Shanghai is China’s most cosmopolitan city — a mix of futuristic skyline, leafy colonial streets, and easy day trips to canal towns.
Where to stay
Stay near The Bund or People’s Square for the best mix of sights and transport. Compare Shanghai hotels on Booking.com or Agoda.
Getting there
Shanghai has two airports plus Hongqiao and Shanghai railway stations, with fast trains nationwide. Book on Trip.com. The Maglev from Pudong airport hits 300 km/h.
Day 1 — The classics
- The Bund waterfront promenade, best in late afternoon
- Nanjing Road shopping street
- Yu Garden and the old town bazaar
Day 2 — Concession & skyline
- Café-hop through the French Concession’s plane-tree streets
- Jing’an Temple amid the skyscrapers
- Cross to Pudong for the Shanghai Tower observation deck — skip the line on Klook
Day 3 — Water town day trip
- Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old canal town an hour from the city
- Or visit the Shanghai Museum and the Tianzifang art lanes
- Guided water-town tours are on Viator
- For more day trips and weekend escapes near Shanghai — water towns, Hangzhou, Suzhou and beyond — see my favourite city in China
Where to eat
Shanghai food is rich, sweet and soulful — and the city does soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) like nowhere else:
Shanghai soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) — order them steaming hot and sip the broth first.
- Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) — a tiny, legendary hole-in-the-wall for soup dumplings.
- Lao Ji Shi / Jesse (老吉士) — cosy, classic Shanghainese home cooking (red-braised pork, drunken crab).
- Din Tai Fung (鼎泰丰) — reliable, polished xiaolongbao if you want comfort and English menus.
- Fu He Hui (福和慧) — refined Michelin-starred vegetarian for a special night.
More picks in my favourite dish: xiaolongbao and the Jiangnan cuisine guide.
Short on time? An 8–10 hour layover plan
Shanghai is one of the easiest Chinese cities to dip into on a 240-hour visa-free transit layover.
- Airport ↔ city: about 50–60 minutes each way from Pudong (PVG) — the Maglev + metro is fastest, or take a Didi; only ~30 minutes from Hongqiao (SHA).
- Buffer: about an hour for immigration; from Pudong leave the city ~3 hours before departure, though Hongqiao’s 30-minute hop buys you noticeably more time.
- That leaves ~4–5 hours in the city. Suggested loop: The Bund waterfront → Nanjing Road → Yu Garden, then head back. Short on time? Just the Bund and the Pudong skyline view is worth it.
