Shanghai China 2 Day Itinerary

[EDITORIAL NOTE: the previous version of this page was Nairobi, Kenya photo-spot content mistakenly published under a Shanghai slug. This is a full rewrite with genuine Shanghai, China content.]

Two days, one city, zero wasted mornings, that’s the goal here. Shanghai rewards a tight, well-paced plan more than almost anywhere else I’ve traveled, because the distances between icons are short but the crowds are real, so timing matters as much as the list itself.

Day 1: Riverside Shanghai

Start at the Bund before 9am, it’s free and open 24/7, and dawn light on the Huangpu River beats the midday version by a mile. Walk the full promenade, take in the colonial-era buildings on this bank facing Pudong’s glass towers on the other. From there, head to Yu Garden, the Y40 entry buys you a genuine 1559 classical garden with intricate pavilions and koi ponds, but skip the bazaar wrapped around the entrance entirely, it’s dense with fake-antique retail that adds nothing to your day.

For lunch, Jia Jia Tang Bao is where locals actually line up for xiaolongbao, Y20-30 a basket, cash or mobile pay only. In the afternoon, Shanghai Museum East out in Pudong is free, and as of September 2024 needs no advance reservation for individual visitors, a genuine upgrade from a couple years ago when you had to book through WeChat. Wrap the day back at the Bund after dark, roughly 7pm to 10pm is when Pudong’s skyline lights up properly across the water.

One warning worth repeating before you set foot on Nanjing Road nearby: watch for the tea ceremony scam. A friendly stranger, often posing as a student, wants to “practice English,” and it ends with an invitation to an unnamed tea house and a bill running Y3,000 to Y10,000 with the door conveniently hard to leave through. A legitimate tea ceremony runs Y50-200 with a printed menu. Never follow a stranger to an unnamed venue.

Day 2: French Concession and Heights

Morning in the French Concession, specifically Wukang Road and Anfu Road, free to wander and honestly the best unstructured few hours you’ll spend in this city, leafy streets, small cafes, zero agenda required. Then head to Tianzifang, a warren of laneway shops and galleries in old shikumen housing near the same neighborhood, it gets packed on weekends so aim for a weekday morning if your schedule allows. Don’t confuse it with Xintiandi, a separate and much more polished reconstructed district built for upscale shopping rather than wandering.

Afternoon belongs to the Shanghai Tower observation deck, 118th floor, about Y180, climbing to Y199 on holidays, open roughly 8:30am to 9:30pm, and the views here genuinely outclass the older towers in the city. For dinner, Yang’s Fry Dumpling for shengjianbao, the pan-fried version of the soup dumpling, Y15-25 a plate, is a strong way to close out a two-day trip.

Getting Around

Metro Line 2 covers most of this plan end to end, running from Pudong through the Bund area toward Jing’an, base fare Y3 climbing to around Y8, operating 5:30am to 11pm. Skip the Maglev if you’re flying into Pudong, it only reaches Longyang Road, nowhere near downtown, so you’re transferring to Metro Line 2 or a taxi anyway, and with luggage that transfer just isn’t worth the novelty. Alipay’s transit QR works citywide, and mobile payment for foreigners with international cards has worked reliably since mid-2023, so don’t over-pack cash assuming you’ll need it everywhere.

Where to Stay

A base near the Bund or in the French Concession keeps both days’ walking tight and cuts down on cross-city Metro time you don’t have room for on a two-day trip.

Before You Land

Install and actually test a VPN before you fly, Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook are all blocked by the Great Firewall, and you cannot download a VPN app once you’re already inside the country. Apple Maps paired with Amap or Baidu handles local navigation just fine once you’re on the ground.