Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.05 Days in Hong Kong and Shanghai: Harbours, Markets and the Bund
Five days for first-timers in two harbour cities. Two days in Hong Kong cover Victoria Peak, the Star Ferry, Central's temples and escalators, and Kowloon's night markets. Then three days in Shanghai take in the Bund, Yu Garden and the Old City, the French Concession lanes, and the Pudong towers. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel, your pace, budget and style, so the icons stay put and the extras flex around them.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
14 stops · 10 meals · 2 hotels · 1 transferThis is the editor’s pick.
5 days, 2 cities
From Hong Kong to Shanghai, with 1 move between cities. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
Ride the world's longest outdoor covered escalator system up through SoHo to the Mid-Levels. It is free, odd, and a good way to read the neighbourhoods as you climb.
- It runs downhill 6am to 10am and uphill from 10:20am to midnight, so ride up after 10:20am.
Queue at a tiny Michelin starred roast goose shop in Central, a star every year since 2015. Goose over rice or noodles, shared tables, elbow to elbow, worth it.
- It is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8:30pm; goose drumstick with rice is around HK$88 and sharing tables is normal.
- Come off the Mid-Levels Escalator hungry and go straight for roast goose at Yat Lok. It is a two minute hop and the queue moves fast.
Ride the funicular that has climbed to the Peak since 1888. The angle is steep enough that the skyscrapers seem to tilt past the windows.
- It runs daily 7:30am to 11pm, departing every 15 to 20 minutes.
Start here for the view that explains the city: Central, the harbour and the islands spread out below you at 552 metres. Go late in the day and watch the light change over the skyline.
- Peak Tram runs 7:30am to 11pm daily, so you can ride up for the evening view.
Eat dim sum for under HK$100 a head at this Prince Edward joint that once held a Michelin star. Baked BBQ pork buns and shrimp dumplings, with a queue at peak times.
- There are no reservations and turnover is brisk, but weekends can mean a 1 to 2 hour wait.
Join the queue for cookie crust egg tarts at the Lyndhurst Terrace bakery open since 1954. It sells over 3,000 tarts a day, so go early while they last.
- The bakery pioneered the cookie crust for egg tarts; queues form at peak hours, so go early.
Sleep in the Grande Dame, opened in 1928: the flagship Peninsula with 300 rooms, famous lobby afternoon tea, Gaddi's, and a fleet of green Rolls Royce Phantoms.
- The MTR is under a minute's walk away, and twin helipads handle airport arrivals.
Slurp wonton noodles at a fuss free hole in the wall near the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront: springy noodles, plump shrimp wontons and bowls under HK$50.
- It is open Monday to Saturday 11am to 9pm, closed Sundays, and cash only.
Cross the harbour the slow, cheap, right way, on the green and white ferries that have run since 1888. Sit up top and watch both skylines pass.
- Ride the upper deck just before sunset for the skyline at golden hour.
See Asia's first global museum of contemporary visual culture in West Kowloon: visual art, design, architecture and moving image, plus free harbour view public spaces.
- It is closed on Mondays, and general admission is free; special exhibitions are ticketed.
Ride 60 seconds to Hong Kong's highest indoor deck, 393 metres up, for a full circle over the harbour, Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Tai Mo Shan.
- It is open daily 10am to 8:30pm, with last entry at 8pm.
Eat breakfast at breakneck speed in Jordan: wok fried silky scrambled eggs, thick buttered toast and steamed milk pudding, a local institution since 1970.
- It is closed on Thursdays and cash only; the breakfast set is served until noon.
Stay put: ~11 min by subway back from sky100 tonight.
Hong Kong to Shanghai
1234 km, rated for speed and cost. For a first-timer trip on a comfortable budget at a balanced pace, take the Direct flight (Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, Hong Kong Airlines and others). It's both the quickest and the cheapest way across — an easy call.
A stretch
Book modern Cantonese fine dining in Bund 18, with moody interiors, skyline views and signatures like cod with Champagne and honey and jasmine tea smoked Wagyu.
- It has three dining spaces, including the Ling Ling Lounge facing the skyline.
Walk the 1.5 kilometre promenade fronted by 52 colonial era banks and trading houses, with Pudong's towers across the water. Come back after dark when both sides light up.
- It is free and open 24 hours, running 1.5 km from Yan'an East Road to Waibaidu Bridge.
Cross China's first all steel bridge, built in 1907, linking the Bund to the North Bund over Suzhou Creek. Cross at sunset, then look back at the Bund.
- Built in 1907, it is China's first all steel bridge and its only surviving camelback truss bridge.
A stretch
Book Paul Pairet's playful modern French brasserie in Bund 18: relaxed, buzzing, river views, and desserts people cross the city for, the lemon and lemon tart included.
- Signatures include the truffle foie gras soup, jacket potato, and lemon and lemon tart; reservations are strongly recommended.
- Walk the Bund at dusk, then dinner at Mr and Mrs Bund in Bund 18. The lit promenade first, then a playful French dinner facing the river.
Pick up old brand pastries on Sichuan Road: buttery sesame cakes, rice balls and festival mooncakes from a traditional shop dating to the 19th century.
- It is one of Shanghai's classic old brand pastry shops, with a takeaway counter of fresh baked goods.
Save near the Bund in a nautical themed 1930s hostel, with dorms and private rooms. The rooftop bar over the Bund and Pudong is the reason to pick it.
- Check in is from 1pm with a 24 hour front desk; the rooftop terrace bar has Bund views.
Visit the 600 year old Taoist temple to the city's guardian deity, ringed by Ming style market streets known for snacks and tea houses. Pair it with the garden next door.
- Entry is about 10 CNY and it is open about 8:30 to 16:30.
Get lost on purpose in Shanghai's most celebrated classical garden, a 450 year old Ming dynasty maze of pavilions, rockeries and koi ponds. Give it up to two hours.
- It is closed on Mondays except public holidays; allow 1.5 to 2 hours.
Eat the Benbang benchmark near Yu Garden: nearly 150 years of sweet, rich, soy braised Shanghainese cooking in a grand old hall on Fuyou Road.
- It has almost 150 years of history and sits within walking distance of Yu Garden.
Stand on the only surviving 50 metre section of the Ming Old City wall, built in 1553 against pirates, with the rebuilt Dajing Ge Pavilion and a small exhibit on top.
- It is open 9am to 4pm and admission is 5 RMB.
Eat Cantonese on Fuzhou Road at a renowned old name famous for its mooncakes, serving lunch and dinner daily. A handy Bund side sit down meal.
- Lunch runs 11:00 to 14:00 and dinner 17:00 to 21:00 daily, and it is famous for Cantonese mooncakes.
Stay put: 19 min walk back from the Old City Wall and Dajing Ge tonight, 18 min walk to the Oriental Pearl Tower in the morning.
Use the Super Brand Mall branch in Lujiazui for burgers and salads when the group wants a simple lunch or dinner near the towers and the river promenade.
- This branch serves lunch and dinner at Super Brand Mall in Lujiazui.
Ride 45 seconds to the 88th floor of the pagoda inspired Jin Mao Tower for the Lujiazui view, a sky post office, and, if you dare, a handrail free open air skywalk.
- The observatory is open daily 8:30 to 21:30 and adult admission is 120 CNY.
Go highest: China's tallest building at 632 metres, with the 118th floor deck and 119th floor cafe reached by one of the world's fastest elevators.
- Adult entry at 180 CNY covers the B1 exhibition hall, the 118th floor deck and the 119th floor cafe.
Ride up Shanghai's pink sphered icon, 468 metres over Lujiazui, for glass floored decks at 263 and 350 metres and a rotating restaurant at 267 metres.
- Observation packages start from about 199 to 220 CNY for the upper sphere and higher floors.
Eat the reliable 18 fold xiaolongbao in Pudong, in a bright 250 seat room with windows over the Huangpu River, five minutes from Lujiazui Station.
- Reservations are accepted, it is open daily 10:00 to 22:00, and window seats overlook the Huangpu River.
Stay put: 18 min walk back from the Oriental Pearl Tower tonight.
Where to stay in Hong Kong & Shanghai
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong
Sleep in the Grande Dame, opened in 1928: the flagship Peninsula with 300 rooms, famous lobby afternoon tea, Gaddi's, and a fleet of green Rolls Royce Phantoms.
Four Points by Sheraton Hong Kong, Tung Chung
Use this big, modern Tung Chung waterfront hotel as an airport side base: 1,001 rooms, two restaurants, harbour views and a free airport shuttle.
Yesinn @YMT
Go budget in Yau Ma Tei, two minutes from the MTR: 75 private and bunk rooms, a 24 hour front desk, and Temple Street Night Market five minutes away.
Shanghai
Captain Hostel
Save near the Bund in a nautical themed 1930s hostel, with dorms and private rooms. The rooftop bar over the Bund and Pudong is the reason to pick it.
Yitel Premium Shanghai Lujiazui
Pick the practical Pudong base on Pudong Avenue near Yuanshen Road metro: modern mid range rooms, free WiFi, free parking and an on site restaurant for tower hopping days.
Hanting Hotel Shanghai Yu Garden
Go cheapest in the Old City at this budget chain hotel renovated in 2024, a few minutes from Yuyuan metro: clean, compact rooms and breakfast for CNY 18.
Flights to Hong Kong & Shanghai
Fly into Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
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Land in Hong Kong and Shanghai with data
Skip the airport SIM line. Install an eSIM before you fly and your phone is online the moment you land: maps, rides, and restaurant lookups from the gate.
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Getting around Hong Kong & Shanghai
How to actually move around each city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Hong Kong
Public transit
The MTR subway is the fastest way to move between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon; trams, ferries and buses fill the gaps. Buy an Octopus card at any MTR customer service counter on arrival.
- MTR subway
Twelve color-coded lines linking Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories, running about 6am to 1am with clear English signage. Short urban trips cost around HK$5-8, cross-harbour rides about HK$11-13 with Octopus.
Tip: The Tourist Day Pass (HK$75) gives one day of unlimited MTR travel; for most 3-day trips a regular Octopus card is better value.
- Octopus card
The rechargeable stored-value card for the MTR, buses, trams, ferries, minibuses and many taxis and shops. Sold at MTR customer service counters and topped up at station machines and convenience stores.
Tip: One card cannot pay for two people on the tram, each rider needs their own.
- Airport Express
The 24-minute dedicated train from Hong Kong International Airport to Kowloon and Hong Kong stations, departing every 10 minutes with luggage racks and free in-town check-in at the city stations.
Tip: Octopus fares are HK$73 to Tsing Yi, HK$105 to Kowloon and HK$120 to Hong Kong Station; single-journey tickets cost a little more.
- Star Ferry
The classic double-decker ferry across Victoria Harbour in about 9 minutes, running since 1888 between Central, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui. Pay with Octopus or a token from the pier vending machines.
Tip: Ride the upper deck at dusk for the skyline; weekday adult fare is HK$5 upper deck or HK$4 lower deck, slightly more on weekends.
- Ding Ding tram
Hong Kong Island's double-decker trams run the northern shore from Kennedy Town to Shau Kei Wan, with a flat fare and the city's cheapest moving sightseeing. Pay on exit with Octopus or contactless.
Tip: Take the front seats on the upper deck for the best views; adult fare is HK$3.30 since the May 2025 increase.
- Buses
KMB covers Kowloon and the New Territories, Citybus covers Hong Kong Island; fares are distance-based and paid with Octopus or exact coins. Double-deckers to Stanley, Aberdeen and the Peak fill gaps the MTR misses.
Tip: Board at the front and tap on; the MTR Mobile app also shows bus routes.
Rideshare
Uber is the only app-based rideshare operating in Hong Kong, offering both private-car and licensed-taxi options with upfront pricing, useful after the MTR closes around 1am.
- Uber
Uber operates in Hong Kong with UberX and an Uber Taxi option that dispatches licensed red taxis through the app, with upfront fares and in-app payment. Request from the airport to Car Park 1 or Regal Airport Hotel pickup points.
Tip: For licensed taxis only, choose the Taxi option in the app instead of UberX.
Bikes
Hong Kong has no city bikeshare and its dense, hilly urban streets make cycling impractical for getting around. Bike rentals exist in the New Territories (Tai Po waterfront, Sha Tin) for leisure rides, not city transport, so plan on the MTR, ferries and taxis instead.
Taxis
Red urban taxis are plentiful and cheap; hail one on the street with an arm raised (the rooftop light is on when available). No tipping is expected, though rounding up is common; you pay tunnel tolls on top of the meter.
- Red urban taxis
Metered red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. Flagfall is HK$29 for the first 2 km, then HK$2.10 per 200 m; each piece of luggage costs HK$6 and crossing the harbour adds the tunnel toll.
Tip: At night or in rain, hail from a taxi stand or use the Uber app's Taxi option rather than waiting on a main road.
Shanghai
Public transit
The metro is the backbone of getting around Shanghai — one of the world's largest networks — with buses covering the gaps, the maglev sprinting to Pudong Airport, and ferries crossing the Huangpu. Contactless bank cards and phone QR codes work at the gates.
- Shanghai Metro
One of the world's largest metro networks — 19 lines and 800+ km linking both airports, the railway stations and every major district, with English signage throughout. Distance-based fares start at ¥3 for the first 6 km; trains run roughly 5:30am to 11pm.
Tip: Skip the ticket machines: tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay or Amex card at the gate, or ride with a QR code from the Metro Daduhui app.
- Shanghai Maglev
The world's first commercial maglev line, running between Longyang Road metro station and Pudong International Airport in about 8 minutes at up to 300 km/h. The standard one-way fare is ¥50 (¥40 with the Shanghai Public Transportation Card); trains run 6:45am–9:40pm every 15–20 minutes.
Tip: Flying out of Pudong? Show a same-day boarding pass for the discounted air-passenger fare, and budget the 10-minute Line 2 ride from downtown to Longyang Road.
Rideshare
DiDi is the default way to hail a car, with full English support and foreign cards accepted; Amap aggregates DiDi and smaller fleets so you can compare prices. Both are far cheaper than taxis in most Western cities.
- DiDi Chuxing
China's dominant ride-hailing app, with a full English interface, English-speaking support and international credit cards accepted. DiDi Express is the cheap everyday option; DiDi Taxi books a metered cab; Premier handles airport pickups.
Tip: Set up DiDi before you land — it accepts foreign phone numbers, and in-app chat auto-translates between you and the driver.
- Amap (Gaode)
Alibaba's map app (Gaode) doubles as a ride-hailing aggregator, comparing DiDi, Xiangdao and smaller fleets on one screen with upfront prices. It also replaces Google Maps here, with metro, bus and walking directions.
Tip: Get Amap Global from your app store; log in with Alipay or WeChat to unlock hailing, bike rental and transit QR codes in one place.
Bikes
Dockless shared bikes are the city's best last-kilometer option — unlock one outside any metro station with Alipay or WeChat and ride the flat, bike-laned streets. No deposit or local phone number required.
- HelloBike
One of Shanghai's three big dockless bike networks alongside Meituan and DiDi's Qingju — blue bikes clustered outside every metro station. Unlock with the HelloBike app or the Alipay mini-program; rides run about ¥1.50–2.50 per 30 minutes.
Tip: End the ride inside the service zone shown on the map and flick the rear-wheel lock shut manually, or the meter keeps running.
- Meituan Bike
The yellow bikes of Meituan's dockless network, everywhere in central Shanghai and rentable through the Meituan app or Alipay/WeChat mini-programs. Same short-hop pricing as rivals — handy when no HelloBike is in sight.
Tip: A 7-day unlimited pass costs only a few yuan — worth it if you'll bike more than twice a day.
Taxis
Licensed metered taxis are plentiful and cheap, though most drivers speak little English. Hail on the street, call a fleet hotline, or book through DiDi — never accept a flat fare from a tout.
- Qiangsheng Taxi
One of Shanghai's biggest licensed taxi fleets (orange cabs), bookable by street hail, the 62580 English hotline or DiDi. Flagfall is ¥14–16 for the first 3 km, then ¥2.7/km; night rates run 11pm–5am. No tipping — pay the meter and take the fapiao receipt.
Tip: Have your destination written in Chinese characters — most drivers speak little English — and never board a cab whose driver won't run the meter.
Keep exploring
More itineraries for this trip.
- Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.02 days
2 Days in Hong Kong: A Food Lover's Itinerary
Two packed days eating your way across Hong Kong: silk stocking milk tea and egg tarts in Central, roast goose in Central and Wan Chai, dim sum in Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok, wonton noodles by the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront, and Temple Street claypot rice and desserts at night, with the Peak and a Star Ferry crossing for harbour views between meals. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel, so a change of pace, budget or style still keeps the dim sum, the goose and the night market together.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.03 days
3 Days in Hong Kong with Kids: The Peak, the Ferry and Slow Days
Three gentle days for families: ride the Peak Tram to Victoria Peak and spend time in Hong Kong Park and the free zoo and gardens, cross the harbour on the Star Ferry to Kowloon Park and the history museum, then slow down among Mong Kok's temples, gardens and markets. Dim sum, egg tarts and noodle shops stay close to each stop, so meals stay easy with kids. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel, so your pace, budget and children's ages reshape each day while the highlights stay in reach.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.06 days
6 Days in Hong Kong and Taipei: A Night-Market Food Tour
Six days across two of Asia's great food cities: three in Hong Kong for cha chaan teng breakfasts, roast goose, dim sum and Temple Street after dark; three in Taipei for beef noodles, mango shaved ice, dan zai noodles and a night market on nearly every corner, with a quick hop between the two cities. Answer a few questions and the plan re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, your budget, your style.
Read the itinerary → - Photo: Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 4.03 days
3 Days in Hong Kong: Icons, Harbour and Night Markets
Three days in Hong Kong at packed classic pace: Victoria Peak and the Mid-Levels Escalator, the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour, and Kowloon's markets from the Ladies' Market to Temple Street Night Market, with temples, gardens and history museums in between. Answer a few questions and the plan re-plans itself around how you travel: your pace, your budget, your style.
Read the itinerary →