SHANGHAI IN ONE DAY

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Day 3: Shanghai in one day: Bund, Pudong, Yuyuan Market, Yuyuan Garden, Temple of the City God, Pearl of the East, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center

Today begins our Shanghai in one day when it's 5:00 in the morning and our bodies, although we didn't believe it, are noticing the jetlag, although yesterday was a fairly quiet day in which besides going from the airport to Shanghai, we only gave one Back in the evening in the city.
Having this early morning we have taken the opportunity to work the first hours of the morning and leave the Shanghai Fish Inn Hotel East Nanjing Road when it is about 6:45 to have breakfast. Looking at the Maps application, we have seen that we have a Starbucks right next to the hotel that opens at seven in the morning, so we have not doubted too much, assigning this breakfast option for the first day of the trip to Tibet, and so start the day with something more western.
As in the rest of Starbucks in the world, the selection of dishes is quite similar, so we ordered a couple of large coffees plus 2 pastries for 89RMB, with which we began to see and show us the price difference between the place You choose to eat. And it goes without saying that last night for example we paid at the restaurant where we were 132RMB for a more than full dinner and today 89RMB for a breakfast.

A few minutes past 7:30 in the morning when, after breakfast, we begin the route we have planned for this Shanghai in one day, which will take us through some of the most tourist and emblematic places of the city.

What to see in Shanghai in one day

Although it is very difficult to know the city in a single day, it is true that if you only have this time, if you organize yourself well, you can know some of its most emblematic places among which are the Bund, Pudong, the Market Yuyuan, the Yuyuan Garden, the Temple of the City God, visits that can be made in the morning and part of the afternoon, then go to see the sunset to the Pearl of the East area or the Shanghai World Financial Center .
A good way to know the history and curiosities of the city is to book this guided tour in Spanish for its historic center.

Seeing that the day has dawned very clear, practically without pollution that makes us see the city with that gray veil that is sometimes seen, and with enough heat, we decide that it is best to approach the Shanghai Bund, to know this area with the light of day and start the day with a pleasant walk through one of the most emblematic areas of the city.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Shanghai
- 50 things to see and do in Shanghai
- 10 essential places to visit in China
- 10 essential tips for traveling to China

The first stop we make at the North Sichuan Road Bridge, to continue along Beisuzhou Road, on the banks of the Huangpu River, until we reach the Zhapu Road Bridge from where we have stunning views of the skyline.

We start the tour to get to know Shanghai in one day

Shanghai in one day

At this time of the morning the sun is right in front of us, so it is not the ideal time to take photographs, but we can say that this light gives the area a very special air, since you can see the entire skyline between a kind of fog, something that gives a very different image to what we had seen in most of the photographs and that we have to confess, we love it.

Bund-Shanghai tour in one day

In addition to this we recommend that you come at this time of the morning since it has nothing to do with the afternoon or the night, times of day in which there are many people. At this time of the morning what you can see is that there is a lot of movement of ships that go to the port through the river, something that also gives the area a special character. If we add to all this that at this very early hours many people play sports and walk, we have to say that approaching here is a success at different times of the day, to be a participant in how the city changes with the passing of the day.

Shanghai in one day

The Bund of Shanghai we can say that it is, in addition to one of the most tourist areas of the city, a pedestrian zone about two kilometers west of the Huangpu River, from where you can enjoy the best views of Pudong, the financial area where you they find some of the most emblematic buildings in Shanghai such as the Pearl of the East or the Shanghai World Financial Center.
In addition to the incredible views, this walk is interesting for the buildings that you can find, combining architectural styles as different as Gothic, Romanesque or Renaissance.

Some of the buildings that should not be missed on this walk are:
- Customs: This is one of the most characteristic buildings of the Bund, highlighting the bell of the tower and its clock.

Shanghai Customs

- Bull "Wall Street": This copy of the Wall Street Bull of New York, they say it is made by the same sculptor, tries to show us the power of the current China.

Wall Street Shanghai

- Weather station: This is another of the most interesting buildings that you can see on the tour of the Bund promenade. At the end of the twentieth century he guided ships entering the port of Shanghai.

Weather Station

- Shanghai Heroes Monument: With three immense pillars, it is a tribute to all the people who lost their lives in the Opium War.

Shanghai Heroes Monument

After traveling these almost 2 kilometers, in which we have to confess, it has been difficult for us to stop shooting the camera, we continue our walk until we reach the height of Gucheng Park, the place we have to cross to make way for the next visit of the day, Yuyuan Market and Yuyuan Gardens, located in the same location.

Shanghai Overview

Going through Gucheng Park is an experience at this time of the morning, at which time we find many people dancing and exercising, making this walk a most enjoyable time, in which we even seem to forget a little the almost 30 degrees that we are enjoying in the middle of April.

Gucheng park

The route between Gucheng Park and the Yuyuan Market, where there is also the famous Yuyuan Garden is not more than 500 meters, which we enjoy trying to keep every detail of what we are seeing and that both transport us to the trip to China for free that we did A couple of years ago.

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Shanghai in Spanish by travelers:
- Guided tour of the historic Shanghai
- Private excursion to Suzhou
- ERA aerobatic show, Shanghai Circus World
- Night cruise and walk through Xintiandi
- More excursions and tours here

As we approach Yuyuan Market we find a network of streets and shops, full of charm, for which we have to confess it is a pleasure to walk, despite the people there and that although according to our experience, first thing in the morning there are many fewer people, there are places in Shanghai, as in all of China, where it is impossible to be alone. So it is best to get the idea and above all, take it easy and with the firm idea of enjoying, there are people there.

Yuyuan Market Surroundings

Yuyuan Market

You should keep in mind that both the Yuyuan Market, the Yuyuan Garden and the City God Temple, one of the most visited in Shanghai, are in the same zone, so it is best that you make the complete visit to the entire site. According to our experience, in 3 or 4 hours you can see everything with tranquility, especially the garden and the market, walking and enjoying, above all, the atmosphere.

Yuyuan Market Streets

Yuyuan Market

This traditional style market could say that it resembles a great bazaar, where you can find all kinds of souvenirs in addition to restaurants, cafes, street food places and above all, areas with a lot of charm that in which it is worth spending some hours.

Yuyuan Market

Although you can be guided with a GPS, we recommend that you be guided by your intuition and forget about the maps, since this is the best way to know the Yuyuan Market and above all, to enjoy it to the fullest.

Yuyuan Market

A few minutes past 10:30 in the morning when we approach the Temple of the City God, inside the Yuyuan Market, where we pay 10RMB per person to enter and where we enjoy the atmosphere of our first temple in Shanghai, a feeling that We have to confess, we had forgotten and that takes us a couple of years ago when we first visited China.

Temple of the City God

After this interesting visit we return to the streets of the Yuyuan Market where at this time we begin to see the frantic activity in the food stalls, which we imagine, within a couple of hours they will burst, and it is that in this area They concentrate some of the most famous places in the city, where it is not strange to see queues of more than an hour, waiting to try the star dish.

Dumplings stand at Yuyuan Market

After more than two hours in the market, we went to Fangbang Road, in the southern area of the bazaar, where we have read that you can carve and craft products at good prices and above all, different and quality.

Fangbang Road

After our experience and considering the proximity to the Yuyuan Market, we recommend that you do not miss a walk on this street, since as we had read, it is a temple If what you are looking for is some wood carving or some unusual memory.
Without being able to avoid touring it a couple of times we go back into the market to continue touring the missing part and reach the entrance of the Yuyuan Garden, where we pay 40RMB per person to enter.
We have to say that it is a little after 11 in the morning and we already find that the tumult of people is quite remarkable, so it is best to come early, either to visit the market or the gardens and so to be able to enjoy them with some more tranquility than not if it comes at noon or in the afternoon, at which time many tourists and many organized groups come.

Yuyuan Garden

Considered one of the most beautiful gardens in the city and even in the country, this garden is an essential visit in Shanghai in one day, in addition to an ideal complement to the visit to the Yuyuan Market. The visit will not take you more than an hour and it is best to go along the paths that are lost between traditional pavilions and ponds surrounded by vegetation, which make this a very pleasant place to have a good time.

Yuyuan Garden

With the Yuyuan Garden, we conclude the visit to this area of the city and return on our steps towards the Paseo del Bund, with the idea of traveling again at this time, in which the sun will already be higher and will allow us have another perspective, much more colorful in this area of the city.
But we do not need much time to see that the sun is not exactly where we expected or where we would like, so we decided to look for somewhere to eat in the area and thus make some time.
We look at TripAdvisor, as is customary for us, especially when we are traveling and we find that we have an Italian restaurant called Goodfellas, which is nothing more, nothing less than the third of more than 16,000 restaurants in Shanghai and It also has prices that are quite affordable, within what is the western restaurant in Shanghai, so we do not think too much, we cross the street and we find a small typical Italian place, with a fairly wide and succulent menu of that we choose as a starter a tuna tartare plus two pasta dishes, a beer and a water and 2 espresso coffees for 520RMB.

Goodfellas Shanghai Restaurant

The price can not say that it is especially cheap, since it is quite expensive, especially compared to the local cuisine or local restaurants in the area, but we have to say that we have eaten perfectly, with outstanding quality, so If you are around here and you feel like eating in an Italian, this option is really worth it.
It's almost 2:00 in the afternoon when we leave the restaurant, now with the light we expected to find in this area of the Bund, which allow us to enjoy unique views of the skyline, at this time with that color bathroom that We had not been able to see in the morning and we were looking forward to enjoying it.

Shanghai Skyline

As the afternoon progresses the sun also becomes more intense, reaching 33 degrees, a heat that was not expected or at least not announced in the weather forecast and that we can say is "killing" us, especially for not wait for it and go a little warmer than we should for these temperatures.

Shanghai in one day

And so practically without realizing it, time and afternoon begin to pass, enjoying again this incredible area of the city until it is time to approach the ferry area of Shanghai with which we will cross from the Bund to Pudong, to Approach some of the most emblematic buildings in Shanghai, in addition to watching a sunset from the Shanghai Tower.

Bund Shanghai in one day

Shanghai Overview

The ferry to cross from the Bund to Pudong is taken directly next to the Tower of the Weather Station and for 2RMB per person you can cross the river, in addition to having unique views of the city from that other perspective.

Shanghai

To buy the tickets it is not necessary to queue, but it is true that inside the ferry and at the time of queuing to ride, taking into account the Chinese culture, you can imagine that the time of access is as if there was no tomorrow, when people start running to get on the top of the ferry, where we have to say that the views are really worth it, but not to die buried, so if you see that you have no place, you don't worry Stay at the bottom and enjoy the journey and the views from the windows.
The journey of the ferry is not more than 10 minutes, which as we commented on the situation, we do in the bottom that goes practically empty where there are several windows that open, from which you can photograph the skyline.

Once we are in Pudong, and seeing that it is 16:30 in the afternoon, we decide to approach the Shanghai Tower, from where we will enjoy the sunset in Shanghai, to see the queue there and thus decide if we stay or we will give a around the area.
The sunset in Shanghai at this time of the year is at 6:30 p.m., so seeing that it is 4:30 p.m. and that the access queue to the Shanghai Tower is about half an hour, we directly prefer to get the tickets for 181RMB by person, and so go quieter and enjoy this moment in the city.
At the ticket office you will see that tickets to the Shanghai Tower can be paid both in cash and by credit card. In our case we tried to pay them with a credit card and after two attempts the girl told us that foreign cards rarely worked, so it is worth having it in mind to take cash in case it does not work.
Another good option is to book the ticket in advance here.

Shanghai Tower Entrance

The first thing that attracts attention is the elevator and we have to say that it is really impressive the feeling you have when climbing in about 55 seconds the more than 600 meters high to which the viewpoint is located.
Once we reach the viewpoint area we find really spectacular views, in which we can say that we have Shanghai at our feet.

Views from the Shanghai Tower

From the viewpoint of the Shanghai Tower, we can say that you cover practically the entire city in 360 °, since it is a circular viewpoint. Although there is something bad to come at this time of the afternoon is that we have the sun in front, which causes us to have the effect we had this morning, which translates into a kind of fog, which makes us see the buildings that surround us plunged into a fog.
Enjoying these views we are more than an hour and when it is about 6:00 in the afternoon, about 20 minutes before the sun goes down, at which time the lights of the whole city also start to come on, it's time to search a place to settle in, since at this time the viewpoint of the Shanghai Tower is brimming with people.

Views from the Shanghai Tower

It's practically 7:00 in the afternoon when, after several laps and not stop shooting the camera, we leave the Shanghai Tower, taking the opportunity to take a tour of this area, taking the occasional photograph of the buildings we saw yesterday from the Bund and what we have to say, they are really spectacular, when you have the opportunity to see them from so close.

Pearl of the Orient

Night falls in Shanghai

It is practically 8:00 in the afternoon when we decide that it is time to go in search of the ferry to return to the Bund, but unintentionally we pass right in front of the Bund Seeghtseeing, so we cannot resist this new mode of transport by the that we pay 50RMB per person and that will take us from Pudong to the Bund across the river below the water.

Bund Seeghtseeing

The trip on the Bund Seeghtseeing is about 5 minutes and being honest, we have to say that really, unless you really want to know it, it was not worth it for us. The only thing that has saved us is to have to go in search of the ferry and that goes much faster, since the experience we have found quite fair.
Once in the Bund, on the other side of the river, we can enjoy views of the fully illuminated skyline, which we enjoy walking quietly, taking photographs and especially enjoying the atmosphere that is formed at this time of day in this area of the city .

Shanghai in one day

Stunning views of Shanghai at nightfall

It's practically 9 at night when our body starts to let us know what time it is, needing a good dinner and a rest, so we have to look for a place to quench our appetite.
And here is when the problem, to put it in some way, that we always have more and more in a country like China in which the options, at least for us, are quite limited since we try to find food that is not too spicy and that falls within what we usually eat or we like it
And with these premises we began to go around several times without finding any restaurant in which we see a letter at least in English or with photos that allow us to know what we are going to eat for what in the end and seeing and at what time it is, We decided to go directly to the restaurant where we were having dinner yesterday and thus go directly to a safe bet.
We ordered a couple of squid dishes, which yesterday we liked very much, plus one of meat that although chilli looks in the photo, in the description it does not put anything "spicy"And we trust, something that as you can imagine, should never be done in China and in the end the meat was incredibly spicy, although delicious, all for 149RMB.

Dinner in Shanghai

And so when a few minutes past 11 pm we return to the Shanghai Fish Inn Hotel East Nanjing Road to take a shower and regain strength to continue tomorrow visiting a city as incredible as Shnaghái.

Day 4: What to see in Shanghai in two days: Xintiandi, Fuxing Park, Tianzifang, Jade Buddha Temple and ERA aerobatic show in Shanghai Circus World