What is the best way to spend 48 hours in Shanghai? That was the question I spent hours researching prior to my trip to this fun city.

**This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Privacy Policy and Disclosures Statement for more information.**

Lucky for me, I have a cousin that lives in China and when he and his now wife decided to get married, I had the opportunity to take my first trip to Asia for their wedding!

On this trip, we flew directly from New York City to Shanghai before taking a high speed train to the city that the wedding would be taking place in. Before we flew back to the states, we had the time to spend two days in Shanghai.

In this post, I’ll guide you through how to spend 48 hours in Shanghai!

Day One

Morning

Start your morning with baozi and tea. Baozi (bao) buns are steamed yeast buns filled with anything from meat, seafood or vegetables to sweet custard. Char siu bao are my favorite with Cantonese barbeque pork on the inside.

For a delicious Cantonese style appetizer, try out my Pork Belly Bao recipe!

After filling up with bao, make your way to Yu (Yuyuan) Garden. This garden was built in 1559 during the reign of Ming Emperor Jiajing to be the private garden of Pan Yunduan.

These majestic gardens have pathways through nearly five acres. Most visitors come to see the Exquisite Jade Rock.

Each of the six regions of the garden are protected by these beautiful dragon walls. The dragon pictured below holds a toad under its chin. In ancient Chinese mythology, the dragon represents power and luck while the toad represents longevity. When together, they are all the more powerful.

Evening

In the afternoon, book a private tour to the Zhujiajiao Water Town. By private car it takes about an hour to get there from Shanghai.

This magical city sits just outside of Shanghai and was established more than 1,700 years ago. Old buildings still line the waterways such as banks, spice & rice shops and even a Qing dynasty post office!

As you can imagine, the city has been modernized to keep up with the tourists of today. Despite this, you can still find plenty of old world charm.

Read a book by the river, stop in some of the small shops or enjoy a cup of tea. For dinner, stop in a restaurant and enjoy some authentic Chinese specialties.

Day Two

Morning

Make a visit to the Shanghai World Financial Center. This building is the second tallest building in China and it’s design makes it look like a giant bottle opener. The building stands 1,622 feet high and has 101 floors. The top of the building is an observation deck which is exactly what you will want to check out.

A ticket to the top costs about $28 per person and purchasing your ticket ahead of time will allow you to skip the line at the entrance. Once you arrive at the observation deck, it’s easy to feel the swaying of the building while you walk across the glass floor.

For lunch, you only need to head down a couple of floors to the The Bar (located within the Park Hyatt). From here, enjoy a delicious lunch while soaking in the views of the Bund.

After lunch, make your way to the Jade Buddha Temple. The original temple was built in 1882 but destroyed during the revolution to Qing Dynasty. Luckily, the two jade Buddha statues from Burma were saved and they were once again housed here when the temple was rebuilt in 1928. This temple feels like a sanctuary hidden amongst the high rises and hustle and bustle of the city.

Tickets that include the entrance fee and viewing of both Buddha statues costs about $5.

Evening

For dinner, visit the Michelin restaurant, Xindalu China Kitchen. Here you can enjoy some traditional dishes such as roasted Peking duck and a pyramid of braised pork.

We had dinner here on our last night in Shanghai and it was such a great meal to end our trip. The restaurant is centered around an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs create their magical dishes.

For a look at their menu, click here.

Please note that some of these restaurants and sites may be closed due to Covid19. It is always best to check directly with the business prior to making plans to visit!

Locations & Ticket Fees

Yuyuan Garden

279 Yuyuan Old Street

Huangpu, Shanghai, China

40cny (approximately $6.30) April – June & September – November, 30cny (approximately $4.50) July – August & December – March

Open 9am – 4pm. Closed Mondays.

Jade Buddha Temple

170 Anyuan Road

Jing’an, Shanghai, China

20cny (approximately $3) entrance fee, additional (approximately $1.50) 10cny to view both Buddha statues

Open daily 8am – 4:30pm

Shanghai World Financial Center

100 Century Avenue

Pudong, Shanghai, China

180cny (approximately $28)

Open daily 8am – 10pm

Xindalu China Kitchen

199 Huangpu Road

Hongkou District, Shanghai, China

Open daily 11am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 10pm

How would you spend 48 hours in Shanghai? Let me know what else you would add to your trip!