This morning meet your local guide in the lobby of your hotel at approximately 9.30am.

Take a stroll along the historic Bund riverfront, a stretch of grand colonial buildings that contribute greatly to Shanghai's reputation as the "Paris of the East”.

Walk along the bustling Nanjing Road, also known as Shanghai's "Golden Mile", which has once again been restored to reflect Shanghai's status as a booming and truly international city.

Visit the well-known Yu Garden in the Old Quarter. Originally founded in 1577 by the Pan family, this is the finest example of Ming garden design in Shanghai. Take some time to explore the area surrounding the garden which is a bustling bazaar with numerous food stalls, antique and souvenir shops. 

Later, take a walking tour through the backstreets of the Chinese Old Quarter. These small streets and markets are bustling with local life. Laundry hangs haphazardly across footpaths and locals haggle over the best price for fruit and vegetables. Homemade noodles and fresh steaming buns are made, seafood is cooked up in street side stalls, and strange concoctions of herbs and dried ginseng sit in glass cases for sale.

Visit a local bird and flower market, a foreign concept for westerners, but a commonplace occurrence in cities across China. Stroll through the local water market. Veer off the typical tourist trail to one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Shanghai near the lovely, serene Confucius Temple, far from the tourist crowds. Explore the temple and the surrounding narrow lanes backstreets where you see some wonderful examples of old Shanghainese architecture, known as shi ku men houses.

End your walking tour in the modern entertainment complex of Xintiandi, located in the old French Concession area. Here visit the Shikumen Museum for an insight into the old architecture of the area before returning to your hotel. Your tour ends with a transfer back to your hotel at approximately 4.30pm.