Shanghai Private Tours
Day Tour · Private

Former French Concession Private Walk: Tianzifang, Xintiandi & Lanes

Shikumen lanes, plane-tree streets and two ways of reusing old Shanghai.

A lane in the former French Concession, Shanghai · Photo: Fabio Achilli from Milano, Italy, CC BY 2.0

Duration
4 to 5 hours
Price
From US$120 (estimate)
Pace
Slow walking
Pick-up
Your Shanghai hotel
The journey

French Concession Private Walk

“Shanghai struck me as a magical place... with its European avenues shaded by London planes and hidden courtyards that hummed with commerce and art.”

J. G. Ballard, Acclaimed Novelist, who grew up in the French Concession. Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton / Wikiquote

The French Concession was established on 6 April 1849 and doubled in size after an 1899 agreement. Its streets are now part of Huangpu and Xuhui districts.

The two neighbourhoods on this walk show different choices. Tianzifang kept the shikumen lane houses, and more than 200 small businesses moved in after it was designated a creative quarter in 2001. Xintiandi was bought by Shui On Group in 1996 and rebuilt as a car-free dining district.

Ideal for

  • Architecture and history lovers
  • Repeat visitors to Shanghai
  • Food and café stops

Getting around

Private air-conditioned vehicle

Pick-up: Your Shanghai hotel

Destinations

The Former French Concession 法租界

Lane in Tianzifang, Shanghai
Lane in Tianzifang, Shanghai · 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0
Café terrace in Xintiandi, Shanghai
Café terrace in Xintiandi, Shanghai · xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0
Highlights

Moments to look forward to

  • Tianzifang lanes
  • Xintiandi
  • Shikumen houses
Itinerary

Your day, unhurried

  1. Morning

    Tianzifang

    Walk the lanes of the 1933 shikumen block before the main crowds.

    • SeeTianzifang, a shikumen block dating from 1933, a set of narrow lanes in the former French Concession.
    • PlanWe go on foot, and start early so you have room to stop in the lanes. Your guide explains what a shikumen house is as you pass the doors.
  2. Midday

    Lunch in the concession

    A local table chosen with you.

    • PlanWe choose a table with you beforehand, so that you do not queue or search with a hungry group. Meals are paid by you and are not included in the price.
  3. Afternoon

    Xintiandi

    Walk through the car-free district and the reconstituted shikumen houses.

    • SeeXintiandi, completed in 2001 after Shui On Group bought 23 blocks in 1996. It is a car-free district of reconstituted shikumen houses.
    • PlanA walk of about an hour, with a coffee or an early drink if you like. Your driver is waiting at the end of the walk.

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
  • English-speaking guide
  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Parking and road tolls
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Meals
  • Gratuities
Make it extraordinary

Private upgrades

  • 珍Add Yu Garden in the afternoon
  • 珍Private dinner reservation
Before you go

Practical tips from official sources

Each tip names the page it comes from. These are published facts, not our own trip reports, and they can change; we re-check them before your date.

  • Tianzifang is near Metro Line 9’s Dapuqiao station. Xintiandi is near South Huangpi Road (Line 1), Site of the First CPC National Congress · Xintiandi (Lines 10 and 13) and Madang Road (Lines 9 and 13), per Wikipedia. We did not find official opening hours for either. Wikipedia, Tianzifang and Xintiandi

Frequently asked questions

How much does the French Concession Private Walk cost?

From US$120 per private group of up to 2 travellers, with driver, guide and vehicle (estimate). Entry tickets and meals are extra. We confirm the final price in writing within 12 hours.

What is a shikumen house?

Wikipedia’s Tianzifang and Xintiandi articles describe shikumen as traditional Shanghai lane houses. Your guide shows you examples on the walk.

Sources for the facts on this page

The places and figures named here were read from these pages on 2026-11-09. The route, timing and inclusions are our own plan.

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