Shanghai — City of the Future: 6-day program between old and new

Shanghai does not choose between past and future — it holds both at once. The colonial Bund faces Pudong's towers across the Huangpu, and a Ming garden sits three blocks from a luxury mall. Six days is the minimum to feel that tension rather than just photograph it.

Day-by-day

Day 1 — Arrival and the Bund at dusk. Hotel check-in; evening walk along the Bund. Pudong's towers lighting up across the river is the right introduction. Briefing dinner.

Day 2 — Pudong and the French Concession. Morning in Lujiazui: Oriental Pearl Tower base, SWFC observation deck (or Shanghai Tower's 118th-floor Sky Walk). Afternoon in the French Concession — plane trees, Art Deco townhouses, lane cafés. Evening: one-hour Huangpu night cruise.

Day 3 — Zhujiajiao water town. 48 km west: a 1,700-year-old canal town. Early start before the crowds. Stone bridges, canal-side dim sum, 30-minute punt through the backwaters. Return by afternoon.

Day 4 — Yu Garden, Old City, Xintiandi. Morning in the 1559 Yu Garden: pavilions, zigzag bridges, koi ponds. Xiaolongbao lunch in the Old City. Afternoon in Xintiandi's restored shikumen precinct: galleries and the CPC First Congress site museum.

Day 5 — Shanghai Museum and Tianzifang. Morning at the Shanghai Museum — bronzes, ceramics, jade. Lunch nearby. Afternoon in Tianzifang's lane arts quarter: studios, vintage posters, rooftop tea rooms. Evening free in Jing'an.

Day 6 — Departure. Late breakfast; optional Long Museum or Fangbang antiques walk; transfer to Pudong Airport.

What's included / who it suits

Five nights at 4-star hotels (French Concession or Jing'an preferred). Return airfare via connecting hub (package booking). Private transfers. English-speaking AMIST guide. All entrance fees. Hotel breakfasts; two group meals (Day 3 dim sum, Day 4 xiaolongbao). Huangpu night cruise. Russian travel insurance. Suits architects, design professionals, food-focused travellers, couples — anyone who has seen Beijing and wants Shanghai's counterpoint. No strenuous demands.

Practical notes

• Duration: 6 days / 5 nights.
• From price: ₽95 000 per person (≈ $1 050) double occupancy. Single supplement on request.
• Departures: March–June and September–November; private arrangement in summer and winter.
• Group size: 4 to 10 guests; private departures from 2 year-round.
• Visa: L-category Chinese tourist visa; AMIST provides documentation support. Allow 4–7 business days via Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk consular service.
• Best season: March–May (magnolias and cherry blossom) and October–November (lower humidity). June–September: heat and typhoon risk; December–February: cool and quieter.
• Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY). Carry cash for markets; Alipay and WeChat Pay almost everywhere — guide assists.
• Getting around: Metro is excellent; guide registers your travel card. Taxis and DiDi are cheap. Bund–Pudong ferry: under one yuan.
• What to bring: Smart-casual clothing, walking shoes, umbrella, power bank, VPN.

Why we run it

AMIST has run China programs since 2001 — Shanghai is the counterpoint to Beijing: history versus energy and design. Too many visitors compress it into two days and miss everything beyond the Bund. Six days is the minimum to truly feel this city. Our partners know the lanes, the timing, and which tables to book in advance.