Shanghai Day Tours 2026 & 2027

Pack your Shanghai day tour with history and old town charm in the morning: appreciate ancient artifacts at the state-of-the-art Shanghai Museum, lose yourself in the winding paths of Yu Garden, and enjoy a lunch break at the adjacent Yuyuan Bazaar. In the afternoon, start at People’s Square to trace the city’s evolution from a fishing village to a global megacity at the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Stroll down the Nanjing Road, a prosperous shopping paradise, toward the Bund - the ‘golden mile’ housing 52 historic European buildings. Enjoy a romantic dinner and rooftop drinks overlooking the lit-up Pudong skyline.

Prefer a more leisurely pace to spend a day in Shanghai? Focus on the urban core in the morning and then head to the 1,700-year-old Zhujiajiao Water Town to embrace the traditional lifestyle along the ancient canals. Furthermore, our private Shanghai one day trips offer unique, customizable experiences, such as local family visits, culinary classes, kid-friendly Disney tours, and Jewish heritage explorations. All can be customized according to your interests!

If you have a short transit, consider our English-guided Shanghai layover tours with seamless airport-to-downtown transfer. Make the Bund your priority. Stroll along the waterfront for the colonial-era buildings’ endless glamour and the iconic skyline dominated by Shanghai Tower, World Financial Center, and the Oriental Pearl Tower. If time permits, ascend one of the neck-craning skyscrapers to overlook the beautiful Huangpu River and the swirling metropolis.

Beyond the city highlights and Zhujiajiao Water Town, there are several remarkable Shanghai day tour itineraries to the Venice-like water towns crisscrossed with canals and stone bridges, such as Xitang, once the filming location of Mission Impossible 3; the scenic Wuzhen, especially beautiful when illuminated at night; Zhouzhuang, China’s first water town featuring Twin Bridges and Shen Wansan’s fortune story; and the less crowded Nanxun, a former silk-trading hub that was once the region’s wealthiest town. Suzhou’s UNESCO-listed classic gardens offer another peaceful retreat, blending elegant pavilions, dramatic rockeries, and winding corridors into a miniature natural world. Also, you can head to Hangzhou, the well-known ‘earthly paradise’, where the willow-lined shores of West Lake are surrounded by ancient pagodas, temples, and lush green tea plantations. In addition, discover historical Nanjing and go to Yangzhou and Shaoxing for a taste of the scenic serenity.    

Yes, of course! Hundreds of high-speed trains run daily between the two cities, making Shanghai day tours to Suzhou effortless. The 30-minute bullet train journey costs just USD 4 to 6 one way for a second-class seat. Even with a tight schedule, you can experience the very best of Suzhou in a single day. Spend your morning at the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a 500-year-old masterpiece and Suzhou’s largest classical garden. Enjoy an afternoon escape to the vibrant Tongli Water Town to see traditional life unfolding along ancient canals. If time permits, wander through Suzhou Old Town to hunt down lesser-known gems in its narrow alleys.

For mid-range travelers, a classic Shanghai one day tour costs USD 150-200 per person for a comfortable experience, including a one-night stay in a 3- or 4-star hotel for USD 70-120. The ticket fare for popular attractions costs about USD 30-50. A casual local meal costs about USD 5-7, and USD 20-30 is needed for a three-course meal at a mid-range restaurant. For transport, USD 3 to 10 covers daily travel via metro or short taxi rides downtown. If you plan a day trip to Disney Resort, the cost would be higher as an entrance ticket starts from USD 70.

It is definitely worth visiting Zhujiajiao for a Shanghai day trip, which offers a balance of atmospheric water-town charm, picture-perfect scenery, a warren of cobblestone alleyways lined with whitewashed houses, local foodie treats, as well as convenient accessibility. However, if you have enough time, it’s still suggested that you plan a day trip to Suzhou’s water towns for even greater tranquility and authenticity.

If you just transit through Shanghai to a third country, then you don’t need a visa as you are eligible for the visa-free transit for 24 hours. Check your schedule carefully, and you may also qualify for the 240-hour visa-free transit as long as you fly from Country A → Shanghai → Country C, and your nationality is within the 55-country list, including the USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and most European countries.