Just returned from Shanghai, avoid these pitfalls, you'll thank me later!
Itinerary Overview (Daily Core Areas + Highlights)**
| **Day** | **Core Area** | **Highlight Experience** | **Must-Try Food**
| **Day 1** | The Bund + Nanjing Road | Night view of The Bund's architectural complex, 2 RMB ferry across the river, Peace Hotel Jazz Bar | Dahuchun Shengjian, Park Hotel Butterfly Pastry |
| **Day 2** | Yu Garden + Lujiazui | Yu Garden new night light and shadow show, Shanghai Tower Cloud Observation Deck | Nanxiang Xiaolongbao, Lubolang Local Cuisine |
| **Day 3** | French Concession + Suzhou Creek | Wukang Road cycling, West Bund Art Museum, Suzhou Creek boat tour | Old Mike's Cafe Dirty, %Arabica |
| **Day 4** | Zhujiajiao + Hongqiao | Water town Wupeng boat, Fangsheng Bridge sunset, Panlong Tiandi night tour | Apo Zongzi, Zharou, Qingpu Strawberry Smoothie |
| **Day 5** | Full Day at Disney | "Zootopia" New Area, Night Fireworks Show | Park Turkey Leg, Barbossa's Bounty |
| **Day 6** | Xuhui Riverside + Xintiandi | Tank Art Park, Sinan Mansions Old Houses | Howe Restaurant Omakase, Xiandelai Pork Ribs with Rice Cakes |
| **Day 7** | Hongkou + Yangpu | 1933 Old Millfun, Yangpu Riverside Industrial Style Cycling | Tilanqiao Scallion Pancake, Daxue Road Brunch |
---
🌆 **Daily Detailed Itinerary & Guide**
**📍 Day 1: Traverse the Century-Old Bund, Experience the 'Ten-Mile Foreign Market'**
- **Morning**
⏰ **09:00** Arrive and check into a hotel near The Bund (Recommended: Home Inn Plus Nanjing East Road, approx. 150 RMB/person per night), store luggage.
⏰ **10:30** Stroll along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, check out century-old shops Shaowansheng and Shendacheng, buy freshly baked butterfly pastries from Park Hotel (32 RMB/bag).
- **Afternoon**
⏰ **13:00** Eat Shengjian at 'Dahuchun' on Sichuan Middle Road (representative of the clear soup style, crispy bottom).
⏰ **15:00** The Bund's World Architecture Expo (focus on the HSBC Building dome mural, Customs House clock tower).
- **Evening**
⏰ **18:30** Take the 2 RMB ferry from Jinling East Road Ferry Terminal to Pudong, grab a viewing spot on Binjiang Avenue to capture The Bund lighting up (lights turn on at 19:00).
⏰ **20:00** Listen to the elderly jazz band at Peace Hotel Jazz Bar (minimum spend 150 RMB/person, travel back to old Shanghai).
**🏯 Day 2: A Collision of Classical Gardens and Modern Skylines**
- **Morning**
⏰ **07:30** Enter Yu Garden right at opening to avoid crowds, admire the Exquisite Jade Rockery and Dianchun Hall, eat Nanxiang Xiaolongbao (crab roe filling 50 RMB/cage).
- **Afternoon**
⏰ **13:00** Ascend to the 119th floor observation deck of Shanghai Tower (world's fastest elevator, overlook the Huangpu River's S-bend).
⏰ **15:30** Take an upward shot of Lujiazui's 'Three Piece Suit' (best spot is at the entrance of Jin Mao Tower).
- **Night**
⏰ **19:00** **New Yu Garden Night Tour Experience**: Attend the 'Yu Xiang Shan Lin' light and shadow show (newly opened in August 2025), watch the Huxinting laser water curtain + interactive poetry projection (ticket 150 RMB, WeChat reservation required).
**🚲 Day 3: Artistic Cycling Under Plane Trees**
- **Morning**
⏰ **09:00** Wukang Road cycling: Wukang Building → Ba Jin's Former Residence → Romeo's Balcony, stop at 'Old Mike's Cafe' for a Dirty (vintage green window is excellent for photos).
- **Afternoon**
⏰ **14:00** West Bund Art Museum (free to see the biennale, enjoy the breeze on the riverside promenade to escape the heat).
⏰ **16:30** Suzhou Creek boat tour (Sihang Warehouse section route, listen to stories of the War of Resistance).
- **Dinner** Xiandelai Pork Ribs with Rice Cakes on Yunnan South Road (20 RMB, same as in 'Blossoms Shanghai').
**🚤 Day 4: Water Town and Tang-Style Night Market**
- **Full Day**
⏰ **Take Metro Line 17 directly to Zhujiajiao** (depart at 7 AM to avoid crowds), visit Fangsheng Bridge → Kezhi Garden → listen to Pingtan at Apo Teahouse.
⏰ **Lunch** 'Apo Zongzi' + Zharou on North Street (approx. 25 RMB/person).
⏰ **Evening** Head to **Panlong Tiandi** (2025 popular Tang-style ancient town), enjoy the light and water dance show, browse the 'Ten Panlong Sceneries' cultural and creative market.
**🎢 Day 5: Disney Fantasy Carnival**
- **Must-Play Strategy**
⏰ **Early Entry Pass at 6:30 AM** → Ride 'TRON Lightcycle Power Run' counter-clockwise → 'Soaring Over the Horizon' → 'Zootopia' New Area (opening July 2025).
- **Time-Saving Tips**
Bring your own water bottle for free drinking water, eat Barbossa's Bounty during off-peak hours (approx. 80 RMB/person).
- **Night**
⏰ **20:00** Enchanted Storybook Castle Fireworks Show (find a spot 1 hour in advance).
**🎨 Day 6: The Dual Faces of Shanghai: Art and Urban Life**
- **Morning**
⏰ **09:00** Xuhui Riverside cycling: Tank Art Park → Long Museum → Starbucks Snoopy Pop-up Store.
- **Afternoon**
⏰ **14:00** Sinan Mansions Old Houses Open Day (open every Wednesday in October, exterior photos in other months).
⏰ **16:00** Explore Xintiandi Shikumen (Recommended: 'Duozhuayu Recycled Bookstore', Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China).
- **Dinner** **Howe Restaurant** Local Cuisine Omakase (approx. 300 RMB/person, 3-day advance reservation required).
**📚 Day 7: Industrial Heritage and Artistic Finale**
- **Morning**
⏰ **09:00** Hongkou 1933 Old Millfun (an art space transformed from a slaughterhouse, great for geometric light and shadow photos).
⏰ **11:00** Tilanqiao 'Zhoushan Old Auntie's Scallion Pancake' (crispy and fragrant, 5 RMB/piece).
- **Afternoon**
⏰ **14:00** Yangpu Riverside cycling (from Fisherman's Wharf → Green Hill, see industrial heritage transformation).
- **Souvenir** Buy Shanghai hand-painted postcards at 'Cat's Sky City' on Daxue Road.
---
🏨 **Accommodation & Transportation Tips**
- **Accommodation**
- **Budget-Friendly Option**: Home Inn Plus Nanjing East Road (near metro, approx. 150 RMB/person per night).
- **Unique Experience**: Sinan Mansions Old House B&B (under plane trees, listen to 'Ye Lai Xiang' at night).
- **Transportation**
- Use Alipay 'Metro Daduhui' to scan for subway; for Disney, take the early train on Line 11.
- For intercity high-speed rail, purchase tickets in advance via 12306 (can extend itinerary to Suzhou/Hangzhou).
💡 **Key Reminders Before Travel**
1. **Reservations! Reservations!**
- Yu Garden Night Tour, Disney, and Howe Restaurant require 3-7 days advance reservation.
2. **Heat Avoidance Strategy**
- Seek refuge in museums during midday (Shanghai Museum is free) or shopping malls (K11 offers both art and air conditioning).
- Carry a neck fan + cooling spray (feels like 38℃ from June to August).
3. **Budget Control**
- Tickets approx. 💰600 RMB (Disney accounts for 50%), Accommodation 💰1000-1500 RMB (6 nights budget-friendly), Dining 💰800 RMB.
> **💎 Deep Dive Player Easter Egg**:
> - Explore independent designer works at buyer stores on Huqiu Road, Bund Origin;
> - Pet cats + eat vegetarian meal at Longhua Temple (15 RMB/serving, cash payment).
> **Flexible Itinerary Adjustment**: If a typhoon occurs (common in July-August), Day 4 can be changed to Xujiahui Library + Guangfulin Underwater Museum.