Shanghai & Nanjing: From Modern Skyline to Imperial History

Upon landing in Shanghai, a private transfer will bring you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free, a chance to recover from the journey and begin soaking up the energy of one of the world's most captivating cities.

The day begins in Fuxing Park, a French-style garden in Shanghai. Its formal layout and shaded avenues set the tone, offering glimpses of everyday local life. Bugaoli follows, a well-maintained Shikumen residential lane of stone-gated houses and intimate courtyards once home to Shanghai's early 20th century middle class.

The old city beckons next at Yu Garden, a classical Ming-era retreat of rockeries, pavilions, and goldfish ponds, with time in the surrounding Market of traditional shops, teahouses, and local snack stalls. A brief introduction to Chinese silk offers insight into one of the country's enduring craft traditions.

At the Bund, a walk along the historic waterfront reveals grand architecture facing the river, set against the city's modern skyline beyond. The day concludes at Shanghai Tower, with sweeping views over the metropolis from above.

A high-speed train of approximately 1.5 hours carries you from Shanghai to Nanjing, a former imperial capital that holds its history with quiet confidence.

After arrival, start your visit at Six Dynasties Museum with clearly presented displays, which is easy for you to explore, and you'll get a refined introduction to the era when the city was the cultural heart of China. The day concludes with a walk along Taicheng, a well-preserved stretch of the ancient city wall. There, you'll get your first real sense of just how much history Nanjing carries.

The day opens with a visit to Niushou Mountain, home to the remarkable Usnisa Palace, a vast Buddhist sanctuary that combines contemporary architecture, sacred art, and a deep silence.

Continue your journey to Zhonghua Gate, the largest surviving Ming fortress gate in China. Its massive walls and layered defensive architecture reflecting the strength of the ancient imperial capital.

Later, the pace softens in Laomendong, where old Nanjing's character is well-preserved as you see restored courtyards and traditional shopfronts. The day concludes with an evening cruise on the Qinhuai River, as lantern light reflects on the water and the city shifts into night.

A grand stairway lined with tall plane trees leads up to the Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen - a tribute to the father of modern China that feels both monumental and personal.

Not far away, the Sacred Way to Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum winds through forested slopes, passing rows of stone animals and figures that have stood in place for more than 600 years.

Tucked among the wooded hills nearby, Meiling Palace is a graceful Art Deco residence with a layered history and a distinctive setting often described as a necklace resting in the forest. The journey concludes at Jiming Temple, one of the city's most cherished ancient temples, its pagoda overlooking the city walls and rooftops in a peaceful final scene.

Bags packed and memories made, a transfer to the airport brings the journey to a close, leaving behind time in Shanghai and Nanjing, two cities that reveal very different yet equally rewarding sides of China.