Shanghai is China's most cosmopolitan city, where the colonial Bund faces off against the futuristic Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River. Beyond the postcard skyline you'll find French Concession plane-tree streets, world-class dining, and easy day trips to the canal towns of Suzhou and Hangzhou.
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Quick facts
Timezone
Asia/Shanghai
Currency
¥ CNY
Language
Mandarin
City transfer
~40 min
Maglev + Metro / Metro / Airport Bus / Taxi
Best time to visit
best weatherdeals available
Don't miss
Walk the Bund at 10pm rather than at sunset — the tourist crush has cleared, the Pudong towers are fully lit, and the reflection on the Huangpu River is at its most dramatic. Cross to the Pudong side via the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (kitsch) or the pedestrian ferry (¥2, authentic).
Hire a local guide for a 2-hour longtang walk through the Jing'an or Luwan district backstreets — these compressed alley neighbourhoods are Shanghai's true social fabric and disappearing fast. Untour Shanghai runs excellent small-group walks for around ¥250.
Eat a shengjianbao (pan-fried pork soup dumpling) breakfast at Yang's Fry Dumplings (小杨生煎) on Wujiang Road — four dumplings for ¥9, eaten standing up, ideally before 9am when they're fresh from the pan. The trick is to bite a small hole and let the scalding soup cool before eating.
West Bund Art District on a Saturday afternoon has eight major museums within walking distance — the Long Museum, Tank Shanghai, and Yuz Museum are the picks. The area along the Huangpu riverfront was an industrial zone a decade ago and is now one of Asia's best cultural corridors.
Weekend itinerary · 3 days
Day 1
The Bund morning walk
Walk the entire Bund promenade from Suzhou Creek to Nanpu Bridge (about 2.5km) before 9am — the light on the Pudong skyline is perfect, the joggers and tai chi practitioners are out, and the tour groups haven't arrived. Pay attention to the individual buildings on the west side: every one has a plaque with its colonial history.
Yu Garden & Old City Bazaar
The Ming-dynasty garden (¥40) is genuinely beautiful — especially the rockeries and koi ponds in the inner section that tour groups skip. The surrounding bazaar is chaotic but the Nanxiang Steamed Bun restaurant for xiao long bao is worth the queue (go to the upstairs dining room to skip it).
Lujiazui skyline at dusk
Cross to the Pudong side and take the elevator to the observation deck of the Shanghai Tower (632m, ¥180) — the twisting glass tube is the world's second-tallest building and the views of the Bund and the rest of the skyline below you are vertiginous and extraordinary.
Jesse Restaurant (吉士酒家, Tianping Road)
A Shanghai institution for classic Shanghainese home cooking — the drunken chicken, braised pork with brown sauce (hongshao rou), and fried rice cakes are definitive versions. Busy, loud, no-frills, and completely authentic.
Day 2
French Concession morning walk
Start at Fuxing Park and walk west along Fuxing Road, Wukang Road, and Anfu Road — the plane-tree canopy, Art Deco villas, and boutique-lined lanes make this the most European-feeling neighbourhood in Asia. Wukang Mansion at the junction of Wukang and Huaihai roads is the classic photo stop.
Tianzifang craft and design maze
This preserved longtang block has been converted into a warren of independent design shops, cafés, and galleries. Crowded by noon — arrive at 10am to browse properly. Best for contemporary Chinese ceramics, silk goods, and photography prints.
West Bund Art District
Take a taxi or Metro Line 11 to the West Bund riverfront. Tank Shanghai (industrial oil tanks converted to galleries) and Long Museum West Bund are the highlights — together they cover contemporary Chinese art in extraordinary spaces. Allow 3 hours.
Egg (福里, Yongfu Road)
Smart modern Shanghainese cuisine from a chef who trained in Europe — seasonal tasting menu around ¥300-400 per person. The space is in a beautifully restored concession-era villa and the wine list is strong for China.
Day 3
Shanghai Museum (People's Square)
One of China's finest — the bronze, ceramic, and painting collections are exceptional and admission is free (queue early, as entry numbers are limited). The Song-dynasty ceramic gallery alone justifies the visit.
Xintiandi & Shikumen Open House Museum
This renovated shikumen (stone-gate house) neighbourhood is polished and commercial but the small open-air museum (¥18) inside is genuinely good — it shows what a 1930s Shanghai working-class home actually looked like, room by room.
Nanjing Road pedestrian strip
Shanghai's main shopping boulevard is chaotic and worth one pass — but turn north off it into the small lanes around Wujiang Road for the real local food stalls. The old entertainment district around Huanghe Road has survived with its wonton and noodle shops intact.
Din Tai Fung (鼎泰丰, Xintiandi branch)
The Taiwanese xiao long bao (soup dumpling) chain that became a global benchmark — the Shanghai branch is excellent and slightly calmer than the Hong Kong original. Book ahead; the crab roe and pork version is the order.
Travel tips
- →Take the Maglev from Pudong airport for the fastest transfer into town
- →Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before arrival — cash is rarely accepted
- →Walk the French Concession on foot, it's the city's most atmospheric quarter
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