Shanghai.com.sg
Plan
All itineraries

Shanghai + Hangzhou in 2 Days

An hour on the high-speed train separates Shanghai's skyline from West Lake's causeways, and the contrast is the point of this route. Day one is city — waterfront, garden, dumplings, the Bund at night. Day two is water, tea terraces and a pagoda at sunset.

Length
2 days
Cities
Shanghai · Hangzhou
Best for
Travellers who want one big city and one classic Chinese landscape.
Getting between cities
1 hour by high-speed rail from Shanghai Hongqiao (¥73 second class), or 3 hours by car.

Day 1 — Shanghai: Concession Streets & Art Deco

  1. 09:00

    The Bund Promenade

    The waterfront in daylight first — the banking houses and trading offices read very differently before the lights go on

    Instead of this

    • Shanghai Museum — Bronze, jade and calligraphy in a striking building
    • Lujiazui Skyline Walk — Walk among the Pudong supertalls from ground level
  2. 10:30

    French Concession Walk

    Tree-lined avenues of plane trees, art deco apartment blocks and garden villas — the quietest part of central Shanghai

    Instead of this

    • Fuxing Park — French-style garden with afternoon leisure and plane-tree shade
    • Wukang Road Citywalk — Shanghai's most photogenic street, starting at the iconic Wukang Mansion
  3. 12:30

    Jiashan Market & Tianzifang Area

    Lunch in the artsy lane houses — craft coffee, small studios, and the city's café culture at its densest

    Instead of this

    • Yang's Fried Dumplings — Crispy-bottomed shengjianbao — Shanghai's other dumpling star
    • Huxinting Teahouse — Iconic zigzag-bridge teahouse in the heart of Old City
  4. 15:00

    Wukang Road & Wukang Mansion

    The flat-iron building at the fork and the villa-lined streets behind it — the concession at its most photographed

    Instead of this

    • Jade Buddha Temple — One of Shanghai's most active Buddhist temples, featuring exquisite jade statues
    • M50 Art District — Converted textile factories housing contemporary galleries
  5. 17:30

    Hengshan Road Aperitif

    Classic bar street under the plane trees, in the historical villas — a short early drink before the walk

    Instead of this

    • Xintiandi Evening — Dining and nightlife in restored Shikumen lane houses
    • Fuxing Park — French-style garden with afternoon leisure and plane-tree shade
  6. 19:30

    Bund Night Walk

    A local guide walks you along the Bund after dark — the lit-up Pudong skyline, the historic waterfront façades, and the stories behind them. English-led, max 8 guests. The natural close to a day spent on the city's architecture.

    Tue · Thu · Sun · 19:30–20:30

    Instead of this

    • Jazz at the Peace Hotel — Live jazz in the legendary 1920s Art Deco ballroom on the Bund
    • Huangpu River Night Cruise — A separate option: a boat cruise along the Huangpu River, with the lit skylines of the Bund and Pudong on both banks.

Day 2 — 🚅 Shanghai → Hangzhou (1 hr HSR)

  1. 08:00

    High-Speed Rail to Hangzhou

    1 hr from Shanghai Hongqiao — ¥73 second class

  2. 10:30

    West Lake Cruise

    Boat ride past Three Pools Mirroring the Moon and Su Causeway

    Instead of this

    • Bai Causeway Walk — Lakeside promenade with weeping willows and lotus ponds
    • Flower Harbor Park — Peaceful garden with koi ponds and seasonal blooms
  3. 14:00

    Longjing Tea Village & Lunch

    Tour tea plantations, taste Dragon Well green tea and dine

    Instead of this

    • Nine Creeks Trail — Scenic hiking path through tea terraces and bamboo groves
    • Bamboo-Lined Path at Yunqi — Serene bamboo forest walk near the tea villages
  4. 17:00

    Leifeng Pagoda Sunset

    Panoramic West Lake views from the legendary pagoda

    Instead of this

    • Broken Bridge at Dusk — West Lake's most romantic spot — where the legend of White Snake began
    • Xiaoying Island — Boat to the Three Pools islet — the scene on the 1 RMB coin

Other itineraries