3 days in Shanghai

Day by day

1. Day 1: The Bund and Nanjing Road

   The Bund, Nanjing Road and Shanghai Museum, then Oriental Pearl Tower in the evening.

   1. Morning

      The Bund

      The riverside promenade along Zhongshan Road East is lined with more than 50 early-20th-century buildings, including the domed former HSBC building and the green-roofed Fairmont Peace Hotel.

   2. Late morning

      Nanjing Road

      Walk it after dark from People's Square towards the river so you finish with the lit-up Bund.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Soup dumplings

      Old dumpling houses around Yu Garden and People's Square, and the dumpling shops along Huanghe Road; queues signal turnover and freshness.

   4. Afternoon

      Shanghai Museum

      The drum-shaped museum on People's Square holds one of China's finest collections of ancient bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, jade and furniture, with clear English labelling.

   5. Evening

      Oriental Pearl Tower

      Combine it with the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium next door for a family morning in Lujiazui.

2. Day 2: Yu Garden and Shanghai Tower

   Yu Garden, Shanghai Tower and Shanghai Disneyland, then Huangpu River cruise in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Yu Garden

      Arrive at opening on a weekday; by late morning tour groups fill the narrow paths.

   2. Late morning

      Shanghai Tower

      China's tallest building rises 632 metres in a twisting glass spiral.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pan-fried pork buns

      Specialist shengjian chains and corner shops across the city, especially at breakfast and lunch.

   4. Afternoon

      Shanghai Disneyland

      Weekdays outside Chinese school holidays have far shorter queues; download the official app to see waiting times.

   5. Evening

      Huangpu River cruise

      For a cheap version, take the public ferry between the Bund side and Lujiazui; it crosses in a few minutes for a couple of yuan.

3. Day 3: Former French Concession walk and Fuxing Park

   Former French Concession walk, Fuxing Park and Xintiandi, then The Bund in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Former French Concession walk

      A walk from the wedge-shaped Wukang Mansion along Wukang Road, Anfu Road and Fuxing Road passes 1920s and 1930s villas, apartment blocks and lane houses under plane trees, many marked with heritage plaques.

   2. Late morning

      Fuxing Park

      Go before 9am to see the park at its liveliest, when dancers and tai chi groups fill the paths.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Red-braised pork belly

      Long-established benbang restaurants in Huangpu and the former French Concession; order it with plain rice.

   4. Afternoon

      Xintiandi

      Xintiandi is a pedestrian block of restored shikumen stone-gate houses south of Huaihai Road, now restaurants, bars and shops.

   5. Evening

      The Bund

      Rooftop bars and terrace restaurants in the heritage buildings, with skyline views and dress codes to match.

Before you go

• Shanghai Disneyland: Tickets are date-specific and priced by demand; buy ahead for weekends and holidays.
• Shanghai Museum: Entry is free but usually requires a timed reservation with your passport number; book a few days ahead for weekends.

If it rains

• Swap in Jade Buddha Temple (Jing'an): Have a bowl of vegetarian noodles at the temple's restaurant after your visit.
• Swap in Shanghai Natural History Museum (Jing'an): Book a weekday visit; school-holiday weekends are very busy.
• Swap in Power Station of Art (Huangpu riverside): Check the programme before you go; the building is worth seeing, but the shows change completely between exhibitions.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, The Bund and People's Square keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Former French Concession ($$$) suits couples, food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 20–27 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Shanghai
• 2 days in Shanghai
• 5 days in Shanghai

Questions travellers ask