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Shanghai tours and excursions

Shanghai tours

Boat tours

The Huangpu River Cruise is a classic Shanghai tour. Daily 50-minute cruises run from the Shiliupu Docks, south of the Bund (153 and 291 East Zhongshan No 2 Road), and take in views of the Bund itself as well as the impressive Pudong skyline. There's no need to book tickets, just turn up and pay.

Tel: +86 21 6651 1519.

Bus tours

Run by the same company that offers open-top bus tours of London, Shanghai's Big Bus Tour includes a double-decker bus tour of the city with English commentary, a river cruise and entrance to some sights. Tickets are hop-on, hop-off and are valid for 48 hours.

Tel: +86 21 6351 5988.
Website: http://eng.bigbustours.com/shanghai/home.html

Shanghai excursions

Hangzhou

Sat in the shadow of hills and tea plantations, and home to the wonderful West Lake, Hangzhou could easily lay claim to being the domestic tourist capital of China. West Lake has been immortalised in paintings and poetry, while its Lingyin Temple, with a 20m (66ft) camphor-wood Buddha, is a place of pilgrimage for innumerable tour groups. Other sights include the Six Harmonies Pagoda, once a lighthouse for river traffic. Express trains run regularly between Shanghai and Hangzhou (45 minutes), as do buses (2 hours 30 minutes), which leave from all the major long-distance bus stations in Shanghai.

Tel: +86 571 8792 8540.
Website: http://en.gotohz.com

Suzhou

Famed for its gardens, canals and silk production, Suzhou is a major stop on the domestic tourism trail. Nevertheless, if you time your visit well (avoid weekends), this small, manageable city can make a rewarding break. You won't fall for its 'Venice-of-the-East' claims, but Suzhou still offers pockets of canal-side charm and a huge number of beautiful traditional Chinese gardens. Express trains run regularly from Shanghai to Suzhou (25 minutes). Regular buses to Suzhou (1 hour 50 minutes) run from all of Shanghai's main long-distance bus stations.

Unesco: Yes

Tel: +86 512 6530 5887.
Website: http://en.visitsz.com
A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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Featured Hotels

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URBN

China's first carbon neutral hotel has open-plan rooms that are beautifully designed with low furniture and sunken living areas exuding space. Bathtubs are in the bedroom rather than the bathroom, while grey slate tiling gives this excellent boutique hotel an urban vibe.

Yueyang Hotel

A decent budget option in the French Concession area of Shanghai, Yueyang Hotel has smart, spacious rooms with big double beds, desk and chair, TV, kettle and free broadband. Shower rooms are clean and modern, although, annoyingly, the hot water isn't always piping hot. English is minimal.

Quintet

In the heart of the French Concession, the spotless rooms, great service and attention to detail at Quintet has been winning over visitors. As the name suggests, there are just five rooms, each individually designed to a standard you’d expect from pricier stays. The staff are super friendly too, with a wealth of knowledge about the area.

The Waterhouse at South Bund

Once a dockyard factory, The Waterhouse is now one of Shanghai’s sharpest boutique hotels. Lavish furnishings and the odd nod to the city’s shipping heritage offset its industrial chic. There are just 19 rooms, 11 of which are suites. Thanks to its location, views across the river to Pudong are stunning whichever one you bed up in.

Magnolia Bed & Breakfast

This cosy little bed and breakfast located in a 1930s French Concession home has art deco features as well as modern comfort and design. There are only five rooms so book well in advance.

Fairmont Peace Hotel

After more than three years of renovations, Shanghai’s definitive art deco building reopened in 2010 under the direction of the Fairmont group. The main challenge in modernising the building was balancing out the architectural integrity of its history with the need to upgrade a building that was not originally designed to be a hotel. Connoisseurs of old Shanghai will be pleased to know that the famous antediluvian jazz band is back in action.