One day in Shanghai

Day by day

1. Day 1: The Bund and Nanjing Road

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

   1. Morning

      The Bund

      Come twice: at sunrise, when locals practise tai chi on the promenade, and after dark for the lit-up skyline. Allow 1–2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Nanjing Road

      Walk it after dark from People's Square towards the river so you finish with the lit-up Bund. Allow 1 hour.

   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

      Start with the bronze gallery on the ground floor, then take the lift to the ceramics and furniture rooms before the crowds build. Allow 2–3 hours.

   5. Late afternoon

      Yu Garden

      Arrive at opening on a weekday; by late morning tour groups fill the narrow paths. Allow 1.5–2 hours.

   6. Evening

      Oriental Pearl Tower

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

Before you go

• 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 Shanghai Tower (Lujiazui (Pudong)): Check the air quality and cloud base before buying; on hazy days the view from the Bund is better than from the top.
• 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.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–10 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. The Metro is the fastest way across the city; lines 2 and 10 link the Bund area, Jing'an and Hongqiao, and line 2 crosses the river to Lujiazui and Pudong Airport.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Shanghai
• 3 days in Shanghai
• 5 days in Shanghai

Questions travellers ask