Tianjin Layover Tour from Tianjin Port - Best Choice for Tianjin Shore Excursion

Welcome to Tianjin, an international port city in Northern China! Upon your arrival at the port of Tianjin (Tianjin International Cruise Home Port 天津国际邮轮母港), airport, or train station, your driver will meet you at the exit and escort you to start your tour in Tianjin. The best way to explore Tianjin is through its architecture, street, food, bridges & riverside hike.

You will first explore the Five Great Avenues (Wudadao Area), a historic district boasting over 2,000 European-style villas. Renowned as the "World Architecture Expo," Wudadao stands out as Tianjin's premier destination for a city walk. Within Wudadao lies half of Tianjin's history, once serving as a British concession from the late 19th to the 20th century. The area is comprised of five roads: Chongqing Road, Changde Road, Dali Road, Munan Road, and Machang Road.

For a classic Wudadao tour route, begin your journey from Chongqing Road (home to Minyuan Square), pass by the Little White House, continue along Munan Road (boasting numerous famous residences), visit the iconic clock of the Five Avenues, and conclude your visit. You won't miss the top attractions in Wudadao like the Little White House (Tianjin Concert Hall), Prince Qing's Palace (self-pay), Minyuan Square (a Wudadao landmark), Gedalou (built with glazed bricks), and Munan Park (view Tianjin’ Romantic). You can take a carriage ride (self-pay) or stroll along the streets to admire a blend of Italian, German, French, Spanish, and British architectural styles intermingled with old Chinese villas, providing a glimpse into China's modern history.

After that, pay a visit to Jingyuan Garden, the former Residence of Puyi, the Last Emperor. As you step into Jingyuan Garden, its unique Spanish-Japanese style house will immediately catch your eye. This residence, once owned by a high-ranking official, became home to Puyi, the last Qing Dynasty emperor, after his exile from the Forbidden City. From 1929 to 1931, it was here that Puyi, along with Queen Wanrong and Concubine Wenxiu, shared some of their happiest times.

Explore Puyi's life firsthand by visiting his study, bedroom, dining room, and other rooms within the house. This very place also saw the fascinating "Revolution of the Concubine," a truly groundbreaking moment in Chinese imperial history when Concubine Wenxiu, dissatisfied with Puyi's politics, sought a divorce. For more about Puyi's life, the film "The Last Emperor" offers a deeper look.

Then, head to Porcelain House (China House), anther landmark of Tianjin locate only 100m from Commander Zhang’s Mansion.The Porcelain House started as a small French-style building. Following renovation in 2007, it became the "Chinese Ancient Porcelain Museum." Valued at 9.8 billion yuan, the Porcelain House boasts a construction featuring over 700 million pieces of ancient porcelain, 13,000 ancient porcelain bottles, 4,000 ancient porcelain plates, 300 porcelain pillow cats, and 20 tons of crystal agate. It is an excellent destination for porcelain enthusiasts to appreciate Chinese porcelain from various historical periods, including the green porcelain of the Jin Dynasty, Tang tricolor pottery, Song Jun porcelain, Longquan porcelain, and Yuan-Ming blue and white porcelain.

Time to transfer to Ancient Culture Street (Jinmen Guli) for local life in Tianjin. Located on the west bank of the Haihe River, it is a commercial pedestrian street built in 1986 in the style of imitation Qing Dynasty architecture. It gathers many Tianjin time-honored shops and folk handicraft shops, such as Yangliuqing New Year paintings, clay figurine Zhang colored sculptures, etc., as well as mouthwatering Tianjin Food such as Goubuli steamed buns, Erduoyan fried cakes, Ersaozi pancakes, and Tianjin twisted dough sticks.

At last, take a look at the Tianjin Eye (Exterior View), the must-visit landmark & the only Ferris wheel that spans over a river. As an iconic symbol of modern Tianjin, Tianjin Eye is a 120-meter-tall Ferris wheel uniquely built on the Yongle Bridge over the Haihe River. Head back to Tianjin Port.

At last, it is time to end your Tianjin Layover Tour. Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel (AOT) for your China Tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip to Asia. Safe journey!

Extension Ideas:
You can extend your Tianjin Tour to other cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chongqing, Chengdu (Sichuan), etc. We can customize your itinerary.

Good to Know:
1.Tianjin actually bears some similarities to Shanghai, especially in its mix of historical European architecture &modern development along the river. You will marvel at the colonial-era buildings (European villa) of China's Last Century. As Beijing's neighbor, Tianjin is a budget-friendly escape near Beijing, serving as a gateway to Northern China.
2.Tianjin is a Foodies’& Cultural Lovers’. Must-try Tianjin Food includes Goubuli Baozi (steamed buns), Tianjin Mahua (crispy fried twists) & Tianjin-style Pancakes. Tianjin is also famous for Yangliuqing New Year Paintings, Clay Figurines of Zhang & Tianjin Xiangsheng (Crosstalk相声), which showcase traditional Chinese artistry.
3.Tianjin Shore Excursion from Tianjin Port. Tianjin was built in 1404 (Ming Dynasty) as a water transport hub. Since 1860, Tianjin has been the gateway to the Bohai Sea. International cruise travelers can take a Tianjin Tour with a China 144-hour (6-day) Visa-Free Transit (effective Dec.17, 2024; double check with us).
4.Emperor Zhu Di of the Ming Dynasty named Tianjin in 1404. The name "Tianjin" means "the ferry crossing where the Emperor passed through," referencing Zhu Di's crossing at that location.

Arrival Ideas:
1.Get to Tianjin by Tianjin International Cruise Home Port (天津国际邮轮母港), which Located about 70 km from the city center of Tianjin. This port is a significant international cruise port in Northern China. Contact us if you need Tianjin Cruise Port Transfer service.
2.How to get to Tianjin By Air: Tianjin Binhai International Airport is about 13 km away from downtown. Direct flights connect Tianjin with major cities in China, such as Shanghai (2h), Xian (2h), Chongqing (2h 50min), Chengdu (3h 10min), Guangzhou (3h 10min), etc. It's essential to check flight schedules in advance.
3.How to get to Tianjin By High Speed Train: Tianjin can be reached by train through Tianjin Railway Station & Tianjin South Railway Station. There are high-speed trains to Tianjin from Beijing (30 min), Shanghai (5.5h), Xian (6.5h), etc. Contact us for ticket booking.