The 15 Best China Market Tours

1.Mini Group Xian Day Tour to Terracotta Army, City Wall, Pagoda and Muslim Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,320 reviews · from $49Our pick

Spend 9 to 10 hours touring Xi’an with hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, transport, tickets, bottled water, and a Chinese buffet lunch. Guides such as Lily, Roger, Rita, Tracy, and Carol are praised for clear history stories and crowd control. Expect a full day with little free time.

“Great experience! The tour of the Terracotta Warriors was especially informative and comprehensive. Our tour guide, Carol, was very helpful, and also provided us recommendations and discounted tickets to a show later that evening.”

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2.Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 465 reviews · from $90

Meet guides such as Lance or Jerry at Liangjiaxiang market, learn about Sichuan spices, taste local snacks, then cook dishes such as mapo tofu, kung pao chicken, dumplings, and stir-fried vegetables with a local chef at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen.

“Really interesting walk around a tucked away local wet market and cooking together in the beautiful and homely kitchen space. Really recommend- you’ll learn so much!”

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3.Shanghai Day Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town, Yu Garden, Bazaar, Bund

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · from $229

Spend about 10 hours with a private guide and chauffeur visiting Zhujiajiao Water Town, Yu Garden, Yuyuan Bazaar, and the Bund. The $229 price includes transport, entry fees, bottled water, umbrellas, hotel pickup, drop-off, and a boat ride, but not meals.

“The Bund is very very beautifull place! Shure! We recommend!!!!”

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4.Organic Chinese Dumpling Class with Market Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $100

Meet host Feliz at Jordan MTR Station for a guided wet-market walk, then prepare filling, handmade wrappers, and 10 dumplings in a café kitchen. The 2.5-hour evening class suits beginners, families, vegetarians, and vegans who request suitable ingredients ahead of time.

“This class was amazing. A small group of 6 including us, very nice people and Feliz did really teach us how to make dumplings from scratch. Excellent way to know more about the culture and the cantonese food.”

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5.Flavors of Beijing: Eat Like A Real Chinese

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · from $99

Meet Chef Chao near Beijing’s Bell and Drum Towers, visit a local market, learn sauces and cleaver skills, then cook and eat several Chinese dishes in a family home. Menus vary by day, with dumplings, noodles, seafood, meat, and vegetarian options available.

“This was a 10 out of 10, amazing experience. Chao is a patient, kind, and very thoughtful teacher. The tour of the market was so memorable; the flavors and the smells of the entire experience are going to stick with me for years to come. This is a must-do activity if you are in Beijing. My niece and I are so glad that we made this a part of our itinerary.”

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6.Organic Xiao Long Bao Soup Dumpling Class & Market Walk

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $136

Meet Feliz Yau at Jordan MTR Station for a short wet-market walk, buy ingredients, then make 10 organic pork Xiao Long Bao from scratch in a café kitchen. You will roll wrappers, prepare filling, pleat dumplings, and eat your work. Vegetarian options and daytime classes require advance request.

“Felicity gave very good instructions of where to meet her and then took the small group on a walk through the market to buy the ingredients for our dumplings. Then we went to a restaurant and she gave us hands on instructions on how to make the soup dumplings. It was a fantastic and yummy experience.”

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7.Private Guangzhou Food Tour Michelin Restaurant&Local Food Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 32 reviews · from $180

Spend 4 to 10 flexible hours with a private guide such as Damon or Candice, tasting Cantonese favorites, visiting local markets, and seeing Guangzhou landmarks. Private transport, hotel pickup, and drop-off are included, but food and attraction tickets cost extra.

“Great tour and guide. Really pleased we booked this experience to enjoy as much of Guangzhou as possible during our layover.”

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8.Half-Day steamed Buns Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $80

Spend about four hours in Chengdu visiting a local market, learning about Sichuan spices, and making baozi in a traditional courtyard kitchen. An English-speaking guide such as Lance or Jerry leads the experience, which includes ingredients, tea, drinks, and the meal you prepare.

“Wat een geweldige ervaring! Daarbij had ik het goed getroffen met Jerry! Wat een leuke gids was dat! Eerst gingen we de markt bezoeken. Geduldig legde hij alles uit wat ik wilde weten: (voor mij) onbekende groentes vertaalde hij, liet hij ruiRead more”

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9.Hong Kong Market Walking Tour & Chinese Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $131

Meet Bill Chan in Ngau Tau Kok for a guided wet-market walk, then shop for ingredients and cook a three-course Chinese meal in a professional studio. This private, four-and-a-half-hour experience includes lunch or dinner, tea, coffee, recipes, and practical techniques you can use at home.

“Bill is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. We had a great time meeting him and learning more about cuisine as well as the Asian culture. He was a truly special host.”

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10.Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $69

Meet in Chengdu’s Jinniu District for a market visit and hands-on mapo tofu lesson at Chilli Cool’s Kitchen. Guide Jerry helps with the market and chef-led cooking, while your $69.24 booking includes ingredients, tea, drinks, a meal, recipes, and a souvenir.

“100% Recommend this class. We were met at the station by Jerry and taken to a local food market. The food Market was an experience in its self and we ended up picking up some spices to take back home with us. After the Market Jerry tooRead more”

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11.Private Beijing Markets Tour with Tea Tasting at Hongqiao Pearl Market

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $88

Spend four private hours with an English-speaking guide at Panjiayuan Antique Market and Hongqiao Pearl Market. Browse thousands of stalls, taste tea, learn local bargaining tricks, and stop for lunch at your own cost. Guides such as Lily, Lisa, and Lucy are praised for making shopping easier and more relaxed.

“I wanted to experience Beijing shopping without getting overwhelmed so I booked this tour. I got a fantastic Tea Ceremony experience and the chance to head right to the best and most famous shop in the Pearl Market, finished off with a wonderful and authentic lunch featuring Peking Duck. My guide took excellent care of me. Wonderful morning.”

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12.Old Guangzhou Backstreet Alley Local Market Walking Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 18 reviews · from $180

Walk old Guangzhou with a private English-speaking guide, visiting Yong Qing Fang, Qilou lanes, Lychee Bay, the Cantonese Opera Art Museum, Shangxiajiu Street, and Qingping Medicine Market. Damon is a named guide praised for tailoring routes to personal interests. Public transport, hotel pickup, and full escort are included.

“Damon was a fantastic tour guide. Communication was very easy and he tailored our tour to exactly what we were looking for. Although it was just me and my friend, he also has experience guiding larger groups. Would definitely use him again if Im looking for a tour guide in Guangzhou.”

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13.Shanghai Night River Cruise and Light Tour with Yuyuan Bazaar

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $108

Spend 3 to 4 hours seeing Shanghai after dark with a private guide and driver. Cruise the Huangpu River for Bund and Lujiazui views, then visit Yuyuan Bazaar and the French Concession. Guides including Mary, Queena, Judy, Caroline, Kalvin, and Xin add local context, photo help, and food tips.

“It is a must do, it was absolutely amazing. Our guide Kalvin was the best, so knowledgeable. He made sure we had the best experience. We were driven in a comfortable car, the driver was professional, helpful. They were prompt, kept in touch with us. Highly recommend this tour.”

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14.4-Hr Shanghai Layover Tour: Maglev, Wet Market, Food, Landmarks

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $98

Turn a Shanghai airport stop into a private city visit with a guide, round-trip Maglev tickets, Bund and Yuyuan Old Street stops, a wet market walk, local food, and airport return help. Expect public transport or an optional Buick or SUV upgrade.

“Amazing way to see some city highlights on a long layover and learn a little bit about the history and culture! Perfect option for a tired solo traveler who wants to see the city but doesn’t have the energy to explore themselves - great to haRead more”

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15.Night Market Haggling Adventure with an English Guide!

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 7 reviews · 3 hours · from $68

Meet your English-speaking guide at Panjiayuan Station and spend the evening exploring Beijing’s Panjiayuan Antique Market. Guides such as Lan and July help you bargain, translate, choose street food, and shape the private tour around your interests.

“We had a realy good time withe our guide Lan, realy nice person”

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