Top Shanghai Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews & photos]

Shanghai Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

118 Shanghai trips. Compare tour itineraries from 59 tour companies. 206 reviews. 4.8/5 avg rating.

Small Group Shanghai Tours

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Top Shanghai Attractions & Experiences

Top Shanghai Experiences

  • Dinner while watching the city’s world-renowned troupe of acrobats.
  • Seeing one of the most impressive collections of Chinese art in the world at the Shanghai Museum.
  • Enjoying a delicious Cantonese dinner on a cruise up the Huangpu River.
  • Walking across the Bund docks at night and observing the futuristic Shanghai skyline.
  • Trying incredible street food while shopping on Nanjing Road.
  • Walking through the picturesque and lavish pagodas, covered bridges, and statue-lined halls of buildings in Yuyuan garden.

Shanghai Tours & Travel Guide

Shanghai Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Situated on China's central coast, and the biggest city in the country. It's a hotbed of history, city life and modern culture. Other than Beijing, this is where many China tours begin or end and it is a spectacular introduction to the many nuances of China.

Top 5 Things to Do in Shanghai

1. See the Old & the NewGet a glimpse of old China and older Shanghai in Zhujiajiao, a traditional “water town”, with life surrounding the various canals winding through the towns. Narrow bridges connect over these waterways, and lead into a tangle of charming, pedestrian back streets too narrow for cars.

Then, take a quick ride back into the city to get a look at the Shanghai World Financial Center, the 9th tallest building in the world, a symbol of modernization and modern China.

2. Yuyuan Garden Take a moment to appreciate some of China’s beautiful endemic plant life inside the Yuyuan Garden. This garden was originally intended to serve as a private garden for Ming-dynasty official Pan Yunduan and his family, though it is now completely open to the public.

There are 6 main areas and 30 pavilions, each with their own with ornate decorated bridges and colorful pagodas, and quiet private areas. In particular, be sure to visit the dazzling Jade Magnificence Hall and the magical Lotus Pool.

3. Shanghai’s Oldest Temples - Longhua Temple and Jade Buddha Temple. Longhua Temple is the oldest and largest religious complex in Shanghai. This 10th century, multi-story pagoda is filled with treasures, as are the surrounding buildings.

In the spring, this is site is also one of the best places to see the peach blo Jade Buddha Temple is known for its legions of statues, most notably two large jade buddhas and three golden ones representing past, present, and future, this temple is also still inhabited by monks -- one of the few remaining in Shanghai. 

4. Walk the Bund - This is the bridge connecting Shanghai’s mainland across the Huangpu River, and also the classic location to get a photo of Shanghai’s famous skyline. We recommend going at night -- not only is there less of a chance of smog concealing the view, but the buildings are also known for their fantastic light shows. You will feel as if you’ve been transported into the future.

5. Nanjing Road This is Shanghai’s most famous shopping centers, Nanjing Road is lined with dozens of international and local shops. Although not the best place to find a bargain, the beautiful architecture of the area and the lively hustle and bustle make it one of the must-see sights in Shanghai. The views at night are equally spectacular as the daytime; neon signs turn their lights on and are reminiscent of Times Square.

Private Tours in Shanghai

Shanghai is a large and crowded city, so it makes sense if you want to make sure you won’t be lost in the crowds of a large tour group. One solution to this would be to book a private tour of Shanghai, a surprisingly popular option.

Although meals are not typically included in these tours, you can expect to get many more genuine and personalized suggestions for restaurants, along with everything else.

If you have a specific interest, like Chinese history, for example, having a privately guided tour ensures that all of your questions will be answered and the specific sightseeing you wanted to do will be.

Shanghai Reviews & Ratings

4.8/5  Excellent
206  Reviews
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Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Captivating China

Superb trip with plenty to see and do. The Great Wall is amazing, the Terracotta Warriors fascinating as was the Han Yangling Mausoleum. The Shanghai Museum should...

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Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

imperial china and yangsie river cruise

Peter Wong was a very good guide. He explained in detail the history of China from the early ages until the present day. I found the trip very educational. The fas...

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Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Impressive and full of variety whilst still feeling welcoming & friendly

This trip ticks all the boxes to immerse yourself in Chinese culture and history. Seeing the Terracotta army in all its glory was a lifelong ambition and didn’t di...

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Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Hints and tips

This is not a restful trip. It is full on from the start but it gave us everything we wanted to see in China and our guide Kris made it very easy for us. She had a...

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Anonymous

Jan 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

So much included

This was my first trip outside of Europe, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to step outside their travel comfort-zone and immerse themselves in a completely d...

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