8 Best Food Tours In Shanghai, China - Updated 2024

Jessica
Contributing Writer
Updated
| 5 min read
best food tours in shanghai

In China, most people will always ask you whether you had your meal after greeting each other. It is important to get your stomach filled for the Chinese. Being a very large and vast country, there are hundreds of cuisines available in China, from the carbohydrate loaded Northern cuisine, to the more robust and spicy Southern delicacy. There is bound to be something in the Chinese cuisine to meet your taste palate. Shanghai is the cosmopolitan city of China, with bountiful restaurants, small eateries and cafes to choose from, there is no lack of places to dine. But why not join a food tour instead to learn how to prepare the Shanghai delicacies from scratch, or go on a bicycle around the streets of Shanghai with a guide to show you where to get the different local snacks. The variety of food tours is bound to leave you wanting for more.

Why Trust Trip101?


Over 50,000 articles reviewed and published by our experienced team

Over 50 years of combined experience researching, writing and reviewing travel articles

Over 40,000 hours spent on research and fact-checking from credible sources (last year’s data)

Optimizing content from data-driven insights collected directly from users on our platform

Focus on authentic and up-to-date information by collaborating with local guides, global travelers and other industry experts

Long-standing partnerships with credible brands like Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia, GetYourGuide, Viator, RVShare and more

Full disclosure on any partnerships or sponsored content

Trip101’s team of writers, editors, and content managers oversees the publication of all travel content, including destination guides, accommodation recommendations, and travel tips. They have extensive experience in the travel industry and no content, written or visual, gets published without a review. Many of our team’s work has also been featured in Travel+Leisure, National Today, The Indian Express, The Telegraph (India), Robb Report, The Adventure Handbook, Tripoto, Korea Tourism Organization, and Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Some of them are also members of professional organizations like the Society of American Travel Writers and the International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance.

Each member of the team follows Trip101's methodology and strict editorial guidelines to ensure accuracy, authenticity, and relevance.

1. Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai

Xiao Long Bao
Source: Maxpixel

The 3 hour culinary tour lets you enjoy all the good food that Shanghai has to offer. The tour starts at the Huangpi Nan Road Metro station where you will meet up with your guide for stops at several restaurants for local favorites. Well known Shanghai dishes like scallion oil noodles, steam buns and xiao long bao (soup dumplings), will whet your appetite. Open up to the Chinese culinary world by learning about the history and culture of these delicacies. Also, see how they are being made and prepared at the restaurants or eateries.

Specially included is the night session of this tour, which only starts at 8:30pm, where you will get to visit Jackie’s Beer Nest where you get to taste some of their 80 craft beers and some delights like the hand-pulled beef noodles and lamb kebab. It is a quick tour to enjoy good food and drinks.

Visited this place?

2. Early Bird Shanghai Street Breakfast Tour and Visit Fabric Market

For the early birds, this tour will bring you to explore the typical start of the day in Shanghai. Try out the typical Shanghai morning favorite: flat bread, deep fried twisted dough sticks, sticky rice and shanghai style pancake. There are also many other dishes along the way for participants. Get to see how the daily breakfast is prepared, and enjoy it with other people in the group. The guide will explain the preparation and making process and also the best way to savor the food. After a hearty breakfast, get ready to walk around the fabric market and also the antique market.

Visited this place?

3. Private Cooking Class: Make Your Own Dim Sum in Shanghai

Xiao Long Bao at Nanxiang Mantou Dian 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Eason Lai from used under CC BY-SA 2.0

The traditional Chinese snack, Dim Sum, is well liked by many people around the world. It is originally a Cantonese dish, usually eaten in the morning as breakfast. Now you can learn to make Dim Sum in this private cooking class taught by an experienced chef, who will teach you the recipe to making your own delicious and specially designed Dim Sum. From the basics of making Dim Sum to finally your own creation, you are sure to have a lot of fun preparing, making and seeing your own creations come to life. You can choose 2 out of a menu of Dim Sum to create, the menu also includes vegetarian options and the usual favorites like Shrimp Dumpling, Four Happiness Dumpling, Siew Mai (the pork dumpling) and Xiao Long Bao.

Visited this place?

4. Private Shanghai Evening Street Food Walking and Cruise Tour

This private tour is perfect for foodies. You will get to walk around and explore the city while indulging in Shanghai delicacies such as soup dumplings, traditional noodles, more dumplings and lamb skewers (just to name a few). You will also get to walk off your meal, passing by the Shanghai Old Town Bazaar, while learning about the city’s history at the same time.

Visited this place?

5. Shanghai Cooking Class in a Family Home

Learn how to cook some favorite Shanghai dishes not in a cooking studio, but at a local family home. Mingle with the local cooking instructor. You get to choose 2 to 3 dishes from a menu and cook them with the guidance of the local cook. Learn about the Chinese traditional culinary way of life in Shanghai. You will also get to try out some Chinese tea. The cooking class is about 4 hours long and you get to enjoy your own works!

Shanghai Cooking Class in a Family Home

Price: from 75 USD

Website:

Visited this place?

6. Shanghai: 3 Hour Walking Food Tour

Trade at the streets of Shanghai, China, East Asia-2
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Mstyslav Chernov used under CC BY-SA 3.0

The 3 hour day tour guides you through the streets of Shanghai, in search of the local delights. From the markets to the eateries, you can experience local delights and also get to know about the history of the food traditions and their tastes from the local guide. The guide will also show you and explain the various ingredients used in common Chinese and Shanghai dishes. You will also get to enjoy a good meal prepared by chef Tony Lu.

3 Hour Walking Food Tour in Shanghai

Price: from 112 USD

Website:

Visited this place?

7. Half Day Shanghai Chinese Cooking Class

A quick half day activity for you to whip up some local dishes all by yourself with the guidance of a local chef. Learn how to cook authentic Chinese cuisine or Dim Sum. Choose from the Chinese wok course which includes some stir fried dishes and a visit to the local wet market, or another option is the Dim Sum course, where you will get to make some Dim Sum like dumplings and buns. The course includes pick up from your hotel and also the recipes for the dishes you create. The best part is you get to enjoy the food after cooking.

Half Day Shanghai Chinese Cooking Class

Price: from 89 USD

Website:

Visited this place?

8. Taste of Shanghai: Half-Day Cooking Class of Dumplings and Chinese Buns

The Shanghai Dumplings
Source: Maxpixel

The Chinese Dumplings are the most classic and most iconic food for Shanghai; this tour will start off with your guide bringing you to the French Concession to taste Shanghai’s best dumplings. See the locals make the different types of Shanghai small delicacies. After sampling the delicious local snacks and small eats, it is time to get into the kitchen and whip up your own Shanghai dumplings, Shanghai Sheng Jian Bao. You will be in a 1 hour cooking class, with the master chef, and you will be taught how to make your own Shanghai dumplings and the Chinese buns.

The step by step class with tips from the master on how to get that real authentic taste will ensure that you are successful on your first attempt at making these delicacies. Not only will you get your hands on the making process, you will also get to savor the delicious buns and dumplings at the end of the class. Before ending the session, your guide will bring you again to the real local shops and grocers to understand the different Chinese ingredients involved in the making of the various dishes on the Chinese menu. Experience the local market scene and enjoy what Shanghai food has to offer.

Visited this place?

Food glorious food

Join one of these tours to get the real, authentic taste of Shanghai cuisine in a different way!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

A passionate writer and traveler, Jessica has an unwavering love for exploring the road less traveled. As an enthusiastic long-distance runner, she finds global races particularly captivating,...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Register Here
0 Comments
Explore Shanghai
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.
boutique hotels in shanghai

Top 17 Boutique Hotels In Shanghai, China - Updated 2024