Shanghai Authentic Fengjing Watertown Private Tour

We did several tours with Eastbound and Beyond. NO COMPLAINTS. this is the place to book and our tourguide, Hilary, was incredible. Funny, flexible, knowledgeable....we also did a dinner tour, which was fabulous.

Agnes was a wonderful guide and it was a lot of fun chatting with her about both modern life in China and what the town was like many years ago. She also gave some excellent recommendations for lunch and I got to try things I had never heard of before :) This is a great experience, especially if you want some time away from the city and want to see a different side of China. I especially appreciated seeing the collection of pieces from the Mao era and hearing more about what life was like during that time period. Super interesting, not something I knew a lot about previously. Going underground on a very hot day was also a bonus!

An amazing tour with the best guided. Laura and Michael from Eastbound and Beyond made us feel like kings in this private tour from Shanghai. Showing us the authentic watertown with authentic regional cuisine. The car was ample and confortable and the tour, wonderful. The knowledge of Laura and Michael explaining the history and anecdotes made this tour unforgettable.

I had an amazing experience joining Eastbound’s private tour to Fengjing Water Town. The scenery was absolutely beautiful — classic canals, arched bridges, and charming old streets that really capture the essence of a traditional water town. Eastbound’s service was impeccable, and a special shoutout goes to our guide Xirui, whose storytelling and local knowledge made the history come alive. The tour included some truly unique experiences — exploring a restored People’s Commune and even venturing into an underground tunnel, which offered a fascinating glimpse into the past. Lunch was at a very local restaurant with incredibly authentic flavors — one of the best meals I’ve had in a while! We ended the day with a relaxing boat ride through the peaceful waterways, which was the perfect way to wind down. And just when we thought the day couldn’t get better, Eastbound surprised us with a thoughtful little gift (no spoilers!). Highly recommend this tour if you’re looking for a curated, culturally rich, and deeply enjoyable escape from the city.

If you’re looking to escape the crowds and dive into a peaceful, authentic slice of Chinese history, Fengjing is the place to go. This charming watertown exceeded all expectations—quiet, picturesque, and full of cultural soul. The canals, stone bridges, and traditional houses felt like a step back in time. We saw residents going about their day and tiny family-owned shops selling handmade snacks and crafts. We visited very interesting sites and ate exceptional food. Our tour guides, Laura and Michael, did a fantastic job from start to finish—picking us up at our hotel in a very comfortable vehicle, engaging with us constantly, making sure that we had everything we needed and sharing fascinating stories and facts about the town’s history, Chinese culture, and architecture. They really brought the experience to life and made us feel well taken care of the entire time. This tour by Eastbound and Beyond is fantastic and ideal if you want something calm, authentic, and off the beaten path. Fengjing isn’t touristy—it’s real, beautiful, and unforgettable. Highly recommend to anyone visiting Shanghai who wants to see a different, more traditional side of China!

Great tour of a lesser known ancient town, led by the kind and bubbly guide Laura. Each stop along the way was thoughtfully chosen. My favorites were trying the zong zi (a nostalgic food for me) from a shop with very sweet owners amongst other locals, putting a visual to China’s history at the historical People’s Commune site, and also seeing the handwriting (insanely beautiful) of top scorers of the imperial examination. Another small detail that I appreciated was that there were bathroom breaks intentionally embedded throughout. Laura did a fantastic job sharing the history of the town at a good pace without it being overwhelming, I learned a lot. Thank you for a great day! ~