Itinerary · 3 days · balanced
Shanghai in 3 days
Bund, French Concession, Pudong, Yu Garden, museums.
Three days covers Shanghai's headline sights without feeling rushed. The city splits neatly east-west: Pudong is the glass-and-steel financial district visible across the Huangpu River; Puxi (west of the river) contains the Bund waterfront, the old French Concession, and most of the city's dining and cultural life. Day 1 works the eastern waterfront — Yu Garden in the morning before the crowds arrive, then the Bund walkway and an evening Pudong tower visit for the skyline view looking back toward the Bund. Day 2 crosses west into the French Concession's leafy residential streets, boutique cafes, and the Shanghai Museum's exceptional bronze and ceramics collection. Day 3 is a day trip: Suzhou is 25 minutes by high-speed rail (the fastest link between any two Chinese cities of comparable cultural weight), or Zhujiajiao water town offers a contrasting ancient canal-town experience 45 minutes by taxi. Taxis in Shanghai run on the meter reliably; the metro covers the central areas efficiently and costs ¥3–6 per journey.
Day by day
Day 1 · shanghai
Bund, Yu Garden, Pudong
Start at Yu Garden (豫园) by 9 AM — the classical Ming-dynasty garden and surrounding Old City Bazaar becomes a sea of selfie sticks by late morning. Exit north through the bazaar streets to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street for a 20-minute walk to the Bund waterfront. The Bund (外滩) walkway runs for over a kilometre along the Huangpu; the facing Pudong skyline — Shanghai Tower, World Financial Centre, Jin Mao — is best photographed in the late afternoon light or post-sunset. Cross to Pudong via the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (tourist kitsch, worth it once) or metro Line 2 to Lujiazui. Shanghai Tower observation deck is at 632 m; the view after dark is the city's best. Dinner in Pudong's Super Brand Mall or Xintiandi back in Puxi. Transport tip: metro Line 2 and Line 10 cover most of Day 1.
Attractions: yu-garden, the-bund, shanghai-tower
Day 2 · shanghai
French Concession and museums
The former French Concession (法租界) is the city's most walkable neighbourhood — plane-tree canopy, art deco villas, specialty coffee shops, and 1920s–1930s residential architecture. Start at Xintiandi (新天地), a restored shikumen (stone-gate house) precinct with cafes and the Site of the First National Congress of the CPC (a museum worth the hour). Walk southwest to Tianzifang (田子坊), a residential alley complex converted to boutiques and galleries — genuinely charming in the morning before it fills up. Cross to the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) on People's Square for the afternoon — the bronze vessel and ceramics collections are among the best in China. Practical tip: the museum is free but queues form early; book timed entry online. Dinner options cluster along Yongkang Road (wine bars, casual dining) and Wulumuqi Road (Xinjiang and Hui restaurants, an interesting counterpoint to the neighbourhood's Parisian self-image).
Attractions: french-concession, shanghai-museum, tianzifang
Day 3 · shanghai
Day trip to Suzhou
High-speed trains from Shanghai Hongqiao or Shanghai Station to Suzhou run every 15–20 minutes and take 23–28 minutes — one of the most efficient day-trip connections in China. Buy tickets the day before via 12306 or at the station. In Suzhou, the Humble Administrator's Garden (拙政园) is the largest and considered finest of the classical gardens; arrive at opening (9 AM) before tour groups. The combined ticket includes two or three gardens and the Suzhou Museum (designed by I.M. Pei, directly adjacent) — a remarkable building housing the collection of a city that was once China's wealthiest. Pingjiang Road (平江路) is a canalside street in the old quarter that has survived well; good for lunch at a local noodle shop (Suzhou-style sweet noodles with toppings are distinct from Shanghai's version) before the return train. Alternative Day 3: Zhujiajiao water town (朱家角) is 45 minutes by taxi or 70 minutes by bus from central Shanghai — canal walks, stone bridges, and market food closer to the city. Both options return to Shanghai easily by early evening.
Attractions: humble-administrators-garden
Budget guide (CNY per day)
| Backpacker | ¥700 |
| Mid-range | ¥1600 |
| Comfortable | ¥4000 |
Cities covered
Attractions covered
Other itineraries visiting Shanghai
- Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
3d · Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
- China in 5 days: fastest first-timer route
5d · Beijing's big three sights, a flight south, and two days navigating Shanghai's contrasts.
- Beijing + Shanghai — 5-day first-timer classic
5d · Two of China's three great cities in five days: imperial Beijing followed by the modern skyline of Shanghai, linked by a quick domestic flight or overnight train.
- Shanghai–Suzhou–Hangzhou triangle in 5 days
5d · Two days in Shanghai, a day and a half in Suzhou's classical gardens, then West Lake and Hangzhou.
- Water towns circuit in 5 days
5d · Shanghai to Tongli to Wuzhen to Zhujiajiao — four of the Yangtze Delta's most visited canal towns in a compact loop, using a Shanghai base with day excursions and one overnight in Wuzhen.
- Accessible China — mobility-friendly 7 days in Beijing and Shanghai
7d · Seven days in Beijing and Shanghai planned for visitors with mobility limitations — step-free access, English-language signage, accessible transport and accommodation notes throughout.
Planning your first China trip?
Our start-here guide covers visas, mobile payments, apps, currency, safety, and everything you need to prepare before you arrive.
First time in China: complete guide →