Zhujiajiao Water Town: Boat Ride, Opt for Hands-on Dumpling Meal, Shanghai

About this activity

A scenic boat ride takes you from the modern world to 1,700 years ago. Along the way, enjoy views of lush landscapes, rice paddies, and charming countryside.

Photogenic gardens, temples, shops, or restaurants lining watercourses and bridges invite you to appreciate the beauty at a leisurely pace. The abundance of water also supports time-honor handicrafts, including embroidery, pottery, wood carving, or jewelry adorned with freshwater pearls. Here, locals gather fresh ingredients directly from the water and land, encouraging you to savor delightful Bites & Sips.

You have the option to add a hands-on dumpling-making experience, providing a fun way to explore the cultural significance and culinary delights of this iconic dish.

Enjoy a worry-free experience with your knowledgeable tour guide and convenient transportation options.

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At a glance

Duration: 5–8 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: Chinese, English
Operated by: iTour Shanghai

Ages: Infants (0–3 years) · Children (4–9 years) · Adults (10–99 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Entry tickets to Kezhi Garden/Hexin Garden, Taoism Temple/Buddhism Temple (your choice)
Included: Round-trip metro tickets (Option)
Included: Hands-on dumpling meal with local drinks (Option)
Included: Sips and Bites, one bottled water per person
Included: Private tour guide service
Included: Boat ride
Included: The car package comes with free hotel pick-up and drop-off (Option)

Not included

Not included: Tips for your tour guides and drivers are appreciated
Not included: Personal expenses

Itinerary

Zhujiajiao Ancient Town

3 hours

A professional touch for a private driver with a private vehicle might be preferable if you prioritize time efficiency, a high level of privacy and comfort, or flexibility in scheduling and making stops as needed （2 hours）.

Or, the adventure of using public transportation allows you to experience daily routine commuting and navigating public systems akin to fixed routes and schedules (3 hours).

A local private tour guide enhances your travel experience of understanding the local culture or a more authentic connection with the community and adds your in-depth knowledge of the area, offering insights into hidden gems, shortcuts, and local attractions that might not be easily accessible via guidebooks （5.5/6.5/7.5 hours）.
Fangsheng Bridge

30 min

Cruise into a picturesque scenery of Watertown. The homes and lives lining the banks amid the gentle caress of a breeze accompany you passing through one bridge after another. An authentic and intimate to the details in aged surroundings adds layers to the narrative of the past, inviting you to immerse yourself in the beauty that makes you an integral part of this unfolding living picture in Watertown, leaving behind all hurries or worries.
Stop 3

1 h 30 min

Eating is one of the sensory experiences that put Watertown on travelers’ itineraries. The air is filled with the smell of the region's cuisine, encouraging you to sample the flavors of the snack, Zongzi, a type of rice dumpling in history has a special day that celebrates them as a perennial favorite.

Between snacks, eyes, and ears open to appreciate this photogenic place that is known for its period slate or bluestone laneways, lined with two-story wooden buildings packed with restaurants or traditional handicrafts, etc. Walking over the bridges adds a touch of beauty and history.
Stop 4

35 min

Spend your leisure time at the Garden of Inseparable Hearts and have an understanding and appreciation of the lives and traditions of a wealthy family among pavilions, ponds, rockeries, and foliage. The garden singled out for its harmonious design and rich cultural heritage, features elaborately carved tiled roofs and tiny but expansive grounds. Resembling a living museum, it showcases 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

25 min

Chenghuang Temple is dedicated to the local city god or deity who is believed to protect the residents and ensure the well-being of the community. It is represented by esteemed officials and heroes who have meritorious 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 from one place to another. As usual, people visit Chenghuang Temples to pray for blessings, seek protection, and participate in traditional ceremonies and festivals. Let's have a closer look and find out more.
Stop 6

1 h 30 min

The stall at the traditional market has a variety of fresh produce. Join in the fun and have a good deal on fresher ingredients. Later, wrap the fillings and shape the dumplings at Watertown Aunt’s home. This hands-on meal may you experience etiquette, custom, and culinary to the heart of the well-known cuisine, enjoy the delicious results of efforts, paired with local rice wine and liquor, and find out the origin of dishes or the cultural influences that have shaped them. How yummy indeed the homemade dumping （if option selected）.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

Park Hotel address: 170 Nanjing(W) Rd, nearby Huanghe Rd, close to Exit 9 of People Square Station of Line 1/2/8.

End point

Park Hotel address: 170 Nanjing(W) Rd, nearby Huanghe Rd, close to Exit 9 of People Square Station of Line 1/2/8.

Pickup points

James Joyce Coffetel Shanghai Railway Station
Shanghai Elong Hotel
Shanghai Lichen Ruixuan International Hotel
Home Inn Shanghai Xujiahui
JI HOTEL (Shanghai Haibei Bund Danyang Road Metro Hotel)
Park Inn by Radisson Shanghai Jing'an Daning International
Jia Qi Hotel (Shanghai the Bund Nanjing East Road shop)
Haig Court
Boting Hotel (Shanghai Lujiazui Baguaban)
JI Hotel Shanghai Daning North Hi-Tech Industrial Park
Ji Hotel Shanghai Stadium
Z Hotel Shanghai Bund Shamei Building

and 1,921 more pickup points

Your tour guide will hold a sign bearing your name at the meeting point at the scheduled time.

① If you choose the subway, please note that we will meet up at the Park Hotel before setting out.

Park Hotel address: 170 Nanjing(W) Rd, near Huanghe Rd, close to Exit 9 of People Square Station of Line 1/2/8.

② If your pickup location is outside the specified area, please

let us know ahead of time so we can discuss options and

make arrangements.

Cancellation

Free cancellation

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

If you cancel	You get back
At least one day before	100%
Less than a day before	0%

The operator may cancel if the weather does not allow it; you then get another date or your money back.

Good to know

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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.

Options

All-Inclusive

Bites and Sips: Taste snacks and beverages that are popular or characteristic of Watertown cuisine.

Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

A hands-on dumpling meal : Wrap the fillings, shape the dumplings and enjoy the delicious result of efforts at Watertown Aunt’s.

A Buick 7-Seater: The Buick 7-Seater offers ample legroom and headroom, ensuring every traveler can enjoy their journey in comfort.

Pickup included
5.5-Hr by Buick 7-Seater

Bites and Sips: Taste snacks and beverages that are popular or characteristic of Watertown cuisine.

Duration: 5 hours 30 minutes

Buick 7-seater/ 5-seater SUV

Pickup included
6.5-Hr by Metro

Bites and Sips : Taste snacks and beverages that are popular or characteristic of Water Town cuisine.

Duration: 6 hours 30 minutes

Boat ride、Tickets to Kezhi Gar

Metro: Approximately 3-hour round journey
Metro & Hands-on Dumpling Meal

Bites and Sips: Taste snacks and beverages that are popular or characteristic of Watertown cuisine.

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes

A hands-on dumpling meal: Shop for fresh produce, wrap the fillings, shape the dumplings and enjoy the delicious result of efforts at Watertown Aunt’s.

Metro: Allow you experience daily routine commuting and navigating public systems akin to fixed routes and schedules.