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Shanghai French Concession Free Tour - China's First & Original
Embark on a three-hour journey in the enchanting French Concession of Shanghai. Join your local guide to relive an era of style, tranquility, and romance on this captivating free tour!
Things to do Shanghai French Concession Free Tour - China's First & Original
-Welcome to the FIRST, ORIGINAL, and BEST free walking tours in Shanghai (and China)!! As the local free tour trailblazer, we've conducted OVER 1500 TOURS, delighting 23,000+ visitors worldwide since 2017. We were honoured with the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Award from 2019 to 2024! **WHAT IS “FRENCH CONCESSION”? **It was a foreign concession area in Shanghai from 1849 until 1943. The area remains Shanghai's premier residential and shopping district, known for its European-style architecture, tree-lined streets, trendy cafés, bars, and rich artistic heritage. -Discover the enchanting tales of the French Concession and its vibrant history on a 3-hour walk through this charming neighborhood. Uncover the secrets behind its status as the MOST BELOVED area for locals and expats, and immerse yourself in its cultural legacy! -TOUR HIGHLIGHTS · Middle Huaihai Road · Former French Club · Shanghai Alleyway Houses · Shanghai Culture Square · Sinan Mansions · The most expensive hotel in Shanghai · St. Peter’s Church · Former French Courthouse · Tianzifang and more! Sounds like fun? We can't wait to welcome you soon!
Included
Huaihai Middle Road
Shanghai Culture Square Theatre
Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai
Sinan Mansions
Tianzifang alley bar
Saint Peter's Church, Shanghai
Former Residence of Zhou'Enlai
Local English-speaking Tour Guide
Welcome Gifts
Group Photos
Snack Break Time
Unlimited Fun and Joy!!!
Meeting point
South Shaanxi Road Station, Exit 4
Reviews (62)
2025-09-15 06:57:14
“Best Tour”
Wonderful, informative and fun.
Adam Nazha (English)
2025-09-10 09:18:09
“Increible Celine”
Great guide, very knowledgeable and super friendly. A Must Do tour
Alejandro Delgado (English)
2025-08-26 05:46:35
“Simply fantastic”
This is simply fantastic. I’d pay more for this than any other regular travel agency tour.
Suzanne (English)
2025-08-06 05:57:17
“Amazing tour! ”
Thank you so much for this experience! Discovering the treasures of the French Concession with Dinna was an absolute immersion in curiosities and daily life in Shanghai. She is incredible and very funny, she did her best to make the whole group feel comfortable during the tour. The organisation was perfect, I made the tour with my two friends but also had the possibility to talk to the other members of the group, and it was a really good exchange. We really recommend to join his tour with Dinna! Thank you so much!!!
Irene Danzi (English)
2025-06-30 17:47:14
“It was a super tour with a super guide! ”
Interesting, clever tour and Chen was an amazing guide with perfect English! I recommend!
Viara Tim (English)
2025-06-15 05:31:49
“Nice tour”
Celine was veryy good and gave us so many information. Many thanks
Holger Eckert (English)
2025-05-31 12:25:02
“Tour review ”
Celina was our tour guide on the French Consessions walking tour. She speaks really good English and was full of interesting information. The tour is very worthwhile.
Robert (English)
2025-05-18 09:22:38
“Very pleasant and informative way to explore the French concessi”
I really enjoyed the walking tour. Selina is super knowledgeable and her English is perfect.
fabiana abadi (English)
2025-05-14 01:21:43
“Interesting walking tour ”
Great intro to the French Concession and the tour was well paced. Our guide Dina was very friendly and knowledgeable. One small suggestion is for Dina to have more eye contact with her guests. She keeps looking down on the floor or somewhere else when she is presenting the facts.
Daniel Tam (English)
2025-04-29 05:00:33
“Great tour to know more about Shanghai”
Love this tour! I had two days off between work and decided to join this tour, and it turned out to be so great. I learned more about the history and culture of Shanghai. Thanks to the amazing guide who's always so smily and patient, she really made my day. Thank you!
Maria Alvarez (English)
2025-04-29 04:53:00
“Fantastic tour!”
Highly recommended! The guide knows Shanghai so well and she took us to see some of the local places. I wouldn't know about this part of Shanghai if I didn't join this tour. I'd say if you want to see something that is not as touristy like Nanjing Road, then is tour is a great option!
Evelyn S (English)
2025-04-24 02:33:25
“Highly recommend! Love the pace of the tour!!”
Just finished an awesome free walking tour of Shanghai’s old French Concession, and I’ve got to say, it was fantastic! Our guide shared cool stories about the area’s past, pointing out hidden villas and cool art-deco buildings. We ducked into cute little alleys. The pace was just right—not too fast, but packed with neat spots to check out. This tour is a fun way to see a beautiful part of Shanghai. Highly recommend!
Quintana Hoyne (English)
2025-04-23 11:45:41
“Fantastic tour!”
Thank our guide for a great morning! I was only transiting in Shanghai but now i need to come back again and have a deeper tour in China! She took us to see real life of the local people, and explained very clearly with the history. Perfect English with no accent at all. Recommend to everyone!
Caroline (English)
2025-04-23 11:43:19
“Five star rate with seven star experience”
I really enjoyed the tour. My guide is fun, she made history so easy to understand with stories and her great sense of humor. I hope everyone can come to this former French side of the city, you will see a great combination of the old building and chill lifestyle of the local people.
Viola (English)
2025-04-23 11:39:13
“Awesome tour!”
My guide is very knowledgable about the history, also she is a native local, not only telling us something you can read from books, she actually showed us the true lifestyle of Shanghai people and the huge changes for the past 20 years in this amazing city. I highly recommend it!
Selena (English)
2025-04-07 10:29:55
“Exceptional Guided Tour with Ms. Celina in Shanghai’s French Con”
Exceptional Guided Tour with Ms. Celina in Shanghai’s French Concession.
I today had the pleasure of joining Ms. Celina’s group walking tour of the French Concession in Shanghai, and I must say, her professionalism and expertise far surpassed all expectations. Ms. Celina is not only deeply knowledgeable but also remarkably thoughtful and attentive to her guests' needs.
From the very beginning, her organization and clear communication were evident—she kindly informed us in advance when she was en route to our meeting point. Once the tour began, she led us on a captivating journey through Huaihai Road and its surrounding areas, where history and modernity intertwine beautifully. The French Concession, with its well-preserved architecture and lively atmosphere, became even more enchanting through Ms. Celina’s insightful commentary on its historical and cultural significance.
What truly sets Ms. Celina apart is her passion and dedication. As a young, energetic, and enthusiastic guide, she went above and beyond to ensure our experience was both enjoyable and memorable. Her profound understanding of Shanghai’s heritage, paired with her warm and caring demeanor, made this one of the finest tours I’ve ever had the privilege of joining.
I wholeheartedly recommend Ms. Celina to anyone seeking an outstanding walking tour of the French Concession. Her expertise and hospitality are truly commendable. Wishing her continued success in her guiding career—she undoubtedly deserves the highest praise.
Thank you once again, Ms. Celina, for such a wonderful and enriching experience!
Anil Dhope (English)
2025-03-17 14:04:52
“Superb!”
I recently joined the Shanghai French Concession Free Tour with Dinna as our guide, and it was outstanding. Dinna's deep knowledge and engaging storytelling made the area's history come alive. The tour was well-paced and covered both major landmarks and hidden gems. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Shanghai.
Daniel Chauviere (English)
2025-03-12 10:21:02
“Great way to learn about the other Shangai”
I really loved my walking tour with Aubrey across the “other” Shangai.
Aubrey delivered a great voyage into the local daily life style and mentality beeing always engaging to the audience. Her nice personality of a young local Shangai young woman carried us through the back side quarters and streets showing the way people live and their fascinating lifestyle as well.
Thank you Aubrey!
Mario Marcosano (English)
2025-03-08 18:08:18
“Great experience”
Dinna was delightful, engaging and funny. The tour took us through many interesting streets and alleyways of the former French Concession. She covered the history of the district, and pointed out some great details as we walked that you might ordinarily miss. She was very knowledgeable about the local culture and stories. I really recommend this tour for anyone visiting Shanghai!
Joel Bond (English)
2025-01-22 00:30:05
“10/10”
Had a great time on this tour. Highly recommend
Julie F (English)
2025-01-19 05:17:05
“French concession tour”
Celina was great. Really enjoyed the tour. Lots of local history and information given. Definitely recommend
Kate (English)
2025-01-06 14:37:43
“The best walking tour in Shanghai!! ”
We had an amazing time with our tour guide Aubrey! She did a great job of guiding us, answering all of our questions, and also making the tour very engaging and fun! Would highly recommend Free Tours for anyone who wants to explore Shanghai! Thanks again!
Emmanuel Borges Da Silva (English)
2024-12-18 06:08:58
“Wonderful”
The tour is a great mix of history, sightseeing and cultural aspects. Aubrey is a great guide, eager to share her impressive knowledge and sincere passion for Shanghai, dedicating time and effort to answer questions.
For me, it was a perfect chance to learn more about Shanghai multilayered history and explore the eclectic architecture.
For the sake of feedback, the tour could further benefit from a more personal touch, as especially for the outsiders, it’s very interesting to learn about Shanghai people and how they differ from other regions of China, but this is just a minor suggestion that only underscores the great quality of the tour
Mikhail Volkov (English)
2024-12-09 21:49:37
“Worth it”
We had a wonderful time exploring Shanghai's unique French Concession. The tour allowed us to admire stunning 19th-century European-style buildings while learning about their complex, but fascinating history. From its establishment during the European occupation after the Opium Wars as a haven for wealthy Westerners to its transformation into one of modern Shanghai's cultural and business hubs, every detail was captivating. It was our second tour, after the Shanghai City Free Walking Tour, and some introductory information was the same for both tours, but that did not spoil anything for us.
Our guide, the charming Aubrey, made our day with her delightful personality and engaging conversations. This tour is a must-see if you want to experience the unique vibe of this beautiful city.
Arman (English)
2024-12-06 05:19:49
“Lovely tour through beautiful French Consession ”
Thanks to Aubrey, I had an awesome and informative tour through beautiful French Consession. Highly recommend to anyone travelling Shanghai!
Christiane (English)
2024-12-01 13:03:20
“Nice tour”
Did the tour today with Celina who made it a fun 3-hour walk through the French cocncession.
A few things I have missed:
We did not see all spots listed in the description of the tour, i.e. the church.
I personally cannot hear enough about history and architecture which could have been addressed even more than she already dld.
Otherwise very informative, super English and time well spent ????
Kai (English)
2024-11-15 03:41:46
“Thank you! ”
Best tour in the city
Stev P (English)
2024-10-15 19:33:33
“Excellent!!!!”
Excellent!!!
Aracelly Hidrobo (English)
2024-09-29 11:04:58
“Top guide”
Visita molto interessante, la guida parla molto bene inglese il che aiuta tantissimo al momento di fare domande. Assolutamente raccomandato!!
Alessandro La Porta (Italian)
2024-09-27 06:03:19
“Very good tour”
Very useful the information.
Natalia Costa (English)
2024-09-22 01:57:21
“Paréntesis occidental ”
Un buen tour para disfrutar de barrios occidentales y tomar un respiro del mundo oriental
Ana Lozano Yedro (Spanish)
2024-09-09 08:34:17
“Franchement concession tour”
The tour was a good way to explore the area and learn useful information on Chinese culture. I recommend it!
Francesca Cagnato (English)
2024-09-03 02:24:19
“Super tour of the French Concession!”
An amazing way to explore the beautiful and bustling French Concession in Shanghai! For three hours, Dinna talked about history, culture and more. 10/10. (tip: do the Shanghai Free Walking tour first, it's an amazing introduction to Shanghai)
Michiel van den Akker (English)
2024-09-03 00:51:35
“100% worth to invest 3h in this tour!”
I love walking tours since I believe is a great way to better explore cities, bump into daily city anecdotes as well as to gain knowledge of the history, culture and sociology (if the guide does well their job). This tour met all my expectations! Dinna kept a great balance of explaining the history AND stories of the area as well as adding information about Shanghai and Chinese culture. We visited 3 very different neighbourhoods and Dinna pointed out at the differences as well as explained how the neighbourhoods operated in the past and how they do now. Also, she kept the vibes of the group high and there were very nice conversations and experience sharing with other travelers. Finally, Diana takes good care on answering questions we had and made very good suggestions to keep exploring Shanghai.
Leticia Liste Calleja (English)
2024-08-27 08:28:23
“Informative & Fun tour: well-prepared to answer our questions! ”
Impressive information shared by Dinna! She can answer me all questions to feed my curiosity mind! Her professional attitude in engaging the tour members, friendly, arranging the tour carefully ware highly appreciated! I love she asked us questions and shared us related history and news with her reader-friendly materials!
Wong Heidi (English)
2024-08-25 06:06:47
“Tour”
Great tour
Really nice and useful
Emilio Sica (English)
2024-05-05 09:40:58
“Great ”
Great on everything, a piece of town to visit
Luca (English)
2024-04-28 09:36:18
“Tour de la concession française shangai”
Super tour avec Dinna, des explications tout le long avec photo à l’appuie. Dinna est très sympa. Merci encore pour la visite.
Aude Giaimo (French)
2024-04-07 14:37:19
“Great Shanghai French Concession Walking Tour!”
The french concession tour was a perfect mix of everything - history, culture, architecture, and modern life in Shanghai. We learned so much from our knowledgeable guide while also getting a glimpse into local lifestyle. French Concession is definitely our favorite area visited in Shanghai! Don’t miss it!
Ella Hilton (English)
2020-01-17 06:31:40
“Loved it!”
Our French concession walking tour with Sihao was amazing! Sihao gave a very good snapshot of the history of the former french concession area. He patiently answered all our queries and even gave us additional tips for our stay in Shanghai. Highly recommend this tour to everyone to see this beautiful part of Shanghai.
Pallavi Kalita (English)
2019-12-23 12:11:22
“Ed”
Great multilingual guide. Very impressive knowledge of the area and its history. Took us to unique places that we would never have found on our own. Well worth the tip at the end. This is a great service to travellers.
Micah Roberts (English)
2019-12-03 01:05:12
“Great tour, great guide”
The French Concession tour with Sihao is more than great. He shares his passion of the city while making it fun, even on a grey day. We spent 3 hours discovering Shanghai through his experiences. And all questions answered. We were also lucky to have Viola with us who also contributed with her own experiences. Great tour.
Nicolas Andre (English)
2019-11-06 09:25:54
“Very Satisfactory!!”
Tina is an awesome guide!! I'll be back, no doubt!!
Rubén (English)
2019-10-31 22:57:04
“Great tour!”
I always take free walking tours during my travels when available. Sihao didn't disappoint! He is very friendly, knowledgeable and fun guide. Despite the size of the group (there were more than 40 people) Sihao managed to keep things organized and answered all the questions. The tour was very informative. Would definitely recommend!
Natalie Schukin (English)
2019-10-29 12:37:29
“Super Tour with Sihao”
I fully can recommend this tour.
The french concession is absolutely worth to see.
Sihao show us hidden corners, nice places and stunning views.
He loves what he do, therefore it can only gonna be perfect!
Marcus Schaetzle (English)
2019-09-24 13:35:37
“French Concession”
Very informative guide. Would recommend .
June Hanrahan (English)
2019-08-21 12:10:41
“French Concession Tour ”
I have thoroughly enjoyed the tour tonight on the French Concession. It was exactly the right length and contained good information. Thank you so much. I will be booking another tour soon
Alison Attwell (English)
2019-05-27 14:18:27
“French Concession Shanghai Walking Tour.”
The walking tour was conducted in rather challenging circumstances as it rained throughout the duration of the tour. However, the guide Sihao with his enthusiasm and professionalism, did a good job overall. Highly recommended.
Nancy Chai (English)
2019-05-09 11:06:34
“Comments ”
I loved the tour, the tour guide was eloquent, knowledgeable and made our tour fun ...
One suggestion is, I would like, after the tour, is a print out of the route we covered so as to get my bearings in such a large city ...
Kerrie Bartholomew (English)
2019-04-23 10:37:13
“Super nice ”
Super nice experience with my parents during this walking tour
Roxane CANCEILL (English)
2019-04-11 14:46:40
“Fantastic!”
Dinna gave a great tour! I learned a lot about the history of the French consession and really enjoyed this beautiful part of the city. I was able to share a lot of facts with my chinese friends as well which was really fun. I highly recommend!
Hannah Bush (English)
2019-03-27 22:22:08
“Awesome tour!”
I took three different tours in Shanghai, all with Dinna - partly because she's the only one that provides free walking tours, but mostly because she is THAT GOOD. I enjoyed each and every tour she guided us through and I found out more about Shanghai's history and future than I ever could have by myself. She was very informative and gave us the local touch. I wish I could have spent more time exploring Shanghai with her, but maybe next time there will be more tours I can go on!
Bao Tran (English)
2019-03-12 10:59:16
“Dinna was great and French Concession is worth seeing!”
Dinna is bringing Free Walking Tours to China, and I encourage everyone to take part. She was friendly, helpful, genuine, and sweet. She was very knowledgeable about the French Concession, and made it really come alive. We did the tour the morning after arriving in Shanghai, and it did not disappoint. Highly recommended!!!
Tami Bonnett-Admi (English)
2019-01-27 14:01:08
“The best walking tours in Shanghai”
I joined the French Concession walking tour, one year after taking my first tour in Shanghai with them, and I can say that I loved it as much as the first one! This time our guide was Dinna, that I was so pleased to see as main tour guide, after I saw here doing her first steps last year...
The 3 hours went by so fast, because the tour was very interesting and fun. Dinna told us a lot of things about Shanghai's history and always in an interesting and entertaining way.
The tour is great even for people who are not always walking a lot, since the pace is slow, we made breaks and even had some time to get a coffee and snacks.
I would totally recommend this tour!!
Laura Gattinoni (English)
2018-12-10 14:00:24
“GOOD AND FUN ”
GOOD GUIDE ... PLENTY OFGOOD INFO .A GOOD FUN WALK TOO .
Leslie Lim (English)
2018-03-27 17:26:12
“Shanghai”
The first thing I must tell is that Kylie was a great guide. She speaks very good and clear english. Her explanations are very good and she makes the experience very nice. The place really worst to visit. Highly recomended. If you have time, it's nice to stay walking and enjoying a great meal at the end.
jessica souss (English)
2018-03-26 14:02:08
“Great walk in an awesome city”
I really recommend the tour. You can get a very insight in this magical city, and Kylie is definitely a great guide. She has chosen the most characteristic sides and organized the trip in order to let you enjoy along the way.
Luca Masserano (English)
2018-01-12 13:47:41
“Nice tour tough the frech concession”
This was a really interesting walking tour through the French concession. The guide had a lot of information including dates and pictures and was very friendly so that we had a joyous atmosphere during the tour. We explored many hidden streets that I wouldn't have seen without the tour.
Johannes Seiffarth (English)
2018-01-06 07:20:00
“Merece la pena”
Kylie es una estupenda guía con la que tuvimos oportunidad de aprender mucho. El tour es realmente interesante y lo recomiendo a todo el mundo. Le recomendaría a Kylie que hable un poco más alto, a veces las paradas se hacen en lugares con mucho ruido de fondo y es difícil escucharla y entenderla, sobre todo si el grupo es numeroso.
Maria del Mar Fernández (English)
2017-11-27 14:08:00
“Very nice tour”
Thanks to Kylie, we had a great time. She is very knowledgeable and nice and caring for her tour. I would recommend it to all visiting Shanghai
Pablo alson (English)
2017-11-23 08:01:16
“Informative Tour”
Kylie, the tour guide is very knowledgeable about Shanghai. She even took us at off-the-beaten tracks. We're only a group of 6 and it was drizzling, so we walked very fast.
It was an interesting and memorable tour, though I hope the weather was better at that time. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who will travel and are in Shanghai.
Bea (English)
2017-09-30 13:51:58
“Super interesting tour!”
I take part in free walking tours all over the world and I was so happy to learn that this tour was only launched two weeks ago!
The guide Kylie is super nice, knows a lot about her city and speaks excellent English (also because she grew up partly in the US and Japan!). The group size was small (7 people, lucky us!) and we stopped at many interesting spots and Kylie took the time to answer all of our many questions! Had a fantastic time and would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in learning more about the French Concession Area of Shanghai!
Sabine Nietmann (English)