Free Tours China · People's Square
A local guide walks a group of up to 30 from People's Square past Nanjing Road to the Bund, finishing by the City God Temple next to Yu Garden, with a street-snack stop. Pick it as a first-day orientation: four hours of stories and food tips for the price of a tip.
Here is how the money works, because it surprises people. This is a "free walking tour" run by Free Tours China. The $5 you pay is a booking fee that holds your place; the guide is paid by tips at the end, in cash or by phone payment. Guests say so plainly: one paid to book and then "paid again at the end", another reminds you to bring tip money because it's the only way the guide gets paid, and a third notes the operator's own website lets you join without the fee. There's no set tip. Pay what the four hours were worth to you.
The listing route: People's Square (20 minutes), People's Park (20), Nanjing Road (two 20-minute stretches), the Bund (30), and last the City God Temple area by Yu Garden (20). Guests report about 7 km on foot, old photos of the city along the way and a street-food stop; snacks are included. It does not enter Yu Garden. It ends on its doorstep, which is handy: afterwards you can walk in yourself for 30 to 40 RMB, before the 16:00 last entry, on any day but Monday.
Groups go up to 30, so it isn't intimate. One guest found it more of a fun overview than an in-depth history tour, and another noted it finishes at the old town rather than touring it. For a first afternoon in Shanghai, an overview is the point.
Meet at Exit 3 of People's Square station (Lines 1, 2 and 8), in front of the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center at Renmin Avenue and Middle Xizang Road.
The city's centre and its park; on weekends, the Marriage Market, guests report.
The pedestrian shopping street, with the snack stop along the way.
The old waterfront and the Pudong skyline across the river.
The walk ends by the City God Temple and the Yuyuan bazaar, next to Yu Garden. Tip your guide here.
★★★★★I highly recommend this tour. The guide was very friendly and knowledgeable - it was more of a fun tour (as opposed to an in-depth history tour), which was fine for me. You are expected to pay for the tour via tip - so remember to bring cash or use phone payment app for tip :)
★★★★★This was a free walking tour which we didn't realise as we paid to take part and then paid again at the end. It's based on tips. The tour itself was great though and so was the guide! Didn't walk too fast either.
★★★★★I still recommend this as you can't beat the price (bring tip money! Only way she gets anything), but be prepared to sweat, especially during the summer months.
★★★★★Raven took us to so many places and told stories of how Shanghai came to be an international city from a fishing village. She had photos to show what it was like before so you could really get a feel for the changes. [...] She took us to several little food stalls to get the most delicious local foods.
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It's tip-based. The $5 is a booking fee that holds your place; the guide is paid by tips at the end, in cash or by phone payment, and you decide the amount.
No. It finishes with 20 minutes in the City God Temple area next to Yu Garden. You can walk into the garden afterwards for 30 to 40 RMB, before the 16:00 last entry, except on Mondays.
At Exit 3 of People's Square station (Lines 1, 2 and 8), in front of the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center at Renmin Avenue and Middle Xizang Road.
About 7 km over four hours, by one guest's step counter, with snack and toilet stops.
Ready to book
Four hours on foot from People's Square to the Bund and the City God Temple, paid for with a tip at the end.
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