Four days lets you see Shanghai properly: the colonial riverfront, the leafy French Concession, the futuristic Pudong skyline and even Disneyland — without rushing.
Day 1: The Bund & Old Town
Morning: Yu Garden’s Ming-dynasty rockeries and the surrounding bazaar for soup dumplings (Nanxiang) and wontons. Afternoon: the Bund promenade between the colonial banks; cross to Lujiazui for sunset from the Shanghai Tower’s 118th floor. Night: Huangpu River cruise or rooftop bar.
Day 2: French Concession
A full day in the plane-tree districts: Tianzifang’s lane-market warren, Wukang Road’s art-deco villas, Fuxing Park’s tai chi crowds, and the former French Concession cafes. Lunch at a benbang (Shanghainese) restaurant — braised pork, drunken chicken, scallion-oil noodles. Evening: live jazz at the Fairmont Peace Hotel.
Day 3: Museums & Modern Shanghai
Morning: Shanghai Museum (bronze, ceramics, calligraphy — world class, free). Afternoon: Power Station of Art or the West Bund galleries. Evening: Xintiandi’s shikumen lanes for dinner, or the acrobatics show.
Day 4: Disneyland or Water Town
Families: Shanghai Disneyland — the Tron coaster and Pirates ride are the world’s best versions. Culture seekers: Zhujiajiao water town, 50 minutes away, for stone bridges and canal boats.
Logistics
Metro covers everything; taxis are cheap. Stay at People’s Square or the Bund for centrality. Pair Shanghai with Hangzhou (45-minute bullet train) and Suzhou (25 minutes).
Plan With Us
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