Private Walking Tour in the Former French Concession
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Shanghai, China
- 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Stroll through the Shanghai's trendy French Concession neighborhood with a guide on this private walking tour. Follow your guide's lead to unearth hidden courtyards, Art Deco buildings, and typical Shanghai street scenes. Highlights include the Lanxin Theater, the Cathay Mansion, the former residence of Dr. Sun-Yat Sen, Fuxing Park, and others. Includes all entrance fees and option to visit a tea house.
- Explore Shanghai's Former French Concession on a walking tour
- Go at your own pace and enjoy personal attention on a private tour
- Visit neighborhood highlights and listen to insightful commentary
- Choose from morning or afternoon tour times to fit your schedule
What's Included
- Hotel pickup
- Transportation to attraction
- Excellent English-speaking guide
- Entrance Tickets
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities
- Hotel drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Itinerary
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Please wear comfortable shoes
- Stroller accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- A maximum of 10 people per booking
- Near public transportation
- Please indicate morning tour or afternoon tour in special requirement area upon booking
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
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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 68 reviews
Justin_C, Feb 2026
Booked this tour solo (did not have the afternoon tea) with my lovely tour guide Ms. Penny. A very knowledgable lady that gave me some fascinating historical tidbits during our walk around the quarter. Something that was not apart of tour which they accomodated was a french costume photoshoot I brought along for my research and reenactment project which Ms. Penny did an amazing jon helping take the photos. Overall I highly recommend her as well as the tour for any curious travellers wanting to learn about the french procession! Transportation was also provided from my hotel to there and Ms. Penny was kind enough to show me some super useful metro tips for getting to Yu Garden after the tour was over.
Victoria_L, Nov 2025
The best way to spend an afternoon in Shanghai, especially if you're the kind of traveler who wants to actually understand the culture and history of the city you're visiting. I'd been to Shanghai a couple of times before, but this is the first time I felt like I've actually BEEN to the city.
My guide Penny was a treasure trove of knowledge with a great sense of humor, and tailored her tour perfectly according to what I'd be interested in seeing: I'd mentioned I was particularly interested in the cultural aspect of Shanghai in the 1930s heyday, and she took extra effort to walk me through the history behind the confluence of international cultures in the area, as well as taking me to see the old apartments that famous Chinese writers at the time once lived in so I could get a feel of their day-to-day lives that inspired their work.
This was exactly what I was looking for, and I highly recommend Penny and this tour to any self-professed history nerds who love fun facts and hidden finds as much as I do!
Hamish_R, Nov 2025
Penny PUNG was fantastic tour guide. Highly recommend. Very knowledgeable and took us through some interesting back alleys.
MaryJane_L, Apr 2025
Penny our guide is a fountain of knowledge. How exciting, thrilling has it been to discover the French concession. Highly interesting and we have gained so much in information and knowledge about the history of China and how Shanghai fits in the whole history of China. So true that after hearing her out you fall in love and become mesmerized with Shanghai and how it was and the becoming of it now. One wonder how Shanghai would be like in the years to come. A top notch guide who excels in what she does and is passionate about her job. Fully recommended and thank you Penny and Viator.
Raluca_D, Oct 2024
Penny is a great guide, we learnt a lot from her. Her explanations are accessible and interesting for kids as well. Penny has kindly offered useful information for our stay in Shanghai. Highly recommend her tour 😊
Nicola_W, Mar 2024
Penny was a great guide. She is really knowledgeable on the history of China, and explains this in a relevant and entertaining way. We saw parts of Shanghai that I would never have found on my own.
Robert_K, Feb 2024
It was my first time to visit Shaghai. Miss Penny has a real passion for sharing her in-depth knowledge of Shanghai's culture and history.
Richard_C, May 2023
We didn’t see the time passing during this great experience! Penny our guide kept us interested during the whole tour and was always available for more questions and more details. She shared her knowledge of Shanghai’s history in a very easy way which make the tour very pleasant while being extremely detailed and clear. We really took our time and at the end of the visit we had so much better understanding about the French concession, its history & organization. We were in family with some member not speaking English but it wasn’t a problem as the pace of the visit allow us to translate to the French speaking member. Really appreciated this tour with Penny and we will definitely take the next tour which focus more on the architecture of the French concession. Highly recommended!!
Jodi, May 2021
It’s not very often you encounter a tour guide who feels like an old friend leading you through their favorite city - but Penny was so warm and friendly and our conversation was so easy that the time just flew by. Her knowledge of the area and thoughtful responses to my questions not only gave me insight but made me curious to experience more of the local culture. I travel a lot (12 weeks a year.). This is one of the best tours I’ve had in a very long time. Don’t miss out on your chance to see the French Concession up close!
Tourist308722, Nov 2019
This was the first of two tours with Penny and we had a great time! Penny was extremely knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the area, along with the food and culture. We highly recommend this tour and were happy we also got some excellent food recommendations out of it, too.
matt_f, Sep 2019
I spent a half day with Penny as my guide on a private tour of the French Concession. She was extremely knowledgable, having been a teacher and very well versed in Chinese history and the evolution of Shanghai. She brought the town to life and I found myself quoting her and her knowledge to my family when I returned home. We spent most of our time in the park where she was able to bring to life the songs, dances and discussions many of the locals were taking part in on a Sunday afternoon. She paced the half day quite well as we covered a lot of ground and history and never felt rushed. The other piece that she ensured was how easy everything was logistically. Her and her group communicated regularly in advance, picked me up right on time at the hotel, covered the taxi rides and she even made sure I found a great gift for my wife and two daughters as I was traveling solo on this trip. At the end of the tour she made sure I was dropped at the location I needed to be and gave me a few notes on a good dinner spot....that I hit for dumplings AND LOVED. I think overall this tour was an incredible value, Penny brought the area to life and I learned a ton on the history of Shanghai. Very good use of a half day if you want to dive a bit deeper into the area and learn.
Douglas_L, Jun 2019
Kelly took us on a wonderful walking tour of the old French Concession in Shanghai....it was just the trip I was hoping for - so interesting - Kelly's English is excellent - and we had such a great time with her.
I highly recommending asking for Kelly when booking a tour in Shanghai.
Mickie & Doug Lloyd in Sausalito, CA
Mark T, Aug 2018
This was a very educational tour. Penny knows her recent Chinese history well and packed in many stories from the pre-war days all the way to much more modern times. Really appreciate her enthusiasm to make the tour lively and fun. Shame it was a stormy day and we had to spend much time indoors. Would have been lovely to see more of the former French Concession if the weather was better.
Nancy E, Jul 2018
My dad and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Penny, was so knowledgeable and personable and tailored the tour for us. Although it was my first time to China, my dad has been more than 30 times over the last 35 years. He has also studied China all of that time. He LOVED the tour and even learned some things and clarified events of Chinese history based on penny's instruction. Penny ensured that we got great pictures and even treated us to a sticky bun from a street vendor. This is a great way to see parts of Shanghai. My dad is a spry senior citizen and did great with the walking, but I think it would be manageable for most people. It was delightful and not at all exhausting.
Franklin S, May 2018
This was a fascinating half-day tour led by our guide Penny, who was very friendly, spoke better English than either my wife or me, and took obvious pleasure in explaining and guiding us in this totally new part of the world for us. She is clearly a history buff, who takes great delight in connecting what we see with its background and many colors. An extremely worthwhile value in terms of cost and time spent.
Emily_B, Mar 2018
Penny was an amazing guide, if only we could book her for all of our travels! We started the four hour tour at the historical Garden Hotel Shanghai and then walked through parks and neighborhoods, both old and new where Penny explained with insight and humor the local historical legends and haunts. We then headed to the Sun Yat-Sen Museum and found some fun and inexpensive take home items. Penny's love of history and current city vibe was the perfect combination for a day of exploring we live in China and will book again with Penny when we're in Shanghai.
Michael B, Feb 2018
This tour was excellent. Having been to Shanghai and been in this area before I did not have the background and understanding to fully appreciate the history here. Penny, my tour guide, was very knowledgeable and knew the area very well including much of the history. We started with the history and founder of the Republic of China and toured the house where Sun Yat Sen spent much time and this was a very good history of the beginning of modern China. Also visited the place when Nixon and Chou En-lai signed the accord in 1972. This is excellent tour. Did a lot of walking through area including some info on how locals live and the beautiful Fuxing Park. Penny spoke fluent English and a tour that was supposed to be 3 hours lasted 4 and 1/2. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Penny - she is great.
Mike B
Susan R, Oct 2017
We did French Concession and Hidden Door tours with Penny, who was an excellent English speaking guide. Very knowledgeable, friendly and considerate of our needs. She had in depth knowledge and gave personal recommendations based on our interests. We highly recommend Penny for visitors to Shanghai.
Gregory M, Jul 2017
Guide Penny was super extraordinary. She spoke fluent English, and her unique and deep familiarity with the French Concession was superb, presented through stories, histories and locations (rare Art Deco finds!) known only to a true expert. You will not find a more personable guide in all Shanghai
Mattheos K, Jun 2017
My tour at the French Concession was amazing. My guide was Penny and she went beyond my expectations to show me around this very special area of this magnificent city. Penny was eager to answer my questions, very flexible with the tour and very knowledgeable. In fact, she ended up spending an hour extra with me than it was originally planned and paid for. I strongly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to learn the history of this electric and lurid city!
Jan H, Jun 2017
Absolutely loved this! Maggie is a delight and so knowledgeable and informative. This was easily one of the highlights of our first trip to Shanghai. Thank you Maggie!
Jacqueline A, May 2017
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour of the French Concession. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and made the walk interesting and fun. She met us at our hotel and we started at the French Club, now a 5-star hotel, and ended at Fuxing Park - beautiful area with locals who did ballroom dancing! We also toured a museum and home of Dr. Sun Yat-sen - very interesting. I highly recommend this tour.
Jennifer_T, Dec 2016
The tour exceeded my expectations! Reliable and high quality. We arrived a little bit late but Maggie waited for us and was totally professional greeting us with her warmth smile. She listened to my request and talked more about the history that caught some of my family members' attention. Unfortunately, I did not read my email regularly and not realise that they tried to reach me via email. I was expecting phone call. FYI - Suggest that anyone who book the tour to read email regularly.
Eon_W, Nov 2016
Shanghai highlight!
Just walk!
We booked this tour to discover the hidden French Concession. Maggie was our guide for the day as we discovered this amazing part of Shanghai.
She soon understood the quirky and inquisitive nature of our travel needs and we spent the day wandering from historical residences, down tree lined streets, through architectural masterpieces, snacking street side, sourcing china and glass shops and rummaging through quirky rip-off porcelain shops. Maggie's passion for history, her love for the city and boundless enthusiasm made this day a sheer delight and highlight of our stay in Shanghai. Thank you Maggie!
Barbara H, Nov 2016
Can highly recommend this tour, Our guide was very friendly and so generous with her time and her knowledge. We loved it, and as I was researching for a novel, it was particularly helpful. Thank you!!
Yixin_L, Oct 2016
Kelly was our first contact regarding the tour. She was very patient, quickly responding to my queries and helped with my booking. Lily, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgable about the history of Shanghai and the area we visited. The tour was well paced and provided a lot of interesting stories and information but not overwhelming as we walked past important historical landmarks. Highly recommended.
Taylor N, Sep 2016
This was the perfect introduction to Shanghai! I highly recommend the tour and specifically my tour guide, Maggie. She was phenomenal. She was knowledgable and spent the morning giving an abridged version of the history to catch me up to speed. After, she helped me find my way to Tianzifang!
From $95.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Private Walking Tour in the Former French Concession
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