Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town Private Guided Tour 5.5/6.5/7.5hr
5.0
2 Ratings
Huang Pu Qu
Explore Zhujiajiao Ancient Water Town: boat rides, private gardens, temples, artisanal stores, and a hands-on dumpling meal. Discover 1700 years of history.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Zhujiajiao Ancient Town - Opting for a private driver with a personal vehicle can be ideal if you value time efficiency, privacy, comfort, and flexibility in scheduling and making stops as needed (2 hours). Alternatively, using public transportation offers the adventure of experiencing daily commuting and navigating fixed routes and schedules (3 hours).

A local private tour guide can enrich your travel experience by providing a deeper understanding of the local culture and a more authentic connection with the community. They offer in-depth knowledge of the area, revealing hidden gems, shortcuts, and local attractions that might not be easily found in guidebooks (5.5/6.5/7.5 hours).

  • Fangsheng Bridge - Sail into the picturesque scenery of Watertown. The homes and lives along the banks, accompanied by a gentle breeze, guide you through one bridge after another. The authentic and intimate details of the aged surroundings add layers to the narrative of the past, inviting you to immerse yourself in the beauty of Watertown, leaving behind all hurries and worries.
  • Zhujiajiao Glutinous Rice Dumpling King - Eating is one of the sensory experiences that draw travelers to Watertown. The air is filled with the aroma of the region’s cuisine, encouraging you to sample Zongzi, a type of rice dumpling celebrated on a special day in history. Between snacks, keep your eyes and ears open to appreciate this photogenic place known for its period slate or bluestone laneways, lined with two-story wooden buildings housing restaurants and traditional handicrafts. Walking over the bridges adds a touch of beauty and history.
  • Hexinyuan - Spend your leisure time at the Garden of Inseparable Hearts, gaining an understanding and appreciation of the lives and traditions of a wealthy family among pavilions, ponds, rockeries, and foliage. The garden, known for its harmonious design and rich cultural heritage, features elaborately carved tiled roofs and expansive grounds. It resembles a living museum, showcasing a large collection of precious artifacts where stories of the past unfold with every jade carving, bronze ware, double-sided silk embroidery, hardwood furniture, and more from the Ming and Qing periods.
  • Zhujiajiao Chenghuangmiao Temple - Chenghuang Temple is dedicated to the local city god or deity believed to protect residents and ensure the community’s well-being. It is represented by esteemed officials and heroes who have made significant contributions to the local population. Worshipped as the guardian deity of cities in both Chinese folk beliefs and Taoism, each Chenghuang Temple is associated with the city or region it serves, and the specific deity worshipped may vary. People visit Chenghuang Temples to pray for blessings, seek protection, and participate in traditional ceremonies and festivals. Let’s take a closer look and learn more.
  • 朱家角桥梓湾点心店 - The stall at the traditional market offers a variety of fresh produce. Join in the fun and get a good deal on fresh ingredients. Later, wrap the fillings and shape the dumplings at a local aunt’s home. This hands-on meal allows you to experience the etiquette, customs, and culinary heart of the well-known cuisine. Enjoy the delicious results of your efforts, paired with local rice wine and liquor, and discover the origins of the dishes and the cultural influences that have shaped them. How delicious indeed the homemade dumplings are (if option selected).
What's Included
  • Boat ride
  • Private driver with vehicle service & Hotel pick-up and drop-off (if option selected)
  • Entry ticket to the Garden of Inseparable Hearts (Hexin garden)
  • Sips and Bites, plus one bottled water per person per tour
  • Tour guide service
  • Public transportation - Subway (if option selected)
  • Hands-on dumpling meal, paired with local alcohol (if option selected)
  • Entry ticket to the Taoism Temple (Chenghuangmiao)
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
Additional Information

Step back in time and experience Shanghai as it was 1700 years ago with this tour. A worry-free experience that comes with your tour guide, and transportation options. On the road, you are rewarded with views through lush landscapes, rice paddies, countryside towns and so on. A boat ride sends you back centuries ago. Photogenic private gardens, temples, artisanal stores, or restaurants alongside watercourses, and bridges give you a leisurely pace to appreciate its beauty and pleasure. There locals use what’s around them, pulling from the water and plucking from the land to get the freshest ingredients, encouraging you Bites & Sips. The abundance of water makes it a good place to sense time-honored traditional handicrafts similar to embroidery, pottery, wood carving, and jewelry adorned with freshwater pearls. Option to add on a hands-on dumpling meal offers you a fun way to explore both the cultural significance and culinary delights of this iconic dish.

  • Please note that if you choose the subway, a single journey from downtown Shanghai to Watertown Zhujiajiao is approximately 1.5 hours.
  • Please advise if there are any specific dietary restrictions, accessibility considerations, or assistance needed at the time of booking.
  • Before setting off this itinerary, it is advisable not to eat excessively.
  • Our guide reserves the right to alter the content of tours due to poor weather or location inaccessibility.
  • Under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  • Wanderlust Shanghai reserves the right to refuse entry to individuals or remove them from tours if they are intoxicated, aggressive, or offensive.
Location
Hotel Park Hotel Shanghai
南京西路
Park Hotel address: 170 Nanjing(W) Rd, nearby Huanghe Rd, close to Exit 9 of People Square Station of Line 1/2/8.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(2 Ratings)
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15654550
Apr 24, 2024
must be done in Shanghai - I had half a day left in Shanghai, I asked Wanderlust for recommendations on places to visit. That's when I booked with Wanderlust Shanghai for the second time, and went to Zujiajio with the same guide. The name was a bit hard to remember, but it's a water town. I told them I love taking photos, so they took me to various hidden spots in the water town for photos. I'm really, really grateful for their thoughtfulness. I'm not someone who usually joins organized tours. But here is just too many people and Wanderlust Shanghai is a team listening to my wants and needs and then coming up with recommendations that not only met, but exceeded, them, based on their detailed knowledge of the cities we want to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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