Zhujiajiao Water Town: Private Half-Day Tour & Boat Ride

4.85

(144 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the air in Zhujiajiao to smell so sweet—like river water mixed with something floral, maybe from the gardens. We’d left Shanghai behind in a comfortable car (pickup was right at my hotel, which felt almost too easy), and an hour later our guide Li was already pointing out the first stone bridge. The town looked like it had just woken up—shopkeepers sweeping their steps, someone frying dough at a corner stall. I kept stopping to watch the reflections in the canal, even though Li gently reminded me we’d see more if we kept moving.

The boat ride was quieter than I thought it would be. Just the creak of wood and a soft splash as we glided past old houses—some with laundry flapping right above our heads. Our guide told us about Fangsheng Bridge and how a monk spent fifteen years collecting alms to build it. I tried to picture that kind of patience. There was a moment when we passed under one of those arches and everything went cool and shadowy for a second—I still think about that feeling now, kind of peaceful but also like you’re slipping back in time.

Kezhi Garden surprised me. I’m not really a “garden person,” but this one had these little pavilions tucked away behind bamboo and ponds with fat goldfish. Li explained some of the rock arrangements meant happiness or longevity—she laughed when I tried to say the words in Mandarin (I definitely butchered it). Walking through the old post office after that felt random but oddly comforting; there were faded postcards behind glass, and the wood floors creaked in a way that made me slow down.

Lunch wasn’t included, but Li recommended this noodle shop by the canal. The broth was salty-sweet and there were pickled vegetables on top—nothing fancy, just honest food. We wandered through some local shops after (Li haggled for me; I’m hopeless at that), then headed back to Shanghai. The whole thing felt unhurried, even though it was only five hours. I keep thinking about those quiet canals whenever city noise gets too much—you know?