Shanghai Travel Review: A Couple’s Experience

Let’s be honest: planning a couple’s trip to Shanghai felt a bit like choosing a movie. Do we go for the classic, sweeping historical epic, or the slick, fast-paced sci-fi thriller? As we discovered over five dizzying days, Shanghai is the cinematic marvel that lets you watch both, sometimes in the same frame. This is our story of navigating the world’s most future-forward city, hand-in-hand, searching for both its roaring heart and its quiet, hidden pulse.

First Impressions: A Symphony of Contrasts

Stepping out of Pudong International Airport, the famous Maglev train offered our first metaphor for the city. Hitting 431 km/h in near silence, it felt less like transportation and more like being shot into a tomorrow we’d only seen in concept art. The velocity smoothed into the serene, tree-lined elegance of the former French Concession, where we based ourselves at a boutique hotel. Our first evening was a masterclass in contrast: a quiet walk down Fuxing Road, followed by a deliberate, awe-struck pilgrimage to the Bund.

The Bund at Dusk: A Love Letter in Two Architectural Languages

This is non-negotiable for any couple. Arrive an hour before sunset. On one side, the grand, solid stone edifices of colonial history—the Peace Hotel, the customs house—glow with a dignified, golden-hour warmth. Turn around, and Pudong’s galactic skyline begins to flicker to life. The Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai Tower (a staggering spiral into the clouds), and the bottle-opener of the Shanghai World Financial Center become a symphony of light. It’s not just a view; it’s a dialogue across a century, played out across the Huangpu River. We joined the crowds on the walkway, not talking much, just absorbing the sheer scale of it all. Pro-tip: skip the expensive Bund-facing bars and grab a bubble tea. The romance is in the shared vista, not the price tag.

Navigating the City: From High-Tech to Human-Scale

Shanghai’s infrastructure is a couple’s dream. The metro is clean, efficient, and signs are clearly in English. Didi (China’s Uber) is seamless with the app. But the real magic happened when we ditched the maps.

Getting Lost in the Lòngtáng

West of Xintiandi, the grid dissolves into a labyrinth of lòngtáng—the classic Shikumen alleyway neighborhoods. This is where Shanghai’s soul resides. Lines of laundry crisscrossed overhead like festive banners. The sizzle of woks and the scent of braised pork (hongshao rou) poured out of tiny kitchens. We stumbled upon hidden design studios, vintage shops in converted garage spaces, and old men playing intense games of Chinese chess. It felt intimate, real, and a world away from the stainless steel of Pudong. For us, it was a reminder that connection isn’t just between places, but between moments—like sharing a steamed soup dumpling (xiaolongbao) from a hole-in-the-wall window, carefully navigating the explosive, delicious broth inside.

The Culinary Dance: A Feast for Two

Shanghai’s food scene is a thrilling challenge for a duo. Do you go refined or rustic? We did both.

Michelin Stars & Morning Markets

We splurged on one Michelin-starred experience: a modern interpretation of Huaiyang cuisine. Each plate was a miniature landscape, almost too beautiful to eat. But with equal joy, we fought the morning crowds at a wet market near Yuyuan Garden. The vibrant chaos of fresh produce, live seafood, and the energetic shouts of vendors was intoxicating. We pointed, we smiled, we managed to buy peaches and strange, wonderful pastries. For lunch, we joined the queue at a famed shengjian (pan-fried pork bun) spot. The crispy, oily bottoms, the scalding-hot juice within—eating them required a coordinated strategy of tiny bites and blown breaths. It was messy, hilarious, and utterly delicious.

Modern Icons & Trending Hotspots

No couple’s review is complete without addressing the contemporary must-dos.

The View from Above: Shanghai Tower vs. Jing’an Kerry Centre

We did the observation deck of the Shanghai Tower. The feeling is pure supremacy; watching clouds drift below you is humbling. The city becomes a silent, sprawling circuit board. But for a more relaxed, arguably cooler “high,” we preferred the rooftop bars at complexes like the Jing’an Kerry Centre. With a cocktail in hand, the view is still magnificent, but the vibe is social, chic, and feels more integrated with the city’s energy.

West Bund & The Art Island of M50

For a break from shopping on Nanjing Road, the West Bund area was a revelation. Miles of manicured paths along the river, dotted with world-class museums like the Long Museum and the Tank Shanghai (contemporary art in repurposed aviation fuel tanks). We rented a tandem bike—a true test of coordination and laughter—and explored. Similarly, the M50 art district on Moganshan Road offered a grittier, more raw creative pulse. Wandering in and out of galleries, discussing the wild, provocative art, sparked some of our best conversations of the trip.

The Unforgettable Moments: Beyond the Guidebook

The highlights weren’t always the landmarks.

• An Evening at Jianye Li: We found this restored lòngtáng complex, now brimming with tiny wine bars, craft coffee shops, and independent bookstores. Sitting in a courtyard under string lights, surrounded by a mix of trendy Shanghainese youth and expats, we felt a slice of the city’s current, hyper-local cool.
• A Performance at the Yùyīng Acrobatic Show: The sheer, jaw-dropping physicality of it—the balance, the strength, the grace—had us clutching each other’s arms in suspense. It was pure, wordless spectacle.
• The Rainy Afternoon in Zhujiajiao: A day trip to this “water town” started in a downpour. We huddled under a single umbrella, crossing ancient stone bridges, watching boats glide down canals, and drinking bitter tea in a quiet shop. The gray skies and glistening tiles made it feel like our own secret discovery.

Shanghai doesn’t just present itself to you; it asks you to engage, to choose your own adventure. For a couple, that’s the greatest gift. It’s a city that offers both the shared thrill of the future and the quiet intimacy of a hidden alley. It’s in the negotiation of where to go next, in the shared silence before a breathtaking view, and in the collective laugh after a culinary misstep. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and utterly unforgettable. It’s a city that, like any great relationship, is beautifully, brilliantly, and endlessly layered.