On the surface, Shanghai is a massive and overwhelming city, but it's also very tourist friendly due to the great public transportation and walking paths. I personally love tours that make it possible to get a lot of great places on foot, because that also makes it possible to encounter so many more local and cultural surprises than if you're rolling by in a big tour bus or taxi. Now that I've been living in Shanghai long enough to have a few visitors to take around the city, I've developed a walking route that allows me to show visitors the best of the city all in one day. So, if you're only going to have one day to explore the top sights of Shanghai, read on for a full DIY itinerary that will help you reach all of the major highlights and icons of the city.
MAP USE NOTES:
Android Users: If you're going to do this tour with Google Maps, you need to load Shanghai as an offline map BEFORE arriving to China, since Google Map use in China is limited on VPN or simply unavailable. I recommend marking each stop as a favorite.
Apple Users: You're in luck. Apple Maps offers accuracy and connectivity without VPN access while you're in China, but since Google Maps is what I can easily embed here, and allows you to dive into Street Views of each area online, that's what I'm going to include in this post. Mark the locations based on name and address while in China.
Here's the Overview of This Day Trip:
- Yu Garden
- City of God
- Shanghai Old Street
- Char Bar Views
- Public Ferry to Pudong
- Skyscraper Tour
- Skywalk to Pearl Tower
- Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
- City Lights on Bund
- Dinner & Drinks on Bund
9am Yu Garden
(40rmb for adults)
The most detailed historic architecture in Shanghai is hidden a beautiful garden setting. The garden environment is serene with the movement of water, stillness of the ancient rocks, and wind moving between the leaves of the trees. Each pavilion in the garden represents a different purpose and use, and the signs are conveniently bi-lingual for English readers. In some ways, it's like stepping back in time to when dynasties ran entire compounds for enjoyment, entertainment, and contemplating larger issues of life. What I especially love looking for here are the unique details carved into to every doorway, every window, and every rooftop. Keep your eye out for the large dragon that stretches along the top of the garden wall.
10:30am City of God
(free to wander, snacks and gifts available with cash)
In order to get to Yu Garden, you already walked through a good part of the City of God, which surrounds Yu Garden but at an early hour the shops may not have fully opened yet. City of God is a good place to get lost in the shops and try iconic Shanghai street foods like moon cakes, massive soup dumplings, candied strawberries on sticks, and tea blends. You can find all of the iconic gifts and souvenirs of Shanghai here, as well as many of the favorite street snacks, teas, foods, and even some modern convenience brands like Starbucks. For a real taste of Chinese food offerings, step into the large buffet food hall and wander through the line to pick up a few things to try at tables in the cafeteria.
12:00pm Shanghai Old Street
(free to walk around)
One of the few remaining districts with low rise housing and retail built in early 1900s style. You'll find lots of cheaply made trinkets and items similar to what you found inside the City of God, but the architecture here is more like what the city used to look like before skyscrapers moved in.
12:30pm Char Bar Outdoor Views at Hotel Indigo
(a bottle of sparking water starts at 70rmb, but the views and a chance to rest are worth it)
As you walk toward the river, keep your eye out for Hotel Indigo and/or Char Bar. If you search for the name of the hotel on Google Maps, you may end up in the wrong place. The address and map posted above is the correct location. Take the interior elevator up to the Char Bar level of Hotel Indigo. There are indoor seats that overlook the river views, as well as two outdoor rooftop views that provide one of the best views of both sides of the river. In the river, you'll see the various ferries that go back and forth across the river, the freight boats, and the tour boats. This is a good spot to make sure the ferries are running, otherwise you'll need to ask the hotel concierge for a taxi to get across the river from here. This is also a great place to look at the skyscrapers across the river and see where the clouds are. If the clouds are too low and you can't see the top of the skyscrapers, then you'll know it won't be worth getting tickets into the observatories for the tallest skyscrapers, but there are still other options available that I'll share later. Char Bar is also a good place to recharge your phone batteries if needed, since there are outlets along a few of the seating areas.
1:30pm Ferry or Taxi to Pudong Side
(ferry is about 3rmb, taxi is about 30rmb)
If you're ready for more walking, head to the public ferry dock to grab a ferry across the river (there are many tourist river cruises that dock here, but keep walking until you find the public ferry dock which has its own ferry icon).
If your feet need a rest, ask the hotel concierge for a taxi to the Jin Mao Tower in Pudong. The driveway of the Jin Mao Tower is where you can look up at the three giant skyscrapers of Shanghai all in one city block, check out the wait times for each observatory, and decide if you'd like to go up into one of them if the weather is clear enough.
2:00pm Skyscraper Square
The goal here is to pick just one Skyscraper based on the weather and your preferences, since the views can be similar from all of them. Here are the questions worth asking yourself at this point:
- Is the cloud layer high enough, and the air clear enough, that it will be worth going to one of the top observatory decks? If the answer is yes, go to question number 2. If the answer is no, skip the other questions and check out the Jin Mao Tower.
- Are you willing to spend the next 1-2 hours waiting in lines and crowds for the views? If yes, go to question number 3. If no, skip the last question and check out the Jin Mao Tower.
- Would you be disappointed if you didn't go in the tallest tower in Shanghai? If yes, head to the Shanghai Tower to begin your wait for the Observatory level. If no, check out the other options.
Shanghai Tower - Tallest Building in China
(bookstore level available without admission ticket, admission fee for observatory levels)
If the clouds are high enough and the sky isn't too hazy, this is a bucket list item for many people. The views are unobstructed on all sides and offer plenty of time to take it all in.
52nd Floor Bookstore
100th Floor Observatory
World Financial Center - Second Tallest Building in China
(mall floors are accessible without observatory ticket, admission fee for observatory levels)
If the sky is clear, but the wait time for the Shanghai Tower is too long due to large tour groups, you may also consider checking out the availability at this tower, which also offers a shopping mall and glass sky walk.
Jin Mao Tower - A Fast Alternative on Cloudy/Hazy Days
(free visit to the hotel lobby, restaurant prices posted inside)
When the clouds obstruct the tallest towers, this tower provides an option for mid-height views of the city and the surrounding towers. Find the entrance labeled Grand Hyatt, which is different than the observatory entrance. Take the elevator to various levels of the hotel and wander around to check out the views.
53rd Floor Grand Hyatt Lobby
54th Floor Restaurants
4:00pm Skywalk to Pearl Tower
(free to walk on, cafes are available if you need refreshment)
This Skywalk shortens the time it takes to get to the Pearl Tower by providing a pedestrian passage free from intersection traffic and traffic lights. From the Skyscrapers, you'll head up to the walk on the way to the IFC Mall. If you miss the walk before the IFC Mall, you can access the Skywalk from inside the mall as well, since the Skywalk enters and leaves the mall as it takes a turn toward the Pearl Tower. The views along the Skywalk provide a great look at the inside of the city and great selfie opportunities with the major buildings of Pudong.
4:30pm Oriental Pearl Tower
(admission fee, restaurants, cafes, and shops available)
This is Shanghai's most distinctive building, even if it isn't the tallest. Whether or not you got a good weather day with the largest skyscrapers, the Pearl Tower is another great chance to get a closer view of the city highlights along the Bund at a lower elevations that makes it easier to see everything in closer view. The wait times to get up to the main observatory are posted at the ticket office. Double that amount of time if you'd like to also visit the Space Capsule, since the elevator is smaller and allows fewer people to go up to the top. This is actually an ideal tower to go up in before sunset because you get a 360º view of the city and the night lights that light up along the Bund and on the skyscrapers behind. There's a large plaza outside the building, a restaurant and shops inside the building, two main observation decks, the space capsule deck, and a couple more entertainment options inside the tower. If you're short on time, just visit the two main observation decks.
7:00pm Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
People consider this to be either the coolest passenger tunnel from one side of the river to the other, or a really cheesy amusement ride. Either way, it's definitely a unique Shanghai experience, and the most convenient way to get from one side of the river to the other without getting back into a taxi and dealing with evening traffic. You may see brown signs for the Sightseeing Tunnel to help you navigate to the entrance. The ticket booth is underground with escalators for access, and while it may seem enticing to buy a ticket for all of the amusements, it's a bit late in the day for anything more than the tunnel ride.
7:30pm Shanghai People's Heros Monument Park
(free public access)
Once the city is lit up at night, this is the perfect place along the river to take it all in and look back at the light shows on and around the skyscraper buildings that aren't possible to see when you're inside the skyscrapers. You get a great view along all sides of the river and you get to see all the river cruise boats lit up as they float up and down the river. This is a lovely place for night photography of the city and to decide where you'd like to go next from here.
8:00pm Best Hotel Restaurants and Bars Nearby
(click the links to explore reviews and contact info)
After a very full day of walking, you could just call it a night and head back to your place to crash. You could find some street foods and cafes around the Bund and neighborhood. Or you could find yourself in a nice hotel restaurant or terrace bar with views overlooking the area you spent your day discovering on foot. I'm a fan of the latter, so here are some of the best places nearby with restaurants and bars to help you unwind. Click on the links to explore reviews. Advance reservations are highly recommended.
VUE Restaurant - Hyatt on the Bund
Sir Elly's Restaurant & Terrace - The Peninsula Hotel
The Cathay Room & Terrace - Fairmont Peace Hotel
