Shanghai

The China city that meets you halfway

Shanghai had about 24.9 million residents in 2023 and is China's most populous city, yet it is also the easiest one to arrive in. It received more than 9.36 million inbound visits in 2025, up almost 40 percent on the year before and well ahead of Beijing's 5.48 million, which is why we chose it as our first mainland China city guide. Visa-free entry for many passports, an airport maglev and a metro with tourist passes all lower the bar for a first visit.

The city splits in two along the Huangpu River. On the west bank, the Bund is a 1.6 km riverside strip of 52 buildings in mixed European styles, and behind it lie the old streets, People's Square and the shopping avenue of East Nanjing Road. On the east bank, Pudong holds the Lujiazui financial district and the towers that define the skyline. Most visitors spend their first two days going back and forth between the two, and that is the right way to do it.

Four districts that matter

Shanghai is huge, but a first visit fits inside a few areas that are all linked by metro. Pick your base by what you want outside the front door, because every district below is a short train ride from the others.

Huangpu: the Bund & People's Square Most central · Sights on foot · Busy

Huangpu is the central district on the west bank and holds the Bund, East Nanjing Road, People's Square and the Shanghai Museum. Yu Garden sits in the old city nearby and is served by metro Lines 10 and 14. Staying here puts the headline sights within walking distance, at the price of the thickest crowds in the city.

Pudong & Lujiazui Skyline views · Modern · Airport links

The east bank of the Huangpu River is home to the Lujiazui financial district, the Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower. It suits travellers who want the towers outside the window and an easy run to Pudong Airport, since the maglev starts from Longyang Road station in this district.

Jing'an & the former French Concession Tree-lined streets · Cafes · Central

Jing'an is built around Jing'an Temple and is a well-connected, central base with a quieter feel than the riverfront. The former French Concession, known for its plane-tree-lined streets, is the best part of the city for slow walking; Wukang Road is the street our scam guide singles out for its autumn colour.

Hongqiao Rail hub · West side · Early starts

Hongqiao, on the western side of the city, is where most high-speed trains to Suzhou and Hangzhou leave from, and it has its own airport. It is a practical base for early departures rather than for sightseeing. The Airport Link metro line connects Hongqiao and Pudong airports in about 40 minutes.

From simple chain hotels to riverside five-stars

Shanghai's hotels are dominated by international chains, which makes the choice easy: pick the district first, then the price bracket. Every hotel below was found and checked on Booking.com.

Prices below are rough averages per night for a double room, worked out from several listings in the same bracket for a Friday and Saturday night in February 2027, so check current rates for your own dates. For a simple base, Campanile Hotel Shanghai Jing'an Temple on North Wulumuqi Road is a 3-star that guests rate 8+ from over 680 reviews (around ¥300 to ¥350 a night). In the middle, Campanile Shanghai Bund Hotel on Fujian South Road in Huangpu is rated 8+ from over 3,000 reviews (around ¥500 to ¥600), and Holiday Inn Shanghai Jing'an on Zhongxing Road is rated 9+ by guests from over 900 reviews (around ¥500).

For the skyline side of the river, Novotel Atlantis Shanghai on Pudong Avenue is a 5-star with an indoor pool that guests rate 9+ from over 5,000 reviews (around ¥500). Near the airport and the rail hub in the west, Sofitel Shanghai Hongqiao on Taihong Road is rated close to 9 from over 400 reviews and offers a free airport shuttle (around ¥500).

At the top of the range, two five-stars stand on East Nanjing Road in Huangpu: Radisson Collection Hyland Shanghai is rated close to 9 from over 4,000 reviews, and Crowne Plaza Shanghai Nanjing Road is rated 8.5+ from over 3,000 reviews. Expect around ¥800 to ¥850 a night at either.

Soup dumplings, soy-braised pork and a sweet streak

Shanghai cooking is mellower and slightly sweeter than most other Chinese regional cuisines, and sweet and sour is a typical Shanghai taste. Its classic style leans on oil and soy sauce, which gives dishes their dark amber colour. This chapter sticks to the dishes to look for; we have not verified individual restaurants well enough to recommend them by name.

Xiaolongbao Soup dumplings · Steamed

A steamed dumpling with a thin dough skin, stuffed with pork or minced crab meat and soup, with the broth sealed inside until you bite.

Shengjianbao Pan-fried buns · Sesame and scallion

A pork-filled bun fried in a pan and topped with sesame seeds and scallions. It is similar to xiaolongbao but thicker, because yeast goes into the dough.

Red-braised pork belly Hongshaorou · Slow-cooked

Pork belly cooked for a long time in Shanghainese soy sauce. It is the dish that best shows the city's heavy-soy, slightly sweet style.

Hairy crab Steamed · Vinegar dip

Shanghai's hairy crab is best steamed, which preserves its original taste, and is usually served with a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, sugar and ginger.

A river, a garden, a museum and a very tall tower

Shanghai's best sights cluster around the Huangpu River and are easy to chain together by metro. Several close on Mondays, so plan the week with that in mind.

Riverfront promenade

The Bund

A 1.6 km stretch of the Huangpu's west bank lined with 52 buildings in mixed European styles, facing the towers of Pudong.

• 52 historic buildings
• Scam hotspot

Book a highlights bus tour →

Ming dynasty garden

Yu Garden

A classical garden of pavilions, ponds and rockeries in the old city, built in 1559.

• ¥30 to ¥40 by season
• Closed Mondays

Book a Yu Garden ticket →

Supertall tower

Shanghai Tower

A 632 m tower with 127 stories and an observation deck on floor 118, 546 m above the ground.

• ¥180 adults
• Deck on floor 118

Book an observation deck ticket →

Art and history

Shanghai Museum

The main branch on People's Square, open 9:00 to 17:00, with entry through the south gate on showing valid ID.

• Closed Mondays
• Bring ID

The Bund and the old city

Walk the Bund first thing in the morning, before the crowds and before anyone has time to approach you with an invitation. The Bund is 1.6 km long and faces the skyscrapers of Lujiazui across the river. From there, Yu Garden is a short ride away on metro Lines 10 or 14. The garden dates to 1559 and costs ¥40 from April to June and from September to November and ¥30 in the other months, according to a current visitor guide. It is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays.

Pudong and the towers

Cross to the east bank for Shanghai Tower, 632 m tall with 127 stories. The Top of Shanghai observatory is on floor 118, 546 m up, and adult tickets are listed at ¥180 by travel guides, with lower prices for children by height and for seniors.

The Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum on People's Square is open from 9:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays except on national holidays. Since 1 September 2025 individual visitors no longer need to reserve for the People's Square building, although reservations still apply during peak periods such as national holidays, school breaks and popular special exhibitions. A separate branch, Shanghai Museum East, is in Pudong and closes on Tuesdays instead, so check which building you are heading to.

Tastings, tours and tickets

If you would rather not plan the logistics, a few bookable options cover the main sights. The Yu Garden, Old Street, Bund and Zhujiajiao bus tour takes about 8 hours and has guests rating it close to 5 from 585 reviews. The Old Town, Yu Garden and Zhujiajiao tour includes a local lunch and a guide, and comes with a private option. For the skyline, a Shanghai Tower observation deck ticket is rated 4.5 from nearly 600 reviews, and a separate Yu Garden admission ticket is rated 4.4 from over 340 reviews. Prices vary by date and group size, so check current rates before you book.

One, two or three days, built around the river

Two days cover the city itself; a third is best spent on a train. The routes below assume a day that is not a Monday, because the Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden are both closed then.

A maglev from the airport and a metro that takes foreign cards

Shanghai has two airports, Pudong International and Hongqiao. From Pudong, the maglev covers the 30 km to Longyang Road metro station in less than 8 minutes. A one-way ticket costs ¥50 and a return, valid for 7 days, costs ¥80; trains run from 6:45 to 21:40, about every 15 minutes until 17:00 and every 20 minutes after that. Its top operating speed is 431 km/h.

At Longyang Road you change to metro Lines 2 and 7. Between the two airports, the Airport Link line runs from Hongqiao to Pudong in about 40 minutes, with a full-journey fare of ¥26.

Within the city, metro fares are distance-based: ¥3 for trips up to 6 km, plus ¥1 for each further 10 km. A one-day pass costs ¥18 for 24 hours from first entry and a three-day pass costs ¥45 for 72 hours; neither covers the maglev. Eligible foreign Visa and Mastercard-type cards work as tap-to-ride at the gates, and the Metro Daduhui app links to Alipay or WeChat Pay. A combined maglev and one-day metro pass costs ¥55 single or ¥85 return.

Cheap to get around, and hotels set the budget

Transport is the bargain in Shanghai; the hotel is where your budget is decided. The figures below are the ones we could source, grouped by what you are paying for.

Low violent crime, plenty of tourist scams

The UK Foreign Office says serious crime against foreign nationals in China is relatively rare, although incidents can happen, and it advises watching your belongings at major tourist sites and busy places. The Canadian government rates China at "Exercise a high degree of caution" (updated 3 November 2026). The risks there centre on the arbitrary enforcement of local laws and on scams in tourist areas, not on street violence.

The scam to know is the invitation: a friendly stranger asks you to a tea tasting, bar or massage and the establishment then demands a very large fee, sometimes with threats or card fraud. Canada names the Bund as a hotspot. The UK government warns about QR code phishing, and the Canadian government about fake police calls that ask you to transfer money; do not send money in either case. On the road, avoid unmarked or unmetered taxis, insist on the metered fare and ask for a receipt that shows the taxi number. In an emergency, the numbers are 110 for police, 120 for medical help and 119 for fire, and the UK government lists +86 (0) 10 5192 4000 for British assistance in China. Read our China scam guide before you land.

Gardens, lakes and water towns within an hour or two

Shanghai Hongqiao is the high-speed rail hub for the two classic day trips, and a third is a standard organised tour. Trains and fares change by date, so check the times on the day you travel.

Suzhou From 21 min by train · G-train around ¥45

The fastest high-speed trains from Shanghai Hongqiao reach Suzhou North in about 21 minutes, and the second-class G-train fare is listed at around ¥45, with slower D-trains around ¥31. Most trains arrive at Suzhou Railway Station or Suzhou North. A guided Suzhou day trip from Shanghai with gardens, Tiger Hill and a canal cruise takes a full day.

Hangzhou From 45 min by train · G-train around ¥73

Three G-trains make the run from Shanghai Hongqiao to Hangzhou East in 45 minutes, and the second-class fare is listed at around ¥73. Hongqiao and Hangzhou East are the main terminals for this route, so book those two stations.

Zhujiajiao Water town · Half-day tour

Zhujiajiao is the water town most often added to Shanghai itineraries. The two organised tours listed in the Things to Do chapter both include it alongside Yu Garden and the Bund, so you can see it without working out the transport yourself.