Shanghai Travel Guide: How Many Days, What to Book Ahead, and How to Get Around

Plan three days for Shanghai: two cover the classics, three let you do them without rushing, and four or more make sense if you add Disneyland or a day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou. The most comfortable times to come are spring, which the city's own visitor guide calls the best season, and autumn, which cools from about 25°C at its start to about 15°C by its end. The city is easy to read once you know the river: the Huangpu splits it into Puxi, the historic west bank, and Pudong, the skyscraper east bank, and almost everything a first-time visitor wants sits within a few metro stops of that river. Shanghai is also one of the easiest places in mainland China to arrive without speaking Chinese, and you can ride the metro by tapping your own contactless bank card.

How many days, when to come, and how the city fits together

Two full days give you the Bund and the old town on one day, and the Pudong skyline and a museum on the other. Three days is the version most people should plan for, because it leaves room for the tree-lined streets of the former French Concession and for a free evening. A week in Shanghai without day trips is more than most first-time visitors need, because the main sights cluster close together along the river.

Spring (March to May) averages roughly 11–21°C with some drizzle. The plum-rain season, a stretch of grey, damp weather, usually arrives around mid-June and lasts into early July. Summer is hot and humid, and in 2024 highs often went past 35°C in July and August. Typhoon season usually peaks from late August to mid-September, bringing strong wind and heavy rain. Autumn is the other easy window, and the plane trees on the old French Concession streets turn yellow in November. Winter is damp and cold, averaging about 3–11°C, and snow is rare. None of this should cancel a trip, because Shanghai has plenty to do indoors. If you can choose, though, pick spring or autumn and avoid China's long public holidays, when the riverfront is at its most crowded.

The map is simple. Puxi (浦西, "west of the river") holds the Bund, the old town around Yu Garden, People's Square and the former French Concession, the leafy district of old villas and cafés west of the centre. Pudong (浦东, "east of the river") holds Lujiazui, the cluster of towers you know from photos, plus the Shanghai Museum East and, much further out, Disneyland. The Bund faces Lujiazui across the water, and that view is the centre of most first trips.

If you are flying through China to a third country, Shanghai's two airports and its cruise port are among the 65 entry points for the 240-hour visa-free transit policy. Ten days is more than enough for Shanghai plus a side trip. Eligibility and the onward-ticket rules are in our 240-hour visa-free transit guide; if you are not transiting, check whether your passport qualifies for visa-free entry for short stays instead.

Getting in from the airports

Shanghai has two airports. Pudong (PVG) handles most international flights and sits far to the east. Hongqiao (SHA) is much closer to the centre and sits right next to Hongqiao Railway Station.

From Pudong you have three sensible choices:

• Maglev plus metro. This is the fastest option: the Maglev reaches 300 km/h on its run to Longyang Road, where you change to the metro. A single costs 50 yuan, and you get 20% off a single if you show a same-day flight ticket. Trains leave the airport between 07:02 and 21:42. You can tap a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or JCB contactless card at the gate. Bags are limited to 23 kg each.
• Metro Line 2 all the way. It's the slowest option and the cheapest, and it reaches People's Square and East Nanjing Road with no changes. Trains towards the city leave the airport from 06:00, and the last one leaves at 22:30.
• Taxi. The official ranks are outside Arrivals Door 12 at T1 and Door 26 at T2, and both run 24 hours. The fare runs on the meter, so check the estimate in a ride-hailing app if you want a figure before you go. Travel times for each option are compared in our airport guide linked below.

From Hongqiao it's simpler. Terminal 2 has Metro Lines 2 and 10, Terminal 1 has Line 10, and both lines run into the centre. Line 10 trains leave T2 between 05:26 and 22:31, and Line 2 trains heading east through the centre leave between 05:33 and 22:05. If you land after the metro stops, take a taxi from the ranks outside Arrivals.

Both airports and Hongqiao Railway Station have city-run tourist information desks. At Pudong you'll find them in T1 domestic arrivals between Doors 6 and 7 and in the middle of the T2 arrivals hall, and at Hongqiao opposite the T2 arrivals exit. The international arrivals halls at Pudong T1 and T2 and Hongqiao T1 also have one-stop service centres that help new arrivals set up mobile payment. For late-night buses, transfers between the two airports and which option suits heavy luggage, see our Shanghai airport guide.

Getting around the city

The metro is how you will get around. It's signed in English and reaches every sight in this guide. You don't need a ticket, an app or a Chinese phone number to use it: you can tap a contactless UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express or JCB card on the fare gate as long as the card allows small contactless payments. If your card isn't contactless, every station's service centre sells tickets through a POS terminal that takes foreign cards.

If you'd rather use your phone, there are two official options. The metro's own app, Metro 大都会 (Dàdūhuì), registers with a passport and lets you scan through the gate and pay after you ride. The city's SH MaaS app (随申行, Suíshēnxíng) has an English version, registers with an overseas phone number, and gives you one QR code for the metro, buses and river ferries. A metro day pass costs 18 yuan for 24 hours and a three-day pass costs 45 yuan for 72 hours, and neither covers the Maglev. Passes only save money if you ride a lot, because single fares start at 3 yuan. Fares may change: the city held a public hearing on a fare reform in September 2026, and the final scheme and start date are still to be announced, so go by what the gate or app charges you. The Shanghai government's English-language transport guide keeps the current list of tickets and payment options.

You don't need a transport card. A physical Shanghai public transport card needs a 20-yuan deposit, which you get back if you return the card undamaged. Tapping your bank card does the same job with no deposit. There is also a prepaid Shanghai Pass aimed at foreign visitors, which works on transit and taxis, and a three-day version for 240-hour transit travellers; check its current price and where to buy it before you decide it's worth it.

Watch for last trains. Shanghai has no single closing time for the metro. First and last trains differ by line and by station, and stations stop selling tickets about three minutes before their last train. On Fridays and Saturdays, Lines 1, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 13 run later, but Line 2 does not. Before a late dinner, check your station on our Shanghai last-train lookup, or plan the route on the Shanghai metro map. the WaysChina app

Taxis are your backup. A metered cab starts at 14 yuan for the first 3 km, and fares go up 30% between 23:00 and 05:00. Every taxi takes cash and the Shanghai transport card, and about 2,000 Dazhong (大众) taxis also take foreign bank cards. Most other taxis don't, so look for card logos on the window or ask before you get in. Don't try to hail a cab right at a junction, because drivers aren't allowed to stop within 50 metres of one. Ride-hailing is often easier: once your foreign card is linked to Alipay, you can book DiDi inside Alipay, and the DiDi screens appear in English in the English version of the app. Our DiDi guide covers setup. To cross the river cheaply, take a public ferry, which costs 2 yuan for foot passengers. Which ferry line to take, and which one runs after dark, is covered in the skyline guide linked below.

Where to stay

Choose your area by how easy the metro is from there, not by hotel brand.

• People's Square / East Nanjing Road is the best all-round base for a first visit. Several lines meet here, including Lines 2 and 10 at East Nanjing Road station, and you can walk to both the Bund and the pedestrian street.
• The Bund gets you river views, and you pay more for them. It's the right choice if the view is the point of the trip.
• Jing'an and the former French Concession are a few stops further from the river, and in return you get quieter streets, cafés and better everyday food. They suit second-time visitors, couples and anyone staying four days or more.
• Lujiazui puts the skyline outside your window. At street level it feels like a business district and goes quiet after office hours.
• Hongqiao only makes sense for a very early flight or train, or a one-night stopover between trains.

Hotels in all of these areas are easy to compare and book on Booking.com. When you book, check that the listing says it accepts foreign passport holders, and stick to properties that state it clearly.

What to see, and what needs booking ahead

Most of what you came to see is free and needs no booking. The best thing to do in Shanghai is free: walk the Bund promenade at dusk and watch the Lujiazui towers light up across the river. The Bund is open around the clock, and so are the Nanjing Road pedestrian street and the lanes of Tianzifang. Where to stand, when the lights switch on and off, which ferry to ride after dark and how the observation decks compare are all in our Shanghai skyline guide. Tickets only matter for a short list of places: Disneyland and, while its special exhibition runs, the People's Square building of the Shanghai Museum. The table below has the rules for each sight.

Museums: check which building you mean. The Shanghai Museum now has two sites, and their rules differ.

• The Shanghai Museum East in Pudong has free entry for individual visitors and you don't need to reserve. Bring your physical passport, go in through the B1 east entrance, and show it at the ID check after security. It opens 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:00) and closes on Tuesdays, not Mondays, so check before you plan the day around it. Its three painting and calligraphy galleries (Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Painting, and Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy) have been closed for refitting since 28 September 2026, with no reopening date announced; most other galleries stay open.
• The original People's Square building is a paid visit while its exhibition on the ancient civilisations of the Americas runs (until 14 November 2027). It opens 9:00–17:00 with last entry at 15:00, it closes on Mondays, and it needs a paid ticket. Check the current ticket price and how to buy on the Shanghai Museum's official site before you go. If you only have time for one, choose the East branch for the permanent collection.

Yu Garden and the old town. The classical garden charges 40 yuan in peak season and 30 yuan off-peak, and you can buy at the gate with no reservation. It closes on Mondays, and the last entry is 16:00. The bazaar and the City God Temple next to it are a separate area from the paid garden. Our Yu Garden guide explains what's worth paying for and how to avoid the worst crowds.

One observation deck, not three. Jin Mao (the cheapest), the Oriental Pearl (the retro icon) and Shanghai Tower (the highest) all show you the same skyline from different heights. Pick one, and go near sunset if you want both day and night views. Current prices are in the table below. If you prefer to buy deck or river-cruise tickets in English before you go, platforms such as Klook sell them.

Disneyland is the one place that needs real planning. (The People's Square museum building, above, also needs a paid ticket while its exhibition runs.) Disneyland tickets are for a fixed date, and prices vary by day on a rolling 30-day calendar. Each ID can buy one ticket per day, and you must show the same passport at the gate. It deserves a full day of its own. Our Shanghai Disneyland guide covers tickets, getting there on Line 11 and the food rules.

Neighbourhoods to wander. These areas fill the gaps between the big sights, and none of them need a ticket.

• Wukang Road and Anfu Road, in the former French Concession, became one of China's first national tourism and leisure blocks in 2022. The ship-shaped Wukang Mansion on Wukang Road was designed by László Hudec and built in 1924. Come on a weekday morning if you want photos without a queue of people taking the same shot.
• Xintiandi is a block of restored shikumen (石库门, "stone-gate") lane houses from the early 20th century, now filled with restaurants and shops. It's more upmarket than lived-in, and it's a good place to spend an evening.
• Tianzifang is the busier, more crowded take on the same lane-house idea, open all day.
• Jade Buddha Temple has been free to enter since June 2023, except on Lunar New Year's Eve and the first fifteen days of the Lunar New Year. It opens 08:00–16:30 with no reservation, about five minutes' walk from Exit 3 of Jiangning Road station on Line 13.
• Jing'an Temple, the gold-roofed temple above Jing'an Temple station, is an easy stop if you're nearby. Check its entry arrangements at the gate on the day.

If you want help on the ground, the city runs visitor service centres right next to the main sights: at Chenyi Square on the Bund, at Yuyuan, in Tianzifang, on Nanjing Road outside the No. 1 Department Store, on Wukang Road and at Gate 1 of the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Zhujiajiao, a canal town on Metro Line 17, is the easiest water town to reach, and it's free to enter. See the out-of-town section below.

A two-to-three-day shape

On day one, see the Shanghai Museum East in Pudong in the morning, then walk East Nanjing Road and finish on the Bund at sunset. On day two, see Yu Garden and the old town in the morning, cross to Lujiazui for one observation deck in the late afternoon so you see the skyline by day and after dark, and end in Xintiandi or Wukang Road. Keep day three flexible for Zhujiajiao, a slow French Concession morning or Disneyland. Over big holidays the Bund area gets crowd controls. During the 2026 National Day holiday, for example, East Nanjing Road station on Lines 2 and 10 and Yuyuan station on Line 14 closed from 16:00 every day from 1 to 7 October, so plan to walk in from a station further away. The same stations have also closed in the evening on New Year's Eve in past years, so check the Shanghai police notice for the exact times. The hour-by-hour version, with metro lines and booking lead times, is our 3-day Shanghai itinerary.

What to eat

Start with three things. The first is xiaolongbao (小笼包, soup dumplings): the version that spread across Shanghai started in Nanxiang in 1871, with jellied stock in the filling that melts into soup as the dumplings steam. The second is shengjian (生煎, pan-fried pork buns with a crisp base), which you order by the liang (两), and one liang means four buns. The third is benbang (本帮), the local home-style cooking known as "thick oil, red sauce": rich, slow-braised dishes that taste sweet first and finish salty. Autumn is the best time for crab-roe xiaolongbao, because crab is in season. The old South Yunnan Road group of long-established restaurants has moved to new streets beside Nanjing Road. That move, plus where to find the good versions and how to order without Chinese, is all in our Shanghai food guide. For a special night out, Taian Table is Shanghai's only three-star restaurant in the 2026 Michelin Guide, and how to book that kind of table is covered in our Shanghai luxury travel guide.

Money and internet

Set up payment before you land. Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign cards, Visa and Mastercard included. Once you link a card, you can pay at almost any shop, stall or taxi by scanning a QR code. Alipay currently charges nothing on a foreign-card payment of 200 yuan or less and 3% of the whole amount above that, and the confirm screen shows any fee before you pay. Shops that show a Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay sign can also take your card directly. Visitors can still pay with cash, so carry a little for the odd small vendor. Step-by-step setup is in our Alipay guide.

For data, an eSIM bought before the trip (for example from Airalo) means you skip the airport SIM counter and are online as soon as you land. Public Wi-Fi in China usually sends a login code to a Chinese phone number, which a foreign SIM can't receive. Pudong Airport is an exception: you can log on to its free Wi-Fi by scanning your passport. China's official tourism website notes that Google, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp don't load directly in China. If you depend on them, sort out how you'll connect before you fly. Our internet and VPN guide explains the options.

Out of the city

Shanghai is a good base for day trips. Zhujiajiao is a free-to-enter canal town reached by Metro Line 17, so you don't need a train ticket. Suzhou, known for its classical gardens, is the shortest high-speed rail hop. The 12306 timetable for one sample travel day (22 September 2026) shows about 50 trains from Hongqiao to Suzhou station, most taking 30–35 minutes, and 60-plus to Suzhou North. Hangzhou is about 174 km away; the fastest trains from Hongqiao to Hangzhou East take about 45 minutes, and second class costs roughly 57–87 yuan depending on the train. West Lake itself has been free to visit since 2002. Our Shanghai day trips guide compares all the options, and the full city guides are Suzhou and Hangzhou.

If something goes wrong

Dial 110 for police, which offers eight foreign languages in Shanghai, including English, and 120 for an ambulance, which is free to call and has English service in Shanghai. The full list, with which lines speak which languages, is on the Shanghai government's emergency numbers page. For anything involving your passport or nationality, call your own embassy or consulate. China's 12308 hotline is for Chinese citizens abroad, not for visitors in China. Around the Bund, Nanjing Road and People's Square, be wary of friendly strangers who invite you for tea or a drink, because these invitations can end with a huge bill. Our tourist scams guide explains how to spot it. Hospital and consulate contacts are collected in our emergency numbers guide.

Last updated: November 2026