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Private Walking Tour in the Former French Concession

21 reviews

Private Walking Tour in the Former French Concession

from USD $104.50

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.

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Due to the impacts of COVID-19, we are currently not taking new bookings for day tours.

In Brief

Location:

Shanghai, China

Country:

China

Duration:

180 to 210 minutes

Operates:

Daily

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.

Inclusions

Hotel pickup
Transportation to attraction
Excellent English-speaking guide
Entrance Tickets
Entry/Admission - Shanghai Lanxin Theater
Entry/Admission - Shanghai Museum of Sun Yat-sen's Former Residence

Exclusions

Personal expenses
Gratuities
Hotel drop-off

Departure Point

Your centrally located hotel in Shanghai

Returns To

Returns to original departure point

Additional Information

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
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

Booking Information

You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.

Cancellation Terms

This trip is fully refundable up to 96 hours prior to the commencement of your trip.

Booking Terms and Conditions

When you book this trip, you need to read and accept the terms and conditions for booking our day trips in excursions.

Hotel Pickup

When you book, we will ask you to select a hotel to be picked up from. Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you a confirmation voucher with full contact information (phone number, email address) for our local operator in case you need to update or change your hotel pick-up details.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about hotel pickup:

What if my hotel is not listed?
That's okay. When you book you can select an hotel from our list and make your way there on the day of departure; or you can contact our local operator directly to make alternate pick-up arrangements.

What if I have not yet booked a hotel?
Once your hotel arrangements are finalised, you can contact our local operator directly with your hotel details.

What if I live locally, am staying with friends or relatives, and/or don't require pick-up?
Once your booking is confirmed, we'll send you complete details and directions to the tour/activity departure point.

Scoring an average traveller rating of 4.95 out of 5 based on the last 21 recent reviews

“

This was the first of two tours with Penny and we had a great time! Penny was extremely knowledgeable about the history and architecture of the area, along with the food and culture. We highly recommend this tour and were happy we also got some excellent food recommendations out of it, too.”

grace.cc.chang • Submitted 05 Nov 2019

“

I spent a half day with Penny as my guide on a private tour of the French Concession. She was extremely knowledgable, having been a teacher and very well versed in Chinese history and the evolution of Shanghai. She brought the town to life and I found myself quoting her and her knowledge to my family when I returned home. We spent most of our time in the park where she was able to bring to life the songs, dances and discussions many of the locals were taking part in on a Sunday afternoon. She paced the half day quite well as we covered a lot of ground and history and never felt rushed. The other piece that she ensured was how easy everything was logistically. Her and her group communicated regularly in advance, picked me up right on time at the hotel, covered the taxi rides and she even made sure I found a great gift for my wife and two daughters as I was traveling solo on this trip. At the end of the tour she made sure I was dropped at the location I needed to be and gave me a few notes on a good dinner spot....that I hit for dumplings AND LOVED. I think overall this tour was an incredible value, Penny brought the area to life and I learned a ton on the history of Shanghai. Very good use of a half day if you want to dive a bit deeper into the area and learn.”

mfeltzou • Submitted 16 Sep 2019

“

Kelly took us on a wonderful walking tour of the old French Concession in Shanghai....it was just the trip I was hoping for - so interesting - Kelly's English is excellent - and we had such a great time with her. I highly recommending asking for Kelly when booking a tour in Shanghai. Mickie and Doug Lloyd in Sausalito, CA”

Douglas L • Submitted 03 Jul 2019

“

Overall the Bund/Yuyuan Garden and the French Concession tours were perfect for a first-time visitor to Shanghai. The tours highlighted many of the cities treasured place, especially the garden, the temple the Peace Hotel. I particularly enjoyed our visit to the temple and our walk on the Bund. Our tour guide through the French Concession, Penny, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the area. She started by asking our preferences on touring, such as spending more or less time in museums, and accommodated those preferences. She was flexible on times. Her English was outstanding and she was patient in answering all of our questions. In addition, Kelly, who coordinated the tour for us, was very helpful in recommending additional tours. I highly recommend Melody Tours for your next visit to Shanghai. ”

davis.austin • Submitted 01 Apr 2019

“

Penny did a great job showing me the French Concession neighborhood and she explained all about the history of the area. Both Penny’s English and her knowledge of Shanghai are excellent. We had an enjoyable day walking through the French quarter and I recommend it highly. ”

Madlyn I • Submitted 07 Mar 2019

“

This was a very educational tour. Penny knows her recent Chinese history well and packed in many stories from the pre-war days all the way to much more modern times. Really appreciate her enthusiasm to make the tour lively and fun. Shame it was a stormy day and we had to spend much time indoors. Would have been lovely to see more of the former French Concession if the weather was better.”

Mark T • Submitted 13 Aug 2018

“

My dad and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Penny, was so knowledgeable and personable and tailored the tour for us. Although it was my first time to China, my dad has been more than 30 times over the last 35 years. He has also studied China all of that time. He LOVED the tour and even learned some things and clarified events of Chinese history based on penny's instruction. Penny ensured that we got great pictures and even treated us to a sticky bun from a street vendor. This is a great way to see parts of Shanghai. My dad is a spry senior citizen and did great with the walking, but I think it would be manageable for most people. It was delightful and not at all exhausting.”

Nancy E • Submitted 16 Jul 2018

“

This was a fascinating half-day tour led by our guide Penny, who was very friendly, spoke better English than either my wife or me, and took obvious pleasure in explaining and guiding us in this totally new part of the world for us. She is clearly a history buff, who takes great delight in connecting what we see with its background and many colors. An extremely worthwhile value in terms of cost and time spent.”

Franklin S • Submitted 17 May 2018

“

I was in Shanghai briefly for work and wanted to make the most of my time. My walking tour with Penny was perfect. She was a wealth of information regarding the beautiful spaces that we walked through in the context of the fascinating recent history of China. I think it is a wonderful way to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the culture of the city. In addition, Penny was excellent company and I really enjoyed my conversations with her. Highly recommend!”

christin T • Submitted 20 Mar 2018

“

Penny was an amazing guide, if only we could book her for all of our travels! We started the four hour tour at the historical Garden Hotel Shanghai and then walked through parks and neighborhoods, both old and new where Penny explained with insight and humor the local historical legends and haunts. We then headed to the Sun Yat-Sen Museum and found some fun and inexpensive take home items. Penny's love of history and current city vibe was the perfect combination for a day of exploring we live in China and will book again with Penny when we're in Shanghai.”

marianemily • Submitted 01 Mar 2018

“

This tour was excellent. Having been to Shanghai and been in this area before I did not have the background and understanding to fully appreciate the history here. Penny, my tour guide, was very knowledgeable and knew the area very well including much of the history. We started with the history and founder of the Republic of China and toured the house where Sun Yat Sen spent much time and this was a very good history of the beginning of modern China. Also visited the place when Nixon and Chou En-lai signed the accord in 1972. This is excellent tour. Did a lot of walking through area including some info on how locals live and the beautiful Fuxing Park. Penny spoke fluent English and a tour that was supposed to be 3 hours lasted 4 and 1/2. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Penny - she is great. Mike B”

Michael B • Submitted 18 Feb 2018

“

We did French Concession and Hidden Door tours with Penny, who was an excellent English speaking guide. Very knowledgeable, friendly and considerate of our needs. She had in depth knowledge and gave personal recommendations based on our interests. We highly recommend Penny for visitors to Shanghai.”

Susan R • Submitted 18 Oct 2017

“

Guide Penny was super extraordinary. She spoke fluent English, and her unique and deep familiarity with the French Concession was superb, presented through stories, histories and locations (rare Art Deco finds!) known only to a true expert. You will not find a more personable guide in all Shanghai”

Gregory M • Submitted 05 Jul 2017

“

My tour at the French Concession was amazing. My guide was Penny and she went beyond my expectations to show me around this very special area of this magnificent city. Penny was eager to answer my questions, very flexible with the tour and very knowledgeable. In fact, she ended up spending an hour extra with me than it was originally planned and paid for. I strongly recommend this tour for anyone who wants to learn the history of this electric and lurid city!”

Mattheos K • Submitted 19 Jun 2017

“

Absolutely loved this! Maggie is a delight and so knowledgeable and informative. This was easily one of the highlights of our first trip to Shanghai. Thank you Maggie!”

Jan H • Submitted 01 Jun 2017

“

We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour of the French Concession. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and made the walk interesting and fun. She met us at our hotel and we started at the French Club, now a 5-star hotel, and ended at Fuxing Park - beautiful area with locals who did ballroom dancing! We also toured a museum and home of Dr. Sun Yat-sen - very interesting. I highly recommend this tour.”

Jacqueline A • Submitted 24 May 2017

“

Shanghai highlight! Just walk! We booked this tour to discover the hidden French Concession. Maggie was our guide for the day as we discovered this amazing part of Shanghai. She soon understood the quirky and inquisitive nature of our travel needs and we spent the day wandering from historical residences, down tree lined streets, through architectural masterpieces, snacking street side, sourcing china and glass shops and rummaging through quirky rip-off porcelain shops. Maggie's passion for history, her love for the city and boundless enthusiasm made this day a sheer delight and highlight of our stay in Shanghai. Thank you Maggie!”

Beanboy • Submitted 22 Nov 2016

“

Can highly recommend this tour, Our guide was very friendly and so generous with her time and her knowledge. We loved it, and as I was researching for a novel, it was particularly helpful. Thank you!!”

Barbara H • Submitted 07 Nov 2016

“

Kelly was our first contact regarding the tour. She was very patient, quickly responding to my queries and helped with my booking. Lily, our tour guide, was incredibly knowledgable about the history of Shanghai and the area we visited. The tour was well paced and provided a lot of interesting stories and information but not overwhelming as we walked past important historical landmarks. Highly recommended.”

Anita • Submitted 15 Oct 2016

“

This was the perfect introduction to Shanghai! I highly recommend the tour and specifically my tour guide, Maggie. She was phenomenal. She was knowledgable and spent the morning giving an abridged version of the history to catch me up to speed. After, she helped me find my way to Tianzifang!”

Taylor N • Submitted 25 Sep 2016

“

The tour exceeded my expectations! Reliable and high quality. We arrived a little bit late but Maggie waited for us and was totally professional greeting us with her warmth smile. She listened to my request and talked more about the history that caught some of my family members' attention. Unfortunately, I did not read my email regularly and not realise that they tried to reach me via email. I was expecting phone call. FYI - Suggest that anyone who book the tour to read email regularly.”

Vjchong • Submitted 30 Dec 2016