By:Bound2explore January 21, 2019
What to do when you have 12 hours layover in Shanghai? Should you spend it at the airport, chilling at the lounge and shopping around or should you exit airport and venture out into the city? While you can spend 12 hours inside the airport, Shanghai airport is rather boring with mediocre lounges. So if you want to maximize your travel experience and have some energy left inside you, exploring the city will be your best choice. Here’s a complete itinerary on how to spend 12 hours layover in Shanghai:
The first step when you arrive at Shanghai airport is to go to 24 hours transit visa counter . Don’t go to transit area if you want to venture out into the city. Most foreign nationals can obtain 24 hours transit visa at Shanghai airport and it is free. Lucky you! I meant this is the best way if you want to get a taste of China since a regular tourist visa will cost you up to $140 depending on your nationality. So grab this opportunity!
From there you can store your luggage, there is a luggage storage area at arrival hall. Now that you are ready to explore, you can choose between metro, taxi or Maglev train. Both metro and Maglev train station are inside the airport. Shanghai Maglev train is the only commercial Maglev train in the world. Must do when you have 12 hours layover in Shanghai. Maglev is basically short for magnetic levitation. In simple English, this train is operated on magnetic levitation where a train float above the rail/guideway using the basic principles of magnet to replace the old steel wheel. Cool stuff for sure! So this is your chance to ride on the fastest electric train in the world at 430km/hour. It will takes you 8 minutes from Pudong Airport to Longyang road (center city). So definitely take this train for an experience of a lifetime. If you show your boarding pass, you will receive a discount on one way ticket.
When you get to Longyang Road station, you can decide what metro you want to take to reach your destination. The metro station is located across the street from Maglev train station. I always want to see the old China and new China. So I decided to visit Yuyuan garden. I take metro no. 10 and get out at Yuyuan garden stop.
Yuyuan garden is a perfect stop. On the way to the garden, you will pass so many stores where you can buy souvenirs such as silk scarf, jade jewelry, Chinese embroidery and you can also stop by Chinese bakery and get the famous mooncake. If you are lucky enough to have time to explore the city during your 12 hours layover in Shanghai, it is always better to buy the souvenirs in the city because the price will always be cheaper than the airport. There is also a teahouse where you can sit and relax while sipping a cup of tea. Since tea is originated from China, it’s just a perfect idea to try a cup of tea in China.
Yuyuan Garden is located at old Shanghai. If you want to get a glimpse of the past, you will definitely appreciate this massive beautiful garden. The garden was first built during Ming Dynasty. Here, you can enjoy Chinese architecture or staring at the Koi fish in the pond. While the place was really crowded and it was not even during high season for tourist when I was there, it is worth a visit.
Next stop is Nanjing Road. This road is China’s premier shopping district. You can shop around here or just stroll along the road. If you keep walking on this road, it will take you to east Nanjing road and from there you can reach the Bund. The Bund is a waterfront area in Shanghai. The view is beautiful, from here you can see the Pearl Tower and the modern side of Shanghai.
Before you know it, your 12 hours layover in Shanghai is coming to an end. Make sure you have enough time to get back to the airport. Besides the security lanes at the airport, in Shanghai you also have to go through security lanes before you can board the train and the metro/subway. From the Bund, you can walk back to East Nanjing Road metro station to take a metro to Longyang Road station. From there you can hop to Maglev train that take you straight to e the Airport. If you only buy one way ticket for Maglev train, you can take metro all the way to airport.
