Where to Go: the 15 Best China Garden Tours

1.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

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

Spend five hours exploring Zhujiajiao with a private English-speaking guide and driver. Walk across historic bridges, browse stone-paved markets, visit Qing-era Kezhi Garden, and ride a boat through the old canals. Guides such as Michael, Cassie, Robert, and Sunny are praised for clear explanations, flexible pacing, translation help, and family-friendly care.

“We had an amazing time during the tour! A big thank you to Michael for the outstanding quality of his work. He was knowledgeable, engaging, and made the experience truly enjoyable. We learned so many interesting things thanks to him. I highly recommend taking the tour with Michael if you want to fully enjoy and experience the city. 🌟”

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2.Best of Shanghai Day Tour, including Jade Buddha Temple & Bund & Yuyuan Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 338 reviews · from $79

Spend about eight hours touring Shanghai with an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Elena, or Michael. Visit the Shanghai Museum, People’s Square, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, the former French Concession, and Xintiandi. Hotel pickup, lunch, entrance fees, and air-conditioned transport are included, though the pace can be brisk.

“Wonderful time exploring Shanghai! The lunch was great and seeing the best areas of the city in one day made the trip a hit. Highly recommend”

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3.Yu Garden Admission Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 260 reviews · 4 hours · from $16

Use a prepaid ticket to enter Shanghai’s 400-year-old Yu Garden, a compact classical garden filled with rockeries, ponds, pavilions, calligraphy, and Ming-Qing furnishings. You explore independently, without a guide or meals included. Choose a morning or afternoon entry window, and bring your passport plus the correct QR code sent by the booking team.

“Everything was good. The garden is wonderful and I hope everybody could find something interesting there.”

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

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

Spend eight hours with an English-speaking guide such as Audrey, Irwin, or Cindy, visiting Yu Garden, Chenghuang Miao Old Street, and Zhujiajiao Water Town before ending at the Bund. The $60 price includes transport, entrance tickets, and a Shanghai-style meal or snacks, but not the optional canal boat ride.

“Audrey was our guide. She is very friendly and speaks fluent English. She is a well experienced tour guide and has great knowledge about Chinese history and culture. We started with the beautiful Yu Garden and then to the market near it. We tasted 5 types of traditional Chinese tea and the tea mistress was excellent. We were then taken to Zhujiajiao water town by bus. We started with lunch at Zhujiajiao. Zhujiajiao is a delightful place to spend your holiday. The water town is gorgeous, lots of cuisine to taste, lot of souvenirs to purchase. Our last stop was the Bund where we can walk leisurely by ourselves.”

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5.Beijing Historical Tour II including Summer Palace, Lama Temple & Panda Garden

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 187 reviews · from $93

Spend roughly seven hours visiting Beijing’s Lama Temple, Summer Palace, and Panda Garden with an English-speaking guide. The package includes hotel pickup, transport, entrance fees, and Chinese lunch. Expect a short silk demonstration and possible shopping stops. Guides such as William, Mary, Alice, and Cathy have been praised for clear history and friendly service.

“This was avery nice trip to different places of Beijing, with a very nice and friendly guide, who spoke very good English. It was also really good organized. The only little critic concerns the meal, it was fresher and lovingly arranged on the other tours.”

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6.Beijing：Jingshan Park (Palace Museum Garden) Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 185 reviews · 4 hours · from $6Best value

Visit Jingshan Park, Beijing’s central hilltop garden, for sweeping views over the Forbidden City, quiet imperial pavilions, and a look at Qing-era traditions. Your entry ticket includes an English PDF guide and QR-code admission, with no live guide or audio guide included. Go early for cooler paths and fewer people, or visit at sunset for the evening show, knowing it can be crowded.

“Beautiful park. We went very early - before 7am. Very peaceful and cool in the park. Got really good instructions from our guide for entering the park and a pdf guide on places to visit in the park.”

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

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

Spend a full day with a private English-speaking guide and chauffeur, traveling from central Shanghai to Zhujiajiao Water Town, then back to Yu Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, and the Bund. Your $229 includes hotel pickup, entrance fees, bottled water, umbrellas, and a boat ride in Zhujiajiao. Meals are not included.

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

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8.Private Yu Garden, The Bund, French Concession, Pudong Half-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · from $120

Spend four focused hours with a private guide such as Tom, Alice, Vicky, or Jaime, visiting Yu Garden, Old Town, the Bund, the French Concession, and Pudong. You’ll ride between stops in a private vehicle, hear Shanghai’s story in clear English, and sample loose-leaf tea in a local tea house.

“My guide Tom Zhang proved to be an excellent guide. With fluent English and a great knowledge it was a most enjoyable trip.”

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9.Yu Garden Ticket+Lantern Festival Entry combo

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 49 reviews · 1 day · from $9

Explore Yu Garden’s Ming and Qing architecture, ponds, rockeries, pavilions, furniture, and calligraphy, then visit the Yuyuan Lantern Festival at its separate Fangbang Middle Road address. The 2026 festival runs January 26 to March 3, with horse-themed lanterns, lantern riddles, the Nine-Zigzag Bridge, and a nightly light show. Entry is self-guided.

“The lights were absolutely stunning, it was so beautiful to see. The downside was that it was very busy and you were constantly ushered forward with whistles. I understand that they need to keep the crowd moving but the constant noise of whistles made it difficult to fully enjoy. Having said that, the lanterns were truly beautiful, the surroundings were breathtaking and I am very pleased I went.”

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10.Yu Garden Entry Ticket with PDF Guidebook

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 45 reviews · 3 hours · from $17

Visit Yu Garden, a Ming Dynasty classical garden in Shanghai’s Old City, with an instant QR ticket and English PDF guide. You’ll follow a suggested route past the Nine-turn Bridge, Huxinting Teahouse, classical halls, and famous garden stones. The visit lasts about three hours and includes no live guide, transport, meals, or audio guide.

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11.Yu Garden with Entry Tickets(optional)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 1 day · from $180

Visit Shanghai’s 450-year-old Yu Garden with an advance entrance ticket and optional English-speaking guide. Explore Ming and Qing furniture, calligraphy, ancient trees, rockeries, halls, and courtyards. The garden is easy to reach by Metro Line 10, but check ticket delivery carefully and avoid Mondays.

“L'envoi des billets par le guide via WhatsApp 2 jours avant le jour de la visite. Le Jardin est somptueux avec les différentes pièces à l'intérieur. On s'y perd en deambulant tout en contemplant la beauté architecturale de ce monument historique. Nous y sommes allés pour 9h, il n'y avait pas trop de monde. Malgré les 36 degrés c'était supportable grâce à la végétation environnante.”

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12.Yu Garden and City God Temple Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 27 reviews · 3 hours · from $60

Spend three hours with an English- or Chinese-speaking guide such as Leo, Linda, or Patrick around Shanghai’s old city. Visit elegant Yu Garden, Taoist City God Temple, Yu Garden Old Street, local craft shops, and a tea shop. Add soup dumplings for a satisfying taste of Shanghai street food.

“Leo, our guide provided a lot of historical information outside the main topic Yu-Garden. It was very interesting. The Garden itself is wonderful and I, by myself, would ban other people to enjoy the beauty alone, hahaha. Total recommendation for this tour and this guide.”

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13.Yu/Yuyuan Garden Entry Ticket–E ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 24 reviews · 1 hour · from $13

Visit Yuyuan Garden beside Shanghai’s City God Temple with a one-hour entry ticket from Andy’s private China tours. You’ll explore ponds, bridges, halls, clay figures, brick carvings, calligraphy, and painted works at your own pace. Use the correct QR code sent by email or WhatsApp, not the GetYourGuide code.

“Un’esperienza magnifica! Giardino stupendo dall’ambiente naturale e rilassante, consiglio vivamente per un momento di relax tra laghetti e piante di ogni genere!”

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14.JingShan park (palace museum garden) entry ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 18 reviews · 1 day · from $6

Visit Jingshan Park beside the Forbidden City with a one-day admission ticket. Climb the 45.7-meter artificial hill to Wanchun Pavilion for broad views over the palace roofs and Beijing. You explore independently, with no guide or meals included. Bring the passport used for booking and check your entry code carefully.

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $80

Meet guides such as Sunny, Sunni, Annie, or May at your downtown Shanghai hotel for a private visit to Yu Garden, Old Town, and Yuyuan Old Street. You’ll see Qing Dynasty-era architecture, browse market stalls, ride local transport, and take part in a tea tasting. The tour lasts about two to two and a half hours.

“This 3-hour tour was the perfect way to explore Shanghai’s rich history. Yu Garden was beautiful and peaceful, and our guide shared great insights about its architecture and cultural significance. The tea tasting was a real highlight – we samRead more”

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