We only have 2 days / 2 nights in Shanghai, and it will be our first visit.

Please comment/advise on the following plan:

Day 1:
Explore Yu Gardens, Old Town, Dongtai Lu Antiques Market

Evening 1:
Boat cruise or walk along the Bund

Day 2:
French Concession Area
Xintiandi

Evening 2:
Visit Jimmao tower, cocktails at Cloud 9

I'm afraid we won't have time to visit a water village?
We'll be staying at Le Meridien, and figure we can see People's Park and the shopping Nanjing Road easily.

Any tips? Comments? Additions?

I really appreciate it!
Thanks so much!!
Dina

Your itinersry sounds good. If you're there on a weekend morning, walk out the back door of the Meridien and wander through People's Park. There will be lots of people ballroom dancing just as you walk out of the M.

Oh that sounds so nice!
We will be arriving on a Sunday morning around 11am, though. Do you think they'll still be there?

I was hoping for a few more comments!

Any thoughts on my itinerary?

Thanks!
dina

Be sure to eat lots of delicious dumplings in the Yu Gardens (upstairs!)I still dream of the dumpling feast we had there. If you'd like to read about our experience in Shanghai, here is the report:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ort-begins.cfm

I hope it helps and that you have a wonderful time in Shanghai.

Linda

With such short time it's hard to squeeze in a visit to a watertown, the closest one still needs 1/2 day. You are covering a lot in 2 days/nights.

Dima4,

You memtioned a visit to a water town. We have been to Shanghai twice, each time for a day. this last time we visited a water town.

On our first visit for one day, we did basicly what you have planned for your first day plus we walked along the Bund and had dinner at M on the Bund.

This last time we went to a water town. The water town visit took less than 1/2 a day. Then we wandered round areas of interest in Shanghai. Given what you are planning for your second day, you could visit the water town of Zhujiajiao and still have time for your other sites. I couldn't really find too much on this water town before hand, but we found it very interesting and well worth the time. We did go early and as you can see in the pictures there were no crowds.

Look at our pictures and report on our day in Shanghai this past March including including our visit to the water town, Zhujiajiao.

www.aroundtheworldin132days.blogspot.com

Click on March and zcroll down to March 11.

Have great time, we always enjoy Shanghai.

Thanks!

I enjoyed your trip reports, linda and cwn!

cwn - how much time would you say you spent inZhuijiajaio? It seems like you got there pretty early in the morning, but not sure if you were back at Taiking Road by lunch time? mid-afternoon?

thanks!!
dina

Dina:

You can take a look at my trip report for details on my own 6-day visit in 2007. I am heading back to Shanghai in March and will therefore have even more detail for you. On Day 1, you can also fit in a daytime walk along the Bund, so you can see the architecture better. (Provided that the present construction is over by the time of your arrival.) Or view the buildings from the other side of the river.

On Day 2, I would plan a lunch around a visit to Xintiandi--I loved DTF and Crystal Jade should also be a good bet. That area is quite Disney-ed up and worth a look only in combination with a good meal, in my opinion. YuYuan Gardens/Old Town is also very faked up--not worth much more than an hour or so unless you plan to do lots of shopping--prepare for masses of crowds, Starbucks, restaurants touting "tourist lunches," etc.

I will also be returning to the Meridien. One of the highlights for me last time was getting out early ( before 8am) at least one morning to see the ballroom dancers and exercisers on Nanjing Road and in the nearby Park. You can do this before breakfast. Then continue on to one breakfast at Jia Jia Tang Bao, and have breakfast the other day at the hotel's lavish buffet.

You did not mention the Shanghai Museum. You will likely have time for a visit on one of your days.


Since I have only three days, I was consumed with research about dinners and finally decided on these three places; you can look them up online and see what you think:

Fu 1088 (expensive)
Ji Shi
Xindalu

If you want info on shopping, there is some in a thread I began a few months back:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...d-all-else.cfm

Dina:

I am wondering, and worrying, about evening #1's boat cruise or walk along the Bund. When I was in Shanghai in October, the normally scenic Bund area was undergoing major renovation. It was a bit like seeing someone you think of as strapping and hale in the intensive care unit of a hospital. The Bund area was in darkness and not at all available for prime viewing.

With Expo 2010 due to open in May, it is possible that the Bund area will again be scenic by the time of your trip, but I would love for someone with more up-to-date knowledge to weigh in. You only have a couple of days in Shanghai so all time is precious.

Anyone?

Dina,

We left the Bund area at 8:45am and got to Zhujiajiao before 10am. It took about an hour to drive. The parking area was still empty...no tour groups yet. I would recommend going early...getting there by 9-9:30 would be great.

The shop keepers were just openning up, sweeping shop fronts etc. There were no tourist yet. The food stalls were just getting their first batches of hot food out to sell. It was interesting to watch the different things being made and cooked. It really smelled really good too. My husband tasted some and approved.

We walked the along the canals and visited some of the shops. Many older people were still sitting along the canal in front of their homes having tea and visiting with each other. It is not a big area, you can see everything in two hours, but was so different from downtown Shanghai, I am glad we made to effort. Really, for me it was my mental picture of what a small old village might look like.

We were back at Taiking Road by about 1pm. The plan was to have lunch there as there were several nice looking little cafe like places in the alley ways

The visit to Zhujiajiao is an easy half day and is best done early before the tour group arrive so you can see the area before it gets crowded. I know there are bigger and more famous water towns farer from Shanghai, but if a water town visit appeals to you this is a good one.

When I was researching on this board for things to do in Shanghai, someone recommended this 'water town' as a good example mainly because it was small and easy to get to and we would still have time to do some other things in the afternoon.

The Bund was under construction last March. It definitely messed up the view from the street and buildings, but once on the Bund you are still able to enjoy the views up and down the Bund and across the river. I can't really comment about the evening since it was still light when we sailed. Having seen it several years ago it was sum what of a disappointment!.

eskrunchy -
i've read your trip report and really loved it (as we'll be in seoul and beijing as well!)
i will check out the shopping thread, and thanks also for the restaurant recommendations!

cnw-
thanks for the details. it certainly seems doable to visit the water town if we leave early in the morning. it sounds like a wonderful side trip!!

marya -
good point (but sad) about the bund construction. we will be there the first week of march.
would love to know if anyone has been there very recently!

or if anyone has done a short river cruise...

thanks!!
dina

I hope you have a wonderful trip.

Ek, we'll be anxious to read your report when you return! I'll be in Hawaii in March... finally going to get a chance to meet Marksfour after our two-year correspondence.

Dina, I, too, would be interested to know if they have finished the work on the Bund. It was not a pretty view when we were there two years ago, but with the Expo coming up I suspect many construction projects have been completed. I'd expect the Bund to be one of the major attractions and looking its best by then, and hopefully by March.

Oh pleez, Linda, you know it'll be March 2011 before Ek can get to her TR!