Day 0
- Arrive at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) at 20:20.
- Either take a taxi, or figure out public transport depending on the tiredness.
Day 1
Shanghai Zoo
We want to visit Shanghai Zoo mainly to see the pandas. Of course there is a lot more to see, but I heard that the living conditions of all the animals except the pandas are sadly not great… This is why I also wasn’t sure if we should go to the zoo or not, but seeing the pandas is a special experience. The pandas themselves do from what I heard have nice living spaces, so that is nice at least. The Shanghai Zoo is located outside of the city center, more close to the airport, so we will be going out of our way to go there.
Shanghai Zoo Panda
Qibao Ancient Town
Qibao Ancient Town is a famous 1,000-year-old historic water town located in the Minhang District of Shanghai, China. Dating back to the Song Dynasty, it features traditional Jiangnan-style canals, stone bridges, and architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties Qibao Ancient Town is the Chinese for ‘seven treasures’ and there are two popular theories about its derivation. The more reliable one says that the name originates from the Qibao Temple, famed for its good reputation. It was this that contributed to the growth of business and culture of the previously unknown town. The other theory seems more popular among the local people who tell folk tales about seven treasures.
There are four key features:
- Qibao Old Street: The main pedestrianized hub divided into two distinct sections.
- North Street: Features antique shops, calligraphy, crafts, and specialty museums.
- South Street: Famous for local street food and traditional restaurants, offering local snacks like glutinous rice cakes (Qibaogao) and stuffed rice balls (tangtuan).
- Canals and Bridges: Picturesque waterways crisscrossed by traditional stone bridges.
Qibao Ancient Town
Shanghai Botanical Garden
Spanning roughly 22,000 square meters, the Shanghai Botanical Garden ranks as Asia’s largest glass greenhouse collection. It features three immersive biomes—a desert sandbar, a tropical cloud forest with waterfalls, and a misty canyon filled with orchids. The garden is a bit out of the way, but if we have time left after visiting the zoo and Qibao Ancient Town, I think it is worth seeing.
Shanghai Botanical Garden
Day 2
Jing’an Temple
Jing’an Temple is an ancient, active Buddhist temple located at 1686 Nanjing West Road in the bustling center of Shanghai. First built in 247 AD during the Three Kingdoms period.
Jing'an Temple
French Concession
The Former French Concession in Shanghai is a historic residential and retail district administered by France from 1849 to 1946. Famous for its leafy, tree-lined avenues, European-style architecture, boutique cafes, and vibrant arts scene, it spans parts of the Xuhui and Huangpu districts.
Key Highlights:
- Wukang Mansion: A striking, ship-like historic apartment building at the intersection of Wukang Road and Huaihai Road.
- Fuxing Park: A French-style geometric park where locals gather for tai chi, dancing, and games.
- Tianzifang: A dense labyrinth of narrow alleys packed with arts and crafts shops, bars, and galleries.
- Sinan Mansions: A restored neighborhood of garden houses and historic villas.
French Concession
Huai Hai Zhong Lu
Huai Hai Zhong Lu (Middle Huaihai Road) is a famous, upscale shopping avenue in Shanghai, China. Located mainly in the former French Concession, it is lined with large malls, trendy fashion boutiques, art spaces, and historic plane trees. It runs parallel to Nanjing Road and is a favorite spot for local residents.
Tianzifang
Tianzifang or Tianzi Fang is a touristic arts and crafts enclave that has developed from a renovated traditional residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai. It is now home to boutique shops, bars and restaurants.
Tianzifang
Fuxing Park
Fuxing Park is a historic 10-hectare public green space located in the heart of the Former French Concession in Shanghai, China. Opened in 1909 by the French, it is uniquely designed in a classic French classical garden style with geometric flowerbeds, fountains, and shaded tree-lined walks.
Fuxing Park
Xintiandi
Xintiandi is a popular, car-free entertainment and shopping district in Shanghai, China. It mixes traditional 19th-century shikumen (stone gate) brick houses with modern lifestyle spaces, luxury shops, and global restaurants.
Xintiandi
Day 3
The Bund
The Bund is a famous 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) waterfront promenade along the Huangpu River in central Shanghai. It features dozens of historic, 20th-century colonial buildings in styles like Gothic, Baroque, and Art Deco, contrasting with the ultra-modern skyscrapers of the Pudong district directly across the river. We plan to go here twice, once during the day and once at night, to see the contrast between the two.
The Bund
Shanghai Tower
The Shanghai Tower is a massive 128-story, 632-meter (2,073-foot) skyscraper in the Lujiazui finance zone of Pudong, Shanghai. It is the tallest building in China and one of the tallest structures in the world, specifically the third tallest, functioning as a vertical city with offices, hotels, and observation areas.
Shanghai Tower
Nan Jing Dong Lu
Nan Jing Dong Lu (East Nanjing Road) is Shanghai’s most famous and busiest pedestrian shopping street. It stretches about 1.6 kilometers from People’s Square in the west to the historic waterfront known as The Bund in the east. This is where we plan to eat our lunch as well.
Nan Jing Dong Lu
Yu Garden
a famous historic Chinese garden in Shanghai, China. A government official named Pan Yunduan built it during the Ming Dynasty as a peaceful retreat for his parents. The name means “Garden of Happiness” or “Peace and Health”.
Yu Garden
Si Pai Lou Lu
Si Pai Lou Lu is a historic street located in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China, situated near the edge of the old Chinese city close to the Yu Garden area. It is traditionally well-known for its local neighborhood atmosphere, narrow alleyways, and historical street food culture. We will try to eat something here before going back to the Bund for the night view.
Day 4
Train to Hangzhou in the morning, which should be around an hour from the station.
Accommodation
Jinjiang Metropolo Shanghai Xintiandi Hotel
- Address: No. 120 Mengzi Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 200023, China
- Check-in: After 14:00, Check-out: Before 12:00
- Close to metro: Madang Road Station or Dapuqiao Station