Shanghai Trip: Your 5D4N Itinerary, Malaysian Style!
Pre-Trip Prep: Smooth Sailing in Shanghai
Alright, nak pergi Shanghai? Jom prepare dulu!
- China Visa: Apply early, like 1-2 weeks before terbang.
- 4G SIM or eSim: Get it in Malaysia, senang nak guna Google, Facebook, YouTube nanti.
- Must-Have Apps: Alipay (the most important one!), Didi (like Grab), Gaode Maps (or Baidu Maps), WeChat.
- Transportation Card: Boleh pakai terus dalam Alipay (activate virtual train card).
- Hotel Location: Cari area People's Square, East Nanjing Road, or The Bund. Strategik, senang jalan-jalan & makan!
Hotel Recommendations
1. Hanting Hotel (汉庭酒店 - ga East Nanjing Road)
📍 Less than 100m from East Nanjing Road station
💰 Starts from RM 800/night (estimated)
✅ Best if you want to stay right in the Nanjing Pedestrian Street area – easy access for walking, sightseeing, and shopping.
⚠️ Note: Calling Didi in this area can be a bit tricky, you have to walk to the main street to book.
2. Yitel Premium Hotel (和颐至尊酒店 - near People's Square)
📍 About 570m from People's Square station
💰 Starts from RM 900/night (estimated)
🌟 Central area, easy to connect to the highlights of Shanghai.
Getting from Airport to City Centre
✈️ Pudong International Airport (浦东 Pudong) to Shanghai City
📍 Pudong Airport is around 30km from the city centre
🚇 Metro is the most popular and convenient option
⏰ Operating hours: 06:00 – 22:30
🧭 Just follow the signs in the airport, senang je to find the metro area.
🌙 Landing after 22:30? No worries – there's the Airport Bus!
📍 Follow the signs in the airport to get to the Airport Bus ticket counter.
📌 If you're going to the city centre like The Bund, buy a ticket to "Yan'an East Road – Zhejiang Middle Road" station
▪️ Chinese: 延安东路浙江中路公交站
💁♀️ There's always staff at the ticket counter – just show them the station name, they'll sell you a ticket and guide you to the correct bus.
🚌 Travel time: about 1 hour 2 minutes, get off at the 4th stop. From here, you can call Didi or walk to a nearby hotel.
💰 Bus ticket price: 22 yuan (estimated)
🛬 Hongqiao International Airport (虹桥 Hongqiao) – 18km from city centre
📍 Hongqiao Airport is closer to the centre, only about 18km away
🚇 Can travel by metro Line 2 – this line goes straight to The Bund area, very convenient for tourists.
⏰ Official operating hours: 05:30 – 22:00
💰 Ticket price: 7 yuan (estimated)
🌙 Extra Late Night Train (Line 2) – punctuality guaranteed!
🗓 Monday – Saturday:
- • There are 2 late-night trains: 23:04 and 23:30
🗓 Sunday:
- • Up to 4 extra trains: 23:04 | 23:30 | 23:45 | 00:00
📌 Reminder: Trains in Shanghai are very punctual, so time it carefully, tak boleh miss!
🚌 Landing later? Can choose the following:
🚕 If you are traveling with a group, calling a taxi will be faster and more convenient.
🚌 Or you can take the night bus route 316 to near the city centre.
📍 Suggested stop: Yan'an East Road – Zhongshan East 1st Road
▪️ Chinese: 延安东路中山东一路
⏳ Travel time: about 1 hour 20 minutes
⚠️ This route stops at many stations (~30 stations) so it's quite long
💰 Ticket price: 2 yuan (estimated)
🔁 Transferring from Pudong ↔ Hongqiao Airport: the fastest is the suburban train, only ~40 minutes.
5D4N Shanghai Itinerary
🗓 DAY 1: ARRIVAL – OLD TOWN
✈️ Arrive at Pudong/Hongqiao Airport – head to hotel in People's Square or The Bund area.
🧭 Afternoon:
Yu Garden & City God Temple (Yuyuan Garden) – classic beauty in the heart of the city.
Dinner with local specialties: xiao long bao, hand-pulled noodles, dumplings.
🌃 Evening:
Nanjing Pedestrian Street – shopping centre, stroll and enjoy the lights.
Check-in The Bund (Bến Thượng Hải) – amazing view of Lujiazui when the lights come on 19:00~22:00.
🏙 DAY 2: MODERN SHANGHAI – LUJIAZUI
📍 Lujiazui – financial centre:
Oriental Pearl Tower – go up to the observation deck.
Shanghai Tower – the tallest building in China.
IFC Mall – luxury shopping.
📸 Afternoon:
Check-in Shamei Building – view directly facing the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Coffee with sunset view at Rei Flower or J's Link near Zhapu Bridge.
🌉 Evening:
Check-in Zhapu Bridge – very beautiful when the city lights up.
Combine with photos at Yuanxin Tian'an Hall – vintage European style view.
🎨 DAY 3: CLASSIC SHANGHAI – ART
🧭 Morning:
Tianzifang – old art district, many nice photo spots, stylish cafes.
Xintiandi – charming European-style street, French architecture, many fancy restaurants.
🛍 Afternoon:
Shopping at major malls: Super Brand Mall, Nanjing Road, Global Harbor Mall.
🍽 Evening:
Dinner at a restaurant with river view – suggestions: Casanova, The Fellas Terrace.
🌄 DAY 4: OUTSKIRTS – WUZHEN / DISNEYLAND (Optional)
⛩ Option 1: Wuzhen (High-speed train ~1.5h)
Stroll the ancient town, take a boat ride, rent Hanfu, take photos with stone bridges, lanterns.
Have a Jiangnan-style lunch, such as braised pork belly, steamed buns.
Return to Shanghai in the evening.
🎢 Option 2: Shanghai Disneyland
Full day of fun in the themed areas, parade and fireworks show in the evening.
Remember to buy tickets in advance and arrive early to queue less.
🧳 DAY 5: SHOPPING – DEPARTURE
Quick visit to North Bund – green riverside park, often changes concept seasonally.
Buy souvenirs at Nanjing Road, or local supermarkets like Hema Fresh.
Head to the airport to end the trip.
Tips for a Smooth Trip to Shanghai
Walking a lot every day, so bring sports shoes, small water bottle.
Exchange some cash (RMB), the rest use Alipay scan for convenience.
Book attraction tickets (Oriental Pearl Tower, Disneyland, high-speed train to Wuzhen) in advance via Trip.com or 12306.
✅ Choose hotel near metro station
Travelling mainly by metro so staying near the station will save a lot of time and energy.
📸 Don't forget to take a picture of the hotel address – in case you get lost, it's easy to call a taxi/Didi back.
📶 Buy China SIM in Malaysia
If you want to use Facebook, Google, YouTube… you must buy a SIM from MY.
Buying it in China will block all international platforms, and using VPN is very unreliable.
📲 Must install Alipay – a must!
No matter what anyone says, you should have an Alipay account ready.
Because in China, cash is almost useless – many places don't even have small change to return!
🔒 Go to Account & security > ID information: if the correct name + the word "Verified" is shown, it's OK.
💰 Deposit 1000–2000 yuan to spend – I almost didn't have to use cash, just scan and it's done in 1 second!
📷 Download Xiaohongshu app (小红书)
Before each destination, use this app to:
Find the best photo angles
Time the ideal photo taking time
💡 Many places are famous, but if you don't know the photo angle, you won't be able to get the right photo!
🚢 Don't miss the 2 yuan experience:
Take the ferry across the Huangpu River – very chill
2-storey bus – admire the city from above, very worth trying!
🍽️ What to eat in Shanghai? – Write it down!
🦀 Hairy crab noodles (蟹黄鱼, 蟹上黄)
🥟 Xiao long bao:
Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐) – famous worldwide
Lai Lai Xiao Long (莱莱小笼) – Michelin-starred
🍲 Chongqing hotpot 2-compartment – quán 珮姐重庆火锅 (People's Square branch opens until 2–3am)
🧋 Bubble tea: Chagee, Heytea…
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