FAQ
General UnTour Questions
- How do I reserve an UnTour?
- What type of payment you accept?
- Is my credit card safe?
- What languages are available for the tours?
- What is your booking policy?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- Can I get a refund?
- Can I reschedule my UnTour?
- Do you offer private tours?
- Do you offer customized tours?
- How many people are generally on your UnTours?
- Are children welcome? Do you offer a discount?
- Is photography or video at the restaurants allowed?
- Can you help me with travel plans before or after our time with you?
- Where do I meet the guide?
Running UnTours
- What if I can’t keep up with the pace?
- Do we have to run the whole time?
- Should I bring water? Snacks?
- What if I am running late?
- What if I need to pee?
- Will somebody be able carry my wallet and keys or other small items?
- Is running in Shanghai actually safe? Isn’t it polluted?
- AM runs? That sounds even more tiring.
- Can we tip our running Untour guide?
Eating UnTours
- Can vegetarians UnTour Shanghai ?
- Does UnTour Shanghai cater to people with food allergies?
- Does the UnTour price include food?
- Can we tip our UnTour Guides?
- Is eating in Shanghai safe? I’m concerned about chowing down on street food.
Our Philosophy
General UnTour Questions
How do I reserve an UnTour?
Find the “sign me up” button on each Untour page or complete the reservation form here. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with an availability confirmation. When there is availability for your dates, you will find instructions on how to secure your reservation on the same email. If we do not have availability we send alternate days during your scheduled visit.
What type of payment you accept?
We use Paypal, which accepts all major credit cards. All UnTours must be prepaid.
Is my credit card safe?
PayPal is the industry-standard, safest way to pay online without exposing your credit card information. Please visit www.paypal.com for additional information.
What languages are available for the tours?
English, Spanish and Chinese, but please check with us if you have a specific request.
What is your booking policy?
All bookings require contact name, phone number and email address. Bookings are not confirmed until Paypal payments are received in full.
What is your cancellation policy?
If a booking is canceled 72 hours prior to the UnTour, we will refund the booking less 20%. Refunds will not be given for cancellations less than 72 hours in advance.
Can I get a refund?
We only issue refunds for cancellations 72 hours before your scheduled UnTour. However, we will issue a refund within 72 hours only in the event of an emergency or due to severe weather (i.e. typhoon. Rain is not severe weather. Trust us, we have a meteorological parent). In case of severe weather we will make every effort to reschedule your UnTour for another day if possible. If we are unable to do so then we will refund your booking in full.
Can I reschedule my UnTour?
To reschedule your UnTour, please provide at least 72 hours notice. If we have availability on your chosen date, we will happily reschedule your UnTour.
Do you offer private tours?
Yes, all of our Un Tours are private.
Do you offer customized tours?
Bespoke Un Tours are our specialty! We’ve spent years finding the best places to visit in Shanghai to become the foremost authority on this town. Just send us an email at info@untourshanghai.com and we’ll send you back a customized UnTour itinerary based on your needs.
How many people are generally on your UnTours?
We try to keep the groups small to provide personalized attention. The maximum capacity is 10 people for most of our UnTours. If your group is larger, send us an email at info@UnTourShanghai.com and we’ll try to accommodate your whole party.
Are children welcome? Do you offer a discount?
Children of all ages are welcome to our Eating and Exploring UnTours. Babies are free (of course), and children under the age of 12 are 50% off in most cases.
As a parent, you are the best judge of your child’s capabilities. Children age 12 and up are welcome on our Running UnTours, provided they are accompanied by a parent who knows (and can match) their athletic abilities.
Is photography or video at the restaurants allowed?
Yes, but please be courteous. It’s often nice to “ask” locals first. We’ve found a big smile and a bit of sign language can go a long way, or your guide is happy to interpret!
Can you help me with travel plans before or after our time with you?
We are happy to help! When our guests book a tour with us, we often help them with their other travel plans as well. We can help you with hotel, flight and train booking, as well as restaurant recommendations and shopping tips around the city.
Where do I meet the guide?
At UnTour Shanghai, we take all the guesswork out of your holiday. We pick you up at your hotel and send you home when you’re finished. All you need to do is enjoy the run, food, or adventure!
Running UnTours
How far in advance should we book our running UnTour?
In order to best plan and coordinate your route with your hotel location and our guide availability, the more time the better. However, every attempt will be made to accommodate last-minute requests within 24 hours.
What if I can’t keep up with the pace?
Don’t worry, we customize the run at your pace, so there should be no cause for concern. Bathroom, water, picture, and rest breaks are all possible at virtually any time as well.
Do we have to run the whole time?
Our UnTours are completely based on your preferences. There is plenty to stop and gawk at, so feel free to let your guide know what interests you. There are designated stops as well, and if you need a breather, it’s no problem.
Should I bring water? Snacks?
Guides will provide water. Additionally, the vast number of round-the clock convenience stores is fairly mind-boggling. No need to carry extra snacks and water weight as we can make any number of stops for virtually any craving.
What if I am running late?
We love runners, but running late may jeopardize certain elements of the tour. Make every effort to contact your UnTour guide should you run past the appointed meeting/pick up time, and there shouldn’t be any issues. Run puns intended.
What if I need to pee?
Don’t worry, it’s only natural. We can find just about any level of toilet to use along the route, from squatting public toilets to something much nicer if your bowels so desire. But really, you’re in China, you should see these squatting toilets.
Will somebody be able carry my wallet and keys or other small items?
Your guide will carry a small backpack, so wallet, phone, keys, digital camera, etc. are no problem. Leave the telescopic lenses at home though, please.
What happens in the case of inclement weather?
Shanghai weather can be rather unpredictable. We want your run to be fun, so we are certainly more than willing to slog through a little rain and wind. It may just end up enhancing your experience. In the case of severe weather, please see our cancellation/refund policy in the General UnTour FAQ.
Is running in Shanghai actually safe? Isn’t it polluted?
Of course, running in Shanghai is not your typical pristine forest route where you get to see wildlife and waterfalls. This is a city of 20 million after all. However, since we live and run here too, we know the best ways to avoid most of the traffic, and avoid areas of smoggy buses and trucks. The city has undergone a major greening effort recently, and virtually all heavy-industry has moved far outside the inner city where we run. If you still have concerns, we recommend our morning routes, as the morning air is about like any other city. So go ahead, live on the edge and run with us - you’ll get a good workout, and you’ll have a story to tell folks back home
AM runs? That sounds even more tiring.
Starting before 7 am means witnessing Shanghai at its finest. The air is fresh, seniors are out and about in mass doing Tai Chi in the parks, and the markets are abuzz. Plus, if you’ve been traveling from the west, you will likely be jetlagged, and up around 4 am. Might as well get running!
Can we tip our running Untour guide?
It is by no means expected, but of course you may! Have you seen marathon entry fee s lately?
Eating UnTours
Can vegetarians UnTour Shanghai? At UnTour Shanghai, we love devouring meat as much as the next carnivore, but our mom told us to always eat our vegetables, and she’s one smart lady. One of our favorite things about Chinese cuisine is the amazing vegetarian food they serve up. You just can’t imagine what these chefs can do with a block of tofu (trust us on this one; we used to hate tofu too). All of our culinary tours can be made vegetarian-friendly, and we’re happy to create a customized vegetarian food UnTour that shows off the delicious array of Buddhist and vegetarian options around Shanghai. For more information about our customized culinary tours or special requests, please send us an email at eat@untourshanghai.com.
Does UnTour Shanghai cater to people with food allergies?
At UnTour Shanghai, we take food allergies very seriously and deal with them on a case-by-case basis. Please email us with your dietary restrictions at eat@untourshanghai.com so we can customize a culinary UnTour based on your needs.
Does the UnTour price include food?
Yes. At UnTour Shanghai, you pay one fee before your food tour and we take care of the rest. All you have to do is work up an appetite!
Can we tip our UnTour Guides?
It is by no means expected, but of course you may! UnTour Guides gotta eat too!
Is eating in Shanghai safe? I’m concerned about chowing down on street food.
With our insatiable hunger for street food, you would expect that we would have come down a bout or two of food poisoning over the years, but you’d be wrong! The few times we’ve contracted stomach bugs has actually been from eating Western food! All of the street food stalls and night markets on our UnTours are places we eat regularly and we’ve developed a personal relationship with the vendor, so we know we can trust them. And eating just a little of the unknown and of questionable origin never really hurt anyone!
Our Philosophy
At UnTour Shanghai, we are firmly committed to minimizing our company and guests’ impact on the local environment and surroundings. We take pride in bringing best practices to share with our Chinese partners and guests, which enhances our guests’ experiences and the sustainability of Shanghai in general.
To this end, we have designed our UnTours to use as much “human power” as possible. Our eating tours are predominantly on foot or use public transportation whenever feasible. Of course, our running tours will have very little impact on the surroundings as well.
Good business practices don’t stop with the environment. We are committed to supporting traditional, locally-owned businesses in every UnTour. While we can’t do much to slow China’s fast-paced ascent into the realm of glitzy and modern, we show our appreciation for small business owners who offer quality, locally produced goods and services.
Additionally we have partnered with several local charities who align with our philosophy and ideals. To that end, a portion of every booking on UnTour Shanghai will go to and . For more information on these amazing and incredibly valuable organization and the communities they serve, please visit their websites located on our “partners” page.
