Introduction
Welcome to Shanghai, a vibrant and captivating city that never fails to amaze visitors with its stunning sights and rich cultural experiences. Our comprehensive 5-day travel guide is designed to enhance your visit in 2023, offering insider tips and recommendations to help you discover the best of what Shanghai has to offer. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, get ready to immerse yourself in the beauty and charm of this incredible destination with our expertly curated itinerary. Let’s start exploring!
5-Day Recommended Attractions :
5-Day Travel Guide
DAY 1 Shanghai Center Tower – Lujiazui – Oriental Pearl Tower
Shanghai Center Tower
Shanghai Tower is located at 501 Yincheng Middle Road, Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Shanghai. It is a giant landmark skyscraper in Shanghai and the tallest building in China as well as the third tallest building in the world.”
Ticket:¥180
Lujiazui
Lujiazui is located in the central part of Shanghai, on the banks of the Huangpu River in the Pudong New Area. It is surrounded by water on two sides. To the west across the river is the Bund International Architecture Expo and to the north across the river is a view of North Bund. It covers an area of 31.78 square kilometers.
Oriental Pearl Tower
The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower has a multi-tube structure consisting of three inclined columns, three vertical columns, and various components such as the square, pedestal, lower sphere, five small spheres, upper sphere, space capsule, and transmission antenna mast. It has a total height of 468 meters and a total construction area of 100,000 square meters. It is the sixth tallest tower in Asia and the ninth tallest tower in the world. It has been named one of Shanghai’s top ten new landmarks.
Ticket: ¥200
Transportation:(These routes are based on our hotel guide)
- Nanjing East Road Station – Shanghai Center Tower
(Subway Line 2, Exit 9A of Lujiazui Station, walk for 12 minutes) [Approximately 18 minutes and ¥3]
Shanghai Center Tower – Lujiazui
(Walk for 8 minutes)
Lujiazui – Oriental Pearl TV Tower
(Walk for 10 minutes) - People’s Square Station – Shanghai Center Tower
(Subway Line 2, Exit 9A of Lujiazui Station, walk for 12 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ¥3]
Shanghai Center Tower – Lujiazui
(Walk for 8 minutes)
Lujiazui – Oriental Pearl TV Tower
(Walk for 10 minutes) - Shanghai Railway Station – Shanghai Center Tower
(Subway Line1 to People’s Square station then transfer to Subway Line2 at the same station; exit at Exit9A of Lujiazui station and walk for about twelve mins.)[About eighteen mins., CNY3]
Shanghai Centre Building-Lu Jia Zui
(walking eight mins.)
Lu Jia Zui-Oriental Pearl TV tower
(walking ten mins.)
Total transportation cost for the day: Approximately RMB 8-9 yuan (one way).
DAY 2 City God Temple, Yu Garden, The Bund
City God Temple
Shanghai City God Temple is located at No. 249 Fangbang Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai. It faces south and has a total area of about 3,000 square meters. It was awarded the honorary title of “Advanced Collective” in the Second National Creation of Harmonious Temples and Churches.
Ticket: ¥10
Yu Garden
Yu Garden is located in the northeast of the old city of Shanghai, adjacent to Fuyou Road to the north and Anren Street to the east. It is adjacent to the Old City God Temple in southwest Shanghai and is a classical garden in southern China. It was built during the Jiajing and Wanli periods of the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of more than 30 acres.
Ticket: ¥30
The Bund
The Bund is located on the bank of the Huangpu River in Huangpu District, Shanghai, China. It is a historic and cultural district in China. Since 1844, The Bund has been designated as the British Concession and became a true portrayal of the Shanghai International Settlement. It was also the starting point for the old Shanghai concession area and the entire modern city of Shanghai. The night view of the Bund is beautiful, but don’t mind coming too late.
Transportation:
- Nanjing East Road Station – Chenghuang Temple
(Subway Line 10, Exit 1 of Yuyuan Station, walk for 12 minutes) [Approximately 17 minutes and ¥3]
Chenghuang Temple – Yuyuan Garden
(Walk for 6 minutes)
Yuyuan Garden – The Bund
(Walk for 12 minutes) - People’s Square Station – Chenghuang Temple
(Subway Line 8, transfer at Laoximen Station to Line 10, exit from Yuyuan Station Exit No.1 and walk for about 12 minutes) [Approximately 23 minutes and ¥3]
Chenghuang Temple – Yuyuan Garden
(Walk for about six minutes)
Yuyuan Garden – The Bund
(Walk for about twelve minutes) - Shanghai Railway Station – Chenghuang Temple
(Subway Line4 Inner Ring, transfer at Hailun Road station to line10, exit from Yuyuan station Exit No.1 and walk for about twelve minutes) [Approximately34minutesand¥3]
ChenghuangTemple-YuGarden (Walkforabout6minutes) YuGarden-TheBund (Walkforabouttwelveminutes)
Total transportation cost on the day: ¥3 (one way).
DAY 3 Shanghai Museum, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum is located at 201 People’s Avenue, Huangpu District, Shanghai. The exhibition area covers a total of 12,000 square meters.
The first floor houses the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, Ancient Chinese Sculpture Gallery, and Exhibition Hall;
the second floor has the Ancient Chinese Ceramics Gallery, Temporary Ceramics Gallery, and Exhibition Hall;
Ticket: ¥20
the third floor has the Calligraphy Gallery of China Through the Ages, Painting Gallery of China Through the Ages, and Seal Carving Gallery of China Through the Ages;
and on the fourth floor are housed the Ancient Chinese Jadeite Gallery, Coins through Dynasties in China Gallery, Ming-Qing Dynasty Furniture Gallery, Ethnic Minority Arts & Crafts Gallery, and Exhibition Hall.
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Shanghai is the sixth Madame Tussauds museum worldwide, and the reason why the Tussaud Group chose China as its location is due to China’s huge celebrity advantage and vast market potential. Through detailed and accurate market research, they carefully selected each candidate from a long list of celebrities that most Chinese people are eager to see.
Ticket: ¥190
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is located in Huangpu District, Shanghai. It stretches from West Tibet Middle Road to the Bund on East Zhongshan Road, with a total length of 1033 meters and a width of 18-28 meters. The total land area is about 30,000 square meters. It was completed on September 20th, 1999, and is one of the more famous commercial streets in Shanghai.
Transportation:
- Nanjing East Road Station – Shanghai Museum
(Subway Line 2, Exit 1 of People’s Square Station, walk for 14 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ¥3]
Shanghai Museum – Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
(Walk for 12 minutes)
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum – Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
(Walk for 9 minutes) - People’s Square Station – Shanghai Museum
(Walk for 9 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ¥3]
Shanghai Museum – Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
(Walk for 12 minutes)
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum – Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
(Walk for 9 minutes) - Shanghai Railway Station – Shanghai Museum
(Subway Line1, Exit1 of People’s Square station, walk for10minutes)[Approximately18minutesand¥3]
ShanghaiMuseum-MadameTussaudsWaxMuseum
(walkfor12minutes)
MadameTussaudsWaxMuseum-NanjingRoadPedestrianStreet
(walkfor9minutes)
Total transportation cost on the day: ¥3 (one way).
DAY 4 Sinan Mansion, Tianzifang
Sinan Mansion
Si Nan Mansion is the only project in the center of Shanghai, China that aims to preserve and protect a cluster of garden villas. It brings together various architectural styles such as independent garden villas, linked garden villas, courtyard-style independent garden villas, row houses, arcade-style buildings, modern apartments, and more. It is a concentration of modern residential architecture in Shanghai.
Ticket: ¥15
Transportation:
- Nanjing East Road Station – Sinan Mansions
(Subway Line 10, Exit 5 of Yidahuizhi Xintiandi Station, walk for 11 minutes) [Approximately 20 minutes and ¥3]
Sinan Mansions – Tianzifang
(Walk for 17 minutes) - People’s Square Station – Sinan Mansions
(Subway Line 1, Exit 1 of Huangpi South Road Station of Yidahuizhi, walk for 17 minutes) [Approximately 22 minutes and ¥3]
Sinan Mansions – Tianzifang
(Walk for 17 minutes) - Shanghai Railway Station – Sinan Mansions
(Subway Line 1, Exit No.1 of Huangpi South Road station of Yidahuizhi, walk for about 17 minutes) [Approximately 28 minutes and ¥3]
Sinan Mansions – Tianzifang
(Walk for about 17 minutes)
Total transportation cost on the day: ¥3 (one way).
DAY 5 Jing’an Temple, Wukang Road, Yuyuan Artistic Life District
Jing’an Temple
Jing’an Temple, also known as Jing’an Ancient Temple, is located in Jing’an District of Shanghai. It was originally named Hudu Chongxuan Temple and was renamed Jing’an Temple in 1008. The total construction area is 22,000 square meters, making it the oldest Buddhist temple in Shanghai.
Wukang Road
Wukang Road is a road in Xuhui District, Shanghai. It is known as the “Celebrity Road” and is praised for “condensing nearly 100 years of modern Shanghai history”. There are a total of 14 excellent historical buildings along the road, with 37 preserved historical buildings. It was selected as the third “China Historical and Cultural Famous Street” approved by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage Bureau.
Transportation:
- Nanjing East Road Station – Jing’an Temple
(Subway Line 2, Exit 2 of Jing’an Temple Station, 2-minute walk) [Approximately 13 minutes and ¥3]
Jing’an Temple – Yuyuan Art Life Block
(Subway Line 2, Exit 4 of Jiangsu Road Station, 5-minute walk) [Approximately 13 minutes and ¥3]
Yuyuan Art Life Block – Wukang Road
(Subway Line 11, Exit 7 of Jiaotong University Station, 13-minute walk) [Approximately 22 minutes and ¥3] - People’s Square Station – Jing’an Temple
(Subway Line 2, Exit No.2 of Jing’an Temple station, a two-minute walk)[About11minutesand¥3]
Jing’anTemple-Yu Garden Art Life Block
(LineNo.2oftheSubway,JiangsuRoadStationExitNo.4,a5-minute walk)[about13minutesand¥3]
Yu Garden Art Life Block-Wukang Road
(Line No.11 Subway, exit at gate no .7 of Jiaotong University station, a thirteen-minute walk ) [about22minutesand¥3] - Shanghai Railway Station-Jingan Temple (Line1 subway transfer to line2 at People’s Square station, exit from the second exit at Jinan Temple station for a two-minute walk )[about24minutesand¥3]
Jing’anTemple-Yu Garden Art Life Block
(LineNo.2oftheSubway,JiangsuRoadStationExitNo.4,a5-minute walk)[about13minutesand¥3]
Yu Garden Art Life Block-Wukang Road
(Line No.11 Subway, exit at gate no .7 of Jiaotong University station, a thirteen-minute walk ) [about22minutesand¥3]
Total transportation cost for the day: ¥3 (one way)
Shanghai Hotel Guide
1. Nanjing East Road Station (located in the central area of Shanghai)
[Accommodation prices around 500¥~700¥/per night]
Pudong Airport – Nanjing East Road Station
Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Nanjing East Road Station (72 minutes, 7¥)
Hongqiao Airport – Nanjing East Road Station
Take Metro Line 2 and get off at Nanjing East Road Station (38 minutes, 5¥)
Recommended hotel: (able to accommodate foreigners)
2. People’s Square Station (located in the central area of Shanghai)
[Accommodation prices around 400¥~600¥/per night]
Pudong Airport – People’s Square Station
Take Metro Line 2 and get off at People’s Square Station (86 minutes, 7¥)
Hongqiao Airport – People’s Square Station
Take Metro Line 2 and get off at People’s Square Station (48 minutes, 5¥)
Recommended hotel: (able to accommodate foreigners)
Golden Gate Hotel Shanghai (150 meters walk from People’s Square Station)
Address: 108 Nanjing West Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Contact number: 021-53529898
3. Shanghai Railway Station (a station located in the center of Shanghai)
[Accommodation prices around 300¥~500¥/per night]
From Pudong Airport to Nanjing East Road Station:
Take Metro Line 2, transfer to Line 4 outer circle at Century Avenue Station, and get off at Shanghai Railway Station (90 minutes, 7¥).
From Hongqiao Airport to Nanjing East Road Station:
Take Metro Line 2, transfer to Line 4 inner circle at Zhongshan Park Station, and get off at Shanghai Railway Station (52 minutes, 5¥).
Recommended hotel: (able to accommodate foreigners)
Shanghai Jing’an Manxin Hotel (340 meters walk from Shanghai Railway Station)
Address: No. 111, West Tianmu Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
Contact number: 021-52554888-0
Travel Expenses
Departure city | Destination | Price |
Los Angeles | Shanghai Pudong /Hongqiao | ¥ 6,000-9,000 |
New York | Shanghai Pudong /Hongqiao | ¥ 7,000-10,000 |
Tokyo | Shanghai Pudong /Hongqiao | ¥ 1,500-3,000 |
London | Shanghai Pudong /Hongqiao | ¥ 3,000-5,000 |
Paris | Shanghai Pudong /Hongqiao | ¥ 4,000-7,000 |
Note: It is recommended to book air tickets one to two months in advance, as there may be discounts on prices.
When traveling in Shanghai, it is recommended to choose the subway. The starting price for a ticket is 2 ~3 yuan.
After arriving in Shanghai, you can search for “乘车码” (ride code) on Alipay and select Shanghai as your location to take most of the public transportation in Shanghai.
Before coming to Shanghai, exchange about ¥ 50,000-80,000 yuan ahead of time.
This website can search for the Shanghai subway, and learning some Chinese may help.
Conclusion
Thank you for choosing our travel guide to enhance your visit to Shanghai. We hope our recommendations and tips inspire you to continue exploring the city’s rich culture and beauty in your future travels.
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