Sunny Private Tours · Yu Garden and the old town
A private guide collects you downtown, walks you through Yu Garden for an hour, then the old town lanes and Yuyuan Old Street, and sits you down for a tea tasting. It is the one private tour here built around the garden itself, ticket paid.
The listing title says 3 hours; the itinerary adds up to 2 to 2.5. It splits like this: 60 minutes inside Yu Garden, 60 minutes in the old town (Nanshi), 30 minutes on Yuyuan Old Street, then the tea. Sunny Private Tours, the company behind the private full day, picks you up at your downtown hotel. One to four people ride in a Didi car (the listing calls it a premium Uber); five or more get an air-conditioned minivan.
The garden ticket is included and the guide deals with the gate. You could do the garden alone for 30 to 40 RMB, since Yuyuan Garden station on Lines 10 and 14 is about ten minutes away on foot. What you pay for is the story. Guests write about the history of the family who built the garden (Pan Yunduan began it in 1559), the symbolism of the rockeries, and a guide who finds quiet corners when the paths fill up. The tea is a proper sit-down tasting: one guest describes five teas, each brewed in its own pot, in a private room.
The caveats. The price is per person and tiered by group size: $81 is the lowest tier, and a solo traveller or a couple pays more per head. Yu Garden closes every Monday except public holidays, which takes out the heart of this tour, so book Tuesday to Sunday. And the paths have steps, bridges and rockeries; the listing says the tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Your guide meets you at your downtown hotel. Hotels in Jiading, Songjiang, Qingpu or Pudong's Jinqiao and Chuansha get a downtown meeting point instead, or a pickup at a surcharge.
Through the gate with the ticket paid: rockeries, ponds, halls and the dragon walls. Ask to see the Exquisite Jade Rock, 3.3 metres of porous stone.
The lanes of the old walled city around the garden, with Qing-era houses and local shops.
The free bazaar: the Nine-Turn Bridge, the Huxinting teahouse in its pond and the snack stalls.
A seated tasting of several teas, with how each is grown and brewed. Then back to your hotel.
★★★★★This is a very nice 3hr tour. Plenty of time to see the gardens and do a little shopping if you like. Our guide Sammy was very pleasant and knowledgeable. She knew so much about the history of Yu Garden and Chinese customs. The tea service was a nice chance to try different teas. Pick up and drop off service is very helpful. Very good value for money.
★★★★★Wing gave us lots of interesting information about the history and culture of the area, but also made the tour feel relaxed and personal. We particularly enjoyed the tea tasting, which was a lovely experience and gave us the chance to try and learn about different Chinese teas.
★★★★★Simply a superb experience. [...] She made the tour interesting by explaining the history of Shanghai city and the homeowner of the gardens. Tea tasting activity was fun for the whole family including our 11 year old son.
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Yes. The listing includes the entrance fee to Yu Garden, which is 40 RMB in peak season and 30 RMB from December to March. Your guide buys it at the gate.
The title says 3 hours; the listing gives 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes: 60 minutes in the garden, 60 in the old town and 30 on Yuyuan Old Street, plus the tea. Add the drive from your hotel.
Yu Garden is closed every Monday except Chinese public holidays. An hour in the garden is the core of this tour, so book Tuesday to Sunday.
Per person, tiered by group size. $81 is the lowest tier; one or two travellers pay more per head. Set your group size in the calendar to see your price.
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An hour inside Yu Garden with your own guide, the old town lanes and a tea tasting, garden ticket included.
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