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How to Have The Perfect Tourist Day

2018-04-30 Shirani ShanghaiWOWeng

It’s Spring in Shanghai and we all know what that means! The out of town guests will start to descend because there’s no better time of year than now to go out and play. Shanghai is at her best and most beautiful with its trees and spring blossoms er…blossoming, plus the weather is at its most tolerable and enjoyable in the ‘teens’ to the twenties. Some people only come in for a flying visit (literally) or only on transit, so how do you make the most of their time showing off this amazing city? Here’s how to have the perfect tourist day when the stars align with weather, traffic and your good guiding sense!

 

1. Yu Gardens

 


Start off at Yu Gardens early (they open at 8:30am) to get a ‘must do’ out of the way. Impress guests with the fact that it was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Pan Yunduan. The garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a happy time in their old age. Spend an hour or two wandering through the nooks and crannies absorbing the tranquil atmosphere, beautiful gardens and taking photos. After that, go to the old walking street for more photos and a (more crowded Shanghai) atmosphere. If your guests are game, try some street food and dumplings en-route then hit up the multitude of shops for souvenirs, knick-knacks and craft items!

 

Yu Gardens: 137 Anren Jie, near Fuyou Lu, 

Hours: 8:30am-5pm.

 

2. Lunch at Lost Heaven on the Bund

 



Around a 10 to 15-minute walk from Yu Gardens, this ultra-cool restaurant set on the Bund is the perfect location to sample Yunnan cuisine. With great décor, it is a good place to introduce the vastness of food culture of China that ranges from the delicate to the robust and meaty. Good dishes to try include the Burmese tea leaf salad, the Yunnan rice noodles and the hot and sour prawns. There are also more ‘identifiable’ dishes so guests can pick as they please but prep them for the lean towards spiciness! After that, walk on the Bund for photos and opportunities to be the tourist attraction (prep your guests to be prodded or stared and definitely for people to take photos with them), then pop into the Peace Hotel for glam photos. Peruse and languish in its old-worldly beauty or have a coffee and dessert!


Lost Heaven: 17 Yan’an Dong Lu, near Sichuan Lu

Hours: 12-2pm (lunch), 

Tel: 63300967 (bookings advised in peak seasons).


Fairmont Peace Hotel: 20 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu


3. South Bund Fabric Market



Got guests a-flurry because they’ve heard what about Shanghai’s great tailoring? Make their jaw drop by heading to the fabric market, home to hundreds of tailors. With a three-day turnaround for some pieces, guests can collect themselves if they are staying that long, or you can get it posted it to them! It is easiest to have something copied if they have a shirt or sample, or if they have a design in mind to print this off the internet or show a photo.


Fabric market: 399 Lujiabang Lu, near Nancang Jie

Hours: 9am-6pm

 

4. Insiders Sidecar Tour/Xuhui and Xintiandi

 


Are your guests wanting to see something different now, or need a seat for a while? Want to do both in the interests of saving time? A sidecar tour of Xuhui district, run by Insiders Tours, leaves from Andaz Hotel at Xintiandi at a pre-appointed time (bookings are a must). Taking two guests (one riding pillion and one in the sidecar), specify your interests and your driver will create a bespoke experience - for example visiting architectural gems or lilongs. If Xuhui is *yawn* ‘been there done that’, you can explore other areas such as Hongkou instead. Ask for a drop-off in Xuhui to walk around after that or come back to the alighting point to get a well-deserved beer/coffee/tea/snack at Xintiandi.

 

Contact: www.insidersexperience.com

Andaz Hotel: 88 Songshan Lu, near Taicang Lu. Pick up is in front of the hotel.

 

5. Untour Food Tours



Sick of the tourist joints and want to eat like a local? If your guests are hard-core and want to experience ‘back street eating’ of ‘real Shanghai’ - this is your tour! Great fun for meeting other like-minded travelers, your menu will include everything from snake to barbequed crayfish (depending on the season), eye-and-mouth-watering Sichuan specialties, and deliciously fatty lamb skewers. 


Led by very knowledgeable foodies that will answer all your questions, everything is washed down with black beer, baijiu, or soft drinks as you restaurant-hop down the backstreets of Shanghai! If your guests still have energy, end by having a drink at the outdoor terrace of Mexican joint Mayita – a Tamarind Margarita perfectly tops off the day! Hopefully you will pass the majestic golden Jing’an Temple spectacularly lit up by night if you didn’t have time for a visit. Or you could just stay up all night and go the next day as they open at 7am!

 

Contact: untourfoodtours.com/product/shanghai-night-eats/. The meeting point will be advised upon booking but is usually around Jiangsu Road metro station.


Mayita: 6F/ 98 Shouning Lu near Xizang Lu, 

Hours: 5-10:30pm (dinner), 

Tel: 6334 3288


Jing’an Temple: 1686 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huashan Lu, Opening hours: 7am-5pm.

 

So there you have it - the perfect tourist day if you dare to keep going! Shanghai is an amazing city offering plenty of other possible itineraries and sights, but this one covers the main tourist attractions in the central areas of the Bund, Xuhui, Xintiandi as well as a bit of Jing’an. Enjoy!  


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