The 15 Garden Tours in China That Earn a Whole Day

1.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

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

Explore Zhujiajiao from Shanghai with a private guide, ancient canals, Kezhi Garden, local food stops, and a relaxing boat ride.

“Michael did an absolutely amazing job. He is very knowledgable and passionate about China and her history. He was very careful to give thoughtful details and make sure we were comfortable. He assisted us with translations with the locals and went above and beyond his duty. We could not have had a better guide! Give him a raise!!! What an awesome employee you have!”

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

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

Review of Shanghai’s 8-hour highlights tour, with the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, lunch, transport, and practical tips.

“Very poor service from the tour operator , Shanghai is very hot during the summer and doing the tour with a vehicle with bad Air Conditioner was unacceptable it seemed that the guide was in a hurry not giving us enough time to enjoy the tour , with other companies that offer the same service i think is time to change , this was the second time in less than 10 days that Viator did wrong and we didn't get the value for what we paid for.”

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3.Yu Garden Admission Ticket

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

Review of Shanghai’s Yu Garden ticket, with tips on QR entry, timing, crowds, value, and what to expect inside this Ming-era garden.

“We had a great time at Yu Garden! Thank you very much!!!! :)”

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

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

Review of Shanghai’s Yu Garden, Old Street, Zhujiajiao and Bund tour, with practical advice on value, timing, food, crowds and guides.

“It was really good. Our tour guide, Audrey was very helpful and explained everything. Highly recommend”

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

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

Review of Beijing’s 7-hour tour to Lama Temple, Summer Palace and Panda Garden, with lunch, transport, guides, costs and shopping-stop advice.

“William did a really nice job, very knowledgeable and provided great information. We had two other parties in our group, one with two young boys and William did great with them. He gave us the option to do the boat ride at the Summer Palace which did cost extra, but added something to the day. Trip also included a stop at a tea house and pearl factory. Only small complaint was the tour was advertised as a 7 hour day and we purposefully picked the tour due to the shortened day, but ended up as a 10 hour day. We had plans for a show that night and was hoping…”

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

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

Review of Beijing's Jingshan Park ticket, with Forbidden City views, imperial pavilions, practical tips, value, timing, and booking advice.

“The ticket provider was very kind to text me all the info, i even asked for more help and he/she were more than happy to help me at any time, it was just excellent! I loved it”

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

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

Review of a private Shanghai day tour to Zhujiajiao, Yu Garden, Yuyuan Bazaar, and the Bund, with transport, guide, tickets, and practical tips.

“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

See Shanghai’s Yu Garden, Bund, French Concession, and Pudong in four hours with a private guide, vehicle, and traditional tea stop.

“Tom was very knowledgeable. We totally enjoyed the visit to the Yu Garden. And it was good that he drove us from spot to spot so that we could escape the heat. I highly recommend this tour.”

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9.Yu Garden Ticket+Lantern Festival Entry combo

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

Review of Shanghai’s Yu Garden and Lantern Festival combo, with tips on timing, entry codes, crowds, value, and what to expect.

“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

Explore Shanghai’s Yu Garden with guaranteed entry, an English PDF guide, QR ticket, and practical tips for a relaxed self-guided visit.

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11.Yu Garden with Entry Tickets(optional)

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

Review Yu Garden in Shanghai, with ticket tips, transport, timing, value, highlights, drawbacks, and practical advice before booking.

“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

Explore Yu Garden, City God Temple, old Shanghai streets, Chinese tea, crafts, and optional soup dumplings on this 3-hour walking tour.

“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

Explore Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden with a simple e-ticket, ancient carvings, ponds, bridges, and flexible cancellation.

“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

See Beijing from Jingshan Park’s Wanchun Pavilion, with Forbidden City views, imperial gardens, rare trees, and a low-cost day ticket.

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

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 17 reviews · from $80

Explore Shanghai’s Yu Garden and Old Town on a private walking tour with hotel pickup, local transport, tea tasting, and an English-speaking guide.

“My guide Sunni met me at the hotel and we headed off to Old Town to see the shops and visit Yu Garden. The Qing dynasty garden is an amazing collection of pond, pavilions and bonsai, I spent a short time there but you easily spend hoRead more”

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