- Shanghai at a glance
- The Bund: how to do it properly
- Yu Garden and the Old City
- French Concession: the afternoon neighbourhood
- Modern Shanghai: Pudong in half a day
- Metro, DiDi and getting from the airports
- Day trips from Shanghai
- Shanghai food for first-timers
- A sensible 3–4 day Shanghai plan
- Practical tips
- Frequently asked questions
Short answer: Shanghai is the easiest city on a first China trip, and the best place to end one. Walk the Bund in the evening, do Yu Garden early in the morning, spend an afternoon wandering the French Concession, and use the metro everywhere — it is cheap, signed in English, and reaches almost every sight in this guide. Allow 3–4 days, stay near a metro station on the Puxi (west) side for a first visit, and keep one day free for either a day trip or modern Pudong. Prices, hours and booking rules change — confirm before you travel, especially for gardens and observation decks.
Last updated: 29 October 2026. Garden, museum and deck prices and hours change seasonally — check the official or venue page for your date. Real-device screenshots will be added later; this guide is text-only for now.
Shanghai at a glance
| Topic | First-timer note |
|---|---|
| How many days | 3–4 days, including one day trip or one Pudong day |
| Where to stay | Puxi side for a first visit: near People’s Square, Jing’an or the French Concession, all on metro lines 1, 2 or 10 |
| Getting around | Metro first; DiDi or taxi for late nights and luggage; see getting around Chinese cities |
| Paying | Alipay and WeChat Pay; see Alipay setup and money in China |
| Two airports | Pudong (PVG, most international flights) and Hongqiao (SHA, mostly domestic) — confirm yours before booking a transfer |
Shanghai is two cities in one: Puxi, west of the Huangpu River, with the Bund, the Old City and the French Concession; and Pudong, east of the river, with the skyscrapers. First-timers should sleep in Puxi and visit Pudong, not the other way round — Puxi is where you walk, eat and linger.
The Bund: how to do it properly
The Bund is the riverside promenade on the Puxi side, facing Pudong’s towers across the Huangpu. Walking it is free, and it is best in the evening when the towers are lit — roughly from dusk to about 22:00–23:00, when many building lights go off, so do not leave it too late. Walk the full promenade from south to north (or the reverse) in about 30–45 minutes at a strolling pace, then cross to Pudong by ferry or metro if you want the towers from the other side.
- Best view, free: the Bund promenade itself at dusk. No ticket, no queue, and better than most paid viewpoints for a first evening.
- Best view, paid: a Huangpu river cruise (typically 30–60 minutes, evening cruises the most popular) or a Pudong observation deck. Book cruises and decks in advance in peak season and on weekends.
- Eating on the Bund: Bund restaurants charge for the view. Check the menu and prices before sitting down, or eat one street back and walk the Bund afterwards — the view is the same from the promenade.
- Crowds: weekends and holidays bring heavy crowds to the promenade. A weekday evening is noticeably calmer.
Yu Garden and the Old City
Yu Garden is a classical Ming-dynasty garden in the Old City, surrounded by a bazaar of shops, snack stalls and teahouses. It is small, beautiful and very crowded by midday — so arrive at opening, allow 1–2 hours for the garden itself, and then wander the bazaar for snacks. Entry is a modest garden ticket (roughly in the 30–40 CNY range in recent guides — confirm the current price at the gate or online before you go, as seasonal pricing applies). The garden is closed on Mondays in some schedules and has seasonal hours, so check the day you plan to visit.
Nearby, the City God Temple area and the Old City streets are worth a slow walk even if you skip the garden interior. For snacks, try xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) here — eat them carefully (bite, sip the soup, then eat) — and shengjianbao (pan-fried buns). Ordering without Chinese is covered in how to order food in China.
French Concession: the afternoon neighbourhood
The former French Concession is now Shanghai’s most walkable neighbourhood: plane-tree streets, lane houses (shikumen), cafes, boutiques and small restaurants around Tianzifang, Xintiandi and the streets between them. There is no single ticket or route — the point is to wander.
- Tianzifang: narrow lanes of shops, studios and snack stalls. Fun for an hour, crowded at weekends; go in the morning if you dislike crowds.
- Xintiandi: restored shikumen lanes turned into restaurants and bars. Pricier and more polished, good for an evening meal.
- Wukang Road and Anfu Road: quieter, leafier streets for cafes and architecture — the Shanghai that locals actually live in.
- What to skip: trying to see every lane-house museum in one afternoon. Pick one area, sit down for coffee, and let the neighbourhood do the work.
Modern Shanghai: Pudong in half a day
Cross the river for Pudong’s skyline: the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower cluster in Lujiazui, a short metro ride from the Bund. Pick one observation deck, not all three — Shanghai Tower’s deck is the highest, the World Financial Center’s has the glass skywalk, and the Pearl Tower is the most recognisable silhouette. Deck tickets are typically in the 120–220 CNY range depending on deck and package; check the current price and any timed-entry booking before you go, as prices and booking windows vary by venue and season.
Combine Pudong with either a river cruise or a walk through Lujiazui’s shopping malls in the same half-day. In the evening, return to Puxi for dinner — Pudong’s restaurants near the towers are convenient but rarely the best value.
Metro, DiDi and getting from the airports
Shanghai’s metro is the first-timer’s best friend: extensive, cheap (most rides roughly 3–9 CNY depending on distance), signed in English and Chinese, and running roughly 05:30–23:00 depending on the line. Buy single-journey tickets from machines, or use a metro transit code inside Alipay — see getting around Chinese cities for the code setup and its limits. Line 2 is the workhorse: it connects both airports (via the airport lines and transfers), People’s Square, the Bund area (Nanjing East Road station) and Pudong.
| Arrival | To central Shanghai | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pudong Airport (PVG) | Metro line 2 (about 1–1.5 hours to People’s Square), airport bus, or DiDi/taxi (about 1–1.5 hours in traffic) | Most international flights; the Maglev to Longyang Road is fast but still needs a metro transfer — it saves time mainly in rush hour |
| Hongqiao Airport (SHA) / Hongqiao Railway Station | Metro lines 2 and 10 (about 30–45 minutes to central Puxi) | Most domestic flights and most high-speed trains arrive here — convenient for the Xi’an–Shanghai train |
Day trips from Shanghai
| Day trip | Train time | Why go | First-timer tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suzhou | About 30 minutes by high-speed train | Classical gardens, canals, silk and old streets — the classic Shanghai day trip | Pick one or two gardens (Humble Administrator’s Garden and Lingering Garden are the famous pair) and one canal street; do not try all nine gardens |
| Hangzhou | About 1 hour by high-speed train | West Lake, tea villages and a slower, greener city | Walk or cycle part of the lake, not the whole loop; take a tea-village lunch if time allows |
| Water towns (Zhujiajiao, Wuzhen) | About 1–2 hours by bus or car | Canals, stone bridges and old houses in miniature | Zhujiajiao is the easiest half-day from Shanghai; Wuzhen deserves a full day and is better as an overnight stop |
Book day-trip trains as soon as tickets go on sale (about 15 days ahead) for weekend travel — see how to book train tickets. Leave early, be back for dinner, and do not plan a day trip on departure day.
Shanghai food for first-timers
| Must try | Where / how | Budget example |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) | Old City near Yu Garden, and dedicated dumpling shops citywide | About 20–50 CNY for a basket |
| Shengjianbao (pan-fried buns) | Breakfast shops and Old City stalls | About 10–25 CNY |
| Shanghai noodles and wontons | Small noodle shops everywhere — point at photos or use camera translation | About 20–40 CNY |
| Benbang (local Shanghai) dinner | A local restaurant in the French Concession or Jing’an, booked ahead at weekends | About 100–250 CNY per person |
| Breakfast: soy milk, youtiao, baozi | Morning stalls near any metro station | About 10–20 CNY |
A sensible 3–4 day Shanghai plan
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, settle in Puxi, Bund at dusk, dinner in the French Concession or near Nanjing Road |
| 2 | Yu Garden and Old City in the morning, French Concession in the afternoon |
| 3 | Day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou, or Pudong decks and a river cruise if you prefer to stay in the city |
| 4 | Slow morning, museums or shopping (Nanjing Road, Xintiandi), last dinner, fly home — or keep this day light if it is departure day |
This is the Shanghai part of the 10-day Beijing–Xi’an–Shanghai itinerary, and it follows the Beijing guide and the Xi’an guide in that route.
Practical tips
- Weather: Shanghai summers are hot and humid with occasional typhoon rain; winters are damp and chilly rather than snowy. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. Carry a compact umbrella in summer.
- Crowds: Yu Garden, Tianzifang and the Bund are all much calmer on weekday mornings than at weekends. Plan the popular sights early and the neighbourhood walks for the afternoon.
- Language: Shanghai has more English signage and English-speaking staff than most Chinese cities, but small restaurants and taxi drivers may still speak little English. Save hotel addresses in Chinese characters and use a translation app.
- Scams: the classic Bund teahouse invitation from a friendly stranger is a scam in Shanghai as in Beijing — decline politely and walk on.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in Shanghai?
Three days for the Bund, Yu Garden, the French Concession and one Pudong half-day. Four days adds a day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou without rushing.
Should I stay in Pudong or Puxi?
Puxi for a first visit. Pudong has the skyline views from hotel rooms, but Puxi has the walking, eating and evening life.
Is Shanghai easy without Chinese?
Yes — more so than Beijing or Xi’an. Metro signs, major sights and larger restaurants have English, and payment apps work the same way. A translation app still helps in small restaurants and markets.
Which airport will I use?
Most international flights use Pudong (PVG); most domestic flights and high-speed trains use Hongqiao (SHA). Always check your ticket — booking a transfer to the wrong airport is a common and expensive mistake.
Is a river cruise worth it?
For a first evening, yes — it gives you the skyline from the water with no walking. For later evenings, the free Bund promenade gives you almost the same view.