Old and New Shanghai | Classic 3-Day Tour of Shanghai - Shanghai Museum - Yu Garden - The Bund - Shanghai Tower - French Concession - Xintiandi

Welcome to Shanghai, the magic city. Our guide will meet you at the airport/railway station exit and escort you to a selected hotel in Shanghai for check-in. You can arrange the remaining time freely. If you are tired, you can rest at the hotel to recharge. If it is still early, you can also stroll around the area. You can refer to the following free-time suggestions or ask the guide for travel advice. Free-time suggestions 1. City walk: Stroll around the area, admire the exquisite architecture where history and modernity intertwine along the way, appreciate the unique culture perfectly blending East and West, and feel the diverse charm of an international metropolis. 2. Taste delicious food: Find a time-honored brand restaurant, taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine, and experience the local lifestyle and food culture. Suggested ways to arrive 1. By plane: Shanghai has two airports - Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), with many domestic direct routes, such as Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Kunming, Harbin, Hong Kong, etc., as well as international direct routes, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Los Angeles, Japan, etc. Transportation is very convenient. 2. By train: Shanghai has 5 railway stations in total. You can take high-speed rail to Shanghai from Beijing (4.5-6 hours), Xi'an (6-7.5 hours), Huangshan (2.5-3 hours), Guangzhou (7-8.5 hours), Suzhou (0.5 hours), Hangzhou (about 45 minutes), Wuhan (3.5-4.5 hours), and other places.

After breakfast, you will head to the [Shanghai Museum], one of China's four major museums, to admire various exquisite traditional precious cultural relics and gain an in-depth understanding of China's long and profound history and culture. The Shanghai Museum is known as "half of the cultural relics world." Its overall architecture is round on top and square below, in line with the ancient Chinese concept of "a round heaven and a square earth." The museum houses more than 1.02 million cultural relics, covering the most precious artworks in China's 5,000-year history of civilization. Among them, the museum's treasures are especially worth seeing: the Da Ke Ding, a bronze vessel about 3,000 years old; the Jin Hou Su Bell, an ancient musical instrument from the Western Zhou period; the Shang Yang Fang Sheng, a relic of Shang Yang's reforms; and the Zi Zhong Jiang Pan, a Spring and Autumn period bronze vessel carved with more than 30 aquatic animals. Afterward, head to [Yu Garden], known as the "crown of famous gardens in the southeast," to enjoy the scenery of classical Jiangnan gardens in China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1559 AD), with a history of more than 460 years. It was originally a private garden built by Pan Yunduan, the Ming Dynasty provincial administration commissioner of Sichuan, for his father to enjoy his later years. Strolling along the winding paths of Yu Garden, you can admire China's ingenious garden layout, exquisite classical architecture, and superb brick carving, stone carving, clay sculpture, and wood carving designs. In particular, the landmark attractions such as the Dragon Wall, the Nine-Turn Bridge, and the Mid-Lake Pavilion are especially worth careful appreciation. Afterward, walk to Yuyuan Bazaar near Yu Garden to taste the most authentic Shanghai cuisine, such as xiaolongbao, braised pork, and eight-treasure duck. If interested, you can also browse various traditional Chinese handicraft shops, such as embroidery, ceramics, and wood carvings. After lunch, you can walk along [Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street], known as "China's No. 1 Commercial Street," to the Bund, about 2 kilometers in total. Along the way, you can appreciate Shanghai's architectural style of the 1930s and 1940s, browse various century-old brand stores, and taste local specialty snacks. Then arrive at the [Bund], known as the "Paris of the East," and feel the prosperity of Shanghai, the magic city. Located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, the Bund is one of Shanghai's landmark attractions and is known as the "Exhibition of World Architecture." It brings together 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, the Peace Hotel, and HSBC. Stepping into it feels like entering the golden age of the former Oriental Wall Street. Standing by the river, you can also look out at landmark buildings such as Shanghai Tower, the third tallest building in the world; the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the tallest tower in Asia; Jin Mao Tower, the fourth tallest building in Shanghai; and Shanghai World Financial Center, the second tallest building in Shanghai. Afterward, you will take a public ferry at East Jinling Road across the [Huangpu River] to reach the Lujiazui business district in Pudong, Shanghai, and walk to [Shanghai Tower], the tallest building in Shanghai and even China. Here, you will take the world's fastest sightseeing elevator (73.8 km/h) directly to the "Top of Shanghai Observatory" on the 118th floor, 546 meters above the ground, and enjoy a 360-degree unobstructed view of Shanghai's magnificent skyline and panoramic city views, overlooking the famous buildings around. If interested, you can also send a special blessing from above the clouds to family and friends at the Top of Shanghai Air Post Office, currently the highest post office in the world. Shanghai evening activity suggestions 1. Shanghai Acrobatics Show (19:30-21:00, 1.5 hours): The Shanghai acrobatics performance is the favorite evening entertainment for domestic and international tourists. It not only features thrilling acrobatic performances but also incorporates graceful dance and humorous, comedic plots, bringing the audience a brand-new viewing experience and allowing you to gain an in-depth understanding of Shanghai's rich cultural heritage in an entertaining way.

After breakfast, our guide will take you on a stroll through the Shanghai French Concession, known as the "Paris of the East." This old neighborhood, with a history of nearly two hundred years, was once China's earliest, largest, and most prosperous concession. Here, you can walk through alleys shaded by French plane trees, look back on old stories, or unexpectedly encounter old villas, cafes, and former residences of literary figures, enjoying a leisurely travel time. First, you can stroll along the charming Wukang Road, admire historical buildings in Western classical and Art Deco styles, feel the accumulation of history and the blending of cultures, and visit the simple and elegant former residences of celebrities. The famous modern Chinese writer Ba Jin once lived here and wrote representative works such as "Family," "Spring," and "Autumn." In addition, Wukang Mansion, as a landmark building on Wukang Road and even in Shanghai, was designed by the famous Hungarian architect Laszlo Hudec. It is Shanghai's first corridor-style apartment building, and its unique architectural style has been hailed as "Shanghai's golden name card." Afterward, head to Xintiandi, one of the world's top 20 cultural landmarks. This is an urban tourist attraction that perfectly blends Shanghai's traditional shikumen architecture with modern architecture, and it is also an excellent place to learn about Shanghai's history, lane culture, and modern fashion. Here, you can stroll leisurely, admire historical sites, taste specialty foods, and browse various shops representing Shanghai's fashion and tradition. In addition, the Shikumen Open House Museum inside is a great place to learn about the lifestyle of Shanghai people in the 1920s and 1930s. If you have enough time, you can also visit Tianzifang, known as "Shanghai's most culturally rich creative neighborhood," to learn about Shanghai's most authentic lane culture and admire rich and varied artworks. It is the best place to experience Shanghai's traditional culture and modern art. After the visit, this unforgettable Shanghai tour will come to an end. Our guide will take you back to your accommodation or to the airport/train station. If you want to extend this trip and explore more destinations in China, such as Suzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing, Yunnan, Xi'an, Zhangjiajie, Chengdu, Tibet, Xinjiang, etc., you can also contact our customer service to arrange it for you.