Shanghai Half-Day Tour Recommendations

Hey everyone, if you’re planning a trip to Shanghai, there are so many amazing places to explore! If you only have half a day, we’ve got a half-day tour itinerary for you. Check out the details below.

1、Classic Check-in Tour

Check-in route: Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street → Peace Hotel (No. 20 Nanjing East Road) → Bund Architecture Group → BFC Bund Financial Center (No. 600 Zhongshan East 2nd Road)

If it’s your first time in Shanghai, Nanjing Road and the Bund are must-see destinations. Starting from the People’s Square subway station, head east along Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. You’ll encounter familiar signs like the First Department Store, Mowchang Glasses, and Zhangzi Company.

This was the first commercial street opened after Shanghai’s opening to the outside world, pioneering numerous firsts in the Asian department store industry: the first escalators used in a department store, the first air conditioning system used in a department store, the first to issue receipts…

Today, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is home to countless flagship stores, from Nike Shanghai 001 to Lego flagship stores, Huawei’s largest global flagship store, and even must-see spots for anime fans, ZX Creative Park and Pop Mart’s global flagship store.

At the end of the eastern extension of Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street stands a building with a green copper triangular roof, the Peace Hotel. The Peace Hotel’s octagonal dome, its senior jazz band, and its long history as the former Cathay Hotel are always a topic of conversation. It’s where countless Shanghai stories took place, making it a true symbol of peace.

After the Peace Hotel, you’ll reach Zhongshan East 1st Road. You can cross the street to the Bund viewing platform and admire the beautiful scenery of both sides of the Huangpu River from a unique perspective, taking in the majestic beauty of the Bund Architecture Group; or hop on the unique double-decker sightseeing bus in Shanghai and travel to different corners of the city, experiencing the charm of “the most Shanghai.”

From Zhongshan East 1st Road, stroll to Zhongshan East 2nd Road, and you’ll encounter many distinctive buildings, including the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Building, the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, and the Shanghai Telecommunications Museum. The end of this journey is at the BFC Bund Financial Center.

From the bustling “BFC Bund Maple Path Weekend Market” to the “Dancing House” at the Fosun Art Center, fashion, food, and art collide here, creating a new vitality.

2、One River and One Creek Waterfront Tour

Check-in route: Bund Source Wharf (No. 78 South Suzhou Road) → Leisurely Cruise on Suzhou Creek → Sixteen Ferry Wharf (No. 481 Zhongshan East 2nd Road) → Huangpu River Cruise

Suzhou Creek winds its way through the city. Just walking along the bank wouldn’t do it justice. Why not take a ride on the “Leisurely Cruise on Suzhou Creek” and discover the memories of Suzhou Creek?

Starting from the Bund Source Wharf, take the “Time and Space Shuttle” for a 30-minute cruise along the Suzhou Creek’s essence, passing the Four Banks Warehouse Wharf on the edge of Xinza Bridge before turning around to head back. As you gently drift on the water, you can see the city’s memories of wharves and the industrial era along the banks of Suzhou Creek.

There’s a classic way to enjoy Shanghai that never gets old: boarding a cruise at the historic Sixteen Ferry Wharf and sailing down the Huangpu River with the flowing water, enjoying a flowing feast.

Depending on your time constraints, you have two routes to choose from: “Essence Tour” and “Express Tour.” If you have more time, you can also choose the “Huangpu River Cruise + Cuisine” double experience and enjoy a ceremonial dinner on a beautiful cruise ship.

3、Old City Food Tour

Check-in route: Green Wave Pavilion (No. 115 Yuyuan Road) → Lake Heart Pavilion Tea House (Inside Yuyuan Mall, near the Nine-Bend Bridge) → Wenchang Road → Sea Shang Liyuan (4th Floor, No. 10 Wenchang Road) → Nanxiang Steamed Bun Shop

The bustling Yuyuan Mall is home to many century-old brands, with intangible cultural heritage techniques and classic snacks encapsulating the memories of the old city and the old neighborhoods. Here, people from all walks of life come together to enjoy the beauty and the everyday.

Green Wave Pavilion, known for its “a single meal feasts the whole world” reputation, holds a special place in the hearts of old Shanghai residents. From Shanghai cuisine, crab feasts, and shark fin to world-famous Shanghai snacks like gourd cakes and bag-carrying cakes, every bite is an authentic taste of Shanghai!

As you arrive at the Nine-Bend Bridge, the first thing that catches your eye is Lake Heart Pavilion Tea House. This is the oldest and most famous tea house in Shanghai, with its flying eaves and curved tile windows. It boasts over 160 years of history. On the first floor, the skilled tea-frying masters always draw in numerous tourists to watch them work. As you follow the tea scent to the second floor, a pleasant tea journey begins.

After enjoying tea and crossing the Nine-Bend Bridge, take a stroll down Wenchang Road. In the past, there was a Wenchang Temple located to the west of the City God Temple, north of the Ten Kings of Hell Temple, dedicated to the God of Literature, also known as Wenchang Emperor. A small road west of the City God Temple was named Wenchang Road after the Wenchang Temple. Today, dozens of high-quality cultural and creative businesses that represent Shanghai’s quality and carry the genes of Haipai culture have set up shop here, creating a unique historical and cultural atmosphere.

There’s also a “Sea Shang Liyuan” hidden on Wenchang Road, a “global fashion cultural stage with oriental charm.” It hosts not only China’s wonderful dramas, but also art groups from various countries have performed there.

The Nanxiang Steamed Bun Shop is also one of the most representative century-old brands in Yuyuan Mall, with a history of over 100 years. Nanxiang Xiaolongbao is famous for its thin skin, rich filling, abundant juice, and delicious flavor. Each xiaolongbao is filled with 21 grams of filling in a 9-gram skin, each with at least 16 pleats that are evenly spaced in length, thickness, and fineness, shaped like a pagoda, delicate and transparent, with a jade-like color. It’s been praised as “the art of fingertip creation.”

4、Haipai Artistic Journey

Check-in route: Shoubai Art (No. 4, Lane 210, Taikang Road) → Jin Fen Shi Jia (No. 110, Building 3, Lane 210, Taikang Road) → Jin Cheng (No. 102, Building 3, Lane 210, Taikang Road) → Shanghai Glass Art Museum (No. 25 Taikang Road) → Riyueguang Center (80 meters north of the intersection of Ruijin 2nd Road and Xujiahui Road)

Tianzifang is also one of Huangpu’s classic check-in destinations, with a variety of artistic studios, art workshops, and small restaurants, side by side. Choosing a few specialty shops here to carefully select a Haipai souvenir is a great option.

Shoubai Art is one of the earliest art institutions in Shanghai to develop cultural and creative products, committed to creating a “city name card” for Haipai art. The store’s display cases showcase many art and cultural and creative works with a sense of design. Each small object embodies the artist’s ingenuity.

When it comes to Shanghai, people always think of the elegant Shanghai women in cheongsams walking through the Shikumen alleyways in the movies. The Jin Fen Shi Jia in Tianzifang specializes in custom-made cheongsams, with high-quality natural materials and hand-crafted details that give the cheongsam a soul.

Jin Cheng, which specializes in original design and artistic scarves, is also a great choice for souvenirs. The store is filled with a sense of Chinese style: velvet handmade embroidered Jiangnan women’s scarves, delicate windowpane grid satin scarves, completely hand-painted female servant patterns… It’s like being immersed in a sea of scarves.

Adjacent to Tianzifang is the Shanghai Glass Art Museum, founded by Zhang Yi and Yang Huishan, pioneers of modern Chinese glass art. The iron-net peony flowers blooming on the outside of the museum, made of 5025 petals, are completely handmade. At night, the flowers are magnificent, and it’s been called one of “Shanghai’s most beautiful museums.” The museum houses many exquisite pieces of ancient Chinese glass and masterpieces of modern glass art from around the world.

After visiting Tianzifang and the Shanghai Glass Art Museum, you can walk to the Shanghai Riyueguang Center. Mustard Wasabi, Ping Jie Hot Pot, Ordinary Canteen… You can find the latest, hottest, and most popular food here.