Shanghai Trip

[richey]

Guys,

I am looking to spend sometime touring Shanghai. Need help in recommending places of interests to visit, as well as cheapest airline to fly there.

I am strictly looking to fly either in June or July. Spend maybe 2 weeks there.

Objective: Checkout the place, sight seeing, cheap deals, unique place etc.

Problem: dont want to spend too much on the air tickets. Lodging no issue as i can live at my relative place.

Any reco? I have google and most airlines are charging $450-$550 on economy class. Am hoping something within $300

 

[beanstalk6]

Tickets to Shanghai for less than $300? Tough. The closest you get is perhaps via Jetstar Asia, and yet those are to Hangzhou, so you have to factor in the land transport to/from Shanghai. Since you have 2 weeks, which is a quite a long duration to spend in Shanghai itself, I will suggest that you visit Hangzhou as well, so it becomes a destination in itself.

 

[swatchie]

Can visit Suzhou or Nanjing as well. 2 weeks is too long to spend solely in Shanghai.

 

[grungeattitude]

Guys,

I am looking to spend sometime touring Shanghai. Need help in recommending places of interests to visit, as well as cheapest airline to fly there.

I am strictly looking to fly either in June or July. Spend maybe 2 weeks there.

Objective: Checkout the place, sight seeing, cheap deals, unique place etc.

Problem: dont want to spend too much on the air tickets. Lodging no issue as i can live at my relative place.

Any reco? I have google and most airlines are charging $450-$550 on economy class. Am hoping something within $300

can't help you with the airline cause i always fly SQ as i travel for work, but based on what my colleagues in china say it seems Air china or china southern may be the cheapest...you can try cathay as well if you dont mind transit HK (may not be a bad idea)

Two weeks is a long time.
I'm sure you already have the typical tourist stuff on your plan e.g. bund, oriental tower etc. Aside from those i recommend these other attractions (with links leading to some photos/reviews based on my previous experience there)

french concession 法租区- area where the old french concession is, loads of European-styled architecture, beautiful stores/houses. near julu road
Tianzifang 田子坊 - an entire area full of alleyways with souvenir stores, cafe, restaurants selling quirky stuff/offering different kinds of food.
jingan villa 静安别墅 - small alley that consists of linong (narrow alleys where people live) what is cluttered with housing and quirky little stores/cafes.

wusongkou pao taiwan wetland park - wetland park about 1 hr away from central shanghai by train. beautiful, quiet, and un-touristy. it's totally off the radar and not what tourists would do but i'm recommending this because you're there for 2 whole weeks.

people's square/park - great for people watching. a lot of old folks there holding boards with their children's details trying to matchmake them lol...
It's also near Huanghe road, which is full of good food such as Xiaoyang shen jian, Jia jia tang bao...

Actually shanghai has a lot of different kinds of attractions, depending on what you're looking for...

 

[swatchie]

can't help you with the airline cause i always fly SQ as i travel for work, but based on what my colleagues in china say it seems Air china or china southern may be the cheapest...you can try cathay as well if you dont mind transit HK (may not be a bad idea)

Two weeks is a long time.
I'm sure you already have the typical tourist stuff on your plan e.g. bund, oriental tower etc. Aside from those i recommend these other attractions (with links leading to some photos/reviews based on my previous experience there)

french concession 法租区- area where the old french concession is, loads of European-styled architecture, beautiful stores/houses. near julu road
Tianzifang 田子坊 - an entire area full of alleyways with souvenir stores, cafe, restaurants selling quirky stuff/offering different kinds of food.
jingan villa 静安别墅 - small alley that consists of linong (narrow alleys where people live) what is cluttered with housing and quirky little stores/cafes.

wusongkou pao taiwan wetland park - wetland park about 1 hr away from central shanghai by train. beautiful, quiet, and un-touristy. it's totally off the radar and not what tourists would do but i'm recommending this because you're there for 2 whole weeks.

people's square/park - great for people watching. a lot of old folks there holding boards with their children's details trying to matchmake them lol...
It's also near Huanghe road, which is full of good food such as Xiaoyang shen jian, Jia jia tang bao...

Actually shanghai has a lot of different kinds of attractions, depending on what you're looking for...

I personally like Tian Zi Fang but the place is pretty small so can finish walking in less than half a day. I usually end off with a meal at Tsui Wah opposite.

I would recommend taking a walk to Cathay as well.

Yuyuan is gimmicky but worth a visit imho. Jiajia tang bao and xiao yang are both nice but they are everywhere (there is an outlet of xiao yang @ the food hall along bu xing jie) so don't specifically have to go to huanghe lu to eat

Can try Hai Di Lao also. Cheaper and better tasting than the outlet in Singapore

 

[grungeattitude]

I personally like Tian Zi Fang but the place is pretty small so can finish walking in less than half a day. I usually end off with a meal at Tsui Wah opposite.

I would recommend taking a walk to Cathay as well.

Yuyuan is gimmicky but worth a visit imho. Jiajia tang bao and xiao yang are both nice but they are everywhere (there is an outlet of xiao yang @ the food hall along bu xing jie) so don't specifically have to go to huanghe lu to eat

Can try Hai Di Lao also. Cheaper and better tasting than the outlet in Singapore

Haidilao need to go with someone, a bit hard to eat on your own
I always eat jiajia from the huanghe road outlet, happen to stay nearby and its not far from the shopping stretch either, good break....

 

[swatchie]

Haidilao need to go with someone, a bit hard to eat on your own
I always eat jiajia from the huanghe road outlet, happen to stay nearby and its not far from the shopping stretch either, good break....

Yea hai di lao best to eat with another person.. Where do you usually stay in SH? Maybe can meet up for kopi if our schedules match

 

[dilphinus]

can't help you with the airline cause i always fly SQ as i travel for work, but based on what my colleagues in china say it seems Air china or china southern may be the cheapest...you can try cathay as well if you dont mind transit HK (may not be a bad idea)

There's no way to get around $300 on full-fledge or budget airlines. Taxes on CX is already $195. Taxes on China Eastern is $255 and SQ $360.

If can get a return flight to Shanghai for $300, I'll go every month.

 

[kittyfan86]

must eat the xiao long ba at cheng huang miao opposite the starbucks! They have different level for the different quality of XLB. I had some and it's the best XLB i had in my life.

 

[swatchie]

must eat the xiao long ba at cheng huang miao opposite the starbucks! They have different level for the different quality of XLB. I had some and it's the best XLB i had in my life.

No offense but that's Nanxiang XLB and probably one of the most overrated XLBs in Shanghai. Its actually for tourists and alot of Shanghainese don't recommend eating there. If you want to eat good XLB aka Tang Bao in China, try Jia Jia Tang Bao instead. That's where the locals like to eat.