Private Tour
4-Hr Shanghai Layover Tour: Maglev, Wet Market, Food, Landmarks
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
This 4-hour Shanghai layover tour maximizes your layover into an adventure. A round-trip ride on the Maglev train, whisking you to iconic attractions like the Bund and Yuyuan Old City. Colorful sights and sounds along aisles of the wet market amaze you at an authentic immersion of another side of true Shanghai. Nearby food stalls or eateries, allow you to Bites & Sips real Shanghai.
Your guide will pick you up from the airport and accompany you on the Maglev train to downtown. Travel at speeds up to 300 km/h, reaching downtown in just 8 minutes. After your tour, your guide will ensure a seamless return to the Maglev station for your flight back.
During your tour, you can opt for public transportation options, including taxis, the metro, or city bikes, based on traffic conditions. Or, an upgraded option for a Buick 7-seater or a 5-seater SUV with a dedicated driver, providing enhanced comfort and convenience after your long flight.
Additional Info
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Step aboard the commercial maglev levitation train and brace yourself for a lightning-fast ride unlike any other. Glide effortlessly on magnetic fields as this engineering marvel floats you from the airport to downtown Shanghai in just 8 minutes for a single trip. Experience the exhilaration of traveling at speeds of up to 300km/h, all while enjoying a smooth journey unlike anything you've ever encountered.
Nanpu Bridge
Spanning across the Huangpu River, the Nanpu Bridge is among the world's longest cable-stayed structures, a testament to the city's resilience, ambition, and enduring spirit. Don't miss the opportunity to capture breathtaking photos and videos, showcasing the beauty of Shanghai from a unique perspective.
What‘s Included
Taxi/Metro/City Bike, or Upgrade to one Buick 7-Seater with driver
One private tour guide service
Airport Pickup & Maglev Drop-Off
Maglev Round Trip Ticket
Bites & Sips, Bottled Water
Tips for your tour guides and drivers are appreciated
Personal Expenses
Entry Ticket to Yu Garden: The cost is 40 RMB per person.
Options
Maglev Round Trip with Taxi
Pickup included
Maglev Round Trip with Buick
A Buick GL8 7-seater: The Buick GL8 offers ample legroom and headroom, ensuring every traveler can enjoy their journey in comfort.
Pickup included
Reviews
10 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A perfect half day in Shanghai
325garethw,Mar 21, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was an ideal way to spend half a day in Shanghai during a long layover. Portia was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. We used a combination of Maglev/taxi/metro and plenty of walking to see the sights. Extremely well organised and highly recommended.
Great experience
Giordano C,Mar 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Excellent opportunity to take advantage of a few hours waiting at the airport. Michael proved to be a knowledgeable and very friendly guide, who showed us a lot of things in a short time. 4 hours really nice, super recommended to start experiencing the atmosphere of Shanghai
Experience Shanghai Highlights
Charlotte J,Dec 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Amazing way to see some city highlights on a long layover and learn a little bit about the history and culture! Perfect option for a tired solo traveler who wants to see the city but doesn’t have the energy to explore themselves - great to have a local who knows the best spots! Would definitely recommend and also book with this tour company again next time I visit! Thank you Portia and Joy for a wonderful glimpse at your beautiful city!
Great tour, ideal to get to know Shanghai
3konstantinp,Nov 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We flew from Japan to Germany and had a stopover of 10h in Shanghai. We booked this tour quite spontaneously the night before, as we only learned during our trip that entering Shanghai during a stopover was quite easy. So we thought it might be worthwhile to take a look at the city. Since the schedule was quite tight and we arrived very late, a fully guided tour seemed to us to be the best way to see as much of the city as possible in a short time. What can I say, exactly that our guide succeeded superbly. The tour was partly by train, partly by taxi and also by bike, which we liked very much. We ate wonderfully and could see the highlights like skyline and old town. It was a very friendly atmosphere, she was very open-minded and knew good English so she could perfectly adapt the tour to our needs. We felt very comfortable with her and could not imagine a better tour in such a short time. I would love to come back!!
Incredible Food Eats and Sights
Jet635308,Sep 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Portia was so lively and excited to share her culture with me it was so special! And to be shown around town by someone from Shanghai was also amazing! She is also very willing to customize depending on your time and wants. I explained how I loved food so we focused quite a bit on Shanghai specific foods vs tourist food. I really appreciated her and enjoyed the experience!
Flexible, convenient, friendly and insightful
sstripad,Jul 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00When you are jet lagged after a long sleepless flight and facing a long overlay at the airport, you are naturally looking for things to make your travel feel shorter and less tiring and stressful. And that is why iTour Shanghai is an excellent option. They will send all the meeting instructions to you before you arrive and then meet you near the exit from the passport control area. You can relax and enjoy after that because the guide will take care of every technicality from that point from buying tickets to telling you how to go through the train gates to hiring taxi to explaining how you can pay for your purchases even if you do not have local cash. And all this is on top of very interesting and insightful story telling on the city history the locals know it from the guide. But perhaps the most important thing is that you can choose what you wish to see and do on the spot depending on how you fill at that particular moment. It was a hot rainy day and I did not feel fit for a long walk after a knee surgery, so my guide Portia offered a traditional tea testing experience, which was a true delight. I strongly recommend this travel service. And do not forget that you can express your gratitude using Alipay---well worth it! Just ask your guide for a QR code.
A Perfect Introduction to Shanghai on a Short Layover!
jackdM4000VA,Jul 26, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We booked this tour to get a taste of Shanghai during our overnight layover. It was the best decision! Our guide, Portia, was absolutely wonderful. She met us right at our airport hotel, which made everything seamless and stress-free from the very beginning. Portia was friendly, knowledgeable, and took lots of photos for us while showing us around the waterfront and old city. The highlight was the fantastic local spot we visited for authentic Shanghai-style dumplings, which were delicious. Even though we only had a few hours, Portia taught us so much about the city's history and culture. For our first time in China, it was the perfect introduction, and definitely beat sitting at the airport!
A very impressive city tour
Pioneer11928222135,Apr 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The booking and handling of our tour via Viator went smoothly and uncomplicated. A few days before the start of the tour we were informed via WhatsApp about all the details, which were then implemented exactly as announced. Joy responded promptly to questions and was always available for us. Our guide Portia is highly recommended. She welcomed us with local snacks and also had water for us. Within the short time available to us for the tour, she gave us a comprehensive overview of the city. We learned about history, were allowed to try other typical snacks and were accompanied to great photo spots. Portia had a professional look for beautiful photos with us that she took with her phone and sent us a few days after the tour. Very happy again with this provider.
Epic Shanghai Experience definitely beats the airport!
Paradise28711220114,Jan 16, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Solo mum travelling with 2 x 11yo, I was anxious about the unexpected 13 hour stopover in Shanghai. I googled ‘things to do on long Shanghai layover’ and stumbled across this tour. It was magic!! Our tour guide Portia met us at the airport with water, snacks, gifts and an eSIM! We took the maglev into town and were shown all different sides of Shanghai from old town to metro to marriage markets in the park. We had street food, later dumplings in a local cafe. Portia was funny, smart, protective and a wealth of knowledge and commentary. We bought souvenirs, Chinese treats and took so many cool photos. This tour was a holiday in a half day and such a relief to not be spending all day sitting at the airport. It also piqued my curiosity about Shanghai, I’d definitely be inclined to visit for longer. It was just so, soooo good!
Perfect layover tour
Navigator15855079628,Nov 12, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The tour was well organised and structured, worked with my short layover schedule. Portia is very well informed with good knowledge and history of the city. As we was touring the Shanghai landmarks it didn't feel like a tour, more like an old friend taking you sitesighting. Will definitely do another tour when I have more time.
Related Experiences
Operated by iTour Shanghai