Time-Smart Shanghai Exploration
One Day Shanghai Layover Tour
This one day trip is specially designed for people who are tight on time, such as for business and layover trips.
Flexible on the start and finish times, and with a tailor-made itinerary, this hassle-free tour offers an opportunity to glance at Shanghai's highlights.
Highlights
- Time smart - collection/drop-off from the airport, hotel, cruise port, or train station, depending on your schedule
- All inclusive - five of Shanghai's must-see attractions, such as the Bund and Yu Garden
- Eat like a local - taste xiaolongbao (steamed soup buns) in a century-old restaurant
What Our Customers Said
Experience Tour in Shanghai
Tour guides under this agency are very well experienced, and questions are always answered in great detail. Definitely will recommend to anyone who would like to go on a flexible tour with guidance. moreMar 2023, David A
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Experience Tour in Shanghai
This trip has been an eye-opener for myself and my mum, and the flexibility enabled us to fully explore the city during my free time. To running enthusiasts like me, Shanghai is a very nice place to clock your runs. There are many visits to places of interests, but the plans are not hectic. The hotel being arranged is very close to the Shanghai Bund and you can have a very nice view even when resting. moreMar 2023, David A
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Roger Li has been AMAZING....
Roger Li has been AMAZING and deserves to win this advisor competition! He answers e-mails promptly, addresses my concerns, and guides me through the process. He has organized tours for me and my husband for both China and Taiwan, and we are excited to go! I have been thoroughly satisfied with his work in every way. moreMar 2023, Brian Lewis
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Chinese lantern festival and Sophie Lee. Actually March 2018 not Feb 2022
When we were there, one of the highlights was the Chinese Lantern Festival in Old Shanghai, which is both colourful and has an excellent festivalatmosphere. She bought us a Chinese desert item that was small sweet sticky balls that were very good. moreJan 2023, Dave H
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Fun couple days in fantastic Shanghai!
Our family trip to China ended with a couple of days in historical Shanghai. We loved seeing and visiting the historic centers, traveling up the Shanghai Tower, eating delicious dumplings, and visiting the best Chinatown we have ever experienced. Our guide, Quing Quing, and driver Ken were fantastic, informative, professional and fun. Quing Quing even took us to experience the marriage market where Chinese parents try to help their children find potential mates after we expressed that it would be an interesting thing to see. Quing Quing, her American name is Clair, is an excellent and vivacious tour guide. Ask for her when you book with China Highlights you will be in good hands. --Inspire819460 moreDec 2019, Inspire819460
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Awesome Shanghai tour with Mary
With other two friends I have visited Shanghai in October 2018 and our tour guide was Mary, who has been wonderful with us.She had the smart idea to adapt the schedule of our planned tours in order to visit the city centre with few crowds, even if we were visiting Shanghai right during the Chinese national holidays. Besides the city centre with the panoramic towers, we visited the old French district, the Bund, the old city with the market and Tonglizhen, a water village just outside of Shanghai. Mary gave us also very nice suggestions about restaurants and hotels with panoramic terrace to visit in the evenings during our free time. In the end Mary was so kind to give us some Chinese salty pastries as lunch for our long train journey back to Beijing. Totally recommended!!! ---Vittorio C, Germany moreNov 2019, Vittorio C
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Lovely girl Candy
We have been in China 2 weeks and our last day was spent in Shanghai! Our guide Candy Shao was the best...Candy was so helpful in planning the highlights of the city and what we absolutely needed to see and do on our last day. Her English was great and she was young and fun...seemed more like we were hanging out with a friend. Candy also took some great photos of us to capture our experience! I would definitely recommend Candy and China Highlights to all my friends! --Vody, USA moreNov 2019, Vody
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Thank you Daniel for hospitality & impressive touring!
First of all, Daniel is a very friendly, entertaining & knowledgeable tour guide.Not only had he brought us to places in the schedule, but also helped in bookings when we went around the city on ourselves. He is online 24/7 and provided immediate responses for all the questions and inquiries. In addition, he ensured our safety not only during the trip with him, but also texted us to make sure we were back to hotel safely after our own schedule.Overall, he is more than excellent for us, as not only he had fulfilled his duty to guide us as scheduled, but more of providing us hospitality, help and knowledge beyond our exceptions and beyond what we have booked with the tour. Therefore, I would 100% recommend Daniel if any of you are planning for a trip to Shanghai. ---Catherinenodnod moreOct 2019, Catherinenodnod
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Suggested Itinerary
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests and schedule.
According to your schedule, your private guide will be waiting for you at the airport, train station, cruise port, or in your hotel's lobby.
A comfortable vehicle (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will be ready for you to explore Shanghai.
First, take the fastest elevator in the world, stand on the highest building in Shanghai, and have a bird's-eye view of the entire city of Shanghai at the Shanghai Tower.
Visit Yu Garden, the most domineering private classical Chinese garden, with five resident dragons. The dragon was the symbol of the emperor, and only emperors could use dragons as decoration.
Try some xiaolongbao (steamed buns) for lunch in a local restaurant that has a history of over 100 years.
Explore the French Concession and learn about the colonial past of Shanghai, appreciating the elegant residences.
Walk along the Bund and experience the prosperous Nanjing Road. It's a good place to do some shopping before leaving Shanghai.


At the end of the trip, we will escort you to your hotel, the airport, the cruise port, or the train station. Please specify your requirements.
Trip Notes
1. Customizing the Tour - According to Your Needs
This tour is very flexible. You can alter the itinerary and extend or shorten it to suit your schedule.
For example, you can start the tour from the airport at 7am and finish at the train station by 2pm.
2. A Layover Trip
This day trip is recommended for tourists with a layover of over 12 hours.
If your stop is less than 12 hours, we suggest shortening the tour - please let us know your schedule.
Price Information
Service Includes
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.