Shanghai

Shanghai's 24 million residents live in a city where 1930s Art Deco banks on the Bund face a forest of glass towers across the Huangpu River. The former International Settlement grew from a fishing village into Asia's most cosmopolitan port by the 1920s, leaving behind neoclassical customs houses, plane-tree boulevards in the French Concession, and a tradition of street-side dumpling vendors who still hand-fold xiaolongbao at dawn.

Today the Pudong skyline rises 632 meters at Shanghai Tower while the old city around Yu Garden preserves Ming-dynasty rockeries and zigzag bridges. You can ride the metro 20 lines deep, eat soup dumplings for ¥20 a basket, and watch the Bund's nightly light show from a Huangpu River ferry that costs ¥2. The city runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay, street signs appear in Mandarin and English, and the airport express train covers 30 kilometers in 8 minutes at 300 km/h.

Nationals of 54 countries including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and most EU member states can enter Shanghai visa-free for up to 15 days as of January 2026, provided they arrive and depart through Pudong International Airport (PVG) or Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) and hold an onward ticket. This unilateral visa-free policy replaced the earlier 144-hour transit scheme and covers tourism, business meetings and family visits within Shanghai municipality, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Check eligibility at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal (cs.mfa.gov.cn/visa) before booking.

When to apply

Travellers staying beyond 15 days or entering via other cities need an L tourist visa applied 4-6 weeks before departure through a Chinese embassy, consulate or visa application center. Processing takes 4-7 working days for standard service, 2-3 days for express at higher cost. Apply once you have flight bookings and hotel confirmations because the application requires proof of itinerary.

What you need

Passport valid 6 months beyond your departure date, one passport photo 33x48 mm on white background, completed visa form online at most embassy portals, round-trip flight reservation, hotel bookings for each night, and the visa fee around USD 140 or EUR 126 depending on your nationality. Some consulates require an invitation letter from a Chinese host for tourism visas, though most accept a detailed itinerary instead.

By air

Pudong International Airport (PVG) handles most long-haul flights, 30 kilometers east of the city center with direct routes from London (11h 30min), Paris (11h), New York (15h), Los Angeles (13h), Sydney (10h) and Tokyo (3h). Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) 13 kilometers west serves domestic routes and a handful of regional Asian flights to Seoul, Taipei and Osaka. Most European and North American travellers connect through Beijing, Hong Kong or a European hub. Budget carriers including Spring Airlines and Juneyao fly domestic routes from ¥300-800 one-way to Beijing (2h 10min), Chengdu (3h) and Guangzhou (2h 30min).

By train

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station links to Beijing South via high-speed rail in 4h 30min, second-class seats ¥553, departures every 15-30 minutes from 07:00-20:00. Trains to Hangzhou take 1h (¥73 second class), Suzhou 25min (¥40), and Nanjing 1h 20min (¥135). Shanghai Railway Station in the north of the city serves slower overnight routes. Book tickets up to 30 days ahead on trip.com or 12306.cn, collect from station machines with your passport.

Airport to city

The Maglev train from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road metro station runs every 15 minutes 06:45-21:40, covering 30 kilometers in 8 minutes at speeds up to 300 km/h, tickets ¥50 or ¥40 if you show a same-day flight boarding pass. At Longyang Road transfer to metro Line 2 (¥4-6 into the center, 25 minutes to People's Square). Taxis from Pudong to central hotels cost ¥160-200 including the ¥15 airport surcharge and ¥10 toll road fee, 45-70 minutes depending on traffic. From Hongqiao Airport take metro Line 2 direct to East Nanjing Road (¥5, 40 minutes) or Line 10 to the French Concession (¥4, 30 minutes), trains every 3-5 minutes.

The Bund and Huangpu River

The Bund's 1.5-kilometer riverside promenade showcases 52 colonial-era buildings constructed 1920-1937 when international banks and trading houses lined the waterfront, including the neoclassical Customs House with its Big Ching clock tower at number 13 and the green pyramid roof of the Peace Hotel at number 20. Walk south to north in early morning (06:00-08:00) or after 20:00 when the Pudong skyline lights up across the river. The promenade is free and open 24 hours, accessible via metro Line 2 to East Nanjing Road, exit 1, then a 5-minute walk east. The Huangpu River ferry departs every 10 minutes from the dock at the northern end (¥2 per crossing, 5 minutes to Pudong) and offers the same skyline view as a ¥150 tourist cruise.

Yu Garden and Old City

Yu Garden, built 1559 during the Ming dynasty by a provincial governor, packs zigzag bridges, rockeries, lotus ponds and pavilions into two hectares surrounded by Yuyuan Bazaar's dumpling shops and souvenir stalls. Entry ¥40 April-November (¥30 December-March), open 08:45-17:00 daily, last admission 16:30. Arrive before 10:00 to avoid tour groups. Take metro Line 10 to Yuyuan Garden station, exit 1, a 3-minute walk. The bazaar outside sells xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) ¥18-25 per steamer basket and fried dough sticks ¥8 from vendors who set up by 07:00. Skip the tea house overlooking the central pond unless you want to pay ¥80 for a pot of jasmine tea and a seat with a view.

Shanghai Museum

Shanghai Museum at People's Square displays bronze vessels from the Shang dynasty (1600-1046 BCE), Tang-dynasty ceramics, jade carvings and Ming furniture across four floors, all with English labels. Entry is free but requires an advance reservation via the museum's WeChat mini-program or a timed ticket collected from the west entrance on arrival, open Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00, last entry 16:00. The third-floor bronze gallery holds ritual wine vessels and bells from 3,000 years ago. Allocate 90 minutes minimum. Metro Line 1 or 2 to People's Square, exit 1, museum is immediately south of the square. The basement café serves noodles and sandwiches ¥35-50 if you need a break.

Pudong skyline and Shanghai Tower

Shanghai Tower, the 632-meter supertall opened in 2016, has an observation deck on the 118th floor (546 meters) with 360-degree views across the Huangpu River to the Bund and west over the city's sprawl. Entry ¥180, open 09:00-21:00, last entry 20:30. The elevator climbs 565 meters in 55 seconds. Book online in advance to skip the ground-floor queue. Go late afternoon around 16:00-17:00 to catch both daylight and the blue-hour transition into the nightly light show. Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui station, exit 1, a 7-minute walk. The adjacent Jin Mao Tower (420 meters) and Shanghai World Financial Center (492 meters) offer similar views for ¥120-150 but Shanghai Tower's higher deck wins. Street photographers gather on the Bund opposite at sunset for the classic postcard shot.

French Concession

The former French Concession between Huaihai Road and Fuxing Road preserves plane-tree-lined avenues and 1920s villas, many converted into cafes, bookshops and boutique hotels. Wander Anfu Road for independent coffee roasters and vintage clothing, Xinle Road for wine bars, and the side streets around Fuxing Park for Art Deco apartment blocks with green shutters. The area is best explored on foot over 2-3 hours, starting from metro Line 1 Changshu Road or Line 10 Xintiandi. Fuxing Park itself, landscaped by the French Municipal Council in 1909, has morning taichi groups and a rose garden, free entry, open 06:00-18:00. Most cafes open 10:00-22:00, a flat white ¥35-45.

• Tianzifang, a warren of 1930s shikumen (stone-gate) houses converted into studios and cafes off Taikang Road, is walkable from metro Line 9 Dapuqiao, exit 1 (entry free, shops open 10:00-21:00)
• M50 art district along Moganshan Road, 15 minutes north by metro Line 3 or 4 to Zhongtan Road, holds contemporary galleries in repurposed textile mills (free entry, most open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00)
• Jing'an Temple, a 780-year-old Buddhist complex rebuilt in 1216 and again in 2010, sits on metro Line 2 at Jing'an Temple station, entry ¥50, open 07:30-17:00, the attached vegetarian restaurant serves noodles ¥40-60
• Propaganda Poster Art Centre in the basement of an apartment block at 868 Huashan Road displays original 1950s-1980s Communist Party posters, entry ¥20, open 10:00-17:00 except Mondays, metro Line 1 to Changshu Road then a 12-minute walk

Must-try dishes

• Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings): thin wheat-dough wrappers hand-folded around minced pork and a spoonful of gelatinized broth that melts into soup when steamed, served in bamboo baskets, ¥18-30 per basket of eight
• Shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns): thicker-skinned dumplings fried crisp on the bottom with pork and soup inside, topped with sesame seeds and scallions, ¥12-20 for four
• Hongshao rou (red-braised pork belly): pork simmered with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar and star anise until the fat turns melt-in-mouth tender, ¥40-60 per portion
• Congyou ban mian (scallion oil noodles): thin wheat noodles tossed in caramelized scallion oil, soy sauce and a little sugar, the city's simplest breakfast, ¥15-20 per bowl
• Dazhaxie (hairy crab): seasonal autumn delicacy (September-November) steamed whole and eaten with black vinegar and ginger, priced by weight from ¥80-300 per crab depending on size

Where to eat

Jia Jia Tang Bao at 90 Huanghe Road (cross-street Fengyang Road, metro Line 8 to Qufu Road, exit 4, 5-minute walk) serves the city's most praised soup dumplings from 07:00-14:00 and 16:30-20:00 daily, ¥26 for a basket of eight crab-and-pork xiaolongbao. Queues form by 08:30 on weekends, expect a 20-30 minute wait. Order at the counter, pay cash or Alipay, take your number and wait for your basket. Yang's Fry Dumplings (multiple branches, flagship at 269 Wujiang Road near metro Line 2 and 7 Jing'an Temple station, exit 6) specializes in shengjianbao for ¥16 per four-pack, open 06:30-21:00, turnover is fast so queues move quickly. Yuyuan Bazaar around Yu Garden has dozens of stalls selling steamed buns, grilled skewers and stinky tofu ¥10-25 per snack, open 07:00-21:00, quality varies but Nanxiang Mantou Dian at 85 Yuyuan Old Street has served soup dumplings since 1900, expect a wait and slightly higher prices (¥38 per basket) for the heritage name.

For sit-down meals, Jesse Restaurant at 41 Tianping Road in the French Concession (metro Line 10 to Jiaotong University, exit 1, 8-minute walk) serves Shanghainese home-cooking, red-braised pork ¥58, scallion oil noodles ¥22, reservations recommended evenings, open 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:30. Lost Heaven at 17 Yan'an East Road (metro Line 2 to East Nanjing Road, exit 2) does Yunnanese dishes in a colonial-mansion setting, mains ¥68-120, three-course meal around ¥200 per person before drinks, book ahead. The street-food strip along Wujiang Road Pedestrian Street near Jing'an Temple (metro Line 2 or 7, exit 6) runs 200 meters of grilled squid, fried chicken and bubble tea vendors, most stalls ¥15-35 per item, open 11:00-23:00.

Etiquette and ordering

Most restaurants display menus with photos or English translations in tourist areas, point if needed. Payment is almost always via Alipay or WeChat Pay QR codes, though upscale places and international hotel restaurants accept Visa and Mastercard. Cash works at street stalls. Tipping is not customary and bills include all service charges. At dumpling shops order and pay first, then wait for your number to be called. At sit-down restaurants a server brings the bill to your table when you ask, never before.

Metro

Shanghai Metro operates 20 lines covering 831 kilometers, making it the world's longest metro network by route length. Key lines for visitors: Line 2 runs east-west from Pudong Airport through Lujiazui, East Nanjing Road (the Bund), People's Square, Jing'an Temple and out to Hongqiao Airport. Line 1 connects Shanghai Railway Station south through People's Square and the French Concession to Xinzhuang. Line 10 serves the French Concession, Yu Garden and Hongqiao Airport. Fares range ¥3-10 depending on distance, buy single-journey tickets from machines with English menus at every station or use a Shanghai Public Transportation Card (¥20 deposit plus credit, refundable). Trains run 05:30-23:00 with 2-5 minute headways on central lines, 5-10 minutes on outer branches. Stations announce stops in Mandarin and English.

Setting up Alipay or WeChat Pay metro passes requires a mainland Chinese bank card, which foreign tourists cannot open without a resident permit, so ignore online guides suggesting this workaround and buy single tickets or a transport card instead. Download an offline metro map before arrival, cell signal is patchy underground on older lines.

Taxis and DiDi

Metered taxis start at ¥16 for the first 3 kilometers, then ¥2.50 per km, with a 30% surcharge 23:00-05:00. A 20-minute ride across central Shanghai costs ¥35-50. Hail on the street when the red light on the roof glows (green means occupied), very few drivers speak English so have your destination written in Chinese characters or show it on your phone. Pay cash or swipe an Alipay/WeChat QR code displayed inside. The DiDi app (China's Uber) has an English-language interface, accepts foreign credit cards and shows the fare estimate upfront, download and register before your trip. Rush-hour surges (08:00-09:30 and 17:30-19:00) can double wait times.

By bike

Meituan (yellow bikes) and Hello (blue bikes) dockless shared bikes scatter across the city, unlocked via their respective apps with a ¥1-2 deposit and ¥1.50 per 30 minutes. Both apps require a Chinese phone number to register, which you can get from a local SIM. Bikes work well for the flat, tree-lined streets of the French Concession and short hops under 3 kilometers, less practical for crossing the river or navigating the elevated roads around Lujiazui. Cycle lanes exist on most main roads but enforcement of car parking in them is lax, ride cautiously.

The Bund and East Nanjing Road

This historic waterfront area puts you within a 10-minute walk of the colonial architecture promenade and metro Line 2 at East Nanjing Road station, a direct 25-minute ride west to Hongqiao Airport or 35 minutes east to Pudong. Hotels here skew upscale, and street noise from Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street can filter into lower floors. The Bund is atmospheric after dark when the Pudong skyline lights up, but evening restaurant prices reflect the premium location.

• Fairmont Peace Hotel: ¥2,200-3,800 per night, the 1929 Art Deco landmark at 20 Nanjing East Road, metro Line 2 East Nanjing Road exit 1, river-facing rooms overlook Pudong
• The Bund Riverside Hotel: ¥800-1,400 per night, 15 Yuanmingyuan Road, same metro station, boutique property in a 1850s building behind the main Bund strip
• Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel: ¥180-350 per night for private doubles, dorms ¥65-90, 450 Jiangxi Middle Road, 8-minute walk from metro Line 2 or 10 at East Nanjing Road, rooftop terrace and shared kitchen

French Concession

Quieter tree-lined streets with independent cafes, boutique hotels in restored 1930s villas, and proximity to metro Lines 1, 7 and 10 make this the choice for travelers wanting neighborhood atmosphere over landmark proximity. Expect a 15-20 minute metro ride to the Bund or Pudong, and slightly lower restaurant prices than the waterfront. The area spreads wide, so check which metro station your hotel is nearest before booking.

• Pudi Boutique Hotel: ¥650-1,100 per night, 68 Xinle Road, metro Line 10 Xintiandi exit 1 (6-minute walk), Art Deco building with 24 rooms and in-house cafe
• The Langham Shanghai Xintiandi: ¥1,500-2,600 per night, 99 Madang Road, metro Line 10 Xintiandi exit 5, international chain in a modern tower overlooking Taipingqiao Park
• Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel: ¥160-280 per night for doubles, dorms ¥55-75, 38 Shaoxing Road, metro Line 1 Changshu Road exit 1 (9-minute walk), quiet lane location with bike rental

Pudong (Lujiazui)

The financial district east of the river offers modern high-rise hotels with skyline views, direct metro access on Line 2, and proximity to Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower. It feels more anonymous and business-focused than the historic core, with fewer street-level restaurants and cafes. Best for travelers prioritizing views or early-morning Pudong Airport departures (30 minutes on the Maglev from Longyang Road metro, two stops east).

• Grand Hyatt Shanghai: ¥1,800-3,200 per night, 88 Century Avenue in Jin Mao Tower, floors 53-87, metro Line 2 Lujiazui exit 1, rooms above the 80th floor for unobstructed views
• Mandarin Oriental Pudong: ¥1,400-2,400 per night, 111 Pudong South Road, metro Line 2 Lujiazui exit 3, river-facing rooms look back toward the Bund
• Ibis Shanghai Lujiazui: ¥400-650 per night, 838 Dongfang Road, metro Line 2 Dongchang Road exit 1, budget chain option with small rooms and no frills, 5-minute walk to the skyline towers

Best months

March to May brings mild temperatures 12-22°C, cherry blossoms in Gucheng Park and Gongqing Forest Park in late March, and low rainfall before the monsoon begins. September to November offers the most stable weather, 18-28°C in September cooling to 10-18°C by November, with clear skies and autumn leaves along the French Concession's plane-tree avenues in October. Both periods see moderate hotel demand and few domestic tour groups compared to summer or national holidays. Hairy crab season peaks in October when the Yangtze delta crabs reach full roe.

Avoid

July and August bring 32-36°C heat, 80% humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, making outdoor sightseeing exhausting by midday. Air conditioning runs everywhere but stepping outside feels like a wet towel. Chinese New Year, which falls in late January or early February, shuts many family-run restaurants, shops and attractions for 5-7 days, and train tickets sell out weeks in advance. Golden Week, the first week of October, fills hotels and major sights with domestic tourists, pushing prices up 30-50% and creating hour-long queues at Yu Garden and the Bund observation decks. Book three months ahead if traveling during Golden Week or skip those dates entirely.

Festivals worth timing

Shanghai International Film Festival in mid-June screens 400+ films across 45 venues, tickets ¥30-80 per screening, and draws filmmakers from across Asia for red-carpet premieres and panel discussions, though June's heat and humidity are punishing. The Shanghai Tourism Festival runs the second half of September with free outdoor concerts, parades along Huaihai Road and half-price entry to 60+ attractions including Shanghai Museum and the Oriental Pearl Tower on designated weekends, check the official festival calendar once dates are announced in August.

Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and most Western news sites remain blocked across mainland China including Shanghai, so install a reliable VPN on all your devices before departure because Chinese app stores remove VPN apps from their listings. ExpressVPN, NordVPN and Surfshark work as of 2026 but connection reliability fluctuates, and some hotels use deep-packet inspection that throttles VPN traffic. Test your VPN before you land and have a backup provider ready.

Mobile data and SIMs

ESIMs from providers like Airalo, Holafly or Ubigi offer 1-20 GB data packages ¥70-350 for 7-30 days, activated before you board your flight and bypassing the need to visit a physical shop or show ID. Coverage uses China Unicom or China Mobile networks, speeds are 4G in central Shanghai and sufficient for maps, messaging and social media over VPN. Local physical SIMs require your passport and cost ¥50-100 for a prepaid tourist package with 5-10 GB, available at airport arrival halls and China Mobile or China Unicom stores citywide. Local SIMs provide faster speeds and more data but take 20-30 minutes to register and activate.

Local apps you need

WeChat (Weixin) is China's universal messaging, payment and mini-app platform, used for splitting bills, booking taxis, ordering food delivery and unlocking shared bikes. You can register with a foreign phone number and add a foreign credit card for payments, though some merchants only accept mainland-linked cards. Alipay works similarly for QR-code payments and is accepted at 90% of shops, restaurants and metro stations. AMap (Gaode Ditu) or Baidu Maps provide turn-by-turn navigation and metro routing in English, far more accurate than Google Maps which lacks detail on China. DiDi, the ride-hailing app, has an English interface and accepts foreign cards, essential because most taxi drivers do not speak English. Download all four before departure and register your accounts over a working internet connection.