Shanghai: A practical weekend itinerary

Before you go

Plan your trip for October or November to take advantage of low rainfall, thin crowds, and comfortably warm temperatures. If you visit during the first week of October, which is a national holiday, you may find discounts at some hotels while business travelers are away.

Depending on your nationality and itinerary, you can use a 144 hour visa free transit at Hongqiao (SHA) or Pudong (PVG) airports if you are transiting to a third country. If you need a full visa, request it through your local Chinese consulate at least two weeks before you depart.

You will need Alipay for restaurant bills under ¥200, street food, and the metro. For connectivity, install a VPN before arrival to use Instagram, Gmail, and Google Maps. You can use Apple Maps without a VPN as it works natively.

Friday evening

When booking your stay, look for hotels in the Bund area, People's Square, or the Former French Concession. Avoid staying in Pudong unless your hotel provides a skyline view, as it is disconnected from the walkable center of the city.

Spend your first evening walking the Bund, which is a 1.5 kilometer waterfront promenade. The area features 52 colonial era buildings designed in Art Deco, Neoclassical, Baroque, and Gothic styles. If you time it right, the lights on the Bund turn on at exactly 7 p.m..

Saturday

Spend your morning visiting Yuyuan Garden and exploring Nanjing Road. You can also stop by the Peace Hotel, an Art Deco building built in 1929 by Victor Sassoon, or walk across the Waibaidu steel truss bridge.

To see the city from above, visit the Shanghai Tower. At 632 meters tall, it is the tallest building in China.

Sunday

Start your day in the Former French Concession to explore the historic streets. For a dose of culture, you can choose between visiting the Propaganda Poster Museum or the M50 Art District.

Getting around

The city has a metro system with 19 lines. A single journey costs between ¥3 and ¥7. If you plan to travel frequently, you can get 48 hours of unlimited riding for approximately ¥50. While ride hailing services are cheaper than taxis, the subway is the faster option.

Sources

[S1] https://www.weekend.com/ — https://www.weekend.com/ [S2] https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/shanghai-itinerary/ — https://www.thebrokebackpacker.com/shanghai-itinerary/ [S3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weeknd — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weeknd [S4] https://rutzgo.com/itineraries/shanghai-weekend-48-hours/ — https://rutzgo.com/itineraries/shanghai-weekend-48-hours/ [S5] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WP5P-ufpRfjbNrmOWwLBQ — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0WP5P-ufpRfjbNrmOWwLBQ [S6] https://shanghaitraveltips.com/shanghai-itinerary/ — https://shanghaitraveltips.com/shanghai-itinerary/