How to Get from Ningbo to Shanghai by Train, Flight & Bus

If you’ve already finished your Ningbo tour in Zhengjiang Province, travelling to nearby Shanghai is a good idea to continue your China discovery. Thus, you can not only view fantastic modern scrapers and sense traditional Chinese cultures in Shanghai, but also can conveniently transfer to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huangshan Mountain, Beijing, Xian, Guilin and more major tourist destinations in China. What’s the distance from Ningbo to Shanghai? What’s the most efficient way of getting from Ningbo to Shanghai? How long a high speed train takes? Which train station should I go to? In order to help you transfer from Ningbo to Shanghai efficiently, We offer updated most helpful Ningbo to Shanghai transportation guide below, involving high speed bullet & normal train timetable, duration, station, tickets and costs, as well as available flight and bus options.

Ningbo to Shanghai Distance

Where is Ningbo: Ningbo is situated in east part of Zhejiang Province, next to Shaoxing to the west, Taizhou to the southwest and Zhoushan to the east. It is about 160 km from Hangzhou.

Where is Shanghai: Located on the south estuary of Yangtze River, Shanghai borders Zhejiang Province to the west and Jiangsu Province to the north. It lies about 1,175km southeast of Beijing (2.5 hours by flight; 4.5~6 hours by high speed bullet train), 1,355 km from Xian (around 2.5 hours by flight; 6.5~10 hours by high speed bullet train), 175 km northeast of Hangzhou (about 1 hour by high speed bullet train) and 100 km from Suzhou, almost 0.5 hour by bullet train.

How Far is Ningbo to Shanghai: Shanghai is about 215 km (134 miles) north of Ningbo, which needs about 1 hour’s flight, 2 ~2.5 hours’ high speed train journey or 3.5 hours’ private drive.

Option 1: Get from Ningbo to Shanghai by Train

1.Ningbo to Shanghai High Speed Bullet Train (Most Efficient & Recommended Way)

● Train Time: about 2 ~ 2.5 hours

● Frequency: over 50 high speed bullet trains per day

● From & To: Ningbo Railway Station 宁波站 → Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站

● Running Speed: 300 km/h -350 km/h (G Train); 200 km/h (D Train)

● Advantages: fast, convenient, comfortable, punctual, many choices of trains...

Thanks to the Hangzhou-Ningbo High Speed Railway and Shanghai-Hangzhou High Speed Railway, taking a high speed bullet train from Ningbo to Shanghai needs merely 2 to 2.5 hours. Every day, there are almost 50 high speed bullet trains (G trains and D trains included) departing from Ningbo Railway Station to Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station. The first train starts from Ningbo at around 06:30 am and the last one leaves at around 09:30 pm. Because running on combined two rail sections, all the Ningbo to Hangzhou high speed bullet trains will stop at Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou.

✔ Most Popular Shanghai Tours: 2 Days Classic Shanghai City Tour / 3 Days Shanghai Past and Present Contrast Tour

◆ Ningbo Railway Station 宁波站

Address: No.19, Nanzhan Road East, Haishu District, Ningbo, Zhejiang 浙江省宁波市海曙区南站东路19号

Transportation: about 15 km, 30 minutes’ drive to downtown Ningbo; about 2.5 km, 10 minutes’ drive from Tianyi Pavilion; around 20 km, 30 minutes’ drive from Dongqian Lake; nearly 18 km, 20 minutes’ drive from Baoguo Temple; about 12 km, 20 minutes’ drive to Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB).

◆ Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station 上海虹桥站

Address: No.1500, Shengui Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 上海市闵行区申贵路1500号

Transportation: about 20 km, 50 minutes~1 hour’s drive to the Bund; 20 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai Museum; 23 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai World Financial Center; 35 km, 40 minutes’ drive to Zhujiajiao Water Town; 43 km, 1 hour’s drive to Shanghai Disney Resort.

Useful Link:

>> Shanghai Train Stations Transportation Guide

Ningbo Railway Station

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station

Check the real-time Ningbo to Shanghai high speed bullet train timetable below with updated train numbers, times, train tickets and fares.

2. Get from Ningbo to Shanghai by Normal Train

● Train Time: about 5 hours

● Frequency: 2 normal trains per day

● From & To: Ningbo Railway Station 宁波站 → Shanghai South Railway Station 上海南站

● Running Speed: 120 km/h

Besides the massive high speed bullet trains, Ningbo still runs 2 daily normal speed trains to Shanghai. Both the normal trains leave Ningbo Railway Station in the afternoon time and get to Shanghai South Railway Station after nearly 5 hours’ ride.

Tips: Comparing to the train travel time, level of comfort and convenience, number of train schedules, the faster high speed trains are always the first choice than the normal trains.

◆ Shanghai South Railway Station 上海南站

Address: No.9001, Humin Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 上海市徐汇区沪闵路9001号

Transportation: about 43 km, 50 minutes’ drive from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG); about 14 km, 25 minutes’ drive from the Bund; almost 14 km, 30 minutes’ drive from Yu Garden; about 30 km, 40 minutes’ drive from Shanghai Disney Resort.

Shanghai South Railway Station

Option 2: Get from Ningbo to Shanghai by Flight

There is also one direct flight flying from Ningbo Lishe International Airport (NGB) to Shanghai Putong International Airport (PVG) each day. The air travel is less than 1 hour short. But considering air travelers have to get to the airport at least 2 hours prior to departure, the total time and money cost thus is rather high. Therefore, the flight is less chosen among the tourists.

Ningbo to Shanghai Flight Schedule:

Note: The above Ningbo to Shanghai flight schedule is listed for reference only. It is subject to change by the airline company.

Option 3: Get from Ningbo to Shanghai by Bus

Except the train and flight, Ningbo provides more than 20 buses to Shanghai as well. The buses depart from different bus stations in Ningbo and arrive at different places in Shanghai, such as Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and some bus stations in Shanghai. Normally, a bus from Ningbo to Shanghai takes 4 hours or so.

How to Plan a Ningbo Shanghai Tour

You’re highly suggested to spend 4 days, 2 days in Ningbo and 2 days in Shanghai each to discover the top highlights of the two cities. With 1 to 2 extra days, you can also tour more attractions, join more local activities to more deeply contact with the local culture.

During your 2-day trip in Ningbo, you can visit Tianyi Pavilion, one of the oldest private library in China, Xikou Scenic Area, beautiful Dongqian Lake, Baoguo Temple, the existing oldest and most complete wooden architecture on south of the Yangtze River, Ningbo Museum, Hemudu Relics, etc, and taste its most famous Ningbo Tangyuan and various kinds of seafood.

While in Shanghai, you can experience the flying speed of Maglev Train, marvel at towering modern skyscrapers, such as Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower in Lujiazui, learn amazing city development history and see a large number of cultural treasure in Shanghai Museum, enjoy western style historical architectures along the Bund, visit local cultural icons like Yu Garden, Tianzifang, City God Temple, Zhujiajiao Water Town, have fun in hanghai Disney ResortS, sample various Shanghai food and snacks, etc.

Top Recommended Shanghai Tours: ✔2 Days Classic Shanghai City Tour / ✔3 Days Shanghai Past and Present Contrast Tour

With well-developed transportation network, it’s super convenient to extend your China tour from Shanghai to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Huangshan Mountain in nearby regions, and even go farther to Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Yangtze River, Yunnan, Tibet, Silk Road and more wonderful destinations in China. If time allows, a longer holiday with different types of highlights, like Great Walls, Terracotta Warriors, Giant Panda, Li River Cruise... is an excellent idea for your once-in-a-lifetime journey in China.

Best China Tours from Shanghai:

✔5 Days Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou Highlights Tour

✔8 Days East China Tour by High Speed Train (Nanjing/Suzhou/Hangzhou/Shanghai)

✔8 Days Best of China Tour (Beijing/Xian/Shanghai)

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Travel Ningbo & Shanghai with China Discovery

As a leading travel agency in China who dedicates to offering high-quality China tours, China Discovery has helped thousands of travelers enjoy their trips to Shanghai, Beijing, Xian, etc., in China. Travel with us, you can enjoy worry-free tour services as well as well-organized itineraries, even our assistance of Chinese Visa application, convenient airport/train station pick-up & drop-off and transfer between all scenic spots, knowledgeable tour guide, safe & licensed private vehicle, satisfactory accommodation and dining and so on. To fully focus on the trip itself without worry any details, you can choose from our most popular Shanghai tour packages or contact us to design a memorable holiday in Shanghai, China.