3-Day Modern Shanghai: Skyline, Architecture & Design

Shanghai is the clearest place in China to see a city rebuild itself in public. This three-day programme moves between the two banks of the Huangpu — the treaty-port facades of the Bund on one side, the Lujiazui towers on the other — and then into the districts where design and conservation are actually being tested: M50, Sinan Mansions, the French Concession and the reclaimed industrial waterfront. Architecture and urban-planning commentary is a standing part of the guiding throughout.

• The Bund promenade, read building by building — the HSBC dome, the Customs House clock and the treaty-port banks that made Shanghai a financial city
• Lujiazui across the river: the Shanghai Tower, the Jin Mao Tower and the World Financial Center, and how the skyline was zoned and built
• The Shanghai Tower observation deck, looking down on the curve of the Huangpu and the grid of the old city
• M50 on Moganshan Road — the converted mill that became Shanghai's contemporary art district, gallery by gallery
• The French Concession's plane-tree streets: Wukang Road, Fuxing Park and the villas of the 1920s and 1930s
• Sinan Mansions, a restored block of 1920s garden houses read as an urban-conservation case study
• Shanghai's infrastructure lesson: the Maglev line, the metro network and the riverside redevelopment of the former shipyards
• Water-town contrast at Zhujiajiao, where the Jiangnan canal plan still sets the street pattern

• Accommodation for 2 nights at a 4-star or equivalent hotel, twin share, with daily breakfast
• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfasts and lunches as shown)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• Meals other than those listed, and all beverages
• Personal expenses, laundry, telephone and travel insurance
• Any observation deck or exhibition ticket not named in the itinerary
• Gratuities for the guide and driver

A three-day architecture and urban-design programme, led by an English-speaking guide

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour for your own party, with a dedicated English-speaking guide and vehicle.

Q: Are airport transfers included?
A: Yes. Arrival and departure transfers in Shanghai are included, and your guide meets you with a name sign at the airport or rail station.

Q: Can the itinerary be customised?
A: Yes. Days can be added, removed or swapped, hotel categories upgraded, and business or school visits arranged, all before you confirm.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your dates and group size for a same-day quotation. A deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due before arrival, and prices are guaranteed for 7 days.