Top places to visit in Shanghai

• Shanghai Tower

  Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · entry CNY 180

  China's tallest building at 632 m, its twisting glass spire holding one of the world's highest observation decks (118F) reached by a super-fast lift.

• Jing'an Temple

  Temple · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h · entry CNY 50

  A gilded Buddhist temple with a striking golden hall rising incongruously amid downtown skyscrapers on West Nanjing Road.

• Xintiandi

  Nightlife · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h

  An upscale dining and nightlife quarter of restored Shikumen houses, also home to the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party.

• Jade Buddha Temple

  Temple · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry CNY 20

  An active Buddhist temple famous for two Buddha statues carved from Burmese white jade, brought to Shanghai in the 1880s.

• People's Square & Park

  Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h

  The green civic heart of Shanghai, ringed by museums and the theatre, and known for its weekend 'marriage market'.

• Oriental Pearl Tower

  Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · entry CNY 160

  The 468 m spheres-on-a-column TV tower that defines the Pudong skyline, with glass-floor observation levels and a history museum in the base.

• The Bund (Waitan)

  Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h

  Shanghai's iconic riverfront promenade lined with grand 1920s colonial banks and trading houses, facing the futuristic Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River. Magical after dark.

• Yu Garden (Yuyuan)

  Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h · entry CNY 40

  An exquisite Ming-dynasty scholar's garden of rockeries, ponds and pavilions in the old city, surrounded by a lively bazaar and the Huxinting teahouse.

• Zhujiajiao Water Town

  Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 3 h

  A 1,700-year-old canal town on Shanghai's western edge, with humpback stone bridges, old lanes and boat rides — an easy escape from the city.

• Shanghai Museum

  Museum · 4.3 rating · about 2 h

  A superb collection of Chinese bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and jade on People's Square, housed in a building shaped like an ancient ding vessel. Free entry.

• Wukang Road (French Concession)

  Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h

  The most beautiful stretch of the plane-tree-shaded French Concession, lined with 1920s villas, the landmark Wukang Mansion and independent cafés.

• Nanjing Road

  Market · about 1.5 h

  China's busiest shopping street, a neon-lit pedestrian mile running from People's Square to the Bund.

Things to do

• Huangpu River Evening Cruise Cruise · 1 h · from CNY 150 per person
• Shanghai City Highlights Day Tour Tour · 8 h · from CNY 500 per person
• Zhujiajiao Water Town Half-Day Tour Tour · 5 h · from CNY 350 per person
• French Concession Walking & Coffee Tour Cultural · 3 h · from CNY 250 per person
• Shanghai Acrobatics Show Show · 1.5 h · from CNY 280 per person
• Shanghai Tower Observation Deck Sightseeing · 1.5 h · from CNY 180 per person

Day trips and tours

• Shanghai Highlights & Zhujiajiao Day Tour 9 h · from CNY 560

Where to stay in Shanghai

• The Bund (Huangpu) about CNY 1,400 per night

  Riverfront heart of Shanghai with heritage hotels and the classic Pudong skyline view.

• Former French Concession about CNY 1,100 per night

  Leafy plane-tree lanes, boutique hotels, cafés and Shikumen lane houses — Shanghai's most atmospheric stay.

• Lujiazui (Pudong) about CNY 1,300 per night

  Modern high-rise district with skyscraper hotels beside the Oriental Pearl and Shanghai Tower.

Hotels

• The Peninsula Shanghai 5-star · CNY 3,500 to CNY 7,500 per night
• Les Suites Orient 4-star · CNY 900 to CNY 1,600 per night
• Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel 2-star · CNY 90 to CNY 300 per night
• Fairmont Peace Hotel 5-star · CNY 2,400 to CNY 5,500 per night
• Jinjiang Inn (People's Square) 3-star · CNY 320 to CNY 480 per night

Where to eat

• Jia Jia Tang Bao Chinese, Shanghainese, Dim Sum · about CNY 50 per person
• Nanxiang Steamed Bun (Yuyuan) Chinese, Shanghainese, Dim Sum · about CNY 90 per person
• Din Tai Fung (Xintiandi) Chinese, Taiwanese, Dim Sum · about CNY 160 per person
• Fu 1088 Chinese, Shanghainese, Fine Dining · about CNY 600 per person
• Lost Heaven (Bund) Chinese, Yunnan · about CNY 220 per person
• Yang's Fry Dumplings Chinese, Shanghainese, Street Food · about CNY 40 per person

Getting around

• Bus main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Metro main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Ride Hail main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Taxi main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

• Walking main way to get around

  Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.

Safety and scams to avoid

• Tea House / Bar Bill Scam

  The Bund, Nanjing Road

  A charming stranger (often a young woman) befriends a solo male traveller and suggests a drink at a teahouse or bar; the bill arrives massively inflated with intimidation to pay.

  How to avoid it: Be wary of strangers who quickly steer you to a specific venue. Check drink prices first and never hand over your card to be taken away.

• Unlicensed Airport Taxi Touts

  Pudong & Hongqiao airport arrivals

  Touts inside the terminal offer 'taxi' rides at several times the metered fare, sometimes with a rigged meter.

  How to avoid it: Ignore touts and join the official taxi queue outside, or use the metro/Maglev. Insist on the meter or use DiDi.

More in China

• Beijing
• Guangzhou
• Hangzhou
• Xi'an
• Chengdu
• Suzhou