Shanghai City Walk | 2-Day Essence Tour of Shanghai - Yu Garden - Shanghai Tower - Nanjing Road - The Bund - French Concession - Xintiandi

This morning, you will go to [Yu Garden], known as the "crown of famous gardens in the southeast," to enjoy the classical garden scenery of Jiangnan in China. Yu Garden was first built in the 38th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (AD 1559), 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 spend his later years in peace. Strolling along the winding paths of Yu Garden, you can appreciate China's exquisite garden layout, beautiful classical architecture, and superb craftsmanship in brick carving, stone carving, clay sculpture, and wood carving. In particular, the iconic attractions - the Dragon Wall, the Nine-Turn Bridge, and the Mid-Lake Pavilion - are especially worth careful appreciation. In addition, the ancient ginkgo tree in Yu Garden, as high as 21 meters and nearly 500 years old, is worth seeing, especially in golden autumn when it is particularly magnificent. Afterwards, you will take a public ferry across the Huangpu River and arrive at the Lujiazui business district in Pudong, Shanghai, to admire up close the three most amazing skyscrapers: Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai World Financial Center. You can go up 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 the magnificent Shanghai skyline and panoramic city views, overlooking famous buildings around, such as Shanghai's landmark - Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the magic city's bottle opener - Shanghai World Financial Center, and China's No. 1 building - Jin Mao Tower. 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 world's highest post office. After the visit, you will walk along [Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street], known as "China's No. 1 Commercial Street," to the Bund, about 2 km in total. Along the way, you can appreciate Shanghai's architectural style of the 1930s and 1940s, and also browse various century-old brand stores. Then, arrive at [the Bund], known as the "Paris of the East," to feel the prosperity of Shanghai, the magic city. The Bund is located on the west bank of the Huangpu River, starting from East Yan'an Road in the south and ending at Waibaidu Bridge in the north, with a total length of about 1.5 km. It is one of Shanghai's iconic attractions and is known as the "Exhibition of World Architecture." It gathers 52 exotic buildings of different styles, such as the Shanghai Club, Peace Hotel, Customs House, HSBC Building, etc. Stepping into it feels like entering the golden age of the former Oriental Wall Street. Standing by the river, you can also see landmark buildings in the distance, such as the world's third tallest building - Shanghai Tower, Asia's tallest tower - Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai's fourth tallest building - Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai's second tallest building - Shanghai World Financial Center.

After breakfast, you will begin today's Shanghai city walk tour. We have carefully planned two Shanghai city walk routes for you to choose from. One is a stroll through the French Concession, known as the "Paris of the East," to learn about its unique historical background and admire a complex of buildings that blend French, British, German, and other architectural styles; the other is to wander through the Xintiandi and Tianzifang neighborhoods, where traditional architecture and modern art blend perfectly. Shanghai city walk route 1: French Concession walking tour (3 hours) Itinerary: Wukang Road → Xuhui Art Center of Old Houses → Wukang Mansion → Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling → Residence of the Director-General of the Conseil d'Administration Municipale (Little White House) This French Concession walking route starts from Wukang Road, where you can admire historic buildings along the way in Western classical, Renaissance, Art Deco, and other styles, and feel the accumulation of history and the blending of cultures. Among them, the Xuhui Art Center of Old Houses is one of the representatives of Shanghai's old villa residential clusters, retaining a Chinese-Western style while incorporating Art Deco elements; Wukang Mansion is Shanghai's first corridor-style apartment building and a famous historic landmark in Shanghai, designed by the renowned Hungarian architect László Hudec; the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling is a typical Western-style villa and an important place where Soong Ching Ling carried out state affairs; the Residence of the Director-General of the Conseil d'Administration Municipale was the official residence of the highest authority in the former French Concession, the Director-General of the Conseil d'Administration Municipale. Because its architectural style resembles the White House in Washington, USA, it is also called the "Little White House." Shanghai city walk route 2: Shanghai longtang walking tour (4 hours) Itinerary: Zhangyuan Shikumen Architectural Complex → Jing'an Villa → Xintiandi (Shikumen Wulixiang Museum) → Tianzifang (Shikumen Longtang Architectural Complex) This longtang walking route will take you through Shanghai's unique shikumen and longtang architecture, allowing you to experience the humanistic charm of old Shanghai and appreciate the charm of East-West cultural blending. First, take a walking tour of Zhangyuan, the largest, most complete, and most diverse existing shikumen architectural complex in Shanghai. The buildings here retain the characteristics of traditional Chinese residences while integrating Western elements, making it an excellent place to appreciate the longtang style of modern Shanghai and learn about traditional Shanghai culture. Then, walk to Jing'an Villa, one of Shanghai's largest new-style lane residential complexes, to enjoy its quiet atmosphere and admire its unique red-brick lanes and European-style architecture. After the visit, you will take the subway 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, longtang culture, and modern fashion. The Shikumen Wulixiang Museum in Xintiandi is also a good place to learn about the lifestyle of Shanghai people in the 1920s and 1930s. Finally, you can also visit Tianzifang, praised as "Shanghai's most culturally rich creative neighborhood," to learn about Shanghai's most authentic longtang 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 city walk tour will come to an end. Our guide will take you back to your accommodation or to the airport/railway station. If you wish 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.