Our cruise stop in Shanghai is for two days instead of the customary one. Rather than taking the hour-long bus ride from the port to the city and back each day, we decide to stay overnight in town. After riding the bus from the port, we arrive in Shanghai and leisurely make our way towards the hotel, while taking in the first few glimpses of the city. Shanghai is Papa Minion’s hometown so he’s especially eager to show us around. Almost immediately after getting off the bus, he’s already buying street food in the form of yams and chestnuts!
Yu Garden & Gucheng Park
To reach our hotel, we need to pass through Gucheng Park and Yu Garden. It’s a beautiful park surrounded by a stunning old town. While our intention is to check in as soon as possible, we can’t help but stop and snap photos of this beautiful and historic part of Shanghai.
Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden
Eventually we make it to our hotel, the Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden. It’s a nice hotel and is very centrally located for many of the attractions we’re plan to visit. It offers some great great views and is a comfortable place to rest your head!
Lao Zheng He
After freshening up a little, we head back out into Shanghai in search of lunch. On a friend’s recommendation we head to a place known for their pan-fried juice buns. However, after starting, I realize that we didn’t actually end up at the recommended spot. Instead we find ourselves at Lao Zheng He. Nonetheless, our meal is delicious! Shanghai food is one of my favourite cuisines and having this as our first meal, is lovely! (albeit a case of mistaken restaurant identity!)
Nanjing Road
Our next stop is Nanjing Road. It is one of the world’s busiest shopping streets, and we quickly see why! Thousands of people fill the streets and stores. There is so much going on—from massive digital displays and trolleys carrying passengers to food stalls offering unique snacks and every brand name imaginable. We spend time walking the road and ducking into stores whenever something catches our eye. Eventually, we stop at a bubble tea shop for the first of several tasty drinks in the city.
Lu Bo Lang
Since Shanghai is Papa Minion’s hometown, he still has family here, and we have a dinner planned at Lu Bo Lang. It is a highly-regarded restaurant with private rooms on the upper floors; our dinner takes place in one of them. The setting feels very exclusive—the room’s history even includes a visit from former US President Bill Clinton.
We spend the first few moments meeting family members for the first time. It is an intimate and special setting, though it feels slightly awkward at first since The Sister and I don’t speak Mandarin. However, one of our relatives brings her dog, which helps break the ice and allows for some great non-verbal communication!
The food is elegant and arrives in many courses. While I don’t capture every dish, the presentation and variety are a far cry from our simple lunch! It is a wonderful time for Papa Minion to catch up with family he doesn’t often see.
Yu Garden at Night
After dinner, we explore Yu Garden at night. While it is spectacular during the day, the old town turns into something truly magical when the lights come on. It is a vibrant experience, and I’m not sure the photos do it justice!
The Bund
Eventually, we make our way toward the water at The Bund. This iconic waterfront promenade features colonial architecture on one side and the modern Pudong skyline on the other. Even with the cloud cover, the scene is beautiful and adds a bit of mystery to the backdrop. We enjoy our walk along the water—it is a perfect way to cap off our first day.
On the way back, we stop at a small mango stall for a delicious late-night snack.
Breakfast
After a restful night, we head across the street for breakfast. Though I can’t find a link for the specific restaurant, we enjoy very tasty soup dumplings and wonton soup!
The Louis
Our next stop is The Louis, which is high on The Sister’s list. It is a Louis Vuitton store built in the shape of a ship! It is extremely unique and looks very luxurious. Since you need an appointment to go inside, we simply admire it from the outside.
Shanghai Roastery
Right across from it is the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. It is a massive, two-story space for coffee lovers—easily the biggest Starbucks I have ever seen. We spend some time exploring and hiding from the rain.
Wujiang Road
Afterward, we wander through Wujiang Road. It is a cool shopping street with eateries and boutiques. It feels less overwhelming than Nanjing Road, which I really like. I would love to revisit this area on a future trip!
Chagee
While there, we check Chagee off the list. This beverage store comes highly recommended, and both The Sister and I pick one up. It is a tasty treat, especially since it is not easily available in Canada.
Xintiandi
Later, we meet up with one of the cousins from dinner. She takes us to lunch in the Xintiandi area. It is a trendy, car-free neighborhood with restored stone houses that now host hip stores. Since we have a reservation, we only get to walk through briefly, but it’s definitely a place I want to explore more later.
Long Feng Hui
Our lunch is at Long Feng Hui. The restaurant is ornately decorated, and the Cantonese-style food is visually stunning. We stuff ourselves with the spectacular dishes that keep arriving at the table. It is a nice change of pace from the other meals we have in the city.
Good Bye Shanghai
All good things must come to an end. After saying goodbye to our cousin, we check out of the hotel. Instead of the bus, we take a ride-hail through the rainy streets back to the port. After passing through immigration, we are back onboard our cruise. It is a busy but fulfilling two days, and I’m already looking forward to returning to explore even further!
