You are going to be in China and you only have a couple of days, around 8 days maybe, to explore some parts of this huge country. I recommend Shanghai and Beijing in One Week
Or maybe you want to spend most of your time in other cities in the south and center of China, rather than the most mainstream and international cities, you know the most touristy ones.
But. if your issue is time-related, I would say go visit Shanghai and Beijing.
These are the 2 major cities most airlines fly to, chances are you’re going to one of them already, and they are well connected to each other.
And if you do have a lot of time, and you want to explore many parts of China.
I’d still recommend you to visit Shanghai- the city with the best skyline in Asia- and Beijing because THE GREAT WALL that’s why.
You just have to see it.
What comes now is a list of the different things you can do in these cities. Shanghai and Beijing in One Week
I’ll also share information about, where to stay, and other data that will make you want to go, hopefully.
Shanghai-The Bund
This is the most modern and the biggest financial hub in China. The heart of the city is located at the Bund, a waterfront area with colonial buildings facing the modern Skyline of Shanghai.
The Bund was originally a British settlement, that’s why there are many colonial buildings.
This place is perfect for walking around at night time or in the morning. You can enjoy both the beauty of the traditional European side of the Bund as well as the modern side of the city just right across.
Rooftop Bars-Shanghai
If you’re looking for a nice rooftop bar in Shanghai to go and have one or two drinks and get a really good look at the Skyline of the city you can go to the Peninsula Hotel.
Just go to their rooftop bar, relax and take some pictures.
Closest metro station to the Peninsula and The Bund is Nanjing East Road on Line 2
Since I just talked about rooftop bars, here’s another rooftop bar in Shanghai you can go to get a different look of the city.
Go to the Ritz Carlton Shanghai PUDONG, do not mistake it with the Portman Ritz-Carlton.
At the rooftop bar of the Ritz Carlton Pudong , called Flair Rooftop Restaurant and Bar, click here for their website, you’ll be able to catch a cool close look of the pearl tower.
I couldn’t help to take a selfie
Closest metro station to the Ritz Carlton Pudong is Lujiazui on line 2
What else can I do or see in Shanghai?
Yu Garden and Bazaars-Shanghai
The exact address of this place is 218 Anren St, Huangpu Qu, Shanghai Shi, China, 200000
The closest metro station is Yuyuan garden station, you can walk around the shopping areas free of charge. There is a small fee to pay to enter the garden area.
What is exactly this place? a nice and beautiful garden with a big shopping area around it.
But to be honest, they should call it Yu Shopping center, I think that’s more suitable.
First of all this place is crowded most of the time, like seriously crowded, so is it still worth going there and take a look? I say yes, every traveling experience is different.
I must say that I did like the design of the buildings, there are many details in every angle you see.
And the pond area is quite nice too. If you’re looking for souvenirs this is also the right place for it, as it is full of stores selling Chinese everything.
There’s a lot of history to this place. The garden was built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty. It went through different wars that destroyed its original structure and has been restored a couple of times.
Maybe the nicest and most interesting spot in these 2 hectares garden is Huxinting Tea House.
A tea house that first opened its doors in 1855, is located at the yu garden pond.
If you decide to go inside and have tea please be aware that the prices here are high.
You won’t be paying just for tea, you’ll also be paying for the whole old tea house experience with many tea options and old ladies playing Chinese music instruments.
But if you get a table by the window, you’ll get to relax having a cup of tea while watching the crowds of people walking around and you’ll say to yourself, Thank God I’m not down there.
Tianzifang- Shanghai
The exact address is 210弄 Taikang Rd, DaPuQiao, Huangpu Qu, China, the closest metro station is Dapuqiao station on line 9, take exit 1.
This is another shopping area where you’ll find different boutique shops and some bars and restaurants as well.
Oh and also small coffee shops, it was crowded when I visited but I must say it was more likable than the Bazaars at Yu garden.
The lanes in this area are very small. It used to be a residential area in what once was the French Concession.
This touristy area is picturesque and also quite big. There are hundreds of stores. Here’s a post I found about stores to visit while in Tianzifang, from cake shops to cat cafes, check it here
I visited the cat cafe and it was nice- I like cats- but it’s a bit annoying when you’re trying to eat or drink something and then a cat jumps on the table. After a while it got old for me.
Another place tourists in Shanghai go to is
Nanjing Road-Shanghai
Sometimes referred to as China’s premier shopping street. In this area, you’ll find European designer brands as well as traditional food vendors, is kind of like a mix of the old and the new.
If you go during night time, when is the most lively, you’ll encounter a busy street full of people shopping and enjoying themselves among the bright neon lights.
You can reach this road by metro, you can get off at East Nanjing Road station or West Nanjing road station.
Just so you have an idea of what you can find here, well there are around 500 stores offering different luxury brands that include Prada, Channel, Tiffany, Omega, Mont Blanc and more.
There are also around 100 stores that carry more traditional products such as jade, silk, wood, clocks and more.
So if you’re looking for good quality products and you’re willing to pay the price for it then Nanjing road is the place to go.
Oh, and you can also find many food stores selling traditional Chinese food. Here’s a list of 5 food stores on Nanjing Road that stand out from the rest.
- Shen Da Cheng: Sells moon cakes with meat fillings
- Shao Wan Sheng: Sells wine cured crabs and mud snails
- Shanghai First Food Hall: Sells various snacks including traditional cakes
- Wangjiasha Pastry Shop: Sells wontons, desserts, and special snacks for traditional Chinese festivals
- Zhen Lao Da Fang: Sells smoked fish and moon cakes with meat fillings
If you’re excited about visiting Nanjing Road and want to know more details please click here.
oh, and if you’re looking for a more religious place in the middle of the city, to go and see how locals express their faith.
You’ll be glad to know that at the end of West Nanjing road you’ll find the famous Jing an Temple.
Jing An Temple-Shanghai
This is the last Shanghai Spot in this Shanghai and Beijing in One Week post.
This temple will definitely catch your attention. There is a 4 sided statue of golden lions at the doorway which is very impressive and unique in style.
I’ve never seen anything like it before in my almost 4 years traveling throughout Asia.
Jing an temple is also the oldest temple in Shanghai. It was first built around 800 years ago, but I say this is debatable.
The temple was first located by the bank of Wusong River and later moved to its current location. It was also burnt down to the ground and then completely rebuilt.
So, I think is fair to say that this current version of the temple is not the real original one, but is still beautiful and interesting.
- Opening hours: 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM
- Entrance fee: RMB 50
- Closest metro station: Jing An Temple on line 2 or 7
Other places you can visit in Shanghai include, Disneyland -The biggest Disneyland in the world.
They have an area called Disney Town, full of restaurants and souvenir stores, you don’t need to enter the park, Disneytown is outside the park.
They have a cheesecake factory there in case you wanna have cheesecake.
To get to Disney town get on the metro, line 2 and get off at Shanghai Science Station.
You can also make a day tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town. You can reach this ancient town by taking the metro, go to line 17 and get off at Zhujiajiao Station. For more details about this water town please click here
For an updated map and full details of Shanghai metro line please click here
Before we move to Beijing there is one more thing I want to talk about and is where to stay in Shanghai?
Where to stay in Shanghai?
Whenever I travel to a city with a big metro line, I try to stay in a central location within their metro map.
That way I know that anywhere I want to go, using the metro line will be somewhat convenient.
I recommend you to look for a hotel near Jing An station on line 2.
If you stay around this station, you’ll be only minutes away from the west and east Nanjing station, yu yuan garden station, people’s square station and Lujiazui station.
That last station is the one you need to get off at to go see Pearl Tower.
So as you can see, getting a hotel near Jing An station or any of the stations mentioned above is a good idea.
And here’s a good hotel deal I want to share with you. If you’ve ever wanted to stay at a high-end hotel, you know super luxurious, this is your chance.
One night at the Portman Ritz Carlton goes for around 170 USD a night. That is cheap when you compare it to the other Ritz Carlton in Shanghai (340 USD a night) or The Ritz at Tokyo (1000 USD a night)
The hotel is super clean and nice, is a 5 stars hotel after all, oh and is located near Jing An station, the location is super convenient.
How to Go from Shanghai to Beijing?
The easiest and most reliable way to get from the beautiful city of Shanghai to the ancient capital of China is by train.
You can book your ticket using Ctrip – this is the site I used- change the language to English if needed and choose the train option, here’s the link
I booked a ticket from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to Beijing South. First class tickets sell for around 140 USD and the whole ride takes around 5 hours.
Once your booking is successful you’ll receive a confirmation email with a booking number. Print that out and take it with you on the day you go to the Railway station, show it at the ticket booth and you’ll get your tickets.
Why didn’t I take a flight? well, a lot of friends advised me to not do it. Apparently, domestic flights have a tendency to be delayed or canceled, and also, I think traveling on a train is more entertaining, so I went for the train.
Hongqiao Railway station is accessible by metro. If you happen to be staying near line number 2 just get in the metro and head towards Hongqiao Railway Station, is that easy.
After you get out of the metro you’ll still have to walk for around 8 minutes.
If you’re carrying many suitcases and traveling with children then maybe a Taxi is a better option.
Just make sure the taxi driver understands you’re going to Hongqiao Railway Station and not Hongqiao International Airport
So after 5 hours, you’ll arrive in Beijing. Let’s begin with the second part of this Shanghai and Beijing in One Week post.
Where to Stay in Beijing?
I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, Beijing Dongzhimen. The nearest metro station to this hotel is Dongzhimen station, which is still a 13 minutes walk away but the area is nice and safe.
As you would expect this is a very affordable hotel, for a total of 4 nights I paid 305 USD, a room for 2.
Also, Dongzhimen station is directly connected to terminal 2 and terminal 1 of Beijing Capital International Airport. In case you decided to take a flight, they’re connected by the Airport line.
If you’re getting to Beijing through the Beijing South Railway Station then once you’re there take line 4 and go to Xuanwumen station, here you have to transfer to line 2 and go to Dongzhimen station.
Line 2 of Beijing’s metro system is the ring line. This means that it moves in a circular direction.
This makes it super convenient as you’ll be able to transfer to many of the other lines with ease.
If you want an updated map of Beijing’s metro/subway system and many other details about all the lines please click here
If this is your first time in Beijing for sure you’re gonna want to go and see
The Great Wall- Beijing
So as you know the Great Wall of China is huge. There are quite a few different spots people like to go to.
I recommend you to take a look at the following article so you know what you want and what to expect 10 Parts of The Great Wall to Visit
There are spots that are crowded with local tourists, there are some, where you can make use of cable cars up and down.
Some sections are very steep and challenging to climb. There is even one section that is lit up at night time and people can visit during and after the sunset.
Take your time to figure out what area of the wall best fits your needs and physical condition.
Also how much time you want to spend traveling to the spot, some of these spots are 1 hour and a half drive away from the center of Beijing. Others are 3 hours and a half.
How exactly do I get there?’
The easiest and most convenient way is to book a tour when you get to your hotel. Don’t worry you don’t have to get on a big bus and follow someone with a flag all day long.
The tour I joined was smaller. At the lobby of the hotel, I took a look at some Great Wall tour brochures and asked the receptionist to help me book a tour.
Similar Tourist Destination in Asia and Europe
The next day I was picked up by a minivan and they took me to the wall. The tour I joined also had the option to have a traditional Chinese meal in a restaurant in a different location.
They also took us to some tea and souvenir shops.
The Tour I joined also included a visit to the Ming Tombs.
What are the Ming Tombs?
They are a Unesco World Heritage site. Just like the name states it these are the tombs where emperors of the Ming dynasty were buried. The first tomb was build in 1409 by Zhu Di, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Not every tomb is open to the public. There is a museum of old relics and just like in any other tourist site, you’ll also find a souvenir shop.
I visited this place as part of a tour, but if you’re feeling adventurous and want to go there on your own by public transportation is also possible. Click here for more info.
The Forbidden City- Beijing
A highlight of this Shanghai and Beijing in One Week adventure.
It was called the Forbidden city because during the Qing and Ming dynasty commoners -like you and me- were not allowed to enter this Palace. This place was only for royalty and high officials.
People also call it the Palace Museum. This place was home to emperors and their house halls. It was also a center for political and religious ceremonies, it was occupied this way for around 500 years.
The forbidden city stopped being the house of emperors and the center of political power in China in 1912, when the last emperor of China abdicated.
Later in history -1933- the Japanese invasion would force the evacuation of most of the treasures in the Forbidden City.
The treasures would eventually return to the city, only for half of them to be taken to Taiwan amid the civil war of China events in 1948.
The National Palace Museum, Taiwan.
How to go to the Forbidden city?
- The closest metro/subway station is Tian anmen East, take Exit A, from there you have to walk 16 minutes.
- The Forbidden City opens from 8:30 AM to 5 PM
- The ticket price is 60 CNY from April to October and 40 CNY from November to March.
You can also rent an audio guide that works with a GPS, so as you’re walking the device will recognize in which area of the Forbidden City you are and will start explaining the history behind it.
For more details about the Forbidden city please click here
Another place you can visit on the same day as the Forbidden City is Tiananmen Square, they are next to each other.
Tiananmen Square- Beijing
Make your way through the Tiananmen square and you’ll find the Forbidden City.
The name -Tiananmen- translates to English as Gate of Heavenly Peace. It’s pretty much a huge square in the middle of the city. It has strong historical importance as many events that have defined China as we see it today have taken place here.
This place has also seen many wars go by, it’s been partially burnt and destroyed and then rebuilt a couple of times.
Maybe the biggest threat Tiananmen and the Forbidden city faced was when the French and British, during the second opium war of 1860, threatened to burn the gate and the whole city down.
Fortunately, the Europeans decided not to and instead burnt down the old summer palace.
Here’s a panoramic view of Tiananmen Square.
I think is totally worth it to take a couple of hours of your day to walk around this place and learn a bit of Chinese history. Don’t forget your sunscreen if you go during the summer.
You can reach the square by metro, just get off at Tiananmen east or west station.
Don’t be surprised if you run into a police checkpoint and they search your belongings. This is pretty common in any tourist attraction in Beijing, and they don’t only search foreigners, also locals.
Actually I heard that they are more strict with local visitors as they don’t want anyone starting any protest in the square.
It’s also common to go through a security checkpoint when you enter metro stations.
I had a bottle of water in my backpack and they asked me to drink a bit in front of them to prove it was water.
It didn’t bother me at all, I actually felt safe to know that there are a lot of policemen around to make sure no one creates trouble.
Would you like to explore more of Beijing? Then head to
Temple of Heaven- Beijing
The place where emperors would come and pray to heaven for a good harvest.
This magnificent temple is located in the southeastern part of central Beijing.
The closest metro station is Tiantan Dong men station on line 5, take exit A and you’ll find the east gate of the temple of heaven.
Inside this religious complex, you’ll find one specific building that steals the show. I’m talking about the Hall of Prayers for Good Harvest.
This is the building where the emperor would get on his knees and pray for a good harvest. This circular building is completely made out of wood with no nails.
Unfortunately, a lightning strike burnt the original building in 1889. The building was rebuilt after that.
Another structure that most likely will catch your attention is the circular mound Altar. An empty circular platform with beautiful Chinese details, this is where the emperors would come to pray for good weather.
For details about ticket types and prices please click here
Lama Temple- Beijing
9 Incredible Buddha Temples in East Asia
The last major tourist spot I will mention in this Shanghai and Beijing in One Week post is the Lama temple.
I really want to encourage you to go and see this Temple. It really is one of the most interesting ones I’ve seen around Asia so far.
This temple also goes by other names like The Yonghe temple or Yonghe Lamasery temple.
It’s a temple of the Tibetan School of Buddhism, the design of this religious building is a mixture of Han Chinese and Tibetan style.
- The closest metro station is Yonghegong Lama Temple on line 2
- Opens from 9 am to 5 pm
- Entrance dee is 25 Chinese Yuan per person
Conclusion
Shanghai and Beijing have a lot to offer. Rooftop bars, shopping streets, convenient metro systems, and beautiful temples.
Going from Shanghai to Beijing or vice-versa is super easy using High-Speed Trains. If you decide to visit both cities you’ll have a good time for sure.
Do you think there’s something else I should include in this Shanghai and Beijing in One Week post? Let me know in the comments
Thank you for reading.