense), a Ming-era masterpiece of ponds and pavilions. Then, visit Yuyuan bazaar and enjoy a Tang-dynasty tea ceremony, tasting local teas as you learn about tea-drinking etiquette.
Finally, stroll through Shanghai’s Former French Concession area, where pretty streets blend with colonial-era buildings converted into shops and restaurants. After absorbing the east-meets-west atmosphere here, your tour concludes at the start point.
Head into the Pudong financial district and visit the observatory of a tower of your choice, selecting from the Oriental Pearl Tower, World Financial Center, or Shanghai Tower, China’s highest building (own expense).
After admiring the views, stroll along the Bund, Shanghai’s colonial-era waterfront beside the Huangpu River. View the European architecture dating from the late 1800s and early 1900s, and then visit the 13th-century Confucius Temple (own expense), dedicated to the Chinese philosopher.
Savor a dumpling lunch (own expense) at a centuries-old restaurant, and afterward, explore the Yuyuan Garden (own expense), a Ming-era masterpiece of ponds and pavilions. Then, visit Yuyuan bazaar and enjoy a Tang-dynasty tea ceremony, tasting local teas as you learn about tea-drinking etiquette.
Finally, stroll through Shanghai’s Former French Concession area, where pretty streets blend with colonial-era buildings converted into shops and restaurants. After absorbing the east-meets-west atmosphere here, your tour concludes at the start point.
1
Shanghai Tower
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu)
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Shanghai World Financial Center
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Yu Garden
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
5
Yuyuan Old Street
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
6
Shanghai Confucian Temple
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
7
Former French Concession
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
8
The Bund (Wai Tan)
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Dress comfortably and for the season
- Please wear comfortable shoes
- Wheelchair accessible
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- To secure your Yuyuan Garden Ticket and bypass queues, please provide your full name along with your passport number.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 365 reviews
Devan_L, Apr 2026
This was a private tour hence the flexibility to modify the itinerary in regards to pace and volume of sights. However, the trip was even better specifically because of our guide Peggy, who was very knowledgeable about the history and culture of China. Even the current ways of living of people in the 2020s. She also went above and beyond and helped take us to make bookings of the top Michelin restaurants and joined us for a crab noodle lunch. And also took us shopping which is not part of the itinerary and stayed overtime till 6:30pm.
Craig_K, Apr 2026
Peggy was excellent and very informative. Clean car and asked us what we wanted to see and listened. Great tour, very interesting
Ariella_F, Apr 2026
We had an incredible experience customizing our day tour and spending it with Tina. From the very start, she made everything feel seamless—teaching us how to navigate the metro using our Alipay apps and guiding us to the Jade Buddha Temple. Thanks to her, we felt confident enough to use the train on our own later in the trip, which ended up being a much more affordable and local way to get around compared to DiDi.
One of the highlights of the day was when she introduced us to the city’s bike-sharing system. We took a ride to our next stop, and it was truly magical for me. Coming from a hilly city without much biking infrastructure, this was such a unique and memorable experience.
We also explored the French Concession, where Tina pointed out beautiful photo spots along the way and helped us capture some great memories. We took a relaxing break at a local café, where she introduced us to her favorite treat—Kaisling chestnut cake, a Shanghai staple—which was absolutely delicious.
Throughout the day, Tina went above and beyond to help us communicate with shopkeepers and navigate local spots with ease. We strolled along the Bund, enjoyed amazing soup dumplings at a spot she recommended, and learned so much from her deep knowledge of the city’s history and culture. On top of that, we really appreciated the easy, natural conversations we shared—it made the experience feel even more personal and enjoyable.
To top it all off, Tina took so many fantastic photos of us during the day and conveniently airdropped them at the end of the tour. It was such a thoughtful touch.
We can’t recommend this tour—and Tina—highly enough. It was truly one of the best ways to experience the city!
Tom_Y, Mar 2026
Amazing experience! Peggy was our tour guide and did an amazing job helping us learn so much about the places we stopped at on the tour but also customizing the tour to see some spots tailored to our interests! Would highly recommend, and ask for Peggy!
James_E, Mar 2026
Wonderful tour! Peggy was so knowledgeable- lots of interesting facts about the sights we experienced. Very engaging and fun conversation! As it was a private tour, we could modify/ pivot as needed. Was helpful in some cases to avoid Sunday crowds. Really enjoyed the locals lunch!
Such a great day! Highly recommended!
Carrie_G, Mar 2026
Good tour, I was caught off guard by my pick up meaning I paid extra for our transportation- taxi or subway. The guide Troy was great. The company provided a great end of tour gift which was very sweet and unexpected.
Rick_k, Dec 2025
Was an amazing day out. Peggy the host was outstanding , great knowledge and history and was so accommodating to our needs. Lunch was beautiful, we can’t thank you enough Peggy for making us feel so welcome and sharing the history with us.
Mike_V, Dec 2025
Such a nice experience. Guide was extremely helpful. Thanks a lot for everything ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️
David_H, Dec 2025
We had a great time on our full day in Shanghai covering all the major sights. It was very comfortable and informative for our family of four.
Our guide Troy was very knowledgeable, pleasant to be around and we learnt a lot at all the sites we visited. Troy was very flexible to add in remove some things we had already seen and add in some other places. We had already been to the financial area so instead we went to the Starbucks Roastery which my daughters wanted to see. I feel like we left Shanghai without missing any siginificant sites.
Shanghai itself is a very impressive city, very clean and safe with an amazing skyline.
The van was great, a luxury vehicle driven very well by Mr Wong. It was very convenient and spacious, always appearing quickly to pick us up at the end of each area we visited.
I would certainly recommend Jenny’s tours and would use them again in China.
AbbyXiaoWei_X, Dec 2025
Peggy was our guide. She’s a excellent guide.. very knowledgeable and accommodating to us.. I really appreciate her as our guide and will definitely recommend her as your guide 👍
Eddie_N, Nov 2025
There are many options with this all day tour. Since I'm a history fan, I was fortunate to be led around by Nora, who is a history major and I learned so much more about China than I expected. If it's sightseeing, you can breeze past the history lesson and take in the many beautiful sites Shanghai has to offer. It was an easy eight hour day chock full of wonderful facts, sightseeing, and gift buying. Highly recommended.
Patricia_B, Nov 2025
Jenny was very accommodating for our request to have non-smoker(s), and to pickup our party at two different locations.
Peggy, our guide, was very knowledgeable and pleasant to be around. She changed our itineraries per our request because we already hit some of the areas before our tour. It was a full day tour but we didn’t have to assert too much energy thanks to Peggy’s well organized itineraries.
Muffy_F, Nov 2025
This was an amazing tour, from the get go Jenny was great with communication warmly welcoming me to Shanghai. I had a private tour with the amazing Peggy who clearly explained the itinerary but allowed me to customise the tour to my pace, Peggy is so knowledgeable and her passion for Shanghai really shines through, I was able to see all the highlights of Shanghai and Peggy knows all the best spots for photos, I especially liked how Peggy took me to the observatory bar to get a great view of the city from above, we had a delicious lunch and Peggy has a great sense of humour it was an unforgettable experience thank you so much Peggy and to our driver who got us to our destinations so smoothly
Marionette_G, Nov 2025
It is very well organised, definitely take the private car option. Punctual, comfortable and informative. We had a great driver (I forgot to ask his name, apologies) and Lorraine was a fantastic guide.
Jody_N, Nov 2025
This private tour was perfect. It was just the two of us and Mr. Troy our tour guide. Mr. Troy was very knowledgeable and we were able to understand him perfectly. He was very personable and wanted to be sure we were getting too do all the things we wanted to. Mr. Troy even helped us with shipping and talking to vendors. I would HIGHLY recommend using Jenny's China tours for everyone!
Thank you so much Mr Troy for our perfect day in Shanghai!
Nasreen_R, Oct 2025
We did this great tour with Nora as guide. We had a great time. Nora explained a lot about Shanghai, the area, the cultures and way of life. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip & learned a lot about the city. Highly recommend.
Greg_K, Oct 2025
We had an excellent day with Kristy visiting many sites in Shanghai, walking, taking taxis and the metro. The highlight was Chinatown which was all lit up in the evening. Kristy was a great guide looking asking us all day and sharing lots of interesting facts about Shanghai. Would highly recommend this tour.
John_A, Oct 2025
Great tour. Great guide. Had an excellent time. Was in Shanghai for business but had a day to myself. Really enjoyed it
Sameer_K, Sep 2025
It was an amazing experience. Service was excellent. Peggy is an amazing guide. Well spoken, friendly and very approachable. Made us feel like family. Looked after our dietary and prayer times. Well mannered and highly recommended. Thank you for an amazing experience. Jaz from Syd Australia.
Lauren, Sep 2025
Apple was a great tour guide! She showed up early in the hotel lobby. We changed my tour last minute to include the water town because my flight the next day got moved. You 100% should go see water town if you have time. It is beautiful and Apple got us amazing snacks while there. We went to see the bund and the garden. Highly recommend the tour. The dumplings and noodles were so good! Apple was very knowledgeable. You should go on this tour.
DIANA_T, Sep 2025
We really enjoyed the full-day tour in Shanghai. Our guide Apple was kind and showed us many interesting places. Going up the Shanghai Tower was not included, but since we wanted, she helped us do it. Highly recommend!
Zorica_R, Aug 2025
We had a most wonderful experience in Shanghai with a great help of our amazing tour guide Peggy that works for Jenny’s China tours.
She is the most experienced and knowledgeable guide and we will definitely recommend her and the company to all of our friends and family.
Besides the great tour she introduced us to
Shanghai’s pan fried pork dumplings from Yang dumplings restaurant,and as soon as U returned to Pittsburgh I researched to find similar place near by.
I will definitely return to Shanghai that became my favorite city in Asia,and I’ve visited quite a few countries there.
matthew_c, Aug 2025
Highly recommend. Peggy was extremely knowledgeable and ensured the tour was enjoyable and interesting
Ruth_k, Jul 2025
waste of time. too much time in van. touristy sites. terrible guide who was not informative and had little knowledge of places we went
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Dear Ruth,
Oh my! I’m so sorry to hear you had a disappointing tour experience!
However, I believe your review may have been accidentally posted to our page. From our conversation after your tour, it sounded like you had a wonderful time with Christy. You even sent us this lovely message:
"Christy was a great guide. We saw what we wanted to see and learned much about Shanghai. She customized the tour by taking us to the Jewish Refugee Museum, which we wanted to experience. She also took us, at our request, for jade shopping at a very nice store. She was respectful and informative. Our driver was on time and the car was clean. All in all, a day very well spent."
If this recent review was meant for us, I’d truly appreciate the opportunity to understand more and will do everything I can to make things right.
But in case this was posted in error, I completely understand--travel can get busy and reviews can easily get mixed up. Either way, I hope the provider you had issues with will make it right for you as well.
Best regards,
Jenny and the Team
Victoria_S, Jul 2025
I have travelled around all Asia and Peggy has been the best guide I have ever had.
She is so polite, knowledgeable, speaks perfect English, dedicated, and professional, it was such a pleasure walking around Shanghai with Peggy. She shared with me not only history but her love for her culture . Thank you Peggy for a beautiful day.
Kiara_G, Jun 2025
Our tour guide Peggy was fantastic so informative and helpful. We got to see lots and learned alot about Shanghai and Chinese culture. She went at our pace and we never felt rushed.
Preeti_S, May 2025
My daughter and I absolutely enjoyed our private tour of Shanghai with Peggy. She was incredibly professional and warm, knowledgeable about the history and culture of Shanghai, and her English was excellent. She was so flexible, we really needed some coffee so she modified the itinerary sequence and took us to an amazing coffee and pastry shop in the French concession. The restaurant she took us to for lunch was authentic, delicious and popular with locals. I am lacto-vegetarian and she made sure the restaurant could accommodate me. She is so knowledgeable about the culture and history about Shanghai, which made the tour of the neighborhoods and landmarks immensely enjoyable and interesting. I was keen on purchasing some teas from a non-touristy shop and she took us to a beautiful shopping area which sold teas frequented by locals. The tour was fantastic and memorable, and Peggy made it all the more special.
Hugh_H, Sep 2024
This was such an amazing day! I was met by my guide, Peggy at my hotel where she discussed exactly what I wanted from the day. After that we headed out and visited the areas I wanted to see and some she suggested. She is a Shanghai local and so I learnt so much about the local way of life and customs from her. We discussed the history of Shanghai, both ancient and modern, and backed it up with experiences. This was really the highlight of my holiday! Thank you Peggy for sharing your knowledge, experience and company during a wonderful day in Shanghai!
Knox_P, Sep 2024
Jenny’s tours was very communicative and very professional. Our tour guide, Apple, was very knowledgeable and incredibly friendly. The authentic lunch and tea experience was also very nice and gave us a touch of local culture. I highly recommend this tour.
LinYee_C, Aug 2024
Our tour guide 小张 (Troy) and the driver were amazing. 小张 gave us a firsthand and engaging narrative of the historical background and life in this wonderful metropolis. Every aspect of the tour was carefully planned. Thumbs up to 小张!
From $109.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights
365
8 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$109.00
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
- Half-day Tours
- Walking Tours
- Historical Tours
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- On the Ground
- Cultural Tours
- Private Sightseeing Tours
- Shanghai
- Half-day Tours - Suzhou
- Walking Tours - Suzhou
- Historical Tours - Suzhou
- Half-day Tours - Wuxi
- Walking Tours - Wuxi
- Historical Tours - Wuxi
- Half-day Tours - Hangzhou
- Walking Tours - Hangzhou
- Historical Tours - Hangzhou
Attractions in Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (SOA) Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai Maglev Train (SMT) Tours & Tickets
- Xin Tian Di Tours & Tickets
- Zhouzhuang Water Town Tours & Tickets
- Wuzhen Water Town Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai History Museum (Shanghai Lishi Bowuguan) Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai Disneyland Tours & Tickets
- Grand Canal Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (SSTM) Tours & Tickets
- Pudong Tours & Tickets
- Nanjing Road (Nanjing Lu) Tours & Tickets
- Former Residence of Sun Yat-sen Tours & Tickets
- Huangpu River Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai Zoo (Shanghai Dongwu Yuan) Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai French Concession Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) Tours & Tickets
- Shanghai City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao) Tours & Tickets
- China Art Palace Tours & Tickets
- Zhujiajiao Tours & Tickets