Shanghai One Day Itinerary | First Time Visitors
One of the biggest, busiest cities in the world, Shanghai is a global hub on the eastern coast of China (bordering the East China Sea). While large enough to get lost in its streets for a week or more, sometimes we just don’t have that much time when traveling! We’ve compiled the top sights to see when visiting Shanghai into a one day itinerary for your first time so that you can make the most of your trip!
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The Yu Garden
First on the list, weather permitting, is the beautiful Yu Garden in Shanghai. This park is an expansive garden (~ five acres in total!) that you can walk through and enjoy styled greenery, flowers, and other plants. The paths through the garden are well maintained and generally flat, suitable for all fitness levels!
This activity does require tickets to get into, which can be purchased at the door or booked in advance as part of a “skip the line” advanced pass.
Yu Garden entrance Tickets
Old City Shanghai
Nearby the Yu Garden, the next stop on the itinerary is to wander the streets of the Old City neighborhoods of Shanghai (also called Nanshi). This area of the city is called so because of its history, and maintenance of its traditional style. These streets used to be surrounded by the “Ancient City Wall” of Shanghai – and have some great restaurants to stop by for lunch!
The Old City of Shanghai is free to explore and does not require any sort of entrance fee.
Nanjing Road
In contrast to the Old City, one of the most modernized areas of Shanghai is up next on the itinerary: Nanjing Road. This a popular shopping street that is one of the longest commercial stretches in the country, with over six hundred (and counting) storefronts to explore within it! We had a tendancy to keep returning back here during our stay, especially at night! I highly recommend taking a stroll down it for souvenirs or just to get a feel of the lively city life of Shanghai.
Nanjing Road is free for the public to explore (though due to all of the stores you will probably want to bring some spending money!).
The Bund
One of the most famous spots in the city of Shanghai is the Bund lookout. This platform along the water offers one of the most iconic views of the Shanghai city skyline around! If it is your preference, you can also book a boat cruise along the water to get to see the skyline from all angles, but otherwise you can just walk up to the lookout for free from the other side of the water!
The Bund is located at Zhongshan Rd (E-1), Waitan, Huangpu, Shanghai and is free for the public to access. It is a very easy waterfront to get to for most tourists, as it is located just at the end of Nanjing Road!
The Shanghai Tower Observation Deck
Last but not least, one of the wildest and most unique views of Shanghai is from the top decks of the Observation Tower. From this tower on the east side of the river you can rise to the impressive 118th and 119th story floors of the building and look down upon the rest of the city – from above!
This tower is quite a marvel to see, as you literally cannot see the top of it from the bottom!
The Shanghai Observation tower does require paid entry, and we recommend booking tickets in advance if you would like to choose the time of day you would like to be able to see the city (ex: sunset, nighttime, daytime, etc.).
Observation tower entrance Tickets
All of this can definitely be coordinated yourself and is relatively close together within the city, so we’ve provided a map below! Everything can be walked (plus one ferry ride to get across the river), but taxis can also be used if walking is difficult for any travelers in your party!
If you would prefer the logistics be handled for you, or if you would like to have a guide with you for the day to explain the ins and outs of what you’re seeing, you also have the option to book a day tour through Shanghai!
Shanghai Highlights day tour
Shanghai One Day Itinerary Map
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About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.
