Slight chance of plans

1) Arrive in PVG on Sunday afternoon
2) Business (Mo - Fri)
3) Wednesday afternoon time to explore Shanghai
4) Travel to Xi'an Saturday early afternoon
5) Visit Terracotta Warriors and Muslim district on Sunday
6) Cycle city walls, visit Pagodas on Monday
7) Travel to Beijing on Tuesday morning
8) Visit Tianmen Sq and Forbidden Palace on Wednesday
9) "Backpackers Hostel Trip" to Mutianyu on Thursday ("odd_number day" )
10) Lama Temple, Confucius Temple, Beihai Park on Friday
11) Flying home Saturday afternoon.

What do you think?
I also plan to buy a bullet train ticket Xi'an-Beijing on that Wednesday afternoon in Shanghai. Possibly at an English window at a train station.

Ask your business associates or hotel to help arrange the train ticket. That's much better than spending time in line at the station on your free afternoon.

I could ask for help earlier in the week. And if it doesn't work out, go ahead and buy the ticket on Wednesday.

To me this looks like a very manageable itinerary with about the right amount of time to see the various sites you have selected. I'm not sure you'll be able to "explore Shanghai" fully in one afternoon. On the other hand, I would put your time towards what you have done-more in Beijing and Xi'an.

I do not see the Summer Palace on your list of Beijing sites. You might consider that for Wednesday after the Forbidden city, which you should be able to see by lunch time if you get a reasonably early start. Or, perhaps better, go to Beihai Park after the Forbidden City, as they are close to each other. Then spend Day 10 (Friday) at the Summer Palace and the Lama/Confucius Temples. In fact, the metro from the Summer Palace to Lama Temple involves only one change (Line 4 to Line 2) and takes ~40 mins (although a taxi also would work).

I like your suggestion of combining Beihai with the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace with the Lama/Confucius Temples.
With respect to "exploring Shanghai", I did not find much to see that kindles my interest. I like to visit the Yuyuan Garden, but The Bund and the French Concession reminds me too much of London and Paris. Both of which I already have visited a gazillion times.

I think your itinerary is fine, with some day-to-day tweaks as suggested above. I would get that Xian-BJ ticket the day you arrive in Shanghai, after you check in to your hotel. If the hotel is willing for a reasonable surcharge like RMB 50 or so, have them go get it. Otherwise, have the concierge write down the particulars in Chinese, then give you directions to the nearest remote train ticketing office which is likely within 5-10 minutes' walk from the hotel. Take your passport with you to buy. You don't need to fool around with English windows, going to the station, etc.

When you get to Shanghai, call up to the Beijing hostel to confirm the dates their GW tour is going out for the actual days you'll be in BJ, that will help you craft your specific daily plan in BJ. Might as well reserve your place while on the phone, they'll probably be OK with actual payment once you get to BJ.

I was planning to signup online (see link).

That works, too.

Sounds like a plan, but the earlier you can procure the train ticket the better.

If you have a free evening, especially early in the week in Shanghai, try to walk along the Bund in the early evening. There are also cruise boats (I haven't done this, but a local came close to leading a group of us there during a recent visit) and a selection of rather expensive restaurants and bars in beautiful historic buildings on the Puxi side. Try to also go to one of the view places to enjoy the lights on a clear evening, ideally late day to sunset to night, so time your drink at the Park Hyatt of whatever carefully or plan to use your hotel's top-floor concierge lounge at a good time.

The "history museum" and elevators in the distinctive tall toy building on the Pudong side are open into the evening. You can also walk along the river on that side around the aquarium and Shangra-La (?) hotel, near Fashion Mall.

Some of the art galleries are open late-ish and I think the same is true for the little city museum in the basement on the corner of People's Park. The main Shanghai museum might have extended hours some nights. Your visit in April is before the annual free period when lines are impossibly long.

You can also see a lot of the French Concession and Xiandu (spelling???) at night. These are also good areas to find somewhat upscale restaurants.

I guess it depends on what my colleagues want to do in the evenings. Also, I am staying at the Galaxy hotel (near Donghua University) which is not next door to the Bund.

Do you expect your colleagues to entertain you every night? I was somehow assuming not, since they're giving you a free afternoon to explore the city.

If you're visiting a university, they may ask a graduate student to show you around, play translator for you, etc., although this is more likely to be done outside of Shanghai and Beijing these days.

As colleagues, we usually hang out together at night if we are away from work on a business trip.

As PVG and SHA are airports serving Shaghai and this thread is about whether or not to visit Shanghai, the thread has been retitled from "PVG: go or not?" to "Shanghai: go or not?"

JDiver
senior moderator

You may also retitle the thread to "First time Shanghai"

I used to be bothered by the use of PVG to refer to SH, but I've gotten over this pet peeve.