On this page
- Our favourite place for a walk
- Quick answers
- How to do Yu Garden
- What is Yu Garden?
- Yu Garden ticket price and opening hours
- The bazaar: free to walk and my favourite part
- Food in the small markets
- Paper cut portraits as a memory
- How to get to Yu Garden by metro
- Yu Garden on a map
- Put it with the Bund and Nanjing Road
- Sources
Planning a trip to Yu Garden in Shanghai? We went three times and it was our favourite place to go for a walk. Here is what the garden ticket costs, how to get there, what the bazaar is like, and where it sits on a map.
We went three times and only walked the bazaar and the lanes around it. We never went into the paid part of the garden.
Prices, hours and metro details here are from the sources at the bottom, checked on 2 November 2026. Sources disagree on the exact closing and last entry times, so check before you go.
Our favourite place for a walk
We went to Yu Garden three times, and it was our favourite place to go for a walk. We also loved the small food markets there, and how affordable the meals were. We had paper cut portraits made for memories too. The photos on this page are mine.
We did not go into the paid part of the garden, because it was super busy. Everything here is from the bazaar and the streets around it.
Quick answers
How much is the Yu Garden ticket?
The sources I found say 40 RMB from April to June and September to November, and 30 RMB from December to March and July to August. Check before you go, as prices can change.
Is the Yu Garden bazaar free?
We walked the bazaar and the lanes around it three times without going into the paid garden. The garden itself has a ticket.
What are the Yu Garden opening hours?
Sources give about 9:00 to 16:30 and say it is closed on Mondays, but they disagree on the exact last entry, 16:00 or 16:30. Check on the day.
How do I get to Yu Garden by metro?
Take Line 10 or Line 14 to Yuyuan Garden station, exit 1, then walk about 10 minutes.
Is Yu Garden worth visiting?
We went three times and it was our favourite place to go for a walk. We never went into the paid garden because it was super busy, so I can speak for the bazaar.
Is the food at Yu Garden affordable?
We found the small food markets affordable and loved them. I do not have exact prices, so check the board at each stall.
What are paper cut portraits?
They are silhouettes cut from black paper. We had portraits made as a memory of the trip.
Does Google Maps work for Yu Garden?
Google Maps does not work in China. Use the Amap button on this page, which opens a walking route from the metro to the garden.
How to do Yu Garden
- 1
Take the metro to Yuyuan Garden
Lines 10 and 14 both stop at Yuyuan Garden station. Use exit 1 and follow the signs.
- 2
Walk into the bazaar
The old streets around the garden are the bazaar. It is open to walk, with tea houses, shops and food stalls.
- 3
Decide about the garden ticket
The garden has its own ticket, 30 to 40 RMB depending on the month. It can be very busy, so we skipped it and stayed in the bazaar.
- 4
Eat from the small food markets
We loved the small food stalls and how affordable the meals were. Check the price board before ordering.
- 5
Stay until the lights come on
The lanterns and decorations look best in the evening.
- 6
Carry on to the Bund
Yu Garden fits well before the Bund and Nanjing Road in the same day.
What is Yu Garden?
Yu Garden (Yuyuan) is a classical Chinese garden in the old city of Shanghai, built in the Ming dynasty. Around it is the Yuyuan bazaar, a maze of old-style buildings with tea houses, shops and food stalls. Most visitors mean both when they say Yu Garden, but they are two different things: the garden has a ticket, and the bazaar around it is just streets you can walk.
Yu Garden ticket price and opening hours
The garden has an entrance fee. The sources I found say it is 40 RMB from April to June and September to November, and 30 RMB from December to March and July to August. Hours are given as roughly 9:00 to 16:30, closed on Mondays, but sources disagree on the exact closing time and last entry (16:00 or 16:30), so check the day you go.
I have not bought a garden ticket myself. We went three times and each time we stayed in the bazaar, because the paid part was super busy. If you want to go inside, check the official or ticketing page for your date first.
The bazaar: free to walk and my favourite part
The bazaar is the part we loved. We went three times, and it was our favourite place to go for a walk. There are pond views, old gates, carved balconies, and in winter and at New Year the whole area is covered in red lanterns and lights. I would go in the late afternoon and stay until after dark.
Food in the small markets
We loved the small food markets in the bazaar, and how affordable the meals were. We ate wonton soup and pan-fried pork buns, shown below. I do not have exact prices written down, so I am not going to guess them here. Stall prices change, so look at the board before you order.
Paper cut portraits as a memory
We had paper cut portraits made as a memory of the trip. A paper cut portrait is a silhouette cut from black paper, and the stand we used is in the photo below. It is a small, cheap-feeling souvenir that is actually personal, and I would do it again.
How to get to Yu Garden by metro
Take Line 10 or Line 14 to Yuyuan Garden station and use exit 1. Follow the signs and the crowds into the old streets, and the walk to the bazaar takes about 10 minutes according to the sources I read. Taxis and DiDi can drop you near the edge, but the lanes themselves are for walking.
Yu Garden on a map
The metro exit and the garden are close together, about 500 m in a straight line, and the walk in is through the old streets of the bazaar. The third pin is the Peace Hotel on the Bund, because Yu Garden fits well into the same day as my Nanjing Road guide and Bund guide. Tap a stop to see it on the map.
Open walking route in Amap Google Maps (not in China)
Google Maps does not work in China, so use the Amap button there. On a phone with the Amap app it opens the app. The pins are approximate, so use the map as a guide and follow the signs once you are in the bazaar.
Put it with the Bund and Nanjing Road
Yu Garden is a good first stop before the evening. I would walk the bazaar in the afternoon, then go on to the Nanjing Road walk and finish at the Bund after dark.
Based on my trips in December 2025 and April 2026. Rules change, so double check before you fly.
