3 nights and 4 days: separate a lanes day and a riverfront day
The plan assumes you arrive in the afternoon on the first day and head back to the airport on the last day. If you arrive late, drop the first-day walk, and if your return flight is early, add no new sight on the last day either.
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| Day | Route | How to set the day |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Airport → hotel → dinner near the hotel | Keep it light: around Nanjing Road if you stay on Nanjing East Road, or around Maoming South Road if you stay on Huaihai Road |
| Day 2 | Wukang Mansion → Wukang Road → Ferguson Lane → Anfu Road | Lane walk in the morning, lunch and a cafe, Anfu Road in the afternoon. Dinner near the hotel |
| Day 3 | Nanjing East Road → Zhapu Road Bridge → east of Suzhou Creek → Waibaidu Bridge → the Bund | See the bridges and buildings by day, rest midway, then head to the riverfront around sunset |
| Day 4 | Breakfast and packing → airport | Travel to fit your flight. Do any last shopping only close to the hotel |
Day 2: start at Wukang Mansion and head to Anfu Road
Wukang Mansion (武康大楼) → Wukang Road (武康路) → Ferguson Lane → Anfu Road (安福路)
See the exterior of Wukang Mansion first, then walk up Wukang Road. Wukang Mansion stands where Wukang Road meets Huaihai Middle Road. This is a day for looking at old houses, street trees and small shops along the lanes, so leave room to stop on the streets you like rather than ticking off many destinations. Wukang Road and Anfu Road area guide
After the photos, walk toward the lanes
Ferguson Lane at 376 Wukang Road is a good stop for a meal or a cafe. A tourist information center is at nearby No. 393. Before you make any individual shop a must-visit, look at whether it is open that day and how long the wait is, then choose where to rest. People live in the buildings in this area. Enjoy the exteriors; an open door does not mean you may go inside. Buildings and the tourist information center on Wukang Road
The map shows a walking connection from Wukang Mansion via Ferguson Lane to Anfu Road. The plan still treats it as a half day that includes photos, meals and cafes, so allow that rather than a 30-minute visit based on the travel time on the map. On Anfu Road, see just a few shops you like, and if you are tired, it is fine to end the walk on Wukang Road.
For navigation on the ground, save place names and your hotel address in Amap (高德地图) before you leave. It is the map presented in Shanghai's official service guide. Use the Google Maps link below to look at the route while preparing for your trip, and on site check the map app you use together with the road signs. Shanghai's official Amap guide
Staying on Huaihai Road does not put Wukang Mansion right at your door. Before you set out, check on the map for Jiaotong University station (交通大学) or Shanghai Library station (上海图书馆), the stations close to Wukang Mansion, and choose the metro-and-walking combination from your hotel. Open the route for Wukang Mansion, Ferguson Lane and Anfu Road
Day 3: from the east side of Suzhou Creek to the Bund
Around Nanjing East Road → Zhapu Road Bridge (乍浦路桥) → road on the south side of Suzhou Creek → Waibaidu Bridge (外白渡桥) → the Bund (外滩)
This day is not a walk along the whole of Suzhou Creek. It covers only the eastern stretch that connects to the Bund. Look at the river and bridges around Zhapu Road Bridge and Waibaidu Bridge, then move toward the Huangpu River and continue your walk along the Bund. Both bridges are included in the Bund historic area that the Shanghai government presents. The Bund historic area and the bridges of Suzhou Creek
Rest before sunset instead of walking straight through
See the bridges and historic buildings by day, and take one rest at a meal or cafe in the late afternoon. If you return to the Bund around sunset, you can see the daytime buildings and the night view across the river on the same day. Rather than fixing a lighting time, decide the length of your evening walk from that day's weather and on-site conditions.
The map shows a walking connection from Zhapu Road Bridge to the Bund. When you search for your starting point, enter 乍浦路桥 rather than all of Zhapu Road. If it rains or the river wind is strong, you can cut back the bridge section and see only the Bund.
The plan does not include a cruise as a required stop on this walk. A Suzhou Creek cruise and a Huangpu River cruise are not the same product, so if you add one, check the river, the boarding pier and the operating date together. Shanghai's official autumn walk and Suzhou Creek program guide
Pudong or Hongqiao: check the airport name first
Look at the airport code and terminal on your ticket first. Pudong is PVG and Hongqiao is SHA. If you treat the airport link line between the two airports as a train that goes straight to the Bund, your transfer plan will not work.
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| Arrival airport | Rail access | Choose by hotel |
|---|---|---|
| Pudong PVG | Metro Line 2 from the Terminal 1 and 2 station. The maglev connects to the city metro at Longyang Road | For a Nanjing East Road base, check access via Line 2 first; for a Huaihai Road base, check the transfers to the station near the hotel first |
| Hongqiao SHA T1 | Line 10 | For hotels around Nanjing East Road and Shaanxi South Road, check the Line 10 connection |
| Hongqiao SHA T2 | Lines 2 and 10 | Choose by whichever of Nanjing East Road or Shaanxi South Road station is closer to your hotel |
The official guide gives about 1 hour on Line 2 from Pudong Airport to People's Square. Immigration, baggage, the walk to the station and travel to your hotel take extra time. So on the first day, avoid putting a timed dinner or show right after you land. If you arrive late, check the last train and the taxi stand that day. Shanghai's official airport transport guide
Stay all 3 nights on either Nanjing East Road or Huaihai Road
Nanjing East Road suits you if evenings at the riverfront and late returns come first. If you want more time for the lanes and the area around Huaihai Road, look at Maoming South Road and Shaanxi South Road. The two hotels below are candidates you can choose between for the same itinerary. The plan keeps your luggage in one place rather than changing hotels midway.
Nanjing East Road: Central Hotel Shanghai
The address is 555 Jiujiang Road · 九江路555号. It is the hotel to look at first when you plan your evenings around Nanjing East Road and the Bund. The similarly named Grand Central Hotel is a different hotel, so match the address too.
It is convenient for returning to the same eastern area after the riverfront, but on the Wukang Road day you have to travel west. The area around the hotel does not guarantee a Bund-view room either. When choosing a room, check the bed configuration and the view description separately.
If you have chosen Nanjing East Road as your base, enter your travel dates and look at double and twin rooms and the cancellation conditions. The photos are room examples, and not every room has the same layout.
Huaihai Road: Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai
The address is 58 Maoming South Road · 茂名南路58号. It is the one to look at when you want to combine shopping around Huaihai Road with lane walks. The hotel's garden and historic building can also be reasons to choose it. Official Okura hotel introduction
The official location guide distinguishes Exit 3 of Line 1 from Exit 6 of Lines 10 and 12 at Shaanxi South Road station (陕西南路). Where you come up to street level differs by line. On the Wukang Road day, approach by metro rather than starting a long walk straight from the hotel, and on the day you see the Bund at night, leave time for the trip back to the hotel. Hotel's official station and exit guide
If you want to stay around Huaihai Road, first choose the beds you need between twin and double rooms, and whether breakfast is included. Check the garden view in the description of the room you select.
When it rains or the walking is too much
If it rains on the Wukang Road day, swap days 2 and 3, or rest with meals and indoor shopping around Huaihai Road or Nanjing Road near your hotel. Wukang Road and Anfu Road are not an underground course. Even if you stop in shops, you walk between them under an umbrella.
If you tire at the riverfront, cut back to a short look at the Bund instead of walking everything from Zhapu Road Bridge. If you have a stroller or a companion who cannot walk far, you can keep just one place for the morning and one for the afternoon. This guide is not an accessibility route confirmed to be step-free along its whole length.
Questions before you go
Can I see autumn leaves on Wukang Road in October?
This itinerary is not planned on the assumption of peak foliage. It is a route to see the buildings and lanes of Wukang Road and the riverfront, so you can keep the plan even if the leaf color is not what you expected. Not every October photo shows the same time of year, so look at the shooting date and this year's reports from the area together.
Do I need to take a train to Suzhou to see Suzhou Creek?
The Suzhou Creek (苏州河) in this guide is the river in central Shanghai. It is a different plan from a day trip to the city of Suzhou. Searching the map for Zhapu Road Bridge and Waibaidu Bridge makes it easy to find this walking stretch.
If three or four of us go, is one hotel room enough?
Choosing a room from the head count alone is not enough. A twin-room photo shows two beds and does not guarantee a stay for 3 to 4 adults. Enter all guests and the children's ages, check the maximum occupancy, extra beds and breakfast, and if there is no suitable room, try splitting into two rooms.
Information to check before you visit
Tourism, transport and hotel location information was checked on October 4, 2026. Check entry requirements and booking conditions separately for your departure date.
