Private Walking Tour in the Former French Concession
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
The former French Concession is always the highlight of a visit to Shanghai. It also becomes the city's hottest and hippest neighborhood, where trendy bars and clubs multiply like mushrooms after a rainstorm. The area still holds something of the alluring mix of scrappy Shanghainese street life, shopworn European colonial charm, Art Deco edifices, hidden brick courtyards and film noir intrigue that have, along with the proud stone edifices of the bund and the twisting alleys of Shanghai's Old city, long defined Shanghai in the Western popular imagination. Shanghai's idiosyncratic push-pull between new and old, development and preservation, takes a special form in the French Concession, making it an absolutely unique urban experience.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Please wear comfortable shoes
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
A maximum of 10 people per booking
Please indicate morning tour or afternoon tour in special requirement area upon booking
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Hotel pickup
Transportation to attraction
Excellent English-speaking guide
Entrance Tickets
Personal expenses
Gratuities
Hotel drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
This tour is designed for city walkers, and minimum walking time is around 3 hours. Your English tour guide will lead you through architecture of 1930's Art Deco and leading about modern history of China from 1850 to 1950. You will get to know the environment and culture during this relax walking tour. You will be visiting following places: • Okura Garden Hotel: The former French club, the lobby in eastern part shows the best case for French classical style in interior design. • Lanxin Theatre: The first western style theatre in Shanghai. • Cathay Mansion: Formerly owned by famous Sassoon's family, known for hosting distinguished guests worldly wide since 1950's as well as its typical Art Deco style. • King Albert Apartment: Another name popularly known as Royal Garden, built by French Catholic church for expatriates living in Shanghai. Walking through this living community, which is now hidden between two busy narrow streets, one may take a close look to the French Concession. • The former residence of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen: A museum of China's revolutionary history. • St. Nicholas Church: An Orthodox church built by Russian expatriates in 1920s, small but delicate. • Fuxing Park: The only one French style garden in the country, which experienced a lot of changes during the past 100 years. Now stays popular both for senior's exercises in the morning and party animals' gathering in the evening for its club and KTV partyworld.The walking tours that are designed for the ones of same interests with different options at - routes to go, ways to do and certainly, stories to hear from selected guides who are fond of this part of Shanghai history themselves. This tour offers a choice of morning and afternoon departure time (10am or 2pm). Your guide will come to meet you at your hotel lobby, and either take taxi or public transportation to attractions at your own cost. After tour, your tour guide will arrange taxi for you to go back to your hotel or you can spend time to walk around in the city by yourself.
Options
Morning Tour
Private walking tour. Your tour departure time is 9:00 in the morning
Pickup included
Afternoon Tour
Private walking tour. Your tour departure time is 1:00 in the Afternoon
Pickup included
Afternoon Tour with Tea Taste
Contemporary Chinese Tea Tasting will be included, you will taste the most popular tea today among the local young people in the unique tea house.
Pickup included
Morning Tour with Tea Taste
Contemporary Chinese Tea Tasting will be included, you will taste the most popular tea today among the local young people in the unique tea house.
Pickup included
Reviews
63 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Excellent exposure of the culture and history of China and its people .
MaryJane L,
Apr 6, 2025
- Viator
5.00Penny our guide is a fountain of knowledge. How exciting, thrilling has it been to discover the French concession. Highly interesting and we have gained so much in information and knowledge about the history of China and how Shanghai fits in the whole history of China. So true that after hearing her out you fall in love and become mesmerized with Shanghai and how it was and the becoming of it now. One wonder how Shanghai would be like in the years to come. A top notch guide who excels in what she does and is passionate about her job. Fully recommended and thank you Penny and Viator.
Great experience with Penny
Raluca D,
Oct 25, 2024
- Viator
5.00Penny is a great guide, we learnt a lot from her. Her explanations are accessible and interesting for kids as well. Penny has kindly offered useful information for our stay in Shanghai. Highly recommend her tour 😊
A great few hours seeing Shanghai from a local perspective
Nicola W,
Mar 22, 2024
- Viator
5.00Penny was a great guide. She is really knowledgeable on the history of China, and explains this in a relevant and entertaining way. We saw parts of Shanghai that I would never have found on my own.
Well worth booking this tour.
Robert K,
Feb 26, 2024
- Viator
5.00It was my first time to visit Shaghai. Miss Penny has a real passion for sharing her in-depth knowledge of Shanghai's culture and history.
A must in Shanghai!! Thank you Penny!!
Richard C,
May 18, 2023
- Viator
5.00We didn’t see the time passing during this great experience! Penny our guide kept us interested during the whole tour and was always available for more questions and more details. She shared her knowledge of Shanghai’s history in a very easy way which make the tour very pleasant while being extremely detailed and clear. We really took our time and at the end of the visit we had so much better understanding about the French concession, its history & organization. We were in family with some member not speaking English but it wasn’t a problem as the pace of the visit allow us to translate to the French speaking member. Really appreciated this tour with Penny and we will definitely take the next tour which focus more on the architecture of the French concession. Highly recommended!!
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