Magic city : 4-Day Shanghai Itinerary
Day 1: Shanghai - First Encounter with Urban Culture
- Morning: Arrive in Shanghai and be transferred by a private car to a boutique hotel featuring Shanghai-style (Haipai) aesthetics. After checking in, take some time to relax and adjust to the city’s unique vibe that blends fast-paced urban life with exquisite cultural tastes. Get your first glimpse of the charm of Shanghai’s modern architectural culture.
- Afternoon: Spend a leisurely afternoon strolling along the streets and lanes near the Bund. Along the way, admire the exterior styles of the "Bund Architectural Gallery" – from the Neoclassical HSBC Building to the Gothic Revival Peace Hotel. Intuitively experience the collision and integration of Western architectural culture from the colonial era with Shanghai’s local culture. You can also step into The Bund No. 1, the oldest existing Western-style building in Shanghai, to learn about its historical transformation from a private mansion to a public cultural space and immerse yourself in the origins of Shanghai’s urban culture.
Day 2: Shanghai - Cloud-Top Views & Ancient Temple Culture
- Morning: Head to the "Shanghai Tower Observatory" in the Shanghai Tower. Take a high-speed elevator to the 119th floor in just 55 seconds and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Shanghai’s urban landscape from the clouds – from the cluster of skyscrapers in Lujiazui to the winding shipping routes of the Huangpu River. Gain an understanding of the zoning culture of commerce, transportation, and residential functions in modern urban planning. Later, take a car to Jade Buddha Temple, a tranquil ancient Buddhist temple amidst the bustling city, and experience the inheritance and coexistence of Buddhist culture in a prosperous metropolis.
- Afternoon: Wander around Yu Garden. With the guidance of a professional interpreter, appreciate the garden design art of classical Jiangnan gardens. Afterwards, go to Tianzifang, weave through the lanes of Shikumen (stone-gate) houses, and visit art galleries, handmade leather workshops, and intangible cultural heritage studios hidden in the old residential buildings. Feel the integration of literary culture and everyday life within the brick and tile textures of old Shanghai.
Day 3: Shanghai - Cuisine & Water Town Culture
- Morning: Choose one of the two cultural experiences:
1. Visit "Lvbolang Restaurant" and learn the craftsmanship of making xiaolongbao (steamed pork buns), a classic Shanghai snack, under the guidance of a senior chef.
2. Tour Xu Guangqi Memorial Hall, stroll through the courtyard of this late Ming Dynasty scientist’s former residence, and explore the early trajectory of Sino-Western cultural exchanges in the late Ming Dynasty through the collected agricultural books, classics, and replicas of astronomical instruments. Gain an insight into Shanghai’s historical origin as a hub of Sino-Western cultural exchange.
- Afternoon: Take a car to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town, the best-preserved ancient town in Shanghai with a history of 1,700 years. Take a traditional wooden boat to cruise along the water lanes, listen to the boatman tell historical stories about landmark buildings such as "Fangsheng Bridge" and "Kezhi Garden", and admire the typical water town scenery of "small bridges, flowing water, and houses". Experience the unique living culture of Jiangnan water towns where "rivers and roads run parallel, and rivers adjoin streets".
Day 4: Shanghai - Departure
- Morning: Enjoy free leisure time and supplement your cultural experience according to personal interests. If you prefer history and humanities, you can visit the Shanghai Museum; if you are fond of modern art and culture, you can check in at M50 Creative Park and appreciate contemporary art exhibitions in the art spaces renovated from old factories.
- Afternoon: Depending on the actual flight or train schedule, take a private car to the airport or high-speed railway station, bringing your cultural trip in Shanghai to an end.