Jane was knowledgeable and helpful, I would recommend her as a guide.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Insider tips on where to eat, explore, and experience Shanghai like a local
- Guided Shanghai City Walking Tour covering key landmarks and cultural highlights
- Local snack or coffee break (pay for your own)
- A tip in accordance to the experience at the end of the tours is welcomed and expected.
- Passionate local guide sharing Shanghai's stories, history, and hidden gems
Excludes
- Personal expenses
- Entry/Admission - Yuyuan Garden
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Go to Exit 3 Tiantong Road Station of Metro 10/12, in front of Ji Hotel and look for a guide with a Red Tiger.
Return
- We will end our tour by the Yuyuan Garden and Bazaar, a bustling maze of traditional buildings now filled with tea houses, souvenir stalls, and some of the best street food in Shanghai—this is the place to try famous xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)!
Itinerary
The Suzhou River, also known as Suzhou Creek, is a significant river in Shanghai, China. Historically, it served as an important transportation route and was once heavily polluted due to industrialization. In recent decades, extensive cleanup efforts have revitalized the river, making it a scenic area with parks, walking paths, and cultural attractions. It now symbolizes Shanghai's transformation and commitment to urban sustainability.
Opened in 1924, it was once the largest post office in Asia and the heart of China's international communications. Its grand, classical design—with the iconic clock tower and majestic sculptures—was meant to show the world the power and reliability of the modern postal service. It's still a working post office with a beautiful public hall. Inside, you'll find a stunning grand hall that still operates today, and a museum that showcases everything from ancient courier systems to vintage mail trucks.It perfectly symbolizes old Shanghai: a meeting point of East and West, tradition and breathtaking modernity.
Huangpu Park is a place of fascinating contradictions, holding multiple layers of Shanghai's history within its border. It is a monument to cultural exclusion and leisure, and a key to understanding the visionary planning that saved the Bund from becoming a mere dockyard and made it the iconic symbol of Shanghai.
The Bund—Shanghai's most iconic landmark and an open-air museum of architecture. This magnificent mile-long waterfront promenade showcases a stunning collection of 52 grand buildings from the 1920s and 30s, once housing the world's greatest banks, trading houses, and clubs. This is why it was known as the "Wall Street of the East." It's the perfect symbol of Shanghai itself: a city forever looking forward, but built upon a rich and powerful history.
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is the most famous shopping street and a major tourist attraction in Shanghai, China. Often called "China's No. 1 Shopping Street," it stretches for about 1.5 kilometers through the heart of the city.
No. 12 The Bund, originally the HSBC Building, is a landmark of Shanghai and a masterpiece of neo-classical architecture. Completed in 1923, it was once hailed as "the most luxurious building between the Suez Canal and the Bering Strait."
St. Joseph's Church, located at 36 South Sichuan Road in Huangpu District, Shanghai, is a historic Roman Catholic church built between 1860 and 1861. As the oldest Catholic church in the former Shanghai International Settlement, it once served as the bishop's residence and diocesan treasury. The architecture combines Romanesque and Gothic styles, featuring a Latin cross layout, a single bell tower, and distinctive stained glass windows. Designated as a Shanghai Municipal Heritage Site in 1994, the church remains an active place of worship today, holding regular masses for the local Catholic community.
Welcome to the incredible Yuyuan Bazaar, a bustling maze of traditional buildings now filled with tea houses, classical gardens,souvenir stalls, and some of the best street food in Shanghai—this is the place to try famous xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)!
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Jane took us around the old town area in a well-paced visit with strategic stops at historical buildings and beautiful architecture. A must-do in Shanghai. Thank you Jane!
An extraordinary walk through Shanghai! Thanks to Jane, I discovered hidden gems and pocket parks I would never have found on my own. A wonderful experience off the beaten track!
Jane was outstanding, She knew her history of China, Shanghai and the buildings. Monster trips and Jane should offer more walking tours of different parts of Shanghai.
Really outstanding tour by a very knowledgeable guide. Highly recommend!
Top experience on this city tour, where we explored old Shanghai and saw how it looked before the skyscrapers. I loved seeing a side of the city you can only grasp with a guide narrating the story behind each brick. Jane has a superpower: she makes you feel energized and curious about everything she explains!
It was my first visit to Shanghai and found an english speaking free ( by donation) walking tour with Monster Day Tours. Jane provided an excellent history of The Bund area on our walk and kindly answered all our questions. Highly recommend!
Getting on this free tour along with Jane (our guide) was most certainly the best decision I ve taken this week! What a fantastic tour. As a newcomer to Shanghai, Jane was able to share with me and the rest of the group all the clues to understand the English settlement and the shore along the Bund. Jane was very professional, gave us a lot of historical and architectural insights and was able to answer all of the questions! Very impressive. Super nice guide and eager to share her passion for this city. Highly recommend for a him who wants to understand and unveil the secrets of Shanghai
I had a wonderful experience on this day tour. Our tour guide, Jane, was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive throughout the whole trip. She took us on a great walking tour and brought us to many special places that I probably wouldn’t have discovered on my own. She shared interesting stories and history along the way and was always happy to answer all our questions. Everything was well organised, and I really enjoyed the whole experience. Thank you, Jane, for making the tour so enjoyable! I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Shanghai. ❤️
I had a great tour with Jane. This day it was only me and her, which made for a very in depth tour of Shanghai's British, American and Chinese concessions. She showed me some good food and drink spots, and gave me advice on how to navigate being vegetarian in China. She gave me some great recommendations for the remainder of my trip! Thank you so much again Jane! I would highly recommend this tour
Jane is an incredible tour guide whose passion shines through her warm smile and wealth of knowledge. She is attentive, exceptionally positive, and consistently anticipates her guests' needs. My husband and I couldn't recommend her services more highly!
This was probably the best choice I made to get introduced to Shanghai. It is such a big city that it is easy to get overwhelmed by the infinite number of things to do. This city tour was a great start. It gave me a sense of the history, how the modern Shanghai was made, how foreign presence influenced the fate of the city; how the city was developed… I could better understand the stories behind the buildings, the formation the famous neighborhoods… I would have miss so much without this tour! I am really greatfull to Jane, our tour guide. She has great knowledge of the city and its history. She knows how to make things interesting for a diverses audience and knows how to find the right balance to maintain the interest of everyone. Actuelle after this first tour I booked another one to discover the French Concession and I was, once again, more than happy with my decision! I definitely recommend it, especially for (but not restricted to) the first timers.
I loved the tour! Jane, my tour guide, provided comprehensive and information about the history of the places we went to during the walk. She was very accommodating, kind, and overall pleasant to be with. Highly recommended!
Excellent experience with Alice who provided 5-star service with her knowledge, patience, thoughtfulness and kindness. Great way to know a little more of Shanghai via this trip.
Had a great time walking and learning about the past of the city as well as country. An interesting interactive time . Jane kept a good comfortable pace, found places to sit and eat too along the way.
Amazing walking tour! Learned a lot about Shanghai and its history Huge thanks to Jane, she is incredible tour guide
One of the best tours.., great histroy of Shanghai and not touristy spots. Strongly recommend for everyone. Easy pace, and Jane had all manner of historical photographs to show the evolution of Shanghai. I leant a lot and had a great time walking trhough this lovely city.
We had an amazing tour with Jane! We would definitely recommend to join the tour if you are interested to learn about Shanghai‘s history and development. The tour was perfectly planned with supporting historic pictures, scenery spots and local Snacks to try. Thanks again Jane! :)
We did a tour with Jane in Shanghai and she was honestly the highlight of our trip. What we loved most was how she kept us grounded; she was constantly pointing out where we were in relation to the rest of the city, which helped the history actually make sense instead of just being a list of dates. Jane is also incredibly honest. If we asked something super niche that she didn't know, she’d just say so—which I really preferred over someone making up an answer. She also took the time to chat with us about what daily life is actually like in China today, answering all our questions about things that seemed so different from life back home in Europe. A few things that really made the difference: The Pace: She planned reasonable breaks at spots where there was actually somewhere to sit. My partner was especially grateful that Jane could keep the explanation going while we caught our breath. Unexpected Knowledge: She has a great interest in local flowers/plants, which was a lovely surprise. We learned things we never would have expected! Hidden Spots: She took us through back-alleys and "hidden" spots that you definitely won’t find in an online guide. Plus, her food recommendations were 10/10. If you want a guide who is authentic, down-to-earth, and knows the city inside out, definitely look for Jane!
It was such a nice journey with Monster tours Alice and she explained the evolution of China very well
The team at monster Shanghai has put together an amazing walking tour. It provided many insights to my Shanghai visit that I would never have known with much research myself. They are well experienced guides and made my short stay very memorable indeed thanks Jan and team much fun indeed!
I did a similar tour in Singapore and when I saw there was a tour for Shanghai I booked straight away. It was a great introduction and to get more information about the city. Jane was an excellent guide and was very helpful. I would recommend doing this trip!
Excellent Guide! It was a small group so the guide gave us a lot of personal attention. She was knowledgeable and friendly. We took the Shanghai city walking your - please prepare yourself for a brief history of Shanghai and some walking. Kindly note that though this is a free tour, we should be ready to tip our guide at the end of the tour. Enjoy!
Very nice guide, Jane showed us all around, we had essentially a "private" your! Great tour from a lovely lady!
great tour ! excelent guide ! Jane is very enthusiastic and has an unconventional itinerary
Jane was incredibly knowledgeable and super easy going.
Had a really wonderful experience, the guide was very friendly and informative, and took me to parts of Shanghai that I wasn't even aware of! Would recommend my family and friends attend.
Jane was a wonderful guide, deeply knowledgeable about Shanghai’s history, clear to understand and delivered the tour at a good pace. I’d highly recommend to anyone new in town
I had an absolutely excellent experience on this Shanghai city walking tour. The tour guide was incredibly friendly, approachable, and always happy to answer questions, which made the entire experience very enjoyable. What impressed me most was the depth and quality of the information shared. The guide demonstrated strong knowledge of Shanghai’s history, explaining in a clear and engaging way how the city has evolved over time—from its origins to the modern metropolis it is today. One of the highlights was how she emphasized the Western influences that shaped Shanghai through centuries of international trade. These insights added a whole new layer to the experience, helping me better understand the architecture, historic neighborhoods, and the city’s unique identity. It was a very enriching, well-paced, and well-organized tour. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to explore Shanghai in a more meaningful and insightful way.
We had a very special and interesting tour with Jane. She's super attentive and has an amazing knowledge about Shanghai history and Chinese culture. The walk was easy and with several stops. We all enjoyed it veeeeeery much, thank you!
The Shanghai City Free Walking Tour was one of the best I signed up for with Monster’s free walking tours. The areas we walked through were very vibrant and full of character!! What made it special was how knowledgeable, funny, and friendly the commentary was. We stopped often for photos at key spots, so we had plenty of captured memories. During the 2.5 hours we heard facts, stories of how old Shanghai developed, and details about daily life in the city. Very enjoyable and informative. Highly recommended.
Jane was amazing. We did a great time with her and she explain us a lot of things about Shanghai. 3 hours of cultural information and a lot of advices on how to live properly our stay in the city. I really recommend it.
Completed the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour with my family and truly loved every moment. The tour was incredibly insightful, and you could genuinely feel Jane’s deep passion and love for the city in every story shared. The warm, fun energy throughout made the experience feel personal and engaging, turning the walk into a memorable and delightful time for all of us.
Jane is very informative tourguide with knowledge and experience. I learn a lot of history of Shanghai and made my trip more fulfilling and also she gave a lot of tips for where to visit on my own.
Definitely 100% recommended to join this tour! Amazing storytelling and really tells the story of past, now and future. Thank you for the wonderful knowledge shared and the friendly hospitality! Will return for the next one in the future!
10/10 would walk again. The guide was basically a human Wikipedia but like super friendly and engaging and she dropped so many fun facts. From visiting markets, to riverside, we learned a ton about the local culture and how the old town came to be. Great vibes from start to end.
We did the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour. It was really excellent and we learnt so much about local life, both past and present. Highly recommend and just have to tip the guide (super worth too!)
Shanghai offers an unforgettable urban exploration experience. The seamless blend of historic charm and futuristic innovation is remarkable. Strolling along the Bund provides iconic skyline views, while the tranquil Yu Garden serves as a peaceful escape. The city's efficient metro system makes navigation effortless. What stands out is the contrast: serene ancient temples nestled beside soaring skyscrapers, and traditional breakfast stalls near gourmet restaurants. Although occasionally crowded, the vibrant energy is infectious. Shanghai isn't just visited; it's felt—a dynamic city that honors its past while racing toward the future. A truly captivating destination that deserves multiple visits.
Jane was an excellent guide. It was very educational and considerate. I highly recommend this walking tour. We saw all the highlight and learned so much about Shanghai’s history and culture of the past and present.
We really enjoyed the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour with Gene today. Very informative, considerate, a bit of fun and overall a very worthwhile experience! We will definitely join this tour next time.
Enjoyed a wonderful Shanghai walking tour. Spent about 2.5 hours and was rewarded with loads of social, cultural, and historical information about Shanghai.
Went on the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour and it was a very educational experience. The way the history and culture of Shanghai were presented was engaging and we had a great time.
The Shanghai City Free Walking Tour was both informative and entertaining! We explored the riverside, historic streets and local spots, and learned about the cultural context and history of Shanghai and its different communities. A great way to explore old Shanghai!
Did the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour and it was a great way to see the areas around Suzhou Creek and The Bund. We learned more about how people in Shanghai live and get along with each other. Great insights!
Excellent experience that I really recommend to you, the best method to soak up this megalopolis with the very kind Jane, very professional and a precious help, she will answer your questions during the tour and provide recommendations to fully enjoy your stay, thank you Jane.
Zabukowalam wycieczke z jednodniowym wyprzedzeniem. Na miejscu okazalo sie, ze jestem sama i Jane zrobila ze mna prywatny spacer. Cudownie opowiadala po angielsku o historii Sznghaju i Chin, pokazywala mapy i zdjecia, co powzwolilo zobaczyc i zrozumiec miasto. Pokazala piekne miejsca, inne niz podawane wszedzie w must see, ktore byly rownie piekne i interesujace. Spacer przy rzece, odpoczynek w parku i pyszczne lokalne przekaski. Polecam z calego serca. JAne byla rowniez wspanialym fotografem :) Dziekuje
It was a very interesting tour with guide Alice. She has a lot of knowledge and we went to interesting places and we got to know the city in depth.
Excellent guide, very friendly and with a complete knowledge of the city and the main historical and cultural facts. Recommended 100%
This guided tour was really great! I very much appreciated Jane's explanations about the ancient and recent history of Shanghai. Jane is an experienced and thoughtful guide, who even advises on the best places to take pictures! I really recommend this visit!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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