Affordable Shanghai: Where Tradition Meets Metropolis

After breakfast, your guide will accompany you to the Jade Buddha Temple via Metro Lines 10 and 13, with a transfer at Xintiandi Station. Amidst the gritty hustle and bustle of the urban area, enjoy a serene escape at the 19th-century Buddhist temple, which enshrines two jade buddhas transported from Myanmar.

Afterward, take a leisurely 15-minute walk north to admire the ‘1000 Trees’ Complex from the outside. Designed by a brilliant British architect, the architectural wonder, resembling a modern hanging garden of Babylon, amazes the world with its man-made mountain composed of tree-covered tiered terraces rising along the Suzhou Creek bank. You can capture the best photos from the Changhua Road Bridge, perfectly framing the hanging forest and the Suzhou Creek. Another 10-minute walk will lead us to the next stop: the M50 Art District, converted from an old textile factory. Today, you can get a kick out of its galleries, artist studios, design spaces, and cultural and creative shops, all of which offer an open and inclusive artistic atmosphere. Roam freely to appreciate the street graffiti and drop by a cafe for a drink or lunch at your own expense. 

★ Unique Experience: Cruise along Suzhou Creek 

Afterward, your guide will accompany you for a short walk to Changhua Road pier to board a cruise along the Suzhou Creek, a tributary of the Huangpu River. Compared to the popular Huangpu River cruise, which features a more bustling, prosperous vibe and expansive views, the Suzhou Creek cruise offers a more intimate, laid-back experience, swaying along the city’s narrower mother river and gliding through the historic and artistic gems and lifelike landscapes. You’ll pass by the ‘1000 Tree’ Complex, M50, the neo-classical Shanghai Post Museum, and the Garden Bridge. As it sails to the terminal pier of Waitanyuan, literally meaning the ‘source of the Bund’, the 20th-century colonial architecture complex awaits.

Disembark and follow your guide to walk around 15 minutes to the scenic Riverside Avenue on the North Bund. Far less crowded than the Bund, it offers the glamorous city views that rival those of the Bund. Capture the Instagrammable ‘Silver Egg’, a giant egg-shaped elevator pavilion that can reflect the azure sky and futuristic skyline of Pudong, creating stunning visual effects. Nearby, the Rainbow Bridge offers an amazing panorama of Lujiazui’s neck-craning skyscrapers. Continuing east, don’t miss taking a low-angle mirror image of Shanghai’s gorgeous skyline towering against the blue sky, best photographed at sunset and during the blue hour.

Finishing today’s sightseeing, your guide will escort you back to your hotel via Bus Line 135.► Free-time Inspiration: (at your own expense)
If you want to explore more of the North Bund on your own, you can part ways with your guide here. Walk 10 minutes to the Raffles City Mall and dine at a retro-style food court hidden on its B2 level. After dinner, stroll along East Daming Road to soak up the dramatic night views of illuminated skyscrapers reflecting off the water. If interested, ascend to the 320-meter (1,050-foot) high open-air Stage Magnolia Observation Deck to enjoy the dazzling view of Lujiazui’s ‘Three-piece Set’ dominating the skyline: the Shanghai Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center. At last, return to your hotel by yourself via a 15-minute taxi ride. Alternatively, you can take a 30-minute metro journey: take Metro Line 12 from the International Cruise Terminal Station, transfer to Line 10 at Tiantong Road Station, and ride to Yu Garden Station, which is a 10-minute walk from your hotel.
 
Meals: Western-buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Campanile Shanghai Bund Hotel (3 stars)

After a hearty breakfast, your guide will meet you at your hotel lobby, and take Metro Line 14 to Shanghai Tower. With a height of 632 meters (2,073 ft.), it tops in China and ranks third-tallest all over the globe. Upon arrival, we’ll take the super-fast elevator to reach the Duoyun Bookstore on the 52nd-floor at 239 meters (784 feet) within 40 seconds. Take time to admire the Huangpu River winding through the dense metropolis and view the other two iconic skyscrapers, while enjoying the complimentary soft drink we’ve included for you.

Descend and continue to ride Metro Line 14 to the classic 400-year-old Yu Garden, full of winding streams and covered walkways, where the stacked artificial hills, koi-filled ponds, dragon walls, rooftop cranes, and stone lions all reveal its historical aesthetics.Outside the garden, let’s immerse ourselves in the lively Yuyuan Bazaar. Admire the Old City God Temple from the outside and browse the maze-like market teeming with local handicrafts. You can linger over an early lunch here at your own expense to try signature snacks like Nanxiang steamed buns, Da Hu Chun pan-fried buns, or scallion oil noodles. Or walk 10 minutes to South Yunnan Road for time-honored restaurants favored by locals. With better value and authentic flavors, Xiandelai pork ribs with rice cakes, Wufangzhai rice dumplings, and traditional Shanghai dishes like white cut chicken and braised pork are all worth trying.

The afternoon itinerary starts with the South Bund Fabric Market, also known as the South Bund Soft Spinning Material Market. Renowned for its custom tailoring, it has become one of the Shanghai’s top places to go. From cheongsams, suits, and formal wear to everyday outfits, you can find any customized clothing you like, as well as various ready-made options. Custom-made suits here are priced at only one-tenth or even less of London prices, with solid craftsmanship and fast delivery. If you find it captivating, just walk into any shop to have your suit tailored. Nearly every shop owner can take orders fluently in English, and expedited orders can be picked up as early as the next day! They also offer fast delivery services to over 170 countries.

End your tour at the West Bund Cultural Corridor, home to a series of forward-leaning art museums and cultural spaces, such as West Bund Museum, Long Museum, and TANK Shanghai, which uses aviation oil tanks as exhibition halls. Immerse yourself in modern art and witness the young Shanghainese cool lifestyle: they walk their dogs, jog, picnic, and skateboard through contemporary architecture along the Huangpu River.

After finishing the visit, your guide will escort you back to your hotel by Metro Lines 11 and 10, transferring at Jiaotong University Station. Once you collect your luggage from the hotel, your guide will accompany you to the airport or train station by metro. If you are on a tight schedule, we can easily hail a taxi instead, which takes approximately 50 minutes to Pudong Airport (PVG) and 35 minutes to Hongqiao Airport (SHA).

► Important Note: As today features a full-day itinerary, if you are departing tonight, please ensure your flight or train is booked after 21:00. Of course, we can surely adjust the last day’s sightseeing according to your schedule!

Meals: Western-buffet breakfast► Extension Inspirations:
If you’d like to stay one more night in Shanghai, consider kicking back in the bar FOUND158 on Julu Road or INS Land club near Fuxing Park. If you want to extend your itinerary by 1 or 2 days, Shanghai offers many free or affordable attractions and activities: exploring traditional water towns such as Fengjing, Qibao, and Zhujiajiao, strolling around the tree-shaded atmospheric Wukang Road, Yongyuan Road, and Xintiandi, enjoying serene escape at the Century Park, and visiting various themed museums such as the Shanghai Post Museum, the Shanghai Museum of Arts and Crafts, and the Shanghai Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine.