Shanghai
Shanghai translates to ‘City on the Sea‘. This financial hub, with its European
colonial history, has a lot to offer with traditional laneways fitting amongst modern
architecture. Shanghai is the perfect combination of old and new China.
Itinerary Highlights
/ the bund
Feast your eyes on arguably the world’s most spectacular skyline along the Huangpu River. On the Puxi side, you’ll find luxurious European architecture and on Pudong’s side, the complete contrast of the modern financial hub.
/ tianzifang
This is one of the most iconic spots in downtown Shanghai. Nestled in the French Concession, Tianzifang retains the traditional charms of old Shanghai whilst seamlessly inserting contemporary retail and hospitality. The area’s layout is a spiderweb of alleyways that you will happily get lost in.
/ m50 creative space
This is a great spot to unwind from the hustle of the city whilst witnessing some quirky local art. The creative space is free and merges together artist workspaces and exhibitions in galleries that you’re welcome to wander around in.
/ french concession
It seems everyone that has heard of Shanghai has heard of the famous French Concession. Unknown to many, however, this is not a specific place. The area encompasses much of Luwan and Xuhui Districts and the most defining characteristics are the tree lined streets and protected heritage architecture.
Suggested Itinerary
Recommended time (4-5 days)
*NOTE: This itinerary focuses on what I believe represents Shanghai best.
For activities outside of the city center, I recommend: Century Park, Shanghai Botanical
Gardens, Sheshan and Zhujiajiao Ancient Town.
Day 1
Arriving at Pudong Airport, take the famous Maglev to Longyang. Transfer to Metro Line 2 to Jiangsu Road.
From Hongqiao Airport, jump straight onto Line 2 to the recommended accommodation.
54rmb / 4rmb
~1 hour / ~30 mins
RECOMMENDED ACCOMODATION
Dengba Inn (Yan’an Road)
800m from Jiangsu Road
Leave your things and head straight to East Nanjing Road, back on Metro Line 2.
If you are in Shanghai on a weekend, go to People’s Square Park to see the Marriage Market where people seek a suitable partner with self advertisements and posters.
Take Exit 2 and head straight down towards The Bund. Here you’ll find the iconic skyline. Though always impressive, it is best at dusk, so turn right and walk along the water.
Walking 1km in this direction will guide you to Yu Garden. You’ll see classic architecture which is an interesting contrast to the modern backdrop.
30-40rmb
Exit along Fangbang Road and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time – kind of. This commercial ancient street is one to see.
Head back along the river for the light show on The Bund.
This area is full of fancy restaurants and bars, but if you’d like something more authentic just search the laneways off East Nanjing.
RECOMMENDED BAR
Bar Rouge
Day 2
Start your morning in the French Concession. This consists of the area between the border of Jing’an all the way to West Bund.
Refer to map below
These tree lined streets are perfect for street food breakfasts and world-class coffee shops.
Head from the accommodation to Changle Road and follow it until you reach Xiangyang North Road (2km).
Here you’ll find awesome street food options like steamed buns (bāozi) and deep fried dough sticks (yóutiáo).
On this walk, you’ll see some of the symbolic tree lined streets of the French Concession.
Turn towards IAPM Mall and walk 1km to Yongkang Road. This is a gentrified but admittedly enjoyable street. You can find vegan pancake (jiānbing) and coffee here.
From here, head to M50 Creative Space. Walk back to IAPM and jump on Metro Line 12 to Hanzhong Road. Then, transfer to Line 13 to Jiangning Road.
Walk toward the river and follow West Suzhou Road until you see the entrance to M50.
This is a cool, local artist’s workspace with free galleries to explore.
Leave M50 and make your way to Tianzifang for dusk and the evening. This is another iconic location in Shanghai.
You can spend a few hours getting lost amongst the alleyways. With a bit of digging, you’ll find unique souvenirs, too.
There are also an abundance of restaurants and bars to indulge in for the evening.
Day 3
In the morning, head to the Propaganda Poster Museum. This is a 200m walk from the recommended accommodation. You’ll find it on the 7th floor of Huamin Empire Plaza.
The museum is nothing more than a rented office space – tricky to find but worth it!
Next up, Oriental Pearl & Shanghai Tower.
Go to the Metro and take Line 2 to Lujiazui.
Walk to the Oriental Pearl Tower. Here you’ll find the ticket office – I suggest getting the one that includes the Sky Galleria, Glass Sky Walk and Shanghai History Museum).
160rmb
2.5 hours
First you’ll go to the top and experience the glass floor skywalk with a view of Shanghai’s financial centre below and the rest of the city around you.
On a lower level, you’ll find the Shanghai History Museum. I recommend visiting it as you’ll get a good glimpse into the diverse history of the city, from European colonialism to the Japanese invasion.
The Shanghai Tower is a 1km walk away. This is the tallest building in China. You can go up to the 118th floor to the highest observation deck in the world.
180rmb
Head to the river on Lujiazui’s side. You’ll find some fancy restaurants with outdoor seating, perfect for some drinks for sunset.
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANT/BAR
Chili’s
Remember, museums & galleries aren’t open on Mondays.
Day 4
The next day, head to Jing’an. You can either walk along Yan’an Road > West Nanjing for just over 1km OR get Metro Line 2 to Jing’an Temple.
This is the most famous temple in Shanghai and its gold details on the restored wooden frame truly stand out against the modernity of Jing’an.
50rmb
Inside, you can see the monks who reside there – quite a difficult image to grasp considering the city outside its gates.
Make your way to Changde Road where you’ll see the most luxurious brands and malls of Shanghai. If you follow it to Fumin Road, you’ll find yourself back in the French Concession.
This road in particular is a common spot for Shanghai residents to hangout, so you can again find some noteworthy restaurants and coffee shops here.
Shanghai is the city with the most coffee shops in the world. If you love coffee, you know where to go!
You can also do a lot of people watching and catch the eccentric and bold fashion of the city.
Head back to your accommodation and to the railway or airport. Metro lines generally run until 10-11pm and there are airport night buses.
*For what’s on in Shanghai daily – check out Smart Shanghai.*
Shanghai is predominantly flat – if you have access to share bike apps, I highly recommend cycling everywhere!
Weather in Shanghai
- Winter is very cold and damp, however the city has an abundance of Christmas markets.
- Spring is warm and the city bursts into floral colours.
- Summer is very hot and rainy. The humidity is high so visiting at this time isn’t comfortable.
- Autumn is stunning with the French Concession turning shades of brown. Temperatures are mild.
Transit options BEST for Shanghai
- Hongqiao International Airport
- Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station
- Shanghai Railway Station
- Shanghai South Railway Station
- Pudong International Airport
