Transfer from your booked accommodation to a central meeting point in the Xintiandi district is on own arrangement. Upon arrival at the meeting place, you are welcomed by your guide; a local expert with an insurmountable knowledge of the alleyways and hidden roads, unbeknownst by many.

Once your vintage bicycle is fitted according to your length, it’s pedalling time! Via the famous French Concession, a former residential area has now become popular thanks to its tree-lined avenues, café culture and French-style architecture blended with Chinese buildings, and charming Fuxing Park, a local snack stop perfectly breaks up the first part of the morning. Explanations and stories aplenty will flow through the morning as the cycling guide explains the ins and outs of his home.

Leaving the facades of modern Shanghai far behind, the remainder of the morning is spent in Old Town. This is one of the best districts where the traditional wet market concept remains a daily sight to behold and stops to see a kaleidoscope of colours, sounds and smells fill the air. From here, going deeper into the Lilongs (lanes) of Shanghai of a bygone era is just logical progression. Admire a way of living that has changed little since the city’s heyday days as a quaint fishing village. Turning back towards the more modern side of Shanghai, and our meeting point, one stop at a local Buddhist temple along Ji’an Road complements all our visits on this day. Within the temple’s yellow-brick walls, hues of spirituality and traditions still reign supreme.

Our final pedal-powered movements lead us back to the meeting point at Xintiandi district before returning to your Shanghai hotel on own arrangement.