Shanghai in 2 Days: The Lazy Traveler's Copy-Paste Guide
Don't want to plan? Don't want to backtrack? Don't want to get scammed? This 2-day Shanghai guide handles it all — just follow and eat.
Shanghai Highlights
The 2-Day Route
Two Perfect Days
Nanjing Road → Oriental Pearl → Lujiazui → IFC Mall → People's Square → Bund
Walk Nanjing Road for old Shanghai shopping vibes + breakfast at the classic shops. Head to Lujiazui for the Oriental Pearl close-up. Browse IFC Mall. Swing back to People's Square, then end at the Bund for sunset and the 7 PM light show.
Wukang Road → Anfu Road → Huaihai Middle Road → Jing'an Temple → Yu Garden → City God Temple
Wukang Road's ship-shaped building in the morning (Art Deco + plane trees = dreamy photos). Anfu Road for boutique shops and cafés. Huaihai Middle Road — plane-tree-lined walking with iapm Mall. Jing'an Temple — golden Buddhist temple in the middle of skyscrapers, spectacular at night. Finish at Yu Garden and City God Temple for evening atmosphere.
Where to Stay
- Nanjing Road / People's Square — Major subway junction, walking distance to the Bund, surrounded by old-school eateries (Shen Dacheng, Lao Shengchang)
- Near Jing'an Temple — Quieter but still central, Jiuguang Department Store nearby, plenty of restaurants
Food Picks
Li Bai Crab Riverside Restaurant — crab roe noodles: mix it up and every strand is coated in rich, glossy crab. The osmanthus rice wine soft cheese is the perfect palate-cleanser — sweet but not cloying.
Waitan Jiayan Shanghai Cuisine — osmanthus braised pork is melt-in-mouth, veggie rice with lard aroma is incredible, paired with pickled cabbage bamboo shoot yellow croaker... heavenly. ⚠️ Only 2 real locations: 80 Jiujiang Road and 22 Bund. Everything else is fake!
💡 Pro Tips
- ¥2 Huangpu River ferry beats the expensive cruise ships — better value, same views, more authentic vibes
- Bund too crowded? Go to the North Bund instead — you get the International Architecture row AND the Lujiazui trio in the same frame, plus a peaceful riverside promenade
- The only spot to see the full, unobstructed Oriental Pearl is from Jiujiang Road on the Bund
- Anfu Road and Wukang Road are right next to each other — walk both, or pick one if short on time
- Best night scenes: Bund, Lujiazui, Yu Garden/City God Temple, Jing'an Temple — all incredible after dark
- If you have a 3rd day, add Shanghai Disneyland
🗺️ This guide is part of the Shanghai Map Pack
Get the offline map with GPS-calibrated pins for all locations in this guide — plus 6 more map layers including food, CityWalk routes, and survival essentials.
