Our Story
Because travelers never have enough time to discover all the secrets which make Shanghai so unique...
Because they think they have no other choice than visiting the "must-see" attractions like the Bund or Yu Garden...
& most of all because we think the best way to get a real immersion into the Chinese culture is by meeting the locals...
We created Culture Shock Tours!
Founded in 2015 by young entrepreneurs who wanted an alternative to standard/touristy bike tours, together with Shanghainese local experts they looked into a new option for both short-term visitors and expats living in Shanghai.
Culture Shock experiences are multi-theme & off the beaten path tours allowing guests to enjoy China History/Culture/Food and much more, with an experienced foreign tour leader speaking Mandarin, in just a Half day!
We believe that the discovery of a city and its culture cannot be limited to a few buildings and historic dates.
It requires meeting with its people and letting interactions happen naturally for a full immersion.
Nicolas
Partner and Expert
Nicolas is a French national that came to Shanghai in 2008, after spending 15 years as a journalist in Taiwan. He is also working part time as a consultant and a facilitator. Collecting Chinese antiques and contemporary art, he is passionate about China, Shanghai and its people. He is regularly leading historic and architecture tours around Shanghai as well as lecturing about the city, the Taiwanese aborigines or Chinese arts.
Languages: French, English, Chinese
Charlie
Partner and Operations Manager
Charlie is a native Shanghainese. She grew up in this huge city and knows a lot of insider anecdotes and would love to share her knowledge with people from all over the world. She has been studied and worked in the USA in hospitality industry for 5 years. She is loved by our guests for her excellent customer service. Traveling and exploring new destinations are her ways to enhance the understanding of this world. Her dream is to let more people know about Shanghai and fall in love with this amazing city!
Languages: English, Chinese
Mathias
Expert
When we call him an "expert", this is not a joke! Mathias is a renowned professional photographer, and he has gathered a huge amount of archives on Shanghai. He will be more than happy to share his passion for this city and for photographing it. He loves spending time "pushing doors" and exploring the unknown, always having his camera or his drone with him!
Languages: French, English
Q (Junxi)
Senior Tour Leader
Q is one of our Shanghainese team leaders. He is a language lover and is fluent in 5 languages. He is calm, well-organized and patient with people. He will bring the Old Shanghai to you in a way memory wouldn’t fade.
Languages: English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese
Jenny
Senior Tour Leader
Growing up in Sydney, Jenny loves the great outdoors and meeting new people. In Shanghai since 2012, fluent in Chinese language and stories, Jenny loves to share her insights on Chinese history, current affairs and the best places to eat vegan food! She is currently working on a video documentary witnessing the tremendous change of the urban landscape of Shanghai.
Languages: English, Chinese
Germán
Senior Tour Leader
Germán has been walking, cycling in Shanghai for over 6 years now. Coming form Spain, he is leading tours around the city and at the same time teaching English. He is fascinated with languages and speaks fluently quite few of them! He is currently working on his Shanghainese dialect. Remember to ask him sharing about the old city walls of Shanghai if you meet him on our tours!
Languages: Spanish, English, French, Chinese
Xiaofang (Suskita)
Senior Tour Leader
Our super friendly and smiley local Chinese tour leader Suskita traveled to more than 10 countries with a handmade bamboo bike. She enjoys creating unique and fun travel experiences through interactive activities and storytelling.
Languages: English, Chinese, Fokkien
Raph
Senior Tour Leader
Raph is always energetic and ready to provide you with the half day of most fun you could enjoy in Shanghai. He will guide you both night and day through the hidden lanes of what he calls his second hometown with a local insight. Keep your eyes opened when strolling in Shanghai, it is likely that you could see him riding along Shanghai streets on his own vintage bike.
Being considered half-Chinese by his local Shanghai friends, Raph is passionate about China and its culture. Don't hesitate to share any of your opinions and curiosity about China with him!
Languages: French, English, Chinese
Work with us
We are hiring Tour Leaders (Freelance)
Job description:
We are looking for a dedicated and passionate bike tour leader in Shanghai to ensure a unique and smooth experience to our customers.
Your mission is not only to share your passion of the local culture but also to bring the visitors to love it too. We will teach you how to conduct a tour safely, show you our favorite spots and share our anecdotes, we only require from you to be resourceful, autonomous, very professional and show empathy to the guests.
This is a freelance job meaning we expect you to be available when needed as much as possible
You must be:
Good at riding a bike in Shanghai
Speak HSK 3+ (Other languages a bonus)
Resourceful, autonomous, professional, very curious and fast learning
Good public speaking skills and flexibility
You need to have a health insurance & a working visa for China already
APPLY NOW
Please send your resume to bookings@culture-shock-tours.com and tell us about how you match the description and what makes you a wonderful person to be around. Please include your resume as well as the things you like to see or places you like to go to in Shanghai.
