The 15 Best Market & Shopping Tours in China

1.Mini Group Xian Day Tour to Terracotta Army, City Wall, Pagoda and Muslim Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,320 reviews · from $49Our pick

Spend a full day exploring Xi’an with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, transport, entry fees, lunch, bottled water, and headset commentary. The route covers the Terracotta Army, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, ancient City Wall, and Muslim Quarter. Groups usually number about 12, with private upgrades available.

“What an amazing experience with our fantastic guide jacky. So professional . Knowledgable, and answered all questions fully . We loved hearing him tell the extra little bits of info that made it so special for us. Highly recommend the tour oh and the Terracotta Army were good as well lol”

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2.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90

Meet in Chengdu’s Jinniu District for a guided walk through Liangjiaxiang market with English-speaking hosts such as Lance or Jerry. Learn about Sichuan spices, taste local snacks, then cook several dishes with a chef at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen. Ingredients, drinks, recipes, and your meal are included.

“This was truly one of the best tours I've ever been on my whole life! Firstly, Im a solo traveler and sometimes finding tours for just one person can be a little difficult because most companies need at least two people for to be financially feasiblRead more”

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3.Shanghai Day Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town, Yu Garden, Bazaar, Bund

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · from $229

Spend a full day with a private English-speaking guide and chauffeur, starting in peaceful Zhujiajiao Water Town before returning to Shanghai for Yu Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, and the Bund. Hotel pickup, admission fees, bottled water, umbrellas, and a Zhujiajiao boat ride are included. Meals are not.

“The Bund is very very beautifull place! Shure! We recommend!!!!”

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4.Kowloon Street Market & Food Culture Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $32Best value

Start at Prince Edward Station at 3:00 pm and walk through Kowloon with a local guide such as Stephen, Alice, Summer, Michael, or Isaac. Taste bakery treats, preserved foods, fruit, and other local specialties while visiting markets, shops, and cultural landmarks. Groups are capped at six people.

“We loved the tasting tour! Alice was very friendly and enthusiastic about her city. Really feels like we understand Hong Kong more :)”

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5.Organic Chinese Dumpling Class with Market Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $100

Meet host Feliz at Jordan MTR Station for a market walk, then prepare dumpling filling and wrappers in a café kitchen. You will make 10 dumplings each, with organic pork, vegetarian, and vegan options available by request. The small-group class begins at 6 pm and ends back at the meeting point.

“This was a fun and interactive excursion with Feliz to the markets and then to the restaurant to make our Dumplings from scratch. They were delicious! Feliz was wonderful and very knowledgeable!”

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6.Terracotta Army, Lunch, City Wall, Pagoda, Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 72 reviews · 5 - 9 hours · from $48

Spend a full day exploring Xi’an’s essential sights with hotel pickup, an air-conditioned van, buffet lunch, entry fees, headsets, and an English-speaking guide such as Roger, Lily, Carol, or Celine. The small-group tour visits the Terracotta Army, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, City Wall, and Muslim Quarter, with private and half-day options also available.

“Carol is a good guide with lot of experience. She take time for explanation and recommandation during the guided tour.”

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7.Private Shanghai Shopping Tour with Local Shopping Guru

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 68 reviews · from $95

Spend four to five private hours with Sunny, a Shanghai shopping guide who plans around your list. Visit the South Bund Fabric Market, pearl and old-town markets, A.P. Plaza, Nanjing Road, or other stops that fit your interests. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included downtown, with private-car transport available as an option.

“I had wanted to visit the Tailors market, get some clothes made and see a little of the city. Sunny was an incredible guide and the morning surpassed all my expectations! At the market, she found the right vendors for me who could turnaround what I was looking for qRead more”

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8.Organic Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumpling Class & Market Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $136

Meet Feliz Yau at Jordan MTR Station for a market walk, then make Shanghai-style Xiao Long Bao in a nearby kitchen café. You’ll prepare the dough, filling, and pleats from scratch, using organic pork or a vegan alternative. Each person makes and eats 10 dumplings in this small-group, three-hour class.

“Feliz was a great hostess and teacher. The market tour was a good touch to see a real market in action. It was a short walk and you cannot buy anything (at least we didn't). She bought the meat and told us about what we were seeing. It was nice to eat or own cooking.”

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9.Lijiang Naxi Cuisine Cooking Class & Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $59

Meet at 9:15 am near Lijiang’s Xiangshan Market, explore the city’s largest Naxi market with local guide Fancy, then cook and eat three dishes at a family-run studio. The small group has fewer than 10 people, with snacks, drinks, lunch, tea, and an individual cooking station included.

“1 million miles travelling the world to all sorts of places and i can tell you tourists and fellow viators this is worth every penny. Fancy is an amazing woman with an amazing bakery. She is doing this out of passion and it is one of the highlightRead more”

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10.Half-Day Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles Cooking with a Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 48 reviews · from $75

Meet your guide at Sa Jin Qiao for a small-group walk through Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter spice market, then learn biang biang noodle techniques in a traditional Chinese chef’s home. Guides such as Fiona, Lily, Michael, and Bruce lead sessions in English. Ingredients, recipes, tea, beer, water, and the finished meal are included.

“Anyone interested in cooking and looking to up their noodle game MUST book this class. The host is incredibly fun, inviting, and kind. I would happily do another experience with her in the future. We started our day with a tour of the marRead more”

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11.Xi’an Morning Food & Market Tour by TukTuk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · from $58

Start at 9 a.m. near Xi’an City Wall and ride a private tuk-tuk through the Muslim Quarter. With an English-speaking guide such as Buren, visit 4 to 5 family-run eateries and street stalls, enjoy unlimited food and drinks, and browse one of China’s oldest, largest markets.

“Buren has been the best tour guide, he showed us traditional dishes in Xi'an made by the real locals and family business shops. He is so passionate about food and gave us very nice recommendations to visit after. Thank you so much!”

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12.Private Guangzhou Food Tour Michelin Restaurant&Local Food Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $180

Spend 4 to 10 hours with a private English-speaking guide, usually Damon or Candice, tasting Cantonese food and seeing Guangzhou by air-conditioned vehicle. Expect dim sum at Diandude, old neighborhoods, Qingping Market, Huangsha seafood market, modern Huacheng Square, and major sights such as Chen Clan Ancestral Hall and Canton Tower. Food and admission tickets cost extra.

“Excellent tour with Damon, one of the two owners of Guangzhou Tours. A couple run business, they were extremely proactive, reaching to me prior to arrival to ensure a smooth travel experience and meeting. Excellent local knowledge from someone native to the city. For my first experience in Guangzhou and with Cantonese culture and food I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Give them a call and you won’t me disappointed!”

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13.Xi’an Muslim Quarter Night Market Foodie Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 22 reviews · 2.5 - 3 hours · from $66

Spend 2.5 to 3 hours eating through Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter with a private English-speaking guide. Try roujiamo, biang biang noodles, dumplings, and more, then visit the Great Mosque or Gaojia Courtyard. Food and entry tickets cost extra, and hotel pickup is optional.

“Our guide! Noble was fun. He gave us great experience. He was very knowledgeable about the city and the history. We had a wonderful beyond biang biang meal and yummy ice cream. He helped us buy tea, jade, and got us a tuktuk ride back to our hotel. It was an overall wonderful evening.”

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14.Private Beijing Markets Tour with Tea Tasting at Hongqiao Pearl Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $88

Spend four private hours exploring Panjiayuan Antique Market and Hongqiao Pearl Market with an English-speaking guide and private car. You’ll taste tea, browse thousands of stalls, learn practical bargaining tricks, and stop for an optional lunch. Guides such as Lily, Lisa, and Lucy are praised for friendly, hands-on help.

“Lily was great help and a ton of fun! She really made us step a bit out of our comfort zones and haggle properly with the vendors. She was really helpful showing my dad how to manage it without speaking at all calculators and disapproving looks. I would really recommend this as a nice half-day trip to buy anything you missed while you were in the city”

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15.Shanghai Night River Cruise and Light Tour with Yuyuan Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $108

Spend 3 to 4 hours seeing Shanghai after dark with a private guide and vehicle. Cruise the Huangpu River, view the Bund and Lujiazui, browse Yuyuan Bazaar, then walk through the Former French Concession. Guides including Mary, Queena, Caroline, Judy, Kalvin, and Xin have helped guests find good boat views and local food.

“We undertook this tour on New Year’s Eve! So it was a challenge to get from our hotel to the boat due to the vast crowds on the street. Our driver was amazing and Mary, our wonderful guide, manage to get us on the boat on time. The Read more”

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