15 Old Town & Ancient Village Tours in China to Build a Day Around

1.Half-Day Bike Tour of Shanghai Old Town with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 306 reviews · from $100Our pick

Start at 9:30 am with a safety briefing, coffee, and a vintage bicycle. Ride through Shanghai Old Town, the Former French Concession, and Fuxing Park, stopping at Fazang Temple and a traditional wet market. Guides such as Charlie, Claire, Jeremy, and Kat bring local history and street life into focus. The tour lasts about four hours and ends where it begins.

“Great way to spend a half-day in Shanghai. Our guide Jeremy was very knowledgable and guided us through some less touristy sections for the city. We also stopped for some tasty street food, which was an added bonus. I definitely recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Ancient Town Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 45 reviews · from $93

Travel from Chengdu in a private, air-conditioned car to the 71-meter Leshan Giant Buddha, then explore Huanglongxi Ancient Town. Your driver handles transport and may help with tickets, directions, photos, food ordering, and translation through a phone app. Attraction tickets, lunch, and a guide are not included.

“The area is really beautiful. The boat tour was really pleasant. The village was really pretty and interesting. The guide was really nice and accommodating.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.9 days Ancient Town Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $1,820

Travel privately from Dali to Lijiang with an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned vehicle, hotels, and most meals included. The route visits Xizhou, Weishan, Nuodeng, Shaxi, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, and Tibetan Sumtseling Monastery. Guides such as Nancy and Yanzi have been praised for strong local advice and careful organization.

“Ciel Yunnan curated an absolutely unforgettable seven-day journey through Yunnan, combining spectacular sightseeing and booking all our boutique hotels, which were each full of character.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.3-Hour Shanghai Yu Garden &Old Town Private Tour with Tea Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $80

Meet your English-speaking guide at your downtown Shanghai hotel and ride to Yu Garden for classical pavilions, ponds, and Qing Dynasty design. Continue through Old Town’s market lanes, then enjoy a tea tasting. The private format allows a flexible pace, with guides such as Annie, Sunny, Sunni, and May mentioned by name in past bookings.

“This was an excellent tour. The guide was pleasant and very knowledged. One of the best tours ever. I would highly recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Off-beaten Route: Shanghai Old Town Discovery&Street Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $98

Spend three hours walking through Shanghai’s Old Town with a professional guide, sampling egg pancakes, sticky rice rolls, wonton soup, fried dumplings, and other local bites. You’ll see the old city wall, Yu Garden, a 700-year-old Confucius temple, a birds market, and a traditional tea ceremony. Guide Lynn is praised for making the walk feel personal and relaxed.

“I loved my Old Town Discovery & Street Food Tasting with Lynn.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Shanghai：Old Town, Yu Garden, Zhujiajiao Water Town Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 16 reviews · 1 day · from $91

You’ll explore Shanghai’s Old Town and Yu Garden, ride by coach to Zhujiajiao Water Town, enjoy a Shanghai-style lunch, and finish at the Bund after dark. The full-day option includes transport, tickets, lunch, and an English-speaking guide. Cindy has earned praise for her warmth and patience, though guides vary.

“Nice tour, Zhujiaojiao is charming. We had the time to enjoy the all the activities. The guide was warm. And the Bund at night is breathtaking.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Tour to Leshan Giant Buddha & Huanglongxi Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · 8 hours · from $218

Travel from Chengdu with an English-speaking guide and private vehicle to Leshan Giant Buddha, carved over 90 years during the Tang Dynasty. See its 1,020 coiled-hair buns, visit Lingyun and Wuyou temples, and possibly take a river cruise. After a local farmhouse lunch, explore 1,700-year-old Huanglongxi, with time for snacks and market shopping.

“Our guide, Yo-Yo, was very kind, always attentive to us, explaining well knowing. We ate local food and explored each place without rushing. The driver was very friendly; everything went according to plan.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Surreal Urban, Ancient Town, and Secret Viewpoint

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $216

Spend 10 hours exploring Chongqing with a guide such as Diego, Hao, Linxin, Flora, or Sofia. Ride through the Liziba building, cross the Yangtze by cableway, wander Ciqikou, visit Kuixing Tower, Longmenhao Old Street, and the City Planning Gallery. Pickup, entry tickets, snacks, drinks, and multilingual guiding are included.

“Ciqikou was buzzing — so much to see, smell, and taste! And the Yangtze cable car? Unreal! The whole city just lit up beneath us. Best part of my trip to Chongqing!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.All-Inclusive Private Panda & Hidden Ancient Town Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $139

Spend about seven hours with Lala and a private English-speaking guide, visiting Chengdu’s panda base and Luodai Ancient Town. Your $139 includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a private vehicle, entrance fees, Sichuan lunch, and food tastings. Expect conservation stories, Hakka architecture, local flavors, and a relaxed day without hidden costs.

“What a beautiful experience! Lala is a special person. The tour has been wonderful. We'll come back in the future and we'll have a new tour with Lala, for sure!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Hongcun Ancient Village Half-Day Private Tour from Huangshan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $122

Travel door to door from your Huangshan hotel, airport, or railway station with a private guide and air-conditioned vehicle. Spend about three hours exploring Hongcun’s Huizhou architecture, lake, markets, bamboo sea, local customs, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon connections. Guides such as Jessie and Sunny are praised for clear stories and flexible pacing.

“A delightful afternoon wandering around an ancient atmospheric romantic village - looking at the buildings, the architectural symbolism and the small lake. Some nice shops and cafes. Lots of artists painting. The guide, Sunny, was vRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave & Daxu Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $158

See Guilin’s Elephant Trunk Hill, climb to Puxian Tower, visit Yunfeng Temple, and tour Reed Flute Cave before lunch and a walk through 1,000-year-old Daxu. A private vehicle, hotel pickup, entrance fees, lunch, and an English-speaking guide are included. Guides such as Joe and Joanna have led this route.

“We highly recommend this tour. Our guide Joe spoke excellent English. He was very knowledgeable and looked after my husband & I very well. Joe had lots of advice & recommendations for the rest of our trip. The local ice cream was so good and thank you Joe for your advice regarding Maglev train in Shanghai. Very busy time due to national holiday for all but Joe navigated us through the crowds no problem. Also one of the best drivers we had”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.3-Hour Shanghai Street Food Tasting & Old Town Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $118

Let an English-speaking local guide lead you through Shanghai’s back streets for soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, noodles, pancakes, pork sticks, dessert, and drinks. Then visit the Old Town bazaar, Ming and Qing architecture, the lake tea house, and the nine lucky zigzag bridge. Hotel pickup and drop-off in central Shanghai are included.

“Must do activity - tasty and great to get to know the city and its people”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Old Town Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 4 reviews · 3 hours · from $69

Spend three hours walking from Lishui Road through Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, the old town antique market, Huangpu, and the Huangpu River area. Your private guide can tailor the route and speak English, French, or Chinese. Daniel has guided in French, while Liam is praised for punctual communication.

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Foodies Tour In The Old Town of Guangzhou

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $119

Join a local guide, including guides such as Mango, for a three-hour food walk through historic Xiguan. Meet at Zhongshanba Station or arrange central hotel pickup, then sample noodles, dim sum, barbecue pork, dumplings, and more at four to five local eateries. A sit-down meal is optional and paid separately.

“Excellent food tour experience with our tour guide, Mango. We are completely satisfied with the service provided. She made our trip an unforgettable experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Private Qibao Ancient Town Walking Tour with Tea Tasting and Calligraphy Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $100

Meet an English-speaking guide such as Jun, Sunny, or Annie at your downtown Shanghai hotel, then visit Qibao’s riverside lanes, temples, teahouses, and food stalls. The 5 to 6-hour private outing includes local Uber or private transport, tea tasting, snacks, and a hands-on Chinese calligraphy session before returning downtown.

“It was really fun to see this part of the city before I left the next day. I loved the tea tasting and calligraphy lesson. Thanks for a great time!”

Check availability →Read our full review