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Give yourself a couple of hours to stroll the Bund, preferably at night or early morning. For more of a perspective, get sweeping views of the Bund from the Pudong side (take the tourist tunnel or the metro) and then visit the Jinmao Tower. For something special, eat at M on the Bund, or the Grand Hyatt if in Pudong (reservations advised at both).
To fill out the first day take the metro to the Shanghai Museum, one of China's finest, which deserves the best part of half a day.
The other great attraction of Shanghai is the old town, incorporating Yuyuan Gardens and the surrounding teahouses and bazaar, so take a taxi here for your second day. If you don't like crowds then give this a miss at the weekends. After a visit to Yuyuan Gardens add on a walk to Dongtai Lu Antique Market for some shopping and then take lunch (or dinner) at one of Xintiandi's trendy restaurants.
A Top Day in Shanghai
A city that never sleeps would be taking it too far, but Shanghai sure wakes early. By 5am rubber-legged grannies are limbering up on the Bund with taijiquan forms and stretching exercises.
I'm not too far behind - my one-year-old daughter Emma wakes punctually at . On the metro by with a copy of the Shanghai Daily and caffeine in the bloodstream, I'll be at the Bund within 30 minutes for a morning stroll.
The Bund always rewards exploration, especially in the early morning or as twilight turns to night. By the city has climbed the gears and is firing on all cylinders. Crackling with commercial energy, Shanghai is most introspective in its parks and shrines. A visit to the Confucius Temple in the Old Town brings tranquillity and solitude, followed by xiaolongbao (steamed dumplings) at the Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant in the (admittedly more frantic) Yuyuan Bazaar.
Recharged, I'll get a taxi to Renmin Square for an afternoon at the Shanghai Museum, and a swift visit to the Shanghai Art Museum if there's time. I'll reluctantly decline drinks at dusk on the Bund as I'd be retracing my steps, but dinner with friends at a French Concession restaurant is a must, sandwiched between drinks and chit-chat at neighbouring bars.
Author: Damian Harper
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