The Pudong skyline seen from the Bund across the Huangpu River
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Shanghai in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 7.6 km on foot
  • 16 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Shanghai stops being a dash and you start crossing the river. Day one stays on the old bank: French Concession villas, Yu Garden and the Old City after dark, with a locals' ferry in between. Day two runs from the banks of the Bund to the towers of Lujiazui, with the whole city spread out below you. A comfortable pace for a first visit.

Day 1Lanes, gardens and lanterns

Set off early on “French Concession Highlights”, from the First Congress House to Fuxing Park and the villas of Sinan Road, finishing among the workshops of Tianzifang. A short taxi ride takes you to the Old City for xiaolongbao at Nanxiang, a few steps from the zigzag bridge. Afterwards, go into Yu Garden and then, to rest your legs, take the ferry across the Huangpu and back: you'll see the Bund and Pudong from the water. At dusk, when the lanterns come on, do the gods-and-pirates walk from Dajing Pavilion and have hongshao rou for dinner at Shanghai Lao Fandian.

  1. Morning

    French Concession Highlights: Plane Trees, Villas and Lanes

    Mixed · 2.5 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Xintiandi and the First Congress HouseA 1920 shikumen house where, in July 1921, thirteen delegates met to found the Chinese Communist Party.
    2. Fuxing ParkThe old “French Park”, where the city now dances, plays mahjong and practises tai chi under the plane trees.
    3. Sun Yat-sen's HouseThe villa that Chinese emigrants in Canada gave to the father of modern China, where he lived with Soong Ching-ling.
    4. Sinan Road and its VillasThe former Rue Massenet, a street of villas where Zhou Enlai and the great opera star Mei Lanfang once lived.
    5. TianzifangA maze of shikumen lanes that artists saved from demolition, now packed with studios and cafés.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Nanxiang xiaolongbao at Nanxiang Mantou Dian (南翔馒头店). Yuyuan Lu, 85, junto al puente en zigzag, Huangpu, Shanghái

  3. Afternoon

    Yu Garden

    A classical garden that the official Pan Yunduan began building in 1559 for his parents: rockeries, carp ponds, galleries and pavilions packed into a small space. There's an entry fee and it gets crowded; go straight after lunch and check opening times beforehand.

    Directions

    Huangpu ferry (Shiliupu–Dongchang Road)

    The public ferry locals use to cross the river in a few minutes for very little money. From the deck you get one of the best views of the Bund and the Pudong skyline. It's usually paid with a transport card or by phone; check at the pier.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Gods, Pirates and Spirits of the Old City

    Mysteries & legends · 1.8 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Dajing Pavilion and the Last City WallThe only surviving stretch of the wall built in 1553 against pirates, watched over from above by the god of war.
    2. Fangbang Road, the Old StreetA canal buried in 1913 and a secret society that held the city for eighteen months.
    3. The City God TempleThe temple of Shanghai's three guardians, one of them a scholar who refused to serve the emperor while he lived.
    4. Huxinting Teahouse and the Zigzag BridgeShanghai's oldest teahouse, in the middle of a pond, and a nine-turn bridge against evil spirits.
    5. Chenxiangge, the Agarwood PavilionA small Buddhist temple born of a statue of Guanyin rescued, so the story goes, from a sunken boat.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Hongshao rou, Shanghai-style braised pork at Shanghai Lao Fandian (上海老饭店). Fuyou Lu, 242, Huangpu, Shanghái

Day 2From the Bund to the clouds

Begin at People's Square with “From the Racecourse to the Bund”: the clock tower of the old racing club, the Park Hotel and Nanjing Road down to the lions of the old HSBC Building and the Peace Hotel, ending at Waibaidu Bridge. Have shengjianbao for lunch at Da Hu Chun on Sichuan Zhong Lu, a few blocks from the Bund. Then ride metro line 2 just one stop to Lujiazui and stroll the Pudong riverside, looking back at the waterfront you've just walked. Save the Shanghai Tower for late afternoon and stay to watch the lights come on.

  1. Morning

    From the Racecourse to the Bund: Shanghai of the Concessions

    History · 3.3 km · 2 h 10 min

    1. The Old Racecourse and Clock TowerWhere People's Square now stands, the British raced horses for almost a century.
    2. Park HotelThe dark-brick skyscraper that was the tallest building in Asia for almost thirty years.
    3. Nanjing Road and the Department StoresChina's most famous shopping street, where two families back from Australia invented modern retail.
    4. The Old HSBC Building and the Custom HouseThe dome of Asia's most powerful bank and a clock modelled on Big Ben, at the heart of the Bund.
    5. The Peace HotelVictor Sassoon's green pyramid, where Shanghai danced to jazz in the 1930s.
    6. Waibaidu BridgeChina's first steel bridge, where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu opposite the towers of Pudong.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Shengjianbao, pan-fried buns at Da Hu Chun (大壶春). Sichuan Zhong Lu, 136, Huangpu, Shanghái

  3. Afternoon

    Lujiazui Riverside Promenade

    The riverside walk in Pudong, a district that in the late 1980s was mostly warehouses and fields. From here you see the Bund end to end, while behind you rise the Oriental Pearl Tower and the circular footbridge linking the skyscrapers.

    Directions

    Shanghai Tower observation deck

    At 632 metres and completed in 2015, it's China's tallest building; the deck is on the 118th floor, reached by one of the fastest lifts in the world. The neighbouring Jin Mao and Shanghai World Financial Center have decks too. Booking ahead is a good idea.

    Directions

The map

Shanghai in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Shanghai in 2 days

  • If one day looks clear, swap the order and go up the Shanghai Tower that day: with smog or low cloud, the view turns to white. Check the forecast the evening before and book the deck at short notice so you don't take a gamble.
  • There are three ways to Pudong: metro line 2, the fastest; the ferry, the prettiest; or the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel with its light show, pricier and easy to skip. To get back at night, the metro or a taxi is usually easiest.
  • Yu Garden and the Old City get packed at weekends and during Chinese holidays, especially the first week of October and Chinese New Year. If you can, put this day on a weekday and enter the garden in the early afternoon.

Questions

Shanghai in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for Shanghai?

For the centre, yes: this plan covers the French Concession, the Old City, the Bund and Pudong, plus Yu Garden and an observation deck. What it leaves out are the big museums, the temples in the west and the water towns around the city.

Which observation deck is best: Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao or the World Financial Center?

The Shanghai Tower is the highest and the most impressive. The World Financial Center, the 'bottle opener', has a glass floor; the Jin Mao deck is lower but gives you a close-up view of the other two towers. One is enough: pick based on the weather and the queue.

How far will I walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 7.6 km (4.7 miles): 4.3 km on day one (2.5 in the French Concession and 1.8 in the Old City) and 3.3 km on day two, from the racecourse to the Bund. On top of that come Yu Garden, the walks between areas and the Lujiazui promenade.

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