Getting to Yu Garden

Which metro station is closest to Yu Garden?

Yuyuan Garden station, on Lines 10 and 14. From the exits it is about a 10-minute walk to the garden gates.

Line 10 has served the station since 2010; Line 14 arrived on 30 December 2021 and made it an interchange. It is deep: at 36 metres, it was the deepest metro station in Shanghai when it opened, and the Line 14 platforms sit three levels down (Wikipedia). Allow a few extra minutes for the escalators.

The neighbours are handy. On Line 10, the next stop east is East Nanjing Road, for the Bund. On Line 14, the next stop east is Lujiazui, for the Pudong towers. Fares start at 3 RMB, and the gates take contactless bank cards and the Alipay transport QR code, so you don't need to buy a ticket at a machine.

Which exit should you take at Yuyuan Garden station?

Exit 1 from the Line 10 concourse, or Exit 4 or 7 from Line 14. All three are signed for Yu Garden.

China Highlights gives good advice here: on the day, follow the station signs rather than an exit number from an old blog. The current layout looks like this:

North Gate or South Gate: which entrance should you use?

Individual visitors can use either. The South Gate sits at the end of the Nine-Turn Bridge; the North Gate on Fuyou Road takes groups and individuals.

The official page gives both addresses. The North Gate is at 168 Fuyou Road (福佑路168号), on a street, which makes it the easier one to find by car or from Exit 3. The South Gate is at 279 Yuyuan Old Street (豫园老街279号), right where the Nine-Turn Bridge lands, deep in the bazaar. Both have ticket windows.

Our pick: come in from the north in the morning, when Fuyou Road is calm, and finish on the south side. The South Gate opens onto the bridge, so ending there drops you straight into the bazaar and the snack stalls. Tour groups use the North Gate, so expect flags and headsets there after about 10:00.

How do you get from the Bund to Yu Garden?

Walk 15 to 20 minutes south-west from the southern end of the Bund, or ride Line 10 one stop from East Nanjing Road.

East Nanjing Road station (Lines 2 and 10) is a 5 to 10 minute walk from the Bund, says Wikivoyage. One stop on Line 10 and you are at Yuyuan Garden. On foot, head south along the river and turn inland into the old city; the lanes get narrower and the buildings lower as you go.

Coming from Lujiazui, Line 14 runs one stop under the river to Yuyuan Garden. A taxi over these short hops rarely saves time: the old-city streets clog easily, and China Highlights suggests walking from the Bund when traffic is heavy.

How do you get to Yu Garden from Pudong Airport?

Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui, then Line 14 one stop to Yuyuan Garden. A taxi takes about an hour and costs roughly 180 to 240 RMB.

For a faster start, the Maglev runs from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road in about 8 minutes for 50 RMB (40 RMB with a same-day air ticket). From Longyang Road, take Line 2 towards the city, change to Line 14 at Lujiazui, and ride one stop. Line 2 all the way from the airport is slower and cheaper.

Two things trip up layover visitors. The garden has no luggage storage, so a suitcase has to stay somewhere else. And it closes on Mondays. The private layover tour solves the first: it starts at Pudong, and guests report leaving bags in the car. One wrote: "our carryon suitcases were left in the car with him as we got out of car multiple times". Its listing also warns that if you can't clear customs, a same-day cancellation is not refunded. Check the visa rules first in the 2026 layover post.

Picked up at Pudong, 80 minutes in Yu Garden, then the Bund and the French Concession, and back in time for your flight. Garden ticket extra.

★ 5.0 · 6 to 8 hours · from $151

Explore the private layover tour → Tour details

How do you get to Yu Garden from Hongqiao Airport or Hongqiao Railway Station?

Line 10 runs direct to Yuyuan Garden from Hongqiao Airport Terminals 1 and 2 and from Hongqiao Railway Station. No change needed.

Line 10 has two western branches: one ends at Hongqiao Railway Station, the other at Hangzhong Road. The airport terminals and the railway station are on the same branch, so check the destination on the platform screen and board a train for Hongqiao Railway Station on the way out. Going into town, every eastbound Line 10 train reaches Yuyuan Garden.

That makes Hongqiao the easy arrival point. High-speed trains from Suzhou and Hangzhou also pull into Hongqiao Railway Station, so a day trip from either city can end with the bazaar lights without a single change.

Can you take a taxi or Didi to Yu Garden?

Yes. Ask for the North Gate on Fuyou Road and expect slow traffic near the old city. There is no car park.

Didi works in English inside Alipay or in its own app. Give the driver the Chinese: 豫园北门, 福佑路168号 (Yu Garden North Gate, 168 Fuyou Road). The South Gate sits inside the bazaar lanes, so a car can only get you near it. The official page says there is no dedicated car park, only paid public parking around the area.

Buses 11, 26, 64, 736, 926, 929, 932, 969 and 980 also stop nearby, according to the garden's transport page. For most visitors the metro is simpler.

Is Yu Garden accessible with a stroller, a wheelchair or luggage?

With difficulty. The paths are uneven, with steps, stone bridges and rockeries, and the garden has no luggage storage.

The garden's visitor rules say it plainly: uneven paths, steps, bridges, slopes, ponds, rockeries and caves, with strollers and wheelchairs allowed but used at your own care. China Highlights goes further and does not recommend a wheelchair visit, as much of the garden is hard to reach. The bazaar outside is flatter, though crowds become the problem.

For luggage, plan around the hotel or a car. Of the tours, the flexible 4-hour tour and the night cruise and bazaar are listed as wheelchair accessible for transport and surfaces; the garden paths stay what they are.

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