Shanghai-based inbound tour operator since 2015 · English-speaking guides in every city

China tours,
planned from Shanghai

Start where your flight lands. Every quote is itemised before you pay a deposit: hotels, high-speed trains, guides and entrance fees, all in writing. Nothing hidden, no shopping stops.

Lujiazui from the Bund at blue hour

  • Licensed travel agencyNo. L-SH-CJ100846
  • No shopping stopsWritten into your contract
  • 24/7 on-trip supportA human in Shanghai, always
  • Pay in stages20% deposit, balance later

The short version

If you land in Shanghai, the trip that works is 3 to 5 days in Shanghai and the Yangtze Delta (water towns, Suzhou gardens, Hangzhou's West Lake), then a high-speed train to Beijing or Xi'an for a 9-to-12-day journey. Every itinerary is quoted line by line, hotels, English-speaking guide, trains and entrance fees included, so you see exactly what you are paying for before you commit.

Looking down on the Huangpu River and the Bund from the Shanghai Tower observation deck
From the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower: the Huangpu, the Bund and, on a clear day, the hills of Zhejiang
25Mpeople, three faces of one city

Shanghai at a glance

A 1920s waterfront, Ming gardens, canal towns and a skyline from next decade, all in one city

Shanghai is where most China trips begin, and it rewards more than the two-night stopover it usually gets. The Bund and Lujiazui are the postcard; the plane-tree streets, the lane houses, the water towns an hour west and the museums that opened in 2024 are the reasons guests ask to stay longer. This is the city we live in, so the practical details below are first-hand.

  • Best monthsLate March to May, late September to NovemberMild and dry. June is plum-rain season, July–August hot and humid, December–February cool and grey but uncrowded.
  • How long3 nights for the city, 5 to 6 with Suzhou and HangzhouTwo full days cover the landmarks; the third buys you a water town or a slower neighbourhood day.
  • AirportsPudong (PVG) 45–60 min to the Bund · Hongqiao (SHA) 25 minPVG handles most long-haul flights; the 431 km/h Maglev reaches Longyang Road in 8 minutes. SHA shares a hub with the high-speed rail station.
  • VisaOften none: 240-hour transit for 57 nationalities, 30-day entry for 50The permit now covers 24 provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Beijing. Rules change at short notice; we re-check your eligibility before quoting.
  • MoneyPhone payments everywhere, cards now widely acceptedLink a Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly; foreign-card terminals in Shanghai nearly doubled in 2026.
  • LanguageEnglish on signs and the metro; less so in taxis and marketsEvery tour runs with an English-speaking guide, and our 24/7 line answers in English, Shanghainese and Mandarin.
See Shanghai day tours Signature places ↓

Signature Shanghai

Seven places that define the city, and the way we do each of them

Everyone visits the same landmarks. The difference is the hour you arrive, the door you go in by and what you do once you're there. Each tile shows three ways our guides run the place.

Build these into a day →
The Peace Hotel and the Bund at dusk Waterfront The Bund One and a half kilometres of 1920s banks and hotels staring across the river at the future. Best at 7 am and again after dark. Dawn walk before the crowdsRooftop sundownerNight river cruise View from the Shanghai Tower observation deck Skyline Shanghai Tower Timed entry, no queueSunset-into-night slotLujiazui skywalk Yu Garden pavilions and pond Old City Yu Garden & the bazaar Early private entryTea at HuxintingXiaolongbao lesson Shanghai Museum East in Pudong Museums Shanghai Museum East Curator-led bronzesJiangnan galleryTickets booked for you Zhujiajiao canal and stone bridge Water town Zhujiajiao Hand-rowed boatKezhi GardenIn before the buses Wukang Mansion in the former French Concession Neighbourhoods Former French Concession Plane-tree avenues, 1930s villas, shikumen lanes and coffee worth a detour, on foot or by bike. Wukang Road walk12 km bike loopHidden-garden coffee Sightseeing boat on the Huangpu River at night After dark Huangpu River by night Both skylines from the water, with the lights switched on at 7 pm sharp. We book the quieter upper-deck boats. 50-minute cruisePrivate deck tableBund dinner first
Restored shikumen lane houses at Zhangyuan, Jing'an
4.5 hShanghai → Beijing by high-speed rail
240 hvisa-free transit via PVG & SHA

Why start in Shanghai

The gateway to China is the city we live in

Most agencies sell Shanghai as a two-day add-on. For us it is home: our planners, guides and drivers are based here, so the first and last days of your trip are the ones we know best.

  • Two international airports, one team on the ground

    Pudong and Hongqiao between them connect to 140+ cities. Whichever you land at, a named guide is waiting at arrivals with your name on a board, not a stranger from a sub-contractor.

  • The Yangtze Delta is 25 to 60 minutes away

    Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuzhen and Zhujiajiao are all day-trippable by bullet train or car. That means fewer hotel changes and more time actually seeing things.

  • We scout our own routes every month

    Which Bund rooftop is actually open, which water town is quiet on a Tuesday, which tailor at the fabric market is worth your fitting, which robotaxi zone has opened. Our planners walk these streets, not a spreadsheet.

  • One contract, one point of contact

    From Shanghai to Xi'an or Chengdu, you deal with the same Shanghai-based planner and the same 24/7 number. Nothing is handed off to an anonymous partner agency.

Beyond the landmarks

The Shanghai that travellers are actually asking for in 2026

Visitors are moving from the skyline to street level: cycling plane-tree lanes, having a suit or glasses made in a day, spending an afternoon in a workers' neighbourhood, riding a driverless taxi. These are the experiences we run most often now, all private, all with a Shanghai-based guide.

All Shanghai experiences →
  • 5.31M+27.8%International visitors to Shanghai, first half of 2026Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture & Tourism
  • 57 countriesNow eligible for 240-hour visa-free transit via Shanghai, plus 50 with unilateral visa-free entryNational Immigration Administration, Aug 2026
  • 1.25MOverseas visitors to Zhujiajiao water town alone, Jan–Jun 2026 (+25%)Zhujiajiao Cultural Development Co.
  • +98.6%Growth in foreign bank-card transactions in Shanghai, so your card now works almost everywhereUnionPay, H1 2026
Qipao and suit tailoring at a Shanghai fabric market Shanghai Custom A suit, a qipao, prescription glasses and a gold ring, all made for you in Shanghai The South Bund Fabric Market fits a hand-made suit or qipao (ready in 3 to 10 days, or shipped home); Shanghai International Eyewear City cuts complex lenses in one to two hours; Yu Garden's goldsmiths make simple pieces in three days. Foreign customers now make up more than half of these shops' trade. Half day · guide, transport, fittings Bicycle under plane trees in the former French Concession Cycling Ride the plane-tree streets, the shikumen lanes and Suzhou Creek A slow bike loop through the Hengfu historic district, into a lived-in shikumen lane, past the dancers and tai chi groups in Fuxing Park, through a wet market and along the Suzhou Creek waterfront. Guided in English, at the pace of a conversation. Half day · 12 km, mostly flat Morning tai chi in a Shanghai park Local life A day as a Shanghainese in Caoyang New Village China's first workers' new village, built in 1951. Walk its history museum, sing a Shanghainese folk song with the neighbourhood "old mothers" choir, make a lacquer fan, learn a tai chi form with residents and eat lunch at a community canteen. The tour foreign groups talk about most. Half day · max 8 guests Driverless robotaxi Tech Shanghai Robotaxi, drone delivery, AI-guided museums and the 431 km/h Maglev Hail a driverless taxi in Pudong, order lunch by drone, tour the China Art Museum's blockbuster exhibitions with AI glasses that narrate in English, then ride the Maglev. For deeper "China tech tourism", add factory and lab visits in Suzhou, Hangzhou and Hefei on our 6-day Tech China route. Full day · bookings for robotaxi included M50 creative park, Shanghai Industrial heritage From cotton mills and oil tanks to contemporary art: M50, Tank Shanghai and the West Bund Shanghai's factories became its galleries. M50 is a 1930s textile mill on Suzhou Creek now full of studios; Tank Shanghai turned aviation fuel tanks into an art centre on the river; the West Bund museum mile sits between them. A half day for anyone interested in how the city reinvents itself. Half day · gallery entry included Cruise ship at Shanghai Cruise & events Wusongkou shore excursions, pre- and post-cruise stays, and ticket-stub perks We meet ships at Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal and run Zhangyuan shikumen, the Bund and Yu Garden in a day, or add hotel nights before you sail. In 2026 a single F1 Chinese Grand Prix or museum ticket also unlocks discounts at hundreds of restaurants, shops, hotels and river cruises; we build the day around it. Shore day · from the terminal

Trends and figures drawn from: Shanghai Culture & Tourism Industry Research Institute, "Shanghai named Weibo's most internationally influential inbound destination 2025–26" (Oct 2026); People's Daily via Xinhua, "Three scenes of Shanghai's new inbound tourism" (Aug 2026); People's Daily Overseas Edition, "Inbound tourism booms, 'tech tourism' renews" (Oct 2026).

Hands-on Shanghai

Four afternoons where you make something yourself

Small groups of two to six, hosted by people who do this for a living rather than for tourists. Each slots into a free half day and can be added to any itinerary.

Add one to my trip →
A tea master pouring gongfu tea in a Shanghai teahouse Tea Gongfu tea in a lane house Six teas in two hours, from Hangzhou's Longjing to aged Pu'er, brewed in a gaiwan by a tea master in a 1930s shikumen. You leave knowing water temperature, steeping time and what to buy, plus 50 g of your favourite. 2 h · max 6 Chinese calligraphy brush and ink Brush & seal Write your name, carve your seal A calligrapher teaches the eight basic strokes, then helps you write a four-character phrase worth framing. Next door, a seal carver cuts your name into soapstone so you can stamp it in red, the way it has been done for two thousand years. 2.5 h · max 6 Freshly made xiaolongbao dumplings Cooking Xiaolongbao masterclass Shop a wet market with the chef, then learn why the soup is a jelly, how eighteen pleats stay shut, and how long to steam. You eat what you make, plus a scallion-pancake course. Vegetarian version available. 3 h · max 6 The jazz band playing at the Peace Hotel on the Bund Evening Jazz Age Shanghai A Shanghainese tasting menu in a 1930s garden villa (drunken chicken, red-braised pork, hairy crab in season), then a reserved table for the Old Jazz Band at the Peace Hotel, whose youngest member is in his seventies. Evening · 4 h

Pick a starting point

Where do you want to begin?

All destinations →
Shanghai tours — the Bund and Pudong skyline ShanghaiHome base · 12 tours Suzhou tours — classical gardens SuzhouJiangsu · 25 min by train · 6 tours Hangzhou tours — West Lake HangzhouZhejiang · 45 min by train · 6 tours Zhujiajiao water town canals Zhujiajiao & JinzeWater towns · 1 h by car · 4 tours Wuzhen water town from above WuzhenZhejiang · 1.5 h by car · 3 tours Huangshan sea of clouds HuangshanAnhui · 3 h by train · 3 tours Nanjing Confucius Temple on the Qinhuai River NanjingJiangsu · 1 h by train · 2 tours Great Wall of China Beijing4.5 h by train · 7 tours

Short on time

Private day tours from Shanghai, door to door

Just landed, on a layover, or stuck between meetings? Every tour below runs private with hotel or airport pickup and an English-speaking guide.

All Shanghai day tours →
Yu Garden, Shanghai Classic ShanghaiFull day · 8 hThe Bund, Yu Garden, the Old City, a lilong lane walk and the Pudong skyline at dusk. Zhujiajiao water town Zhujiajiao Water TownHalf day · 5 hMing-dynasty bridges, a gondola ride and the Kezhi Garden, back in the city for lunch. Humble Administrator's Garden, Suzhou Suzhou by Bullet TrainFull day · 9 hThe Humble Administrator's Garden, Tiger Hill, a silk workshop and Pingjiang Road, 25 minutes each way. Longjing tea terraces near Hangzhou Hangzhou & Tea FieldsFull day · 10 hA boat on West Lake, Lingyin Temple and tea tasting in Longjing village with a farming family. Shanghai Pudong International Airport PVG Layover Tour6–8 h · from the terminalMeet at arrivals, Maglev into town, the Bund and Yu Garden, back through security with two hours to spare. Xiaolongbao soup dumplings Shanghai Food WalkEvening · 3.5 hXiaolongbao, scallion pancakes, hairy crab in season and a craft-beer stop, eight tastings in all. Wukang Road, former French Concession Art Deco & French ConcessionHalf day · 4 hA walk through 1930s Shanghai: Wukang Mansion, plane-tree avenues, shikumen lanes and a hidden-garden coffee. Wuzhen water town Wuzhen Day TripFull day · 10 hA carefully preserved water town, with indigo-dyeing workshops and lantern-lit canals after dark.

Arriving & getting around

Door to door, from the jet bridge to the hotel lobby

Shanghai has two airports, a cruise terminal and one of the largest high-speed rail hubs in the country. We handle every leg, so the times below are what you can actually expect with a car waiting.

  • Pudong Airport (PVG)The Bund / Jing'an45–60 minprivate car · or Maglev 8 min + metro 25 min
  • Hongqiao Airport (SHA)Jing'an / Xintiandi25–35 minmost domestic and some Asian flights
  • Hongqiao Railway StationSuzhou · Hangzhou · Nanjing25 · 45 · 60 minbullet train, departures every few minutes
  • Hongqiao Railway StationBeijing4 h 18 minfastest Fuxing service, 350 km/h
  • Wusongkou Cruise TerminalThe Bund45–60 minguide meets you at the terminal exit
  • Across townMetro, taxi or bike20+ metro linestap in with a foreign card; DiDi and share bikes work with Alipay
  • Meet-and-greet on every arrival. A named guide or driver waits past customs with a sign, tracks your flight and waits up to 90 minutes free if immigration is slow.
  • Tickets in hand before you land. Train seats, timed museum entries and the Maglev are booked on your passport number, so there is no queuing at a counter in Chinese.
  • Luggage sorted. We hold bags on layover days, arrange left-luggage at Hongqiao for day trips, and move suitcases hotel to hotel on multi-city trips.
The departures hall at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station A Fuxing high-speed train on the Beijing–Shanghai line
Hongqiao hub: airport, metro and 350 km/h trains under one roof

Combine Shanghai with

Three ways out of the city in under three hours

Each route starts and ends at your Shanghai hotel, runs by high-speed rail or private car, and can be stretched or shortened by a day. Hotels and guide are always included.

All multi-day tours →
West Lake, Hangzhou 5–7 days · by bullet train Classic Jiangnan ShanghaiSuzhouHangzhou Classical gardens and silk in Suzhou, West Lake and Longjing tea terraces in Hangzhou, water towns in between. The gentlest introduction to China there is. Moon Pond in Hongcun village 5–6 days · train + car Peaks & ink-wash villages ShanghaiHuangshanHongcun A night on the summit for sunrise over the sea of clouds, then two slow days in the whitewashed Hui villages of Hongcun and Xidi, three hours from Shanghai. Confucius Temple on the Qinhuai River, Nanjing 5–6 days · by bullet train Capitals of the east ShanghaiNanjingWuxiSuzhou Ming city walls and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, Lake Tai and the Grand Canal at Wuxi, a garden evening in Suzhou. History-heavy, crowd-light.

Practical answers before you book

Visas China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit via Shanghai: Who Qualifies and How It Works Ten days across 24 Chinese provinces and cities, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang included, with no visa application, no fee and no fingerprints, if you hold one of 57 passports and leave for a third country. The rulebook for PVG and SHA, step by step. 8 min read Arrival Landing in Shanghai: Maglev, Metro, Taxis, SIM Cards and the First Two Hours The 431 km/h Maglev is fun but drops you in the wrong place; the metro is cheap but slow with luggage. What we tell every guest to do between the jet bridge and the hotel lobby. 7 min read Money Paying in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cards and Cash Roughly nine in ten urban payments in China now run through a phone. Set up two apps before you fly, carry a modest cash float, and you will never be stuck at a till. Foreign-card acceptance in Shanghai nearly doubled in 2026, so a Visa or Mastercard is now a real backup. 8 min read Shopping "Shanghai Custom": Where to Get a Suit, Glasses or Gold Made, and How Long It Takes The city has published an English "Shanghai Custom" map of tailors, opticians and goldsmiths. We explain what to bring, realistic turnaround times (glasses in two hours, a suit in a week), how to get things shipped, and what a fair price looks like. 7 min read Events One Ticket, Whole City: How Shanghai's Ticket-Stub Perks Work for F1, Concerts and Big Exhibitions In 2026 a Chinese Grand Prix or China Art Museum ticket unlocks discounts at nearly 500 restaurants, malls, riverside hotels and Bund cruises. Which events qualify, how to claim, and how we build a day around your ticket. 6 min read Cruise Arriving by Ship: Wusongkou Cruise Terminal to the Bund, Visa Rules and What Fits in a Port Day More than 80% of cruise passengers now enter Shanghai visa-free. How long the transfer takes, what two days in the city realistically cover, and why many guests now fly in a few nights early and sail from here. 6 min read

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers on deposits, children, visas and what happens when plans change. If yours isn't here, a Shanghai planner replies within 12 hours.

Ask a question
Who are Onetwo GO trips best suited to?

Our trips suit first-time visitors, families with children and travellers over 60 who want a fixed pace; about 70% of our guests are visiting China for the first time and most of them arrive through Shanghai. Every departure is private, so we slow down or push on without negotiating with a group.

Browse China tours →

Do I need a visa if I'm only visiting Shanghai and nearby cities?

Possibly not. Citizens of 57 countries can enter through Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao without a visa for up to 240 hours if they hold an onward ticket to a third country, and may travel within 24 designated provinces and cities, including Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Beijing. That covers Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuzhen, the water towns and even a Beijing leg. Citizens of 50 countries, including most of Europe, also qualify for 30-day unilateral visa-free entry with no onward-ticket condition. We check your eligibility before quoting. Entry rules are set by China's National Immigration Administration and can change without notice, so please confirm with your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate before buying flights.

How do I book a trip with Onetwo GO?

Send an enquiry and we reply within 12 hours with a draft itinerary; you then pay a 20% deposit to confirm. The balance is due 21 days before departure. Everything is confirmed in writing, including hotel names, train numbers and your guide's mobile number.

Start an enquiry →

Is airport pickup included?

Yes, on every multi-day tour and every day tour that starts from the airport. A named guide or driver waits at the arrivals exit at Pudong (PVG) or Hongqiao (SHA) with a sign, tracks your flight, and waits free of charge for up to 90 minutes after landing if immigration is slow.

How much do I have to pay up front?

A 20% deposit confirms your booking and the remaining 80% falls due 21 days before departure. Bookings made inside 21 days are payable in full. Your quote is fixed at confirmation, so currency moves are ours.

What is your policy if I need to change my dates?

Change your dates free of charge up to 30 days before departure; between 30 and 14 days there is a 10% rebooking fee. Inside 14 days we treat it as a cancellation, because hotels and train tickets are already committed.

Do children travel free?

Children under 3 travel free if they share a bed; ages 3 to 11 pay 70% of the adult price for their own bed; 12 and over pay the full rate. Every family day includes one hard stop, a playground or park, and a non-spicy meal option.

Can you arrange factory visits, robotaxi rides and other "tech tourism"?

Yes. In Shanghai we book robotaxi rides, drone-delivery demos, AI-guided museum visits and the Maglev as part of a day tour. For company and factory visits (EV, robotics, AI, display and battery plants in Suzhou, Hangzhou and Hefei) we need two to three weeks' notice and the names of visitors; these run as our 6-day Tech China route or as a custom itinerary for business groups.

See the Tech China route →

We arrive by cruise ship. Can you meet us at Wusongkou?

Yes. A guide and private vehicle wait at the Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal exit with your name. The drive to the Bund is 45 to 60 minutes. We time the return for at least 90 minutes before all-aboard, and we can hold luggage if you are joining or leaving the ship in Shanghai and want hotel nights before or after.

Cruise shore excursions →

Do I need travel insurance?

Travel insurance is not included but we require it, and we ask for your policy number before departure. Our own cover handles guide liability; yours should cover medical evacuation, because private hospitals in China ask for payment up front.

Investors & partners · 融资需求 · 欢迎合作

We are raising a seed round to build Shanghai's inbound travel brand

China's inbound market is being rebuilt around visa-free entry, social media and direct bookings, and Shanghai is where most of it lands first: 9.36 million international arrivals in 2025, up 39.6%. Onetwo GO is a licensed Shanghai agency with four product lines already running: private bespoke journeys, China tech & industry tours, international MICE, and themed & educational travel. We are looking for investors, overseas distribution partners, corporate clients and sister-school partners who want to grow with us.

  • ¥2MSeed round, RMB
  • 4Inbound product lines
  • 9.36MShanghai international arrivals, 2025Shanghai Culture & Tourism Bureau
  • 57Nationalities on 240-hour visa-free transitNational Immigration Administration

Use of funds

  • 30%Overseas direct acquisition & brandEnglish / Russian / Korean / Japanese sites, creator network, ITB & WTM, North America and Europe channels
  • 25%Products & Yangtze Delta resourcesExclusive tech-tour and experience venues, MICE delivery, cruise shore and event "ticket-plus" lines
  • 20%AI & digital platformAI itinerary advisor 2.0, multilingual sales desk, Travel Pass app and operations back office
  • 15%Team20 new minority-language guides, overseas sales, MICE planners and product developers
  • 10%Working capitalPeak-season hotel and venue prepayments

Explore next

Plan by destination

Popular tours

Shanghai day tours

Practical guides