Shanghai: 4-Hour Private Customizable Highlights Tour Shanghai: 4-Hour Tour by Private Guide and Private Car

Explore Shanghai’s top highlights on a private half-day tour. Visit the Yu Garden, Longhua Temple, and Tianzifang, and customize your itinerary to suit your interests.
Discover Shanghai’s most iconic sites in just half a day on this private tour. With your local guide, explore the city’s rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning skyline—all at your own pace.

On the tour day ,your wonderful private guide will pick up at your downtown Shanghai hotel. Following is the popular itinerary you may follow or if you have your own to do lists, feel free to craft a unique itinerary that meet your interests with your local expert guide.

Step back to the Ming Dynasty at Yu Garden, built over 450 years ago as a private retreat for a wealthy official. Admire its traditional pavilions, rockeries, ponds, and the famous dragon wall. (Yu Garden closes at 4:00 PM and is closed on Mondays. If you book the night tour, entrance to the garden will not be possible.) Just outside lies the Old Town, once part of Shanghai’s original walled city, where bustling bazaars, teahouses, and food stalls preserve the charm of centuries past.

Dating back nearly 1,700 years, Longhua Temple is Shanghai’s oldest and largest Buddhist temple. It is famed for its towering seven-story pagoda, grand ceremonial halls, and serene courtyards filled with incense. The Longhua Pagoda, built during the Song Dynasty, is one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, standing as a symbol of Shanghai’s ancient Buddhist heritage. Visiting here offers a glimpse into the city’s religious traditions and timeless spiritual culture. (Longhua Temple closes at 4pm. If you book the night tour, entrance to the temple will not be possible.)

Once a residential lane in the former French Concession, Tianzifang has been transformed into a lively cultural hub. Its narrow alleys are lined with Shikumen houses, a unique Shanghai architectural style that blends Western townhouses with traditional Chinese courtyards. Originally built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Shikumen neighborhoods were once the heart of Shanghai’s urban life, symbolizing the city’s mix of East and West. Today, these historic homes have been repurposed into art studios, craft boutiques, galleries, and cafés, giving Tianzifang a creative modern spirit while preserving the charm of old Shanghai.

If you prefer Shanghai’s modern side, head to Pudong’s iconic towers. Visit the Shanghai Tower, the world’s third tallest building, featuring a record-breaking observation deck and a unique tuned mass damper that stabilizes the skyscraper against strong winds and earthquakes. Alternatively, explore the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, one of Shanghai’s most recognizable landmarks, symbolizing the city’s rapid modernization since the 1990s. From high above, enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Huangpu River, the historic Bund, and the ever-evolving skyline of this dynamic metropolis.

After your tour, your guide will drop you back at your downtown hotel or a preferred location.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.