2 Days Best Shanghai Private Tour

Welcome to the international metropolis Shanghai! According to your arrival schedule, your private tour guide and driver will meet you at the airport or the railway station, and usher you to a well-prepared private car.

We will drive 1.5 hours to Zhujiajiao, a cultural ancient water town aged more than 1,700 years, where you will spend two hours leisurely. Think of it as a small-scale version of Venice featuring Chinese elements. Your guide will take you to walk some of the 36 ancient stone bridges and pass folk houses along calm rivers with greenery casting reflections, all of which make this town a land of antiquity, leisure and tranquility. Those bridges are one of the biggest drawcards and Free Life Bridge with over 200 years’ history is the most famous. On the first and 15th day of every Chinese lunar month, monks and pilgrims will release aquatic animals under the bridge. It will be an unforgettable experience if you happen to see it. Zhujiajiao is also a great place to find Shanghai’s local food. Your guide will be happy to introduce different snacks, like famous Zhujiajiao Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi), which tastes nicer if eaten hot.

In the afternoon, go back to downtown Shanghai on a comfortable drive. Your guide will first take you for a tour of Shanghainese historical alleyways, to check out their traditional residential architecture. At some point, stop for a one-hour local family visit for you to drink tea, savor Chinese-style desserts and chat with the household to learn about local life. Next on our agenda is the iconic Bund. Here, appreciate a magnificent colonial-era architecture complex where Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, and Neo-classical edifices sit next to each other. With your guide’s commentaries, you will glimpse into the glorious past of this fabulous city.

Let’s call it a day now. We will take you to the well-selected hotel for check-in. If you haven’t got enough of Shanghai’s unique charms, just continue to walk the lively Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street for more, until you think it’s time to leave (on your own).► Recommended Activity for Your Free Evening:
Cruising on Huangpu River in the neon-lit darkness would be an unforgettable memory! Just ask your guide how to purchase the ticket. A cruise tour normally takes 1 hour to finish, during which you will pass by and marvel from another perspective at landmark buildings and skyscrapers along both banks. If you are here during cooler seasons, it is suggested to take a jacket for warmth.

Today’s sightseeing will begin from Shanghai Museum, which is renowned for its diverse comprehensiveness. Bronzeware, wood and stone carvings, pottery sculptures, jade ware, Chinese porcelain, Chinese calligraphy and paintings… You get to feast your eyes on some of a million Chinese ancient artworks housed here. The exterior is also what sets the museum apart. Look at it from afar, and you will find it with a round top and a square base, which corresponds to an idea in Chinese philosophy that the sky is round and the earth square. The design was inspired by the museum’s most precious treasure, Da Ke Tripod from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 - 771 BC). This large bronze vessel, 0.93-meter (3 ft.) high and weighing about 200 kg, is one of the "Three Bronzeware Treasures in China". Commentating on all the most noted treasures, your professional guide will take you on a dive deep into the traditional Chinese culture.

Later, we will proceed to the Yu Garden, a typical traditional classical garden dating back to the 16th century. Such garden is known for its meticulously-structured layout, and Yu garden will amaze you with how it blends wooden pavilions, vegetation, rockeries, winding corridors and crystalline ponds to reflect a harmony between man and nature. Its charms and tranquility make it a wonderland for an escape from bustling Shanghai. After that, you can stroll around the nearby Yuyuan Old Street and Yuyuan Bazaar to browse for some authentic Shanghai specialties. We don’t arrange a lunch for you because - trust us - you will find it hard to resist feasting on those delicious local snacks the bazaar has to offer!

► Restaurant Recommendation for Lunch (at your own expense): 
Nanxiang Steamed Buns Restaurant, for its convenient location near Yu Garden and popular Steamed Stuffed Buns, is your best option for lunch. Established in 1900, Nanxiang is one of Shanghai's time-honored brands. Over generations, it has developed a variety of palatable flavors, attracting local residents who would queue daily for a taste. They are also drawing countless tourists from around the world, making the shop a must-visit in Shanghai.
Average cost per person: CNY 80 (USD 11)
Address: No.87, Yuyuan Road, Huangpu District
In the afternoon, you will be accompanied to visit Xin Tian Di, a former neighborhood that flourished in past Shanghai. It has been renewed as a fashionable pedestrian street, featuring fine restaurants, upscale clubs and boutiques. Here you can also see Shikumen, which was once Shanghai’s characteristic residential architecture. With a history of 150 years, Shikumen records the changes of people's lives and is a miniature of the century-old Shanghai. Stroll down the alley and listen to the stories behind Shikumen.

Then, you will come to Shanghai Tower, China’s tallest building, to experience the fastest elevator in the world to the 52nd floor and visit the world's highest cultural space, Duo Yun Bookstore. Take a coffee break here and be entertained with phenomenal panoramic views over the city.Your 2 days Shanghai tour is drawing to an end now. We will transfer you to the airport and see you off there. If you leave Shanghai from the port or the railway station, please contact our travel consultant and we will make proper arrangements for you. Hope you enjoy your trip!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast