Shanghai Tours of the City
There are no official organised walking tours available in Shanghai. However, the former French Concession, Bund and Yu Gardens and Bazaar are perhaps the best areas for tourists to explore on foot, seeing as they are compact and possess great character. Walking aimlessly through the tree-lined former French Concession streets is one of Shanghai's great delights. Many of Shanghai's residents stroll along the Bund at weekends, while the many parks are pleasant refuges.
Self-guided tours of beautiful Fuxing Xi Lu in the former French Concession are a relaxing way to discover this area, formerly known as Avenue De Boissezon. In the 1920s and 30s it was an elegant place for Shanghai's fashionable elite. Today its plane trees and European architecture complement the beautiful gift shops, galleries, cafes and bars that have made a home here. Pamphlets documenting the avenue's highlights can be picked up at Skylight Shop (28 Fuxing Xi Lu), the first stop on the tour.
Bus Tours
Grayline Shanghai (tel: (21) 6150 8061; www.graylineshanghai.com) and City Discovery (www.city-discovery.com) conduct full- and half-day tours around Shanghai's main sights; specialized Chinese massage and Chinese acrobatic tours; as well as trips further afield to Suzhou, and Zhouzhuang, and Tongli water villages, Zhu Jia Jiao and Hangzou. Bespoke tours where visitors choose their own itinerary are another option.
The Shanghai Transportation Bureau excursion buses, some with commentary (in Chinese only), travel from the east side, Xu Jia Hui (parking lot 4) of Shanghai Stadium, out of metropolitan Shanghai and pass through some major sightseeing destinations. The routes taken vary. For instance, the Bus Line 3 departs every 30 minutes 0700-1730 to Pudong, while the Bus Line 10 goes every 15 minutes 0630-1930 to Huaihai Dong Lu and Nanjing Dong Lu. Trip costs vary.
Huangpu River Trips
Several licensed operators are clustered along the quay at the south end of the Bund, all offering 1-hour pleasure boat trips along the Huangpu river (prices vary, be prepared to barter if travelling with a group). Day and night, these make for an enjoyable and picturesque ride past the Bund and Pudong riverfronts offering plenty of good photo opportunities. Some operators also offer longer trips (around 3 hours return) to the mouth of the Yangtze river.
Tours of Shanghai
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