Settle for an introductory walk downtown or leave the city centre behind and venture into some of Shanghai’s least visited districts and suburbs, still relatively untouched by mass tourism, and highlighting the city’s chronicles beyond the former concessions and their familiar stories.
TRADE, TYCOONS & SKYLINES
>> THE MANY FACES OF SHANGHAI (on foot)
Explore the major sights as well as some lesser-known gems of the iconic Bund area and find out more about the people whose captivating tales brought to life the stunning architecture lining the river front. Gain a deeper understanding of the cultural blends and clashes that have defined Shanghai’s unique character and helped transform the city into the financial powerhouse it is today.
- Available daily all year | duration 2.5 hrs,
- +-3km of walking,
- Includes water & snack,
- 250 RMB per person (min 4. people or price equivalent).
FAME, FORTUNE & FAST CRIMES
>> TALES OF RAGS AND RICHES (on foot)
Stroll the tree-lined streets of the Former French Concession, and discover its hidden mansions, tranquil lanes, and lush gardens, as you follow in the footsteps of the pioneers and the gangsters of early 20th century Shanghai. Find out how they made, and lost, their fortunes, and finally, how the days of the foreign concessions ended as China embraced its Communist future.
- Available daily all year | duration 2.5 hrs,
- +-3km of walking,
- Includes water & snack,
- 250 RMB per person (min 4. people or price equivalent).
REFUGEES, CATTLE PATHS & LIFE RELEASE
>> CHANGING FORTUNES IN SIN CITY (by bicycle or public transport)
Unravel the unlikely history of Suzhou Creek’s most prominent apartment building, as you wander its corridors and staircases. Continue by bicycle (BYO or scan public) to Shanghai’s former slaughterhouse, an Art Deco and feng shui masterpiece, discover its fascinating inner workings before finishing at a remote Buddhist nunnery, once a seafaring folks’ favourite to pray for a safe maritime voyage.
- Available daily all year | duration 2.5 hrs,
- +-5km of cycling w. some walking,
- Includes water & entrance fee | (shared) bicycle not provided,
- 250 RMB per person (min 4. people or price equivalent).
BUNKERS, BEER & A BELGIAN
>> WHEN SHANGHAI DIGS IN FOR A FIGHT (by bicycle)
Did you know thousands of bunkers were built in Shanghai between the 1930s and 1970s? Though most were removed during China’s rapid modernization, hundreds remain scattered across town, often in plain sight, yet very little is remembered about these concrete oddities. Join our founder on his passion project and, beer in hand, visit three different bunkers for a dive into the chronicles of Shanghai’s forgotten symbols of resistance. Check out our research HERE
- Available daily all year | duration 2.5 hrs.,
- +-9km of cycling w. limited walking,
- Includes craft beer(s) | (shared) bicycle not provided,
- 250 RMB per person (min 4. people or price equivalent).
COBBLESTONES, GOD & URBAN YOUTH
>> THE LOST HISTORY OF SHANGHAI (by car)
Catch a glimpse of post Liberation Shanghai and witness a way of life once common in the downtown areas. Wander cobblestone alleyways flanked by late Qing and Republican era buildings, visit the Catholic’s first regional foothold, learn about the Japanese offensive that nearly wiped out the town and have lunch before finishing at the former home of ‘sent-down youths’.
- Available daily all year | duration 5.5 hrs.,
- +-3km of walking | +- 2hrs drive (total),
- Includes lunch with non-alcoholic drinks & private transportation,
- 2-8 people | 950 - 450 RMB per person,
- Kids aged 6-12 get 10% discount | kids aged < 6 free of charge.
CANALSIDE HERITAGE & REVOLUTION
>> BEYOND THE VENICE OF THE EAST (by car)
Explore two distinctive canal towns a stone’s throw from Shanghai and experience the difference in canalside lifestyles with or without commercial tourism. Learn about their imperial origins, their revolutionary past, and the choices they face to stay to stay relevant in contemporary China with the arrival of the masses and the mythicization of the ‘idyllic water town’.
- Available daily all year | duration 7 hrs.,
- +-3km of walking | +- 2.5hrs drive (total),
- Includes lunch with non-alcoholic drinks & private transportation,
- 2-8 people | 1,200 - 500 RMB per person,
- Kids aged 6-12 get 10% discount | kids aged < 6 free of charge.
>> EXCLUSIVE EDITION! add 150 RMB per person
Skip the second, more commercialised canal town and tour an independent, not open to the public, arts centre, set in a former factory complex and dedicated to documenting and preserving traditional arts and handicrafts.