Art Deco Bund, futuristic skyline and soup dumplings.
Shanghai is China's largest city and its glossiest, with a colonial waterfront facing a futuristic skyline. It mixes old lanes, gardens and fine dining. It suits shoppers, foodies and first-time visitors to China.
Tap a card to open it. Day trips are marked.
A riverside promenade of colonial-era buildings facing Pudong. It lights up at night. It runs along the west bank of the Huangpu River with over 20 historic buildings.
2026 general admission is free; optional activities and purchases are extra.
A Ming dynasty garden with pavilions and rockeries. A bazaar surrounds it. It was laid out in the 1500s by a Ming official and features ponds and rockeries.
Garden entry fee; the surrounding bazaar is free.
A pink-sphered tower with a glass floor. It was a symbol of the new Pudong. It opened in 1994 and stands about 468 metres high in Lujiazui.
Price depends on which observation levels you choose.
A long pedestrian shopping street. It is busy and bright at night. It is one of the busiest shopping streets in the world and is partly pedestrian.
2026 general admission is free; optional activities and purchases are extra.
Excellent collections of bronzes, ceramics and calligraphy. Entry is free with reservation. It is in People's Square and covers bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy.
General entry is free but reservations may be needed.
China's tallest building with a very high observatory. Lifts are among the fastest. It stands 632 metres tall and is the tallest building in China.
Observatory ticket price; check the official site for details.
An active Buddhist temple with two jade Buddhas. It is peaceful. It was built to house two jade Buddha statues brought from Myanmar.
Small entrance fee; the jade Buddha hall costs extra.
An old canal town with stone bridges. Boats glide past houses. It lies about 50 kilometres west of the city and has canals and old stone bridges.
Check the official site for current prices.
A Disney park with the largest Disney castle. It is popular with families. It opened in 2016 in Pudong and is the only Disney resort in mainland China.
Single-day ticket price varies by date; check the official site.
Leafy streets with villas, cafes and boutiques. Wukang Road is popular. Its leafy streets have villas, cafes and boutiques in the former foreign district.
2026 general admission is free; optional activities and purchases are extra.
Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it.
Choose how many days you have.
Day one Bund and old town, day two Pudong and the museum, day three temples and the French Concession.
Classical gardens and canals.
62 mi · High speed train, about 30 minutes
West Lake.
109 mi · High speed train, about 1 hour
A well-kept canal town with wooden houses and evening lights.
87 mi · Train to Tongxiang then bus, about 2h each way
Explore another historic Jiangnan city with lakeside scenery.
High-speed train, roughly 40 to 60 minutes in the municipal travel guide checked in 2026, plus local transport.
The Venice of the East, famous for UNESCO World Heritage Ming Dynasty classical gardens (Humble Administrator's Garden) and silk canals.
53 mi · Direct high-speed bullet train from Shanghai Railway Station or Hongqiao in just 25 minutes.
Preserved historic Jiangnan canal town featuring black-tiled roofs, stone arch bridges, and night lantern boat cruises.
68 mi · High-speed train to Tongxiang in 40 minutes, followed by local shuttle bus, or direct tourist bus.
Best: March to May and September to November. Mild and pleasant weather.
Daily high and average, by month
Typical inches per month
No season note for this month.
Climate normals: NASA POWER (public domain). For your own dates, a trip's Plan tab shows the forecast and the usual weather.
January or February
Lanterns at Yu Garden.
June
Major film festival.
January or February, dates vary
Lights at Yu Garden and many closed shops during the holiday.
September or early October, dates vary
Families eat mooncakes and watch the full moon.
November
A large trade fair that fills hotels around the exhibition centre.
Usually September to early October
The 2026 classic season ran September 1 to October 6, with city walks and cultural activities; future dates require checking.
April
High-speed international auto race held at the Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading.
January to February (Lunar New Year)
Spectacular illuminated mythical creatures, dragons, and folklore lanterns displayed across the zigzag bridges of Yu Garden.
The US State Department rates China Level 2, exercise increased caution, citing arbitrary enforcement of local laws; Shanghai has low street crime, though scams in tourist areas occur.
Central areas such as the Bund and French Concession are good for walking.
A huge metro network; pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay QR codes or a card.
Sources disagree on: scores.
The neighborhoods that suit most first visits.
Best for: first-timers, luxury
Views and historic buildings.
Best for: couples, food
Tree-lined streets and cafes.
Best for: shoppers
Central with malls.
Best for: architecture fans, luxury
Skyscraper views and high-end hotels, though quieter at street level.
Best for: budget, history
Cheaper hostels near Yu Garden and the river.
Best for: first-timers, shopping
A central base for metro connections, shops and walks toward the Bund.
| Main airport | Pudong International (PVG), 25 mi from the center |
| To the center | The Maglev reaches Longyang Road in about 8 minutes, then connect to the metro (2026). |
| Around town | Use the metro and DiDi. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before arriving. |
| Ride apps | DiDi, Didi (integrated into Alipay app), Licensed metered taxis |
Soup dumplings.
Pan-fried pork buns.
Autumn delicacy.
Red-braised pork belly.
Simple noodles tossed with fragrant fried spring onion oil.
Pan-fried pork buns combine a browned base with a soft upper wrapper.
| Plugs | Type A, C and I, 220 V |
| Tap water | Use bottled water |
| Tipping | Tipping is not customary. |
| Payments | Mobile payments dominate; international cards can be linked to Alipay. |
| Etiquette | Many foreign apps and sites are blocked; plan connectivity. |
Shanghai grew as a treaty port after 1842, with foreign concessions along the Bund. It became Asia's busiest trading city in the 1920s and 1930s. After economic reform, the Pudong district rose from farmland to a skyline from the 1990s. Shanghai became a treaty port in 1842, and foreign concessions grew into a trading and financial hub.
Researched 2026-10-12. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.