We didn't have much time to see Shanghai as we were really there for work. This meant we needed a condensed tour that could still give us a sense of the city. We found Jenny's tour on tripadvisor and really relied on the reviews. I am happy to report that we were more than thrilled with the experience and really left Shanghai feeling as though we got to the know the city.
Apple our tour guide was a gem. She was so sweet, happy but most of all knowledgeable about everywhere that we went. Honestly, she made the day so enjoyable and fun. I can honestly say that everything you read in the reviews is true, this tour was exactly as we expected and probably better. With such little time and zero language skills , we loved that Apple went ahead and bought all the tickets etc. You would waste such time trying to maneuver through this on your own.
Our tour included the Shanghai world financial centre which thankfully was not busy, views were incredible - a must see I think. The bund was also a must see although it was rainy so we couldn't appreciate is as much I think. The best part of the tour though was The Yu Yuan garden. This is were you really get an appreciation for the history of the city and Apple could tell us EVERYTHING about it, I mean there wasn't a question we asked that she couldn't answer. It is probably one of the most interesting tours I have been on anywhere. Plus it's beautiful and completely different than anything you would find in North America. A week later and I'm still thinking about how amazing it was.
Apple took us to an awesome dumpling restaurant for lunch - it was so good, I would highly recommend. One of the final highlights of the trip was to a Tea House which I absolutely LOVED. The history associated with the tea ceremonies was astounding and so steeped in tradition. I spent more money than I would have liked there but I am enjoying my tea every day!
To me if you can afford a private tour don't even bother looking elsewhere. Everything about Jenny's tours delivers - from the pre-planning, the guide - Apple (don't you lover her name? was top notch - the driver - I should mention him because he was incredibly efficient and was always right there for us. There really is a reason they are rated number one, I can't imagine there is anyone better quite frankly and I have done a lot of private tours around the world.
I would whole heartedly recommend this tour to anyone looking to really get an understanding of the Chinese culture.