Shanghai & Hangzhou: 6 Days on the East Coast

The east coast is China's most polished corner, and Shanghai and Hangzhou are its two crowns. In six days you get the full contrast: a futuristic skyline and a classical garden in Shanghai, then a misty lake and thousand-year-old temples in Hangzhou — just 45 minutes apart by high-speed rail.

This is the ideal trip for a long weekend or a first, low-stress taste of China. Both cities are easy, walkable and forgiving, with some of the best food and cleanest transport in the country.

Highlights

• Sunset over the Bund, Shanghai's art-deco waterfront.
• The Ming-era Yu Garden, hidden in the old city.
• A full day circling West Lake by boat and bike.
• The carved Buddhas and forest paths of Lingyin Temple.

Give Shanghai two days, Hangzhou two, and use the in-between days for travel and wandering.