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Updated October 2026
Ningbo is Zhejiang's quieter, foodie city, about 2 hours from Shanghai by high-speed train. In 2–3 days, eat tangyuan at Gang Ya Gou, see the Drum Tower and Tianyi Pavilion, walk Nantang Old Street, and cycle around peaceful Dongqian Lake. This is Days 1–3 of our 6-day Ningbo, Shaoxing and Shanghai trip.
To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we went on a spontaneous trip! We waited for the Singapore Airlines Spontaneous Escapes promotion in July to see where we could go for a short break. In the end we chose Shanghai, as it had been three years since our last China trip. We'd already seen Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai, so this time we added Ningbo and Shaoxing.
Ningbo at a glance
| Time needed | 2–3 days |
|---|---|
| From Shanghai | High-speed train, about 1.5–2.5 hours (some trains now use Shanghai South, not Hongqiao) |
| Must-eat | Tangyuan, Ningbo rice cakes, fresh seafood and crab |
| Must-see | Tianyi Pavilion (¥30), Drum Tower, Nantang Old Street, Dongqian Lake |
| Where we stayed | Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort & Spa on Dongqian Lake |
Our 6-Day Ningbo, Shaoxing and Shanghai Itinerary
- Day 1: Singapore → Shanghai → Ningbo, Park Hyatt Ningbo, Seafood House and Red Bar
- Day 2: Gang Ya Gou, Tianyi Square, Drum Tower, Tianyi Pavilion, dinner at Tie Ge Bi, Nantang Old Street
- Day 3: Dongqian Lake → train to Shaoxing (Shaoxing itinerary)
- Day 4–6: Shaoxing → Shanghai (Shanghai 3-day itinerary)
Day 1: Shanghai to Ningbo, Seafood House and Red Bar
Why Ningbo? Even many Chinese don't visit Ningbo on holiday, so friends were puzzled when they heard. We chose it because we wanted a nice resort to chill in, without the crowds. We love China, just not the crowds! Plus, we'd never been, and a friend told me Ningbo has lots of good food. We stayed two nights, and it was the best stay of the whole trip.
After the 2-hour high-speed train ride, we took a DiDi from Ningbo Station to the resort. The resort was amazing, and we didn't want to go anywhere else, so we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and bar.
Seafood House Restaurant
There aren't many dinner options near Park Hyatt Ningbo, so we ended up at Seafood House. H isn't a fan of seafood and the seafood prices were steep, so we skipped those and went for traditional dishes. The wok-fried rice cake with eggplant and minced pork took me by surprise: tender yet chewy, probably the best rice cake I've had. The wok-fried pork ribs were too sweet for us. We also had wok-fried noodles with shrimps. It was my first proper Zhejiang meal and it didn't disappoint: unlike some Chinese food I'd had that was too oily or salty, Zhejiang cooking is well balanced.
Red Bar
After dinner, we went to Red Bar for drinks and found ourselves with only two other tables that night. Red Bar used to be a temple and has been turned into a contemporary bar. It serves cocktails, champagne and finger food, and opera singers perform at night. When we visited, it opened Wednesday to Sunday from 6pm to midnight; check the current hours with the hotel.
๐จ Check Park Hyatt Ningbo prices on Trip.com, or read our full Park Hyatt Ningbo review. (Affiliate link)
Day 2: Tangyuan, the Drum Tower, Tianyi Pavilion and Nantang Old Street
On our second morning, we took a dip in the infinity pool overlooking the lake. It's gorgeous, and I love how quiet and peaceful it is! Then we took the hotel shuttle into the city for brunch.
Gang Ya Gou (็ผธ้ธญ็)
Ningbo is famous for tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), and Gang Ya Gou has been in business since 1926. I'm not a tangyuan fan, so I wasn't expecting much. But it was so good that we came back a second time because I didn't get enough! The other dishes were mediocre, though. Find it in the Tianyi Square area.
Tianyi Square (ๅคฉไธๅนฟๅบ)
After lunch, we walked around Tianyi Square, downtown Ningbo, with around 300 shops and international brands. It was scorching hot, so we ducked into the mall, browsed the supermarket and even spent an hour at the Apple Store learning photo editing!
Drum Tower (้ผๆฅผ)
Next, we visited the Drum Tower, built over 1,100 years ago and one of Ningbo's icons. Of the many small shops on the street, only one caught our attention: ็ฎๅญ้ฆ ้ฅผ (Aizi Xianbing). Everybody left with two or three bags of boxes! A pack of 10 pastries in different flavours cost ¥10 when we visited, and they keep for about a week. We were at the start of our trip, so sadly we couldn't bring any home.
Tianyi Pavilion (ๅคฉไธ้)
Tianyi Pavilion is China's oldest surviving private library, with a garden, founded by the Ming official Fan Qin. It once held around 70,000 volumes, but they were never open to the public: the library was locked, and only Fan Qin's descendants could visit. His eldest son, Fan Dacong, continued the legacy with a strict rule: "ไปฃไธๅไนฆ，ไนฆไธๅบ้", the books must stay together and never leave the pavilion. Only a few famous scholars were ever let in, and many books were lost during wars.
We spent the late afternoon exploring and were amazed by the collectors' passion and devotion. Even the layout was designed to prevent fire, with clay-wrapped timber, a pond outside the library and fire doors.
Tickets: ¥30 for adults (¥15 for children when we visited). It opens around 8:30am to 5:30pm in summer and to 5pm in winter, and has been closed on Monday mornings. Take the metro or a DiDi; check the hours before you go.
๐️ See Tianyi Pavilion tickets and opening hours on Trip.com. (Affiliate link)
Dinner at Tie Ge Bi (่ดด้็ขง)
There are a few Tie Ge Bi restaurants in Ningbo, and we went to the one on Nantang Old Street on a DiDi driver's recommendation. It serves good, authentic Ningbo food. I love the rice cakes! Every dish we shared was good, especially the very fresh seafood. H doesn't eat crab, so we skipped the steamed crab. When we visited, the Nantang branch was at 236 Nanjiao Road (ๆตทๆๅบๅ้่ทฏ236ๅท), open 11am–1:30pm and 5–8:30pm.
Nantang Old Street (ๅๅก่่ก)
The government has rebuilt this old street in traditional style, with stone bridges, a river and a few historic mansions. It's long: we took 40–60 minutes to walk it, snacking on street food after dinner at Tie Ge Bi.
Day 3: Cycling Dongqian Lake
On our last morning in Ningbo, we rented bicycles from the hotel and cycled around Dongqian Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Zhejiang. It was beautiful, quiet and amazing. Honestly, where else can you find such peace in China? After the ride, we enjoyed the last bit of luxury at Park Hyatt before heading on to Shaoxing.
๐ฒ See Dongqian Lake on Trip.com, or compare Ningbo hotels if you'd rather stay in the city. (Affiliate links)
Ningbo Travel Tips for 2026
- Trains: high-speed trains run from Shanghai in about 1.5–2.5 hours. Since a January 2025 timetable change, some Ningbo trains end at Shanghai South instead of Hongqiao. Book China trains on Trip.com with your passport.
- Paying: in 2018, Alipay didn't take foreign cards. Now Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept Visa and Mastercard, which makes DiDi, the metro and street food much easier.
- Getting around: Ningbo has a metro network, and there is now a station within 1 km of Park Hyatt Ningbo. DiDi is still the easiest way to Dongqian Lake.
- More to see: browse Ningbo attractions on Trip.com. (Affiliate link)
Ningbo FAQ
How do I get from Shanghai to Ningbo?
High-speed trains from Shanghai take about 1.5 to 2.5 hours to Ningbo Station, with the fastest around 1 hour 35 minutes. Since January 2025 some Ningbo trains run to Shanghai South instead of Hongqiao, so check the station when you book.
Is Ningbo worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quieter, foodie side of Zhejiang. Ningbo is known for tangyuan, rice cakes and fresh seafood, and Dongqian Lake is far less crowded than Hangzhou's West Lake.
How much is Tianyi Pavilion?
Tianyi Pavilion (Tianyige Museum) has charged 30 yuan for adults for years. Hours are about 8:30am to 5:30pm in summer and to 5pm in winter, and it has been closed on Monday mornings. Check before you go.
How many days do you need in Ningbo?
Two to three days: one day in the old city for Tianyi Pavilion, the Drum Tower and Nantang Old Street, and one at Dongqian Lake. Add a day for a side trip to Shaoxing.
Prices and opening hours marked "when we visited" are from our 2018 trip. Tickets, trains and payment tips are updated as of October 2026; always check before you go. This post contains affiliate links; if you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.