Shanghai Breakfast Trail: Shengjian Bao, Scallion Noodles and the Wet Market

Shanghai eats its best food before nine in the morning, standing up, for small money. This day starts at that hour and on purpose. The traditional breakfast set known here as the four great kings - a savoury flatbread, a long fried dough stick, hot soy milk and a roll of sticky rice - is sold from street-front counters across the old city and the former concession districts.

The middle of the day is the shengjian: a pork bun with soup inside it, pan-fried so the base sets hard and the top stays soft, sold by the paper at the door of a shop that makes nothing else. In between comes a working wet market, which is where a Shanghai kitchen actually starts. Lunch is deliberately plain and deliberately local - scallion oil noodles, spring onions cooked slowly in oil until they are dark and sweet, tossed through plain noodles with a few small plates alongside.

All food and drink on this route is payable locally and is not included in the price shown. Tell us at enquiry about allergies or anything you will not eat and we will route the day around it; this is a food programme and it adapts easily.

• The four great kings - flatbread, dough stick, hot soy milk and sticky rice roll - from a street counter
• Shengjian bao made in front of you, in batches, on a heavy iron griddle
• A neighbourhood wet market: live crab, water bamboo, dried scallops, pickles
• Scallion oil noodles for lunch, one of the city's least expensive signature dishes
• Ordering done by your guide, with allergies and dislikes routed around in advance

• 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

All food, drink and market purchases on this route are payable locally on the day and are not included in the price shown. Your guide orders and settles each stop with you, and the food on this route is inexpensive - the whole day rarely costs more per person than a single restaurant dinner. We confirm a budget with you before you book if you would like one.

What this day is. A private guided food walk with the guide doing the ordering and the explaining, not a restaurant booking with a car. Expect to stand and eat at some stops; we keep the walking short and the car follows throughout for anyone who wants to sit down.

Practical notes. The start is early - most of what makes this day good is finished by about ten in the morning. Bring a tolerance for crowds in the market and ask before photographing stallholders. Vegetarian groups can be accommodated but should tell us in advance, as several of the signature stops are meat-based.

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour. Only your own party travels with the guide and vehicle, so the pace and the order of stops can be adjusted on the day.

Q: What is the best season for this itinerary?
A: April to June and September to November bring the mildest weather and clearest light. The programme runs year round, and we adjust the daily timings in mid-summer and winter.

Q: Can you handle dietary requirements and accessibility needs?
A: Yes. Vegetarian, halal, gluten-free and allergy-aware menus are arranged when you tell us in advance. Step-free and low-mobility versions of the route can also be planned.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your travel 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.