Shanghai
Shanghai is China’s great meeting point of past and future — a city where 1920s stone banking houses stare across the Huangpu River at a skyline of supertall towers that didn’t exist a generation ago. It is the country’s financial engine
and its most outward-looking metropolis, and for the traveller that translates into an easy, exhilarating few days: world-class food, walkable historic quarters, an enormous and efficient metro, and a sense of momentum you can feel on every street corner.
What makes Shanghai so rewarding is the contrast packed into a small central area. You can spend a morning among the plane-tree-lined lanes of the former French Concession, lunch on soup dumplings beside a Ming dynasty garden, and watch the financial district light up across the water by night — all without leaving the inner districts. Beyond the city, the canal towns and classical gardens of the Yangtze Delta are an easy day trip away. This guide covers the neighbourhoods worth your time, how to get around, where to base yourself, and when to come.
AUTHOR EXPERIENCE
It’s been quite a few years since we visited Shanghai as part of a tour of China. The waterfront and the Bund were impressive then and have developed considerably since our visit. We have drawn on current, reliable sources of information as well as our memories to construct this guide for you.
Visited: 2002
Stayed In: Various cities including Shanghai
Perspective: Independent Traveller
Known for:
The Bund, skyline, East-meets-West
Time needed:
4–7 days
Currency:
Chinese yuan (RMB, ¥)
getting around:
Metro, Maglev, DiDi
language:
Mandarin (Shanghainese locally)
Best time:
Spring & autumn
About Shanghai
Home to roughly 25 million people, Shanghai grew from a walled fishing and market town into China’s busiest port and most cosmopolitan city. The legacy of its early-20th-century treaty-port years — when foreign concessions carved up the centre — survives in its architecture and its enduring East-meets-West character, while the explosive development of Pudong since the 1990s gave it the skyline it’s now famous for. Mandarin is the common language, though locals also speak the distinct Shanghainese dialect; English is widely understood in hotels and tourist areas but less so on the street, where a translation app earns its keep.
Places you don't want to miss
The bund
This waterfront area runs for almost a mile along Zhongshan Road and the Huangpu River. It’s a reminder of China’s colonial past with is mix of Romanesque, Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Neoclassical Revival styles. Its a unique part if the city for its history and for the stunning views along the strip and across the water.
Lujiazui and Pudong
Lujiazui and Pudong constitutes Shanghai’s financial district and China’s ‘wall street’. Its also famous for its futuristic and stunning skyline. Amongst it archiitectual features are landmarks such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center (at nearly 500 metres tall).
Yu Gardens
Behind the wall of skyscrapers, to the South, this stunning Ming Dynasty garden decorated with ponds, trees, flowers, rock structures, pavilions, pagodas, and old historical buildings. Its extensive, takes half a day to do well and is sure to be busy.
The French concession
The area was administered by the French for almost a 100 years and contains echos of Paris. Its fashionable with offices, hotels, malls, galleries, bars and restaurants but also perhaps unhurried, a lived-in quarter and very different from the pace and grandeur of the river front.
xiaolongbao
Yes you can call it a soup dumpling. Presented in bamboo steamers and filled with hot, savory broth, these small dumplings are a must-try for visitors to Shanghai. The wrapper is thin but strong enough to hold a minced pork filling and hot broth. Many reviewers recommend Fuchun Xiaolong restaurants but there are many others.
Huangpu River Cruise
A Huangpu River cruise is taking good way of getting those pictures of the city. Standard cruises last for less than an hour (around US$20-25) but evening cruises with dinner and the trimmings can take several hours and cost several times as much. Many cruise boats leave from a hub near the You Garden area.
Getting Around
The Shanghai Metro is the world’s largest by route length, with more than 20 lines reaching almost everywhere a visitor wants to go. It’s clean, cheap, signed in English and the simplest way to cross the city — just avoid the weekday rush (roughly 7:30–9:30am and 5-7pm), when core lines and People’s Square interchange get very crowded.
Paying is now straightforward for foreign visitors: set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your overseas card, open the in-app transit QR code for Shanghai, and scan in and out at the gates. Single-journey tokens are also sold at station machines, and one- and three-day tourist passes (¥18 / ¥45) cover unlimited metro rides, though not the Maglev. For door-to door trips, DiDi — China’s ride hailing app — works for foreigners through a mini program inside Alipay or WeChat, usually with an English interface.
Most international flights land at Pudong International (PVG), about 30 km east of the centre — not to be confused with the closer Hongqiao (SHA), which handles mostly domestic flights and high-speed trains. From Pudong, the headline option is the Maglev, which hits 300 km/h and covers the run to Longyang Road metro station in around eight minutes; from there it’s a short hop on Line 2 into town. Metro Line 2, the newer Airport Link Line to Hongqiao, and a taxi or DiDi (roughly ¥180 260) are the alternatives.
Worth knowing: Many Western apps and maps are blocked in mainland China, and the city runs on mobile payment — the China guide covers how to stay connected and pay by phone, both worth sorting before you arrive.
Where to stay
For first-timers, basing yourself near a metro line in the central districts matters more than the exact neighbourhood. The Bund and People’s Square put you in walking distance of the headline sights; Pudong / Lujiazui suits skyline views and business travellers; the former French Concession and Jing’an are the most atmospheric for cafés, dining and a slower pace. Accommodation spans world class luxury hotels to design-led boutiques in converted lane houses and a good range of mid-range and budget options.
When to visit
Spring (March–May) and autumn (September November) are the most comfortable seasons, with mild temperatures and the best chance of clear skies for those skyline views. Summer is hot, humid and prone to heavy rain, while winter is grey and chilly but rarely freezing — and quieter. Try to avoid the national holiday weeks around early October and Chinese New Year, when domestic tourism peaks and the big sights are at their most crowded.
Day Trips from Shanghai
The Yangtze Delta around Shanghai is dotted with classical canal towns. Zhujiajiao is the easiest, reachable by metro, with stone bridges and waterways on the city’s western edge; Zhouzhuang and Tongli are more picturesque if you have a full day. Further afield, fast trains reach Suzhou — famed for its UNESCO-listed classical gardens — in around half an hour, and Hangzhou and its scenic West Lake in under an hour. Families may also want to factor in Shanghai Disney Resort, out on the city’s eastern side.
Part of a series of guides on visiting China
Shanghai: Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do you need in Shanghai?
Three days is a good fit for the city itself — enough for the Bund and Pudong, the French Concession, Yu Garden and the Old City, and a museum or two, at a relaxed pace. A fourth or fifth day lets you add a canal-town day trip or a fast-train visit to Suzhou or Hangzhou. Many travellers also pass through Shanghai on a wider China itinerary rather than staying put.
Do I need cash in Shanghai, or can I pay by phone?
Shanghai is overwhelmingly cashless. The easiest approach is to set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your overseas card before you arrive — between them they cover almost everything, from the metro to street food. Foreign cards are accepted in international hotels and larger stores, and it's worth carrying a little cash as a backup, but you'll rarely need it.
What's the best way to get from Pudong Airport into the city?
For speed and novelty, take the Maglev to Longyang Road and change to Metro Line 2 — it covers the 30 km in about eight minutes. Metro Line 2 runs all the way into the centre more cheaply but takes well over an hour. With luggage or late at night, a taxi or DiDi (roughly ¥180–260) is the simplest. Note that Pudong (PVG) is not the same airport as the more central Hongqiao (SHA).
Is Shanghai expensive?
It's the priciest city in mainland China, but still good value by Western big-city standards. Public transport and local food are cheap, while international hotels, cocktail bars and high-end dining can match prices in London or New York. Mixing metro travel and neighbourhood restaurants with the occasional splurge keeps a trip very affordable.
Do I need to speak Chinese to visit Shanghai?
No. Metro signage and major attractions are in English, and hotel and tourist-area staff generally speak some too. Out on the street it thins out quickly, so a translation app is genuinely useful for menus, taxis and directions — and because many Western apps are blocked in mainland China, it's worth setting up a VPN and your translation and maps tools before you fly.