On this tour, you'll discover the highlights of the vibrant Shanghai city ; from the old Chinese period to the futuristic city that never sleeps, going through the Chinese-and-Western architectural mix of the 19th century.
Just a step away from this bustling economic heart of China, you'll also explore the banks and rivers of Shanghai Venice, Zhujiajiao water town.
Day 1 - Shanghai
This morning, your driver and guide will meet you, and you will start your discovery of incredible Shanghai. You'll wander through the groves of the Chinese-style Yu Garden, built in 1577 by a government official for his parents to enjoy their old age. The garden is a perfect example of the Chinese rules for garden design, and its story a perfect example of Chinese filial obedience. Then, you'll walk across the small alleys of old Shanghai, and take a glimpse of life happening outside the shops and houses, until you reach the Jade Buddha Temple. This temple contains rare Buddha statues made of jade, and originally brought from Burma. You'll spend the afternoon discovering a more modern part of Shanghai, with a stroll on the Bund, the famous promenade along the Huangpu River, where the old colonial European buildings face the futuristic towers that have been sprouting up in the last 30 years. Pushed by curiosity, you'll climb (with the help of an elevator) one of those vertiginous towers to enjoy the view ; the Jinmao Tower is the 3rd tallest building in Shanghai (420.5 meters high, 88 floors). Finally, you'll enjoy a cruise on the Huangpu river, as you can get a "watery" point of view of this vibrant city, after the "airy" one. In the evening, your driver and guide will take you back to your hotel.
Hotel: Renaissance Yu
Day 2 - Shanghai (B)
Today, your guide and driver will meet you for a journey back in time at the Shanghai Museum. Through its numerous artifacts of ancient Chinese art, you will get a better understanding of Chinese philosophy and ancient wisdom. You will be amazed at the variety of art pieces and struck by the elegance and delicacy of some. In the afternoon, you will take a breath of fresh air strolling around in the former French concession. Loved by expat people, who find there the smell of home, this 8km-wide area was conceded to the French in 1849, after the Opium War, and it lasted for almost a century, until the Japanese got it back in 1943. Nowadays, this old residential neighborhood, scattered with plane trees, swings between the quiet air of the old days and the bustling new restaurants, bars and art places that decided to settle there. Your steps will take to the south of the former French concession, in Tianzifang, a small alley where abandoned warehouses and factories have been turned into art galleries; in Xintiandi, you will also discover the Shikumen, Western-and-Chinese architectural mix of Shanghai in the 19th century. In the end of your journey, your driver will take you back to your hotel.
Hotel: Renaissance Yu
Day 3 - Zhujiajiao (B)
This morning, after 2 days in the heart of Shanghai, your driver and guide will take you to Zhujiajiao, a nearby old village, known as one of the several “Shanghai Venices”. Zhujiajiao “Pearl Stream” is a traditional water town near Shanghai, full of bubbling streams and small rivers. The old city is connected by numerous old bridges that add to the charm of the village, and the houses' courtyards will not let you indifferent. On a small gondola, in the shade of the willow trees, you will visit the water town, relax and forget all about never-sleeping Shanghai city (and about all of your guide's explanations, too). In the evening, your driver will take you back to your hotel. At night, all freshened up, we suggest that you explore Nanjing Road, the pedestrian street where you'll have a glimpse of Shanghai's buildings by night, all illuminated.
Hotel: Renaissance Yu