Things to do in Shanghai.
Shanghai is China's most cosmopolitan city and the easiest place for a first-time visitor to land: an efficient English-signed metro, a skyline that rivals any in the world, and a walkable old core wrapped around the Huangpu River. Two or three days covers the highlights — and it's the natural gateway to the canal towns of Suzhou and Hangzhou, each under an hour away by high-speed rail.
Plan Shanghai by light
| Time of day | Best area | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Yu Garden and old town | Go before tour groups and lunch crowds fill the bazaar lanes. |
| Afternoon | French Concession or Shanghai Museum | Tree shade, cafes and indoor backup if the weather turns. |
| Dusk | The Bund to Lujiazui | The skyline changes fast as the towers switch on across the river. |
| Extra day | Suzhou, Hangzhou or Zhujiajiao | Shanghai's rail network makes side trips easier than in most China cities. |
Waterfront, lanes & skyline
The Bund (外滩)
The colonial-era waterfront promenade, best at dusk when the Pudong towers across the river light up. Walk it north to south, then come back after dark for the skyline — or see it from the water on a Huangpu River evening cruise.
Yu Garden & old town
A classical Ming-dynasty garden ringed by the bazaar of the old town. Touristy but worth it; go early, then eat soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) nearby.
Former French Concession
Plane-tree avenues, art-deco apartments, pocket galleries and cafe corners. Walk Wukang Road into Xuhui, then detour through Tianzifang if you want busier lane life.
Pudong & the towers
Cross the river to Lujiazui. Go up the Shanghai Tower (second-tallest in the world) or the Oriental Pearl for the view back over the Bund at sunset.
Shanghai Museum
One of China's best, with free entry and world-class bronzes, ceramics and calligraphy. On People's Square, an easy half-day when the weather turns.
Zhujiajiao water town
A day trip to a Venice-of-the-east canal town an hour out, for stone bridges, gondolas and a slower pace away from the skyscrapers.
Shanghai Disneyland
A full day out east on Line 11, and the best theme park in China — worth it if you're travelling with kids. Book a Disneyland ticket in advance to skip the queue.
Group the day by district
Pair the riverside promenade with Yu Garden before lunch, then return after dark for the tower lights across the Huangpu.
Use this cluster for a cleaner modern-city afternoon: temple courtyard, malls, restaurants and quick metro connections.
Save this for slower wandering after the icons: residential streets, small storefronts, coffee stops and a softer city rhythm. Compare hotel areas →
Large Shanghai hotels rarely create passport-registration friction; the bookings that need extra care are apartment-style listings and tiny lane-house stays. Browse Shanghai hotels by district → The Stay guide has the non-hotel checklist.
Pudong (PVG) is about an hour from the centre; Hongqiao (SHA) is closer. DiDi and the metro both work, while a reserved English-driver pickup is the calmest choice when luggage, jet lag and first-night check-in all collide — book a Shanghai airport transfer. Open the full PVG arrival guide for the airport-specific route, or see how to use DiDi once you're in town.
Shanghai in pictures.
Map point for Shanghai.
OpenStreetMap view. Metro routing is strong in Apple Maps and Amap; DiDi is mainly for late-night or luggage-heavy hops. DiDi guide.
Weather window for Shanghai.
Spring and autumn bring mild, dry, comfortable days — ideal for long riverfront walks, garden mornings and former-concession detours without the summer mugginess.
Heads-up: Midsummer (Jul–Aug) is hot, intensely humid and the typhoon season; June is the "plum rains" wet spell. Winters are grey and damp-cold rather than freezing.
Holiday crowd check
Bund viewpoints, museum slots and Disney-adjacent hotels spike during public-holiday windows.
Use weekdays for museums and skyline stops.
Shanghai answers
What are the top things to do in Shanghai?
Walk the Bund waterfront for the colonial architecture and the Pudong skyline view, wander the Yu Garden and old town, stroll the tree-lined former French Concession, and go up one of the Pudong towers (Shanghai Tower or the Oriental Pearl) at dusk. With more time, add the Shanghai Museum, a Huangpu River cruise, and a day trip to the water town of Zhujiajiao.
How many days do you need in Shanghai?
Two to three days covers the essentials comfortably. Two days lets you do the Bund, Yu Garden, the French Concession and Pudong; a third day adds the Shanghai Museum, a river cruise, or a water-town day trip. Shanghai also pairs well with nearby Suzhou and Hangzhou, each under an hour by high-speed rail.
Where should I stay in Shanghai?
For a sightseeing-first trip, pick a Puxi base that keeps evening walks simple. This city guide focuses on what to do; our Shanghai stay guide compares Bund views, Jing’an restaurants, former concession lanes, Pudong tower hotels and Hongqiao rail convenience.
Is Shanghai worth visiting?
Yes. Shanghai is China’s most cosmopolitan city and one of the easiest for first-time visitors — efficient metro, plenty of English signage, and a skyline that ranks among the world’s most striking. It works as a standalone trip or as the gateway to the Yangtze Delta cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou.
How do you get around Shanghai?
The Shanghai Metro is fast, cheap and English-signed, and covers almost everywhere a visitor wants to go. Book DiDi for hotel-to-sight rides or luggage moves, and link Alipay or WeChat Pay to an overseas card before landing so you can scan to ride and pay. The Maglev links Pudong Airport to the metro at 300 km/h.
Disclosure — cruise, tower, transfer and hotel links may earn a commission. Shanghai's ordering here follows light, walkability and rail convenience. Editorial policy.