China Travel Kit

5 days / one flexible framework

Five days in Shanghai, from historic streets to one full-day escape

A first-trip route that groups sights by area, separates public streets from venue admission, protects a full Day 5 and leaves practical weather and closure alternatives.

The Bund, Shanghai.
The Bund, Shanghai.
Photo source & licenseThe Bund 2.jpg · Credit: 钉钉 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photographed 2022Resized and converted to WebP; display framing may crop the photograph. The photograph and these versions retain the linked license.
Make this route your own

Use these days as a starting point and adjust the pace to suit you. Check the linked attraction guides for reservations and closures, and allow a full day for longer outings. Confirm weather and tickets before setting off.

Choose one route for each day with alternatives below. Only its listed stops are imported. Optional stops stay in the guide, and opening days still need checking for your dates.

Make room for a local experience ↓

Choose your pace

Make room for local life

Choose which visits to shorten or replace. Check the experience’s address and conditions, and arrange meals, shows or workshops separately. The booking planner saves the listed attraction visits.

DAY1

People's Square / Huangpu waterfront

People's Square, Nanjing Road and the Bund

Planner route: People's Square, Nanjing Road and the Bund.

Planner stops: Shanghai History Museum (Shanghai Revolution History Museum) + Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street + The Bund.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Shanghai History Museum (Shanghai Revolution History Museum) 上海市历史博物馆（上海革命历史博物馆）Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street 南京路步行街The Bund 外滩
  1. Morning: check the Shanghai History Museum's latest official entry notice, then spend two to three hours on the city's development. Do not confuse it with Shanghai Museum.
  2. Afternoon: walk east through Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street. Shops and exhibitions have independent hours; the public street does not require a reservation.
  3. Late afternoon or evening: continue to the Bund for the historic façades and Lujiazui view. Building interiors, cruises and observation venues are not included in promenade access.
If the plan changes

If the museum is closed or its admission cannot be confirmed, keep the People's Square–Nanjing Road–Bund outdoor route. In heavy rain, shorten the waterfront section and use another museum only with separately confirmed admission.

DAY2

Yu Garden / Xintiandi / Tianzifang

Old City lanes and shikumen neighborhoods

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Yu Garden 上海豫园Memorials of the First, Second and Fourth National Congresses of the Communist Party of China 中国共产党一大·二大·四大纪念馆Shanghai Xintiandi 上海新天地Tianzifang 上海田子坊景区
  1. Morning: visit the ticketed Yu Garden with the correct gate and product. Keep the garden, Yuyuan Bazaar, religious sites and special night events separate.
  2. Midday: continue to the First National Congress memorial, where the official page currently permits visits without advance reservation; pass security and leave luggage elsewhere.
  3. Afternoon: walk Xintiandi's public shikumen streets, then explore Tianzifang's lanes. Shops, galleries and residences are not governed by the public districts' access.
If the plan changes

Yu Garden normally closes on Mondays except statutory holidays. If it or the memorial is closed, retain the public bazaar and neighborhood walks and move the indoor visit to another confirmed opening day. Heavy rain favors one confirmed museum over all three outdoor areas.

DAY3

Hengfu / Jing'an / Hongkou

Hengfu architecture, natural history and refugee memory

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Wukang Road and Hengfu Historic Area 武康路—衡复风貌区Shanghai Natural History Museum 上海自然博物馆Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum 上海犹太难民纪念馆
  1. Morning: take a public-sidewalk walk around Wukang Road and the Hengfu historic area; private houses and former residences are not automatically open.
  2. Midday: use the timed real-name Natural History Museum ticket booked with your original passport. Films and education activities need their own arrangements.
  3. Afternoon: continue to the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum after checking its current admission process, and allow time for documents and testimony rather than a quick photo stop.
If the plan changes

The Natural History Museum normally closes on Tuesdays except statutory holidays and can sell out; move that booking to another date rather than relying on walk-in inventory. If the Jewish Refugees Museum is unavailable, keep the Hengfu walk and use a confirmed museum elsewhere. Rain shortens the neighborhood segment.

DAY4

Century Avenue / Lujiazui

Shanghai Museum East and one Lujiazui observatory

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Shanghai Museum 上海博物馆Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower 东方明珠广播电视塔Top of Shanghai Observatory 上海之巅观光厅
  1. Morning and early afternoon: go specifically to Shanghai Museum East at 1952 Century Avenue, not People's Square. East normally closes Tuesdays; general entry and special-gallery reservations follow different rules.
  2. Late afternoon: choose either Oriental Pearl Tower or Top of Shanghai Observatory after comparing the current official product, identification process and visibility.
  3. Evening: keep a ground-level Lujiazui or riverfront walk if weather and access conditions suit; do not add the second tower merely to complete a checklist.
If the plan changes

If East is closed, do not assume its admission transfers to People's Square, which has a different closure day and entry process. In low cloud or storms, skip both paid ascents and use a confirmed indoor venue; the towers are alternatives with separate tickets.

DAY5

Pudong resort or Qingpu water town

Choose Disneyland or Zhujiajiao for the whole day

These are alternatives. The planner adds only the stops in your chosen option.

Places mentioned in this day's guide:

Shanghai Disney Resort 上海迪士尼度假区Zhujiajiao Ancient Town 朱家角古镇
  1. Option A: devote the full day to Shanghai Disneyland with a prepaid dated ticket and the original matching passport or accepted travel document. Check official hours, security rules and current operations.
  2. Option B: devote the full day including return travel to Zhujiajiao. Walk North Street, Fangsheng Bridge and the canals; confirm gardens, boats and performances individually.
  3. Choose one option only. Neither is a half-day add-on to the other, and both require attention to return transport and weather.
If the plan changes

Without a valid Disneyland dated ticket, choose Zhujiajiao or a city attraction instead of using another person's ticket. In severe weather, postpone both outdoor-heavy plans and use a museum with confirmed admission. At Zhujiajiao, suspended boats or a closed garden still leave the public bridge-and-lane walk.

Prefer a different pace?

Find a day that suits you

Browse more Shanghai attractions for an alternative. Check its reservations, opening days and travel time before adding it to your plan.

Full guides for possible swaps

These are alternatives to consider, not extra stops to add to the same day. Check locations and transfer times before replacing an itinerary stop; a distant excursion may need a full day.