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The very best in China.China Tours from Shanghai
In research mode for China tours from Shanghai? We have you covered. See and experience the many wonders of China by starting your vacation in the ultimate city that doesn’t sleep. While Beijing beckons many, Shanghai has much to offer too as an introduction to your travel adventures.
Shanghai is vastly different from its Sino city counterparts and offers mesmerizing appeal for any traveler curious to see how east and west have blended to forge this unique and beautiful 'pearl of the orient '.
In the interests of those looking to capture all aspects of China’s personality and people, we’ve crafted this selection of China tours from Shanghai that will captivate your imagination. Add Beijing, Xian, a Yangtze River cruise and more to your adventure or unleash your creative genius and design your own custom China tour from Shanghai with our tour design specialists.
What to know about China tours from Shanghai
Shanghai is exciting, fun, and stylish, and a walk down any inner-city street and you’ll see why so many travelers are inspired to start their travels here. Before booking your vacation, here are just a few fun facts to know.
Shanghai is China’s biggest city (no mean feat!) with an astonishing 26 million people calling it home. Historically, Shanghai has been a port city, and during the 1930s, it flourished as a commercial and trading hub, not just for Asia, but internationally too. It has been dubbed the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ and ‘Paris of the Orient’ for its style, glamor, food, and art. Shanghai’s appeal doesn’t appear to be waning either, with many aspects of its commercial, trading, and cultural pedigree retained today. Must-see sights before making your way to visit the rest of China include The Bund, Shanghai Tower, Yuyuan Garden, and the Shikumen Museum.
Incredibly, Shanghai is one of just five cities in the world that records over 100 million air passenger traffic annually. Amazing! You can literally feel the city hum when you arrive to start your adventure. Shanghai connects to the world with flights to over 280 cities; virtually every country around the globe.
Shanghai is also an important port for international cruises, and you will find most reputable cruise companies have established operations in Shanghai. Fun fact: An international tourist group on a cruise can enjoy a 15-day visa-free entry to China if the cruise arrival port is Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal or Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. Travelers interested in this travel option should join a tour group (minimum of two people) that has been organized by a travel company registered in China. This will permit travel to twelve provinces and cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan along with the cruise berthing schedule.
Passengers who join the tour group and do not depart China on the same cruise can apply for a 24-hour visa-free transit, then leave within the specified time. Alternatively, they can enjoy a 144-hour visa-free transit and depart China from any one of Shanghai’s airports, train stations, or cruise terminals. Travelers may also depart from Lukou Airport in Nanjing and Xiaoshan Airport in Hangzhou.
You can also enjoy Shanghai by train because it seems China’s high-speed train network knows no bounds. Shanghai is just one of many major cities that are now connected by railway lines that have significantly reduced travel times between destinations. Be sure to enquire about your travel options when booking your vacation.
Shanghai is perfectly located for travel to gorgeous destinations like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yunnan, Guizhou and Yangtze River. While each of these places is special in its own right, when visited as part of China tours from Shanghai, you’ll enjoy an experience of China that will remain with you as a beautiful travel memory long after you’ve arrived home.
Keep in mind too that the Shanghai-Jiangsu-Zhejiang region is open for international visitors traveling under the generous 144-hour visa-free travel policy. This means travelers can enjoy tours of Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou within the time period covered by the visa. Taking advantage of the 144-hour visa-free travel in Shanghai offers other benefits too. It means travelers can include additional destinations on their wish list. Providing tourists don’t go any further than these destinations, which include Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Wuzhen, Nanxun and many other cities in Zhejiang and the Jiangsu Provinces, there is the chance to become deeply immersed in the region and discover what makes it truly special
Ready to launch? Let’s get you on your way! Reach out to our team of specialist tour designers today.
China Tour Packages from Shanghai
5 Days Best of Shanghai + Xi’an
5 Days Best of Shanghai + Xi’an
5 Days Jewels of Jiangnan, Shanghai + Suzhou + Hangzhou
5 Days Jewels of Jiangnan, Shanghai + Suzhou + Hangzhou
7 Days Incredible Shanghai and Yangtze Cruise
7 Days Incredible Shanghai and Yangtze Cruise
8 Days China Explorer
8 Days China Explorer
11 Days China Discovery
11 Days China Discovery
12 Days China Highlights Package
12 Days China Highlights Package
Discover how easy it is to enjoy
visa free travel in Shanghai with ChinaTours.com
Testimonials
- Younga P wrote a review 15 July 2024
Fabulous 3 city tour (Hong Kong/Xi’an/Beijing) planned and executed by China Tours!My family and I loved our recent private tour with China Tours! We started by working with Lora to plan our itinerary first. We let her know which cities we wanted to visit and what we wanted to see in each city. She was so responsive to my many questions and requests from providing information necessary to get our visas to making recommendations of when we should see the Terra Cotta soldiers based on our travel schedule to letting me know we were able to get entry tickets to see the Forbidden City. I felt very comfortable in a country where I didn't speak the language because Lora was always available to provide assistance. When we arrived in each location, the guides and drivers were fantastic. I was able to connect with each guide prior to reaching the destination and they were always waiting for us. The guides, Chas in Hong Kong, Helen in Xi'an and William in Beijing were fabulous!!! They were all so accommodating and helpful. They knew their cities well and made great food recommendations! Since we were on a private tour, they were very willing to make adjustments based on what we wanted to do or see when prior reservations were not required. My husband, daughter and I are very grateful to Lora, Chas, Helen and William for providing us with such a wonderful experience in China! Thank you! - Mara wrote a review 7 July 2024
Great Experience with China Tours!We had a great experience with China Tours. We traveled to the cities Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. The organization was impeccable, the guides and drivers very professional. We would recommend the agency to others! - Cruiser61335187814 wrote a review 6 July 2024
Great experienceWe had a great time in Beijing and surroundings. Guide Maggie was very knowledgeable and speaks English really well. She was flexible and proactive as we had some last minute requests and some sites were crowded and she did a good job navigating that. During our preparations, office person Martha responded fast and accurately. We stayed at the Novotel which we liked as it has a good location for an evening stroll and mall. - hilaryt714 wrote a review 2 July 2024
Book without a second thoughtOur trip was delayed from 2020 with no problems. Martha responded to changes in our itinerary brilliantly. There were two of us on our small group tour and the service was exceptional. Hotels were of a high standard and we were happy with them. All guides were enthusiastic and helpful, we only had to ask. In the end we took high speed trains within China which we enjoyed as we got to see more of the country. Highly recommend this tour group - WingF wrote a review 23 June 2024
Perfect China TripThe small group tour of Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai organised by China Tours was a great way to see these 3 fantastic cities of China. Each of the local guides Nancy (Beijing), Elysha (Xi’an) and Lucy (Shanghai) were very friendly, knowledgeable and interesting and had a passion for their jobs. They were all super helpful answering any questions and offering advice and tips for navigating each city in our own free time, including recommendations for places to eat and other attractions to see not covered by the tour. All the main attractions and sites were visited with plenty of time spent at each. The main highlights for me were the Forbidden City and Great Wall (Nancy took us to a great part of the wall that was not overcrowded) in Beijing and the Terracotta Army in Xi’an (including meeting the farmer who made the discovery in the 1970’s). It was not a rushed tour and was also flexible. In Xi’an because of the weather the itinerary order was changed to suit the group. Being a small escorted tour meant that you were not just one of many in the usual large group tours which made it more personal and enjoyable. A special mention for Nancy and Elysha who made suggestions, with no hidden agenda, in Beijing and Xi’an respectively to see live shows as add-ons which turned out to be unexpected delights. Martha of China Tours was very easy to deal with and was patient with all my requests and queries when booking the tour. Overall I can highly recommend China Tours if you plan to visit China and wish to arrange a tour. From start to finish everyone was extremely helpful and communicated in very good English. - TravelerToo wrote a review 20 June 2024
Fantastic Tour Itinerary, Guide, and HotelsI can’t imagine a better way to see and experience Taiwan than this 9-day tour. Starting in Taipei and driving counterclockwise we went from the top to the farthest southern tip of the country and back. Hotels were much nicer than expected as were all of the locals we met along the way. As most travelers know, a few words in the local language are much appreciated so set your Google translate app to Traditional Chinese and say hello! Our tour leader Cathy was funny, smiley, organized, and felt like my 2nd mother as she constantly made sure I was all right and happy. The trip itinerary was varied and extensive (maybe a few too many temples but that’s my problem). Perhaps the most impressive was the coordination between our tour leader and the travel company when an issue arose as when an indigenous cultural site unexpectedly closed. Cathy arranged for us to attend a special performance of another group which turned out to be one of the many highlights of the tour. This tour was excellent, a great introduction to an interesting country, a great value for the price. I highly recommend it. Oh, and try to get Cathy Lin as your guide; you won’t regret it.