Shanghai is the easiest major Chinese city for a foreign visitor: the most English, the best international food, the most walkable historic core, and a metro system that goes everywhere. It is also the least "ancient" — if you want imperial China, this is not it. What Shanghai has is the 1920s–30s treaty port, and the 21st century, facing each other across a river.
How long you need#
Two nights covers it; three is comfortable. The Bund and Pudong, the former French Concession on foot, one museum, and either a water town or a day trip to Suzhou (25 minutes by train).
The Bund and Pudong#
The Bund (外滩) is a 1.5 km waterfront of 52 buildings in neoclassical, art deco and beaux-arts styles — the banks, trading houses and hotels of the international settlement, built between 1890 and 1940. Walk it at dusk, when the historic façades light up on one side and the Pudong skyline switches on across the river.
Pudong, opposite, was farmland until 1990. It now holds the Shanghai Tower (632 m, the second-tallest building in the world), the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center.
- Shanghai Tower observation deck: ¥180, floor 118, the fastest lift in the world. Book a timed slot; go on a clear day or do not go at all.
- Cheaper alternative: a drink at the Jin Mao's Grand Hyatt bar on floor 87, or the free viewing area in the IFC mall.
- Best view of Pudong is from the Bund. Best view of the Bund is from the Pudong riverside promenade or Bar Rouge.
Cross by the ferry (¥2, five minutes, no queue) rather than the metro — it is the best-value experience in Shanghai.
The former French Concession#
The reason to spend a day walking rather than sightseeing. Plane trees, 1920s villas, art deco apartment blocks, lane houses (lilong), independent coffee, small galleries and the best restaurant density in China.
Routes worth walking:
- Wukang Road to the Wukang Mansion (the flatiron building, now permanently surrounded by photographers), then west along Anfu Road
- Yongkang Road and Jianguo West Road for cafés and bars
- Tianzifang — a lane complex of studios and shops; touristy but the architecture is real
- Xintiandi — restored shikumen lane houses turned into an upmarket dining district; polished, expensive, and containing the Site of the First National Congress of the CPC, which is genuinely interesting as a piece of history and messaging
Museums and old Shanghai#
Shanghai Museum — one of China's best. Bronzes, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, presented properly. Free, book ahead, closed Mondays. The new Shanghai Museum East in Pudong is larger and increasingly the main site.
Yu Garden and the Old City — a Ming dynasty scholar's garden (¥40) surrounded by a heavily commercialised bazaar. Go early, do the garden, eat the soup dumplings at Nanxiang, and leave before the crowds.
Jing'an Temple — a working Buddhist temple sitting incongruously among skyscrapers.
Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum in Hongkou — the story of the 20,000 European Jews who found refuge in Shanghai during the Second World War. Small, moving, and almost unknown to visitors.
Power Station of Art — China's first state-run contemporary art museum, in a converted power plant.
Food#
Shanghai food (běnbāng cài) is sweeter and more soy-forward than most Chinese regional cuisines, and the city is also where you eat every other Chinese cuisine at its best-executed.
- Xiaolongbao — soup dumplings, the local icon. Jia Jia Tang Bao and Din Tai Fung are the reliable versions; the Nanxiang stall at Yu Garden is famous and touristy.
- Shengjianbao — pan-fried pork buns with a crisp base, a Shanghai breakfast. Yang's Fry Dumpling is the chain everyone knows.
- Hongshao rou — red-braised pork belly, sweet and glossy.
- Drunken crab and hairy crab — the autumn obsession, October and November, expensive and worth it once.
- Scallion oil noodles — three ingredients, done perfectly, ¥15.
- The international scene — Shanghai has the best non-Chinese food in mainland China by a wide margin, plus a serious cocktail bar culture (Speak Low, Union Trading).
Day trips#
| Destination | Time | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Suzhou | 25 min by train | Classical gardens, canals, silk. The best day trip in China |
| Hangzhou | 45 min by train | West Lake, tea villages |
| Zhujiajiao | 1 h by metro line 17 | The closest water town; crowded but charming early |
| Tongli / Wuzhen / Xitang | 1.5–2 h | Better-preserved water towns; Wuzhen is the most polished |
| Nanjing | 1 h 15 by train | Ming tombs, city walls, Republican history |
Zhujiajiao is reachable by metro, which makes it the easy option. Wuzhen and Xitang reward an overnight, when the day-trippers have gone and the canals are lit.
Getting around#
The metro is vast, cheap (¥3–9), fully bilingual and the best in China. Pay by Alipay transport QR. Line 2 connects both airports and the main sights.
- Pudong (PVG): 45 min by metro line 2, or the Maglev — 430 km/h, 7.5 minutes, ¥50 — which is a tourist attraction in itself and only takes you as far as Longyang Road.
- Hongqiao (SHA): 30 min to the centre, and adjacent to Hongqiao railway station, which is where most high-speed trains leave from.
Shanghai is far more walkable than Beijing, and the concession streets are genuinely pleasant to be in.
Frequently asked questions#
How many days should I spend in Shanghai?#
Two nights covers the Bund, the former French Concession, Yu Garden and a museum. Three nights lets you add a water town such as Zhujiajiao, or a day trip to Suzhou, which is 25 minutes away by high-speed train.
Is Shanghai worth visiting?#
Yes, though for different reasons than Beijing. Shanghai is modern, cosmopolitan and easy — the best food scene in mainland China, the most walkable historic streets, and the strongest concentration of English. It is not where you go for imperial history.
What is the best time to visit Shanghai?#
October and November, then April and May. Summers are hot and very humid with a plum rain season in mid-June to mid-July; winters are damp and cold indoors, since buildings south of the Yangtze traditionally lack central heating.
Is the Shanghai Tower worth it?#
On a clear day, yes — floor 118 at 546 m, reached by the world's fastest lift, for ¥180. On a hazy day it is a waste of money. Cheaper alternatives are the Grand Hyatt bar on floor 87 of the Jin Mao Tower or the free IFC viewing area.
Which water town near Shanghai is best?#
Zhujiajiao is the easiest, reachable on metro line 17 in an hour. Wuzhen is the most beautifully preserved but is a two-hour trip and heavily managed. Tongli and Xitang sit between the two. All are best either before 09:00 or as an overnight.