5 Days Private Shanghai and Zhangjiajie Tour

After breakfast, your guide and the driver will pick you up from your hotel to head to Yu Garden, a 450-year-old Chinese classical garden. Originally built in the late 16th century as the private residence of a government official, it is today one of Shanghai’s most iconic landmarks. Here, you can get a glimpse of the intricate architecture characteristic of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911 AD), featuring grand halls, pavilions, ponds, and artificial hills. The most breathtaking of them is the Great Rockery, constructed from 2,000 tons of yellow stone bonded with a traditional mortar of sticky rice and lime. Seamlessly integrated with small waterfalls and streams, it appears as a completely natural formation with no artificial traces visible, truly a testament to ancient engineering. Leaving the garden, let’s wander through the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar, where rows of wooden buildings with intricately carved eaves lend nostalgic charm to the bustling streets. Here, you may try local delicacies at your own expense, such as Pan-Fried Pork Buns, Nanxiang Soup Dumplings, or Chop Rice Cakes.

After that, continue to the Shanghai Museum, ranked among the world’s finest museums of ancient Chinese art. It holds more than 1 million cultural relics spanning calligraphy, currency, bronze, ceramics, painting, and sculptures. One of its highlights is a bronze water plate crafted 2,600 years ago. While most ancient Chinese bronzes were inscribed with records of official achievements, this piece bears an artisan’s heartfelt blessings for his wife. Adorning its base are twelve different animals, ingeniously designed to spin 360° as water flows over them. The craftsman hoped that whenever his wife used it, the swirling figures would bring to life the lively spirit of a miniature pond. Little could he have imagined that their enduring love could still be witnessed more than 26 centuries later. 

Our next destination is Nanjing Road, Shanghai’s busiest commercial street and a symbol of the city’s prosperity and fashion. Lined with Western neoclassical buildings housing luxury brands and chic boutiques, the street offers a visual feast. Beyond shopping, it is a hub for cutting‑edge technology: home to Asia’s largest Apple Store and the flagship outlet of Huawei, China’s leading technology brand, reflecting Shanghai’s role as a global crossroads of innovation.

Then, head to the Bund, Shanghai’s iconic waterfront promenade on the west bank of the Huangpu River. Bringing together 52 buildings of different periods and styles, such as Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque, it is acclaimed as an “exhibition of world architecture.” If your visit coincides with the top of the hour, you may hear the chime from the Customs Building clock tower. As you stroll toward the pier, your guide will accompany you on a Huangpu River cruise to round off the day. Looking east, your eyes will be drawn to the futuristic Oriental Pearl TV Tower. When its avant‑garde design was first proposed in the 1980s, it clashed with prevailing architectural tastes and was considered eccentric. Its spherical structure also posed a world‑class engineering challenge, and many doubted China’s ability to complete it. Thanks to the unwavering dedication of its designers and builders, the tower was realized and has since become one of Shanghai’s most recognizable landmarks. As the cruise continues, the skyline of the eastern bank of the Huangpu River unfolds further, with the sleek forms of the Shanghai World Financial Center, the Jinmao Tower, and China’s tallest building, the Shanghai Tower, joining the city’s ever‑changing silhouette.

After disembarking, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel. If you want to extend your evening, roam along the riverbank to admire the Bund’s neon‑lit nightscape at your own pace, and finally return to your hotel independently by taxi in about 15 minutes.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

The last day in Shanghai is left for your own arrangement. Seize the chance to discover more of the city’s unique charm. 

► Free Time Suggestion:
Perhaps take some time to wander around Xintiandi, one of Shanghai’s most bustling commercial areas, just a 15-minute taxi ride from your hotel. Reflecting distinctive Shanghai culture, it artfully blends traditional two‑story lane houses with contemporary architecture. Here, you can enjoy modern comforts while soaking up a lively artistic atmosphere. As you stroll, the aroma of coffee and pastries may drift from lattice windows, accompanied by soft music evoking the elegance of 1920s Shanghai. The area also houses numerous boutiques, snack stores, art studios, bars, and cafes. Nearly all store signs and menus are in English, making it exceptionally visitor-friendly. Feel free to wander and find your own delights! 

Please ensure you return to your hotel by mid‑afternoon. Your guide and driver will then pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your evening flight to Zhangjiajie. Upon landing, your Zhangjiajie guide and the driver will offer you a smooth airport-to-hotel transfer and help you check into your hotel. 

★ What to Expect in Zhangjiajie:

1. All-inclusive Ticket: Our tour package includes not only park admission but also key in‑park transport, such as elevators, cableways, shuttles, and the sightseeing train, which can help you conquer Zhangjiajie’s mountainous landscape effortlessly.
2. Queuing Problem: Although Zhangjiajie receives far fewer daily visitors than Shanghai, wait times here can be significantly longer. It is partly due to the mountainous terrain, which makes infrastructure development challenging and slow. As a result, queues are common at popular sites, with peak-season waits even reaching two or three hours. We advise being psychologically prepared and sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience.
3. Thoughtful Meal Planning: Given that dining options inside the scenic areas are limited, we will provide lunch for the next two days, while dinner is left for your own exploration. Local specialties, such as Tujia Stewpot, cured pork, and rice noodles, are worth trying; however, please note that local cuisine tends to be quite salty and oily, and may not suit your palate. For a more cautious option, chain fast food restaurants like KFC and Subway are recommended.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

In the morning, your guide and the driver will meet you at your hotel and escort you to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, a natural spectacle that boasts a diverse landscape of karst peaks, valleys, caves, waterfalls, and lakes – a “landform museum” of Zhangjiajie. It is not only a home for souls to pursue purity and tranquility, but also a playground for adventurers.

Step onto the Glass Bridge, and you can take in the canyon’s majestic views while getting a thrill from the abyss beneath your feet. Stretching 536 meters (1,758 feet) between two cliffs, the bridge may look delicate, especially when winds funnel down the gorge. Rest assured, the cable system functions like a kite’s frame to disperse strong gusts; shock absorbers similar to those in cars minimize sway; and glass spheres are strategically placed on the deck for added stability. If time allows, we’ll descend to the canyon floor for a peaceful boat ride on Sacred Spring Lake, whose jade‑like waters mirror the blue sky and surrounding forest. 

In the afternoon, we’ll make our way to the Golden Whip Stream, which flows through what is often praised as one of the world’s most beautiful canyons. Once enter this wonderland, the local “aborigines”, wild macaques, will greet you. If you’re fortunate, you might even spot the rare Chinese giant salamander, unique to Zhangjiajie, in the clear water. Along the trail, a massive rock split clean down the middle lies aside. Legend tells that a fairy who fell in love with a mortal was imprisoned beneath this boulder as punishment. Her son later used a divine axe to split the rock and free her, leaving the striking fissure we see today. You’ll also pass the Flower and Fruit Mountain, which is the home of Monkey King in the classic novel “Journey to the West”. Finally, the Golden Whip Rock awaits, standing 350 meters (1,148 feet) high like a golden pillar piercing the sky.

At the end of the day, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch

After hotel pick-up, your guide and the driver will whisk you away to the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Let’s first board the Bailong Elevator, which ascends to a height of over 100 floors in just 88 seconds. From its glass cabin, you’ll get a panoramic first look at the park’s misty, rocky landscape. As the world’s fastest and highest outdoor sightseeing elevator, it has maintained a perfect safety record since opening in 2002. It also serves as a primary rescue route when cable cars are unavailable. The elevator will bring you to the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, where diehard fans of the film “Avatar” can step into a real‑life version of Pandora. Here stands the towering Heaven and Earth Column, the inspiration for the film’s Hallelujah Mountain. A Chinese myth tells that this majestic pillar is a fragment of one of the giant columns that once held up the heavens, broken during a battle between deities.

After lunch, your guide will escort you via park shuttle to Tianzi Mountain. Thousands of peculiar peaks soaring into the sky are shrouded in drifting mist and clouds, adding a touch of mystery to the landscape. The Imperial Brush Peak is one of the top ten sights here. A local tale says that after a Tujia tribal chieftain failed in an uprising here, he burned all his manuscripts and threw his brushes into the valley, which turned into the peaks we see today.

After descending the mountain by cable car, let’s visit the Ten-Mile Gallery at the mountain’s foot. Riding a round-trip sightseeing train, you’ll glide through this green corridor, where nature displays its most delicate sculpture works. One notable showpiece is the Three Sisters Peak. The left peak resembles the eldest sister carrying an infant on her back, the middle one looks like the second sister holding a child, and the right peak is said to depict the youngest sister who just got married and is about to give birth. Locals view them as forest guardians or incarnations of ancient sorceresses. Whatever their origin, the stories they inspire create a meaningful bridge between people and the natural world.

After today’s sightseeing, your 5 days Shanghai to Zhangjiajie tour comes to an end. Your guide and the driver will offer you an airport or high-speed rail station see-off. To ensure a relaxed connection, we recommend booking departures after 9:00 PM. If you plan an early leave today, please contact our travel consultants in advance to tailor your itinerary. For those who want a deeper exploration of Zhangjiajie, we can also extend your journey to Furong or Fenghuang Ancient Town.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch