The 15 Best Water Town Tours in Shanghai

1.Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,016 reviews · from $246Our pick

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver, combining Zhujiajiao’s canals and local lunch with Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden, Bund, and Shanghai Tower. Guides such as Snow, Caroline, Xin, and Jane are praised for clear English, local food advice, photos, and flexible pacing. Hotel pickup, admission, lunch, and private transport are included.

“Really good tour! Our guide, Snow, was excellent! She was knowledgeable, patient and accommodated our interests. We had a very good Shanghainese lunch. The whole day was really awesome!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 661 reviews · from $148

Leave Shanghai by private air-conditioned vehicle for Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town. Your guide, often Kalvin, Snow, Caroline, or Xin, leads you through old streets, markets, gardens, historic bridges, and canals before returning you to your hotel. Choose a morning or afternoon departure, and add lunch or early dinner.

“Snow provided a comprehensive tour of Zhujiajiao. She was punctual and accommodating and friendly to my family. Appreciative!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 460 reviews · 5 hours · from $139

Travel from Shanghai by private car to Zhujiajiao, a thousand-year-old water town. Walk across its historic bridge, browse stone-paved markets, visit Qing-era Kezhi Garden, and ride a private boat through the canals. Guides such as Michael, Cassie, Robert, Lea, Annie, and Sunny are praised for clear English, local insight, patience, and help with food, photos, and translation.

“Everything was tremendous and cannot fault a thing. Michael our guide was brilliant and so knowledgeable. The pick up and transportation was also tremendous and so much better than expected. Well done all and thank you for a great experience.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · 5 hours · from $171

Travel from your central Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned vehicle, then walk old lanes, visit bridges and gardens, sample local food, and take a canal boat. English-speaking guides such as Snow, Kalvin, Caroline, and Jenny explain the town’s past and daily life. Lunch is included with selected options.

“Our guide Snow was excellent. She was very knowledgeable, friendly and exceptionally helpful and patient as my husband required some additional assistance. I can highly recommend her.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Yu Garden, Old Street, Bund & Zhujiajiao Water Town Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 244 reviews · 8 hours · from $60Best value

This 8-hour Shanghai tour pairs Yu Garden and Chenghuang Miao Old Street with Zhujiajiao’s canals, Kezhi Garden and a Shanghai-style lunch. Guides such as Audrey, Irwin, Cindy and Yenny lead the day in English. Round-trip transport and entrance tickets are included, while the water-town boat ride costs extra.

“Really enjoyed this tour, Audrey was great fun and very knowledgeable. Would recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Zhujiajiao Water Town Private Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 173 reviews · from $139

You’ll leave downtown Shanghai by private air-conditioned vehicle for Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town of stone bridges, old lanes, gardens, temples, and canals. An English-speaking guide such as Jun, Robert, Lucy, or Shirley leads the walk and boat ride. Choose a lunch or dinner option if you want local food included.

“This tour was very well organised and Jun was an excellent tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and friendly and made our tour experience very enjoyable.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Shanghai Day Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town, Yu Garden, Bazaar, Bund

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · from $229

Spend about 10 hours with an English-speaking guide and private chauffeur, traveling from central Shanghai to Zhujiajiao Water Town, Yu Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, and the Bund. Your price includes hotel pickup, entrance fees, bottled water, umbrellas, and a Zhujiajiao boat ride. Meals are extra.

“The Bund is very very beautifull place! Shure! We recommend!!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Half-Day Private Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour with Boat Ride from Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · from $160

Travel from Shanghai with a private guide and driver to Zhujiajiao, a 600-year-old water town. Walk its lanes, cross Fangsheng Bridge, visit Kezhi Garden and the old post office, and ride a canal boat. Guides such as Tom, Vicky, David, and Cindy are praised for clear English, local insight, and flexible pacing.

“Very great experience to walk around the ancient town! We could not do the boat ride but overall it was a great experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Private Shanghai & Zhujiajiao Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 115 reviews · 8 hours · from $255

Spend eight hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver, visiting Zhujiajiao water town, Yu Garden or Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, and Shanghai Tower. Guides such as Snow, Caroline, Berlin, and Queena are praised for clear explanations and flexible planning. Lunch, admissions, bottled water, and hotel transport are included.

“amazing day, snow was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. food was fabulous too, would absolutely recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai Highlights Private Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · from $133

Spend about eight hours with a private guide and driver visiting 1,700-year-old Zhujiajiao, Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai Old Street, and the Bund. Tom and Sophie are among the guides praised for clear English and thoughtful planning. Transport, bottled water, and hotel or port pickup are included, while Yuyuan Garden admission costs extra.

“Tom was super responsive and very kind to walk with us through Zhujiajiao and the Bund even though he didn't need to given this was actually a private car arrangement!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Flexible Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · from $170

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private guide and driver visiting Zhujiajiao Water Town, then tailor your Shanghai sightseeing around the Bund, Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, or Pudong. Guides such as Annie, Sammi, Freya, Lily, and Fei Fei are praised for clear English and thoughtful pacing. Hotel pickup is included in downtown Shanghai.

“Tour was great Ryan picked us up @ hotel and we were off for the day both days I should say even though it was the busy time of year with the New Year coming up lots of travelers in train stations, very informative. I like the private tours as they go at your pace instead of 10-15 people. Ryan was very good.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Wuzhen and Xitang Water Town Private Full Day Trip from Shanghai with Lunch and Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $284

Leave Shanghai at 9:30am for a private day exploring Wuzhen and Xitang. Walk old lanes, cross stone bridges, cruise the canals, eat local lunch and dinner, and stay late for Xitang’s lights. Guides such as Caroline, Kimi, Bella, and Jane are noted for flexible pacing, food advice, and help with photos.

“Great experience and guide (Jane). We had booked for 9:30 AM but they suggested we leave a little later to be able to see the village at night when it was lit up and definitely glad we did! Cool shops and the pork at the first restaurant stop was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour with Shanghai Zoo and Panda

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $166

Spend six to eight hours with a private guide and driver, starting with pandas and other animals at Shanghai Zoo before visiting Zhujiajiao Water Town. Guides such as Cassie, Ruby, Annie, Roy, and Sammi have led this route. Choose a tour with lunch and a canal boat ride, or book the simpler tour option.

“We went to see the pandas . I find this company very efficient on time lovely knowledgeable guides. Helpfull too. very good all round When I change the plans slightly they were very quick to put it right for me. I thoroughly recommend them.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Zoo and Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 7 hours · from $190

Spend seven hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver, visiting Shanghai Zoo and historic Zhujiajiao. Guides such as Robert, Annie, Shirley, and Lea lead you through the animal park, stone lanes, markets, and canal ride. Hotel pickup, entrance fees, private transport, and the boat ticket are included.

“Our tour was perfectly organized. The driver was very punctual. Shirley is the excellent guide - knowledgeable, kind and friendly. She respected our preferences and helped us make small purchases. Overall, the tour exceeded our expectations and we are more than happy to recommend it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Zhujiajiao Water Village Half Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 54 reviews · from $99

Travel from central Shanghai to Zhujiajiao with an English-speaking guide, then walk its old lanes, cross the five-arch bridge, visit temples, and ride a canal boat. The tour also includes a silk-making demonstration, though some departures have substituted shopping stops. Guides such as Frank, Joy, Michael, and Evan have been especially helpful.

“I would totally recomend Viator, I originally booked this tour and since there was no group for this they called me and offered me another option instead that was even longer, this definitely speaks of the great service of viator.”

Check availability →Read our full review