China · SHANGHAI TOURS

The 15 Best Shanghai Tours & River Cruises

116 tours  ·  from $2

Shanghai is a skyline, a colonial waterfront and a canal town half an hour out, and the good version of each involves either a boat or a local. The 15 below are priced, timed and honest about the traffic.

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai - Walking toward Yunnan Road and the Former French Concession
Food & Drink, Food Tours in Shanghai, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

1.Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,382 reviews · from $79Our pick

Walk from Huangpi Nan Road through Xintiandi, the Former French Concession, and People’s Square while tasting Shanghainese favorites. Your guide may be Kurt, Jade, TJ, Jim, Helen, or Wang Jian, depending on the departure. Expect soup dumplings, noodles, pork, tea, dessert, and enough food for a full meal.

“Great evening with Kurt who was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Lots of different dishes to try and some wouldn’t have picked but which surprised me. There was plenty of food and variety and the pace of the evening was just right. Thanks for a very memorable experience Kurt!”

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Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour - Shanghai Tower and the 360-degree view
City Tours, City Tours in Shanghai, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours, Water Town Tours in Shanghai

Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

2.Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · from $246

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver, combining Zhujiajiao’s canals, boat ride, local lunch, Yuyuan Garden, the Bund, and Shanghai Tower. Guides such as Snow, Caroline, Xin, Jane, and Queena have led this route. The schedule can be adjusted for your interests, with Jade Buddha Temple replacing Yuyuan Garden on Mondays.

“This was an exceptional tour of Shanghai and Zhujiajiao. We enjoyed the private tour and our friendly and safe driver. Most of all we enjoyed meeting Caroline. She’s a very bubbly, smart, funny and very informative tour Guide. Her English is Read more”

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Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights - The Old Town adds food, shopping, and local texture
City Tours, City Tours in Shanghai, Full-Day, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights

3.Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 995 reviews · from $115

Spend 7 to 8 hours exploring old and modern Shanghai with a private guide such as Annie, Sammy, or Fei Fei. Shape the day around your interests, from Yu Garden and the Bund to the Jade Buddha Temple and Shanghai Tower. Downtown pickup is offered, while lunch, transport, and entrance fees depend on the package you choose.

“Annie was an amazing tour guide! From the minute she picked us up at our hotel till the moment she dropped us off, she was professional, very knowledgeable, and funny. She also helped me navigate a food allergy with lunch so I could enjoy Read more”

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Shanghai: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions - Blue Route: Pudong towers and river views
Hop-On Hop-Off Tours, Shanghai Tours, Tickets, Tour Reviews

Shanghai: Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions

4.Hop-on Hop-off Bus Ticket and Optional Attractions

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 692 reviews · 1 day · from $12Best value

Use a 24 or 48-hour double-decker bus pass to see Shanghai’s main sights across three routes. Ride past The Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Jing’an Temple, and Pudong’s towers, with audio in eight languages. Selected packages add a Huangpu River cruise, Bund tunnel ride, Jin Mao Tower, or Shanghai Tower entry.

“It was a great option because it was raining at the time we were in Shanghai. It is one way of seeing most parts of Shanghai if you have limited time, considering the rainy weather.”

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Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride - First steps through the 1,700-year-old town
Boat Trips in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Water Town Tours, Water Town Tours in Shanghai

Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

5.Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 661 reviews · from $148

Leave Shanghai by private air-conditioned vehicle for Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town. Your guide, such as Snow, Kalvin, Caroline, or Xin, leads you through old streets, gardens, markets, historic bridges, and canals. A boat ride, entrance fees, hotel transfers, and optional lunch or dinner are included.

“We had a very pleasant half-day trip with an excellent guide, a cozy boat ride and a delicious local lunch. Highly recommended to everyone, thank you Xin!”

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Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour - Why the regional mix is both a strength and a surprise
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Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

6.Eat Like A Local: Shanghai Night Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 616 reviews · from $90

Start at 6:00 pm for a three-hour walk through Changning and Jing’an, stopping at family-run restaurants for regional Chinese dishes, beer, yellow wine, spirits, and xiaolongbao. Guides such as Li, Topher, Jasmine, and Paul have led this food-focused evening, which ends near Jiangsu Road metro station with restaurant tips for the rest of your stay.

“This was amazing. Great food- great guide. We ate alot of different dishes, and saw some sites aswell”

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Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow - What the 45-minute route actually shows
Boat Trips in Shanghai, Cruises & Boat Tours, Night Tours, Night Tours in Shanghai, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews

Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow

7.Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Cruise the Huangpu River for about 45 minutes, passing the Bund, Lujiazui towers, Oriental Pearl Tower, and historic waterfront buildings. Choose a daytime or evening sailing, then watch Shanghai glow from indoor, semi-open, or open-air decks. Tickets must be exchanged in person, and the correct code comes by email or chat.

“Beautiful night View of the city skyline from the water going at a very peaceful pace on the boat”

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Shanghai: Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden - A smooth ride from central Shanghai
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Shanghai: Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

8.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 460 reviews · 5 hours · from $139

Travel from your Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide such as Michael, Cassie, Robert, or Sunny. Walk old markets, visit Qing-era Kezhi Garden, sample local snacks, and ride a private boat through the canals. The five-hour tour suits families, couples, and short layovers.

“Our tour with Clair was fantastic. The transportation to the water village was smooth and very comfortable. We walked through the various shops, toured the private garden, and took a boat ride. Clair shared so much information with us about history and culture, she was an excellent guide.”

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Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket - What you see from floors 118 and 119
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Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

9.Shanghai Tower: Observation Deck Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 373 reviews · 1 day · from $47

Visit Shanghai Tower’s Top of Shanghai Observation Deck on floors 118 and 119, with optional access to floors 125 and 126. You’ll see the Huangpu River and city skyline from 546 meters, then add the Sky Wish Tree, Sky Post Office, or 126th-floor musical light show for an extra fee.

“Everything was great, easy purchase to skip the line.”

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Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai's French Concession - Starting in the Former French Concession
French Concession Tours, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews

Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai’s French Concession

10.Eat Like a Local Through Shanghai’s French Concession

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 353 reviews · from $75

Walk Shanghai’s Former French Concession with a local English-speaking guide such as Max, Emma, Sam, or Cloris. Visit four seated eateries for more than 10 classic dishes, including soup dumplings, scallion noodles, pan-fried buns, pork belly, and mango dessert, then finish with local craft beer. The group is limited to 12 people.

“I want to firstly say a massive thank you to our wonderful tour guide Sam! She was amazing and looked after our every need, from answering our questions to sorting vegetarian friendly meals, she was amazing. She also took the time to maRead more”

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Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights - Walking the Bund beside the Huangpu River
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Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

11.Private Full-Day Tour: Incredible Shanghai Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 352 reviews · from $109

Spend about eight hours exploring Shanghai with a private guide such as Peggy, Apple, Troy, Nora, or Grace. Choose a Pudong tower, walk the Bund, visit Yuyuan Garden and its bazaar, eat dumplings, tour the Confucius Temple, and enjoy a tea ceremony. Transport can be by private car or public transit.

“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.”

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Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden - People’s Square, a short pause in the city center
Shanghai Tours, The Bund Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Yu Garden Tours

Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden

12.Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 338 reviews · from $79

Spend about eight hours exploring Shanghai with an English-speaking guide, visiting the Shanghai Museum, People’s Square, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, and Xintiandi. Lunch, admission fees, air-conditioned transport, and city-center hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Guides such as Tom, Elena, and Michael are noted for clear English and strong local knowledge.

“Tom was an excellent guide and very proud of his city. The lunch was delicious and very filling. It rained all day but that didn’t keep us from getting to see everything.”

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From Shanghai: Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride - Bridges from the Ming and Qing periods
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From Shanghai: Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

13.Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · 5 hours · from $171

Travel from your central Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide such as Snow, Kalvin, or Caroline. Walk old lanes and markets, see Ming-Qing bridges, visit traditional gardens, try local food, and take a calm canal boat ride before returning to Shanghai.

“My tour guide Snow was the best! Very friendly, knowledgeable and in good spirits all thru the 5 hour tour. She even thought me a little Chinese. And the Tour itself was fantastic. Highly recommended!”

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Shanghai Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining Experience - Boarding the Huangpu River cruise
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Shanghai Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining Experience

14.Shanghai Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 324 reviews · from $155

Spend about three hours seeing Shanghai by private car, riverboat, and restaurant table. Your guide, often Caroline, Queena, Kalvin, Kiki, or Xin, handles transport, cruise tickets, menu translation, and dinner ordering. The boat passes the Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, World Financial Center, and Shanghai Tower before a halal Xinjiang meal in Pudong.

“I had an absolutely wonderful time on this river cruise! The scenery was breathtaking, but what made the experience truly special was our guide, Caroline. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and had a great sense of humor that made the entire tour enjoyable from start to finish. Caroline shared great insights along the way, answered every question with patience, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and included. Thanks to her, the trip felt both relaxing and enriching. Highly recommend this tour—and if you’re lucky enough to get Caroline as your guide, you’re in for a treat!”

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Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting - Fuxing Park and a look at local routines
Ancient Town Tours, Ancient Town Tours in Shanghai, Bike Tours in Shanghai, Cycling Tours, Food & Drink, Food Tours in Shanghai, Half-Day, Shanghai Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting

15.Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 306 reviews · from $100

Join Culture Shock for a four-hour morning ride through Shanghai’s Old Town, Former French Concession, and Fuxing Park. You’ll use a vintage bicycle, stop at Fazang Temple and a traditional wet market, and enjoy coffee plus local food. Guides such as Charlie, Claire, Jeremy, and Kat are praised for clear English and warm local knowledge. Groups are limited to eight.

“The perfect way to see a slice of Shanghai life. Thanks to our amazing guide Kat we learnt lots about the history and architecture of the area. Loved it.”

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New in Shanghai Tours

★ 5.0All Inclusive Shanghai City Tour : Old and New HighlightsFrom $22344 reviews
★ 5.0Amazing Shanghai Night Lights:River Cruise &Private TransferFrom $1268 reviews
★ 5.0All Inclusive Shanghai City Tour by German-Speaking GuideFrom $2334 reviews
★ 5.0All-inclusive Half-day Private Tour To Zhujiajiao Water TownFrom $14010 reviews
★ 5.04-Hour Shanghai City Private Tour by German-Speaking GuideFrom $918 reviews
★ 4.94-Hour Shanghai Best Garden and Temple Tour with Tea TastingFrom $997 reviews
★ 5.04-Hour Private Shanghai Shopping Tour with Local ExpertFrom $915 reviews
★ 4.5Private 3 hour bike tour with coffee break38 reviews
★ 5.02 Day Private Shanghai Skyline to Watertown & Suzhou GardenFrom $3593 reviews
★ 5.0Private Customized Shanghai Shore Excursion Tour of City Highlights with LunchFrom $1836 reviews
★ 5.0Private Transfer between Shanghai Disneyland and City HotelFrom $3519 reviews
★ 5.0Private Shanghai Night River Cruise and Hot Pot Dining ExperienceFrom $16815 reviews
★ 5.0Hot Pot Dining Experience with Hot Spring Bathing or River Cruise in ShanghaiFrom $13513 reviews
★ 5.04-Hour Private Flexible Photography Tour of Best Shanghai ScenesFrom $8524 reviews
Zhujiajiao Water Town: Boat Ride, Opt for Hands-on Dumpling MealFrom $1587 reviews

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