Shanghai Travel Itinerary: A Mix of Old & New
Home / Travel Blog / Blog Details
Shanghai is a city that refuses to pick a lane. One moment you are standing in a futuristic financial district surrounded by glass skyscrapers that look like they were designed by aliens with a fetish for geometry. The next moment you are wandering through narrow alleyways where laundry hangs like victory banners and old men play chess on folding tables while their wives gossip in Shanghainese so thick it sounds like a secret code. This is the magic of Shanghai. It is not a museum of the past, nor is it a sterile vision of the future. It is a living, breathing collision of both. If you are planning a trip here, you need an itinerary that honors both sides of its split personality. Forget the typical tourist traps. This is the real Shanghai, old and new, stitched together like a patchwork quilt that somehow works.
Start your day in the French Concession. Not the fake, sanitized version you see in travel brochures, but the real one. This neighborhood is a paradox. It is old, but not in a dusty, forgotten way. The plane trees lining the streets are ancient, their branches intertwining overhead to form a green canopy that filters the morning light into a soft, dappled glow. The architecture is a mix of Art Deco villas, colonial mansions, and shikumen houses—those traditional stone-gate houses that were once the standard for Shanghai families. Now they house boutique cafes, independent bookstores, and art galleries that smell like old paper and fresh coffee.
Do not bother with the big, famous spots like the Former Residence of Sun Yat-sen unless you have a specific interest in early 20th-century politics. Instead, wander aimlessly. Turn down Wukang Road and stop at a random hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint. Order a bowl of soy milk with youtiao, the long, crispy fried dough sticks that are the quintessential Shanghai breakfast. Dip the youtiao into the soy milk, let it soak for exactly three seconds, and eat it while it is still warm. This is not a meal. It is a ritual. The locals have been doing this for generations, and you will taste that history in every bite.
After breakfast, head to Yu Garden. Yes, it is crowded. Yes, it is overrun with tourists. But there is a reason for that. The garden itself, built during the Ming Dynasty, is a masterpiece of classical Chinese landscaping. Every rock, every pond, every pavilion is placed with intention. The zigzag bridges are designed to confuse evil spirits, who supposedly cannot turn corners. The dragon walls are meant to ward off bad luck. It is all very superstitious, very old, and very beautiful.
But here is the trick. Do not linger in the garden for too long. Instead, spend your time in the surrounding Yuyuan Bazaar. This is where the old meets the new in the most chaotic way possible. You will find vendors selling traditional handicrafts next to stalls hawking knock-off designer bags. There are tea houses that have been serving the same blend for a hundred years, and right next door, a bubble tea shop with neon lights and a menu that includes something called "cheese foam mango madness." Embrace the chaos. Buy a bag of xiaolongbao from a street vendor. These soup dumplings are a Shanghai specialty, and the ones here, while not the best in the city, are good enough to make you understand why people obsess over them.
After lunch, cross the Huangpu River to Pudong. Specifically, go to Lujiazui. This is the financial district, and it looks exactly how you imagine a Chinese financial district would look: towering skyscrapers with names like the Shanghai Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, and the Oriental Pearl Tower. The Oriental Pearl Tower is particularly ridiculous. It looks like a giant, glass-and-steel alien antenna with pink spheres attached to it. It was built in the 1990s, and it shows. But it has become an icon, so you have to see it.
Do not go up the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is overpriced and the observation deck is always crowded. Instead, go up the Shanghai Tower. It is the second-tallest building in the world, and the elevator ride is an experience in itself. Your ears will pop, your stomach will drop, and then you will emerge on the 118th floor with a view that stretches for miles. On a clear day, you can see the entire city, from the old shikumen houses in the north to the sprawling suburbs in the south. It is a reminder that Shanghai is not just a city. It is a megalopolis, a beast that keeps growing and consuming everything in its path.
After your descent from the clouds, walk back across the river to the Bund. This is the most famous waterfront in China, and for good reason. On one side, you have the colonial-era buildings: the Customs House, the Peace Hotel, the HSBC Building. These structures were built in the early 20th century when Shanghai was a treaty port, and they still carry the weight of that history. They are grand, imposing, and slightly melancholic, like aging aristocrats who refuse to admit their best days are behind them.
On the other side, across the river, you have the Pudong skyline. The contrast is jarring. It is like standing in 1920s Paris and looking at 2050s Tokyo. This is the visual representation of Shanghai's split identity. The old buildings on the Bund are lit up at night with warm, golden lights, while the Pudong towers glow with cold, blue LEDs. It is a photographer's dream, and you will see dozens of people with tripods and fancy cameras trying to capture the perfect shot. Do not be one of them. Instead, just stand there and let the view sink in. It is one of those rare moments in travel where the reality actually matches the postcard.
For dinner, avoid the fancy restaurants in the French Concession. They are overpriced and the food is often Westernized to cater to tourists. Instead, go to Yunnan Road Food Street. This is a narrow, chaotic street in the Huangpu district that is lined with small, family-run eateries. The food here is authentic, cheap, and incredibly diverse. You will find everything from Xinjiang lamb skewers to Sichuan hotpot to Shanghainese hairy crab.
Order a few dishes from different stalls. Start with the lamb skewers, which are grilled over charcoal and seasoned with cumin and chili. Then move on to a bowl of dandan noodles from a Sichuan joint. The noodles are chewy, the sauce is numbing, and the pork mince is savory. Finish with a plate of shengjianbao, which are pan-fried pork buns. These are different from xiaolongbao. They are thicker, denser, and have a crispy bottom that is fried to perfection. Dip them in black vinegar and eat them while they are still hot. Be careful, though. The soup inside is scalding, and you will burn your tongue if you are not careful. But that is part of the experience.
After dinner, it is time to drink. Shanghai has one of the best bar scenes in Asia, and it caters to every taste. If you want something old-school and intimate, go to a speakeasy. There is one called Bar No. 3 on the Bund that is hidden behind a fake wall in a French restaurant. The cocktails are inventive, the lighting is dim, and the crowd is a mix of expats, locals, and tourists who know the secret password.
If you want something modern and flashy, go to a rooftop bar. The most famous one is Flair at the Ritz-Carlton in Pudong. It offers a panoramic view of the Bund, and the drinks are expensive but worth it for the view alone. Order a classic martini, sit by the railing, and watch the city lights flicker below you. It is a cliché, but clichés exist for a reason.
If you want something in between, go to the Yongkang Road area in the French Concession. This street is lined with small bars that spill out onto the sidewalk. The vibe is casual, the music is loud, and the drinks are cheap. You will find a mix of locals and expats, all of them drunk and happy. This is where you can let loose, dance to bad pop music, and make friends with strangers. It is not glamorous, but it is real.
On your second day, skip the typical museums. The Shanghai Museum is great, but it is also packed with school groups and tour buses. Instead, go to the Long Museum in the West Bund. This museum is housed in a former coal dock, and the industrial architecture is stunning. The museum focuses on contemporary Chinese art, and the exhibitions are always thought-provoking. You will see works by artists like Zhang Xiaogang, who paints haunting portraits from the Cultural Revolution era, and Xu Zhen, whose installations often critique consumerism and globalization.
The museum itself is a work of art. The concrete walls, the high ceilings, the natural light streaming through the windows—it all creates a space that feels both sacred and industrial. Spend a few hours here, and then walk along the West Bund riverside. This area has been developed into a cultural corridor, with galleries, cafes, and parks. It is less crowded than the Bund, and the views of the Huangpu River are just as beautiful.
In the afternoon, go to Tianzifang. This is a maze of narrow alleyways in the French Concession that has been transformed into a hipster enclave. The buildings are old shikumen houses, but now they are filled with art studios, craft shops, and cafes. It is kitschy, but it is also charming. You can buy handmade jewelry, vintage posters, and quirky souvenirs. There is a cat cafe, a bookstore that specializes in photography, and a bar that serves craft beer brewed in Shanghai.
Tianzifang is also a great place to try street food. There is a stall that sells stinky tofu, which is exactly what it sounds like. The tofu is fermented, and it has a pungent odor that will make you gag. But if you can get past the smell, the taste is surprisingly mild and savory. Eat it with chili sauce, and you will understand why it is a local favorite.
For something truly unique, visit the Propaganda Poster Art Centre. This small, hidden museum is located in an old apartment building in the French Concession. It is run by a German collector named Herr Kuehn, who has spent decades gathering propaganda posters from the Mao era. The posters are colorful, striking, and deeply unsettling. They depict smiling workers, heroic soldiers, and idealized visions of a communist utopia. Standing in front of them, you feel like you have stepped back in time to a world that no longer exists.
The museum is not officially advertised, and you have to ring a buzzer to get in. But that is part of the charm. It feels like a secret, a hidden piece of history that most tourists miss. Spend an hour here, and then walk around the neighborhood. You will see old men playing mahjong, women hanging laundry, and children running through the streets. This is the old Shanghai, the one that exists in the shadows of the skyscrapers.
For your last night, take a short metro ride to Qibao Ancient Town. This is a water town that has been preserved as a tourist attraction, but the night market here is one of the best in Shanghai. The streets are lined with stalls selling everything from grilled squid to candied hawthorn to octopus balls. The air is thick with the smell of soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.
Walk through the market with a skewer in one hand and a cup of sugarcane juice in the other. Try the chou doufu (stinky tofu) again, but this time get the fried version. It is less pungent and more crispy. Also try the jianbing, which is a savory crepe filled with egg, scallions, and chili sauce. It is the ultimate street food, and it will fill you up without weighing you down.
After the market, go back to the Bund and visit the Peace Hotel Jazz Bar. This bar has been around since the 1920s, and it still features a live jazz band made up of elderly Chinese musicians. The band is called the "Old Jazz Band," and they play classics from the 1930s and 1940s. The music is smooth, the drinks are strong, and the atmosphere is timeless.
Sit at the bar, order a glass of scotch, and listen to the band play "Moonlight in Vermont" or "As Time Goes By." The room is dimly lit, with wood paneling and velvet chairs. It feels like a scene from a Wong Kar-wai film. This is the old Shanghai, the one of gangsters, spies, and glamorous socialites. It is a fantasy, but it is a beautiful one.
Before you leave, wake up early and take a final walk through the French Concession. The streets will be quiet, the air will be cool, and the city will feel like it belongs to you. Stop at a bakery and buy a bag of freshly baked pineapple buns. Find a bench in Fuxing Park and watch the locals practice tai chi. The movements are slow, deliberate, and graceful. It is a reminder that Shanghai, for all its chaos and speed, still knows how to slow down.
Then, as the sun rises higher and the city starts to wake up, head to the airport. You will leave with a suitcase full of souvenirs, a phone full of photos, and a head full of contradictions. Shanghai is not a city you understand. It is a city you experience. And that experience, with all its old and new, its beauty and its ugliness, will stay with you long after you have gone.
Copyright Statement:
Author: Shanghai Travel
Link: https://shanghaitravel.github.io/travel-blog/shanghai-travel-itinerary-a-mix-of-old-amp-new.htm
Source: Shanghai Travel
The copyright of this article belongs to the author. Reproduction is not allowed without permission.
Prev:How to Visit the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium as a Foreign Tourist
Next:The Best Tandem Bike Rentals for Shanghai’s Cycling Routes