Shanghai is a major international business city, shaped by a port history that brought Chinese and overseas influences together. Walk the Bund for historic waterfront architecture, then cross to Lujiazui for the skyline. Yu Garden offers classical Jiangnan courtyards and rockeries. Explore the tree-lined Hengshan and Fuxing Road area and shikumen lanes for a more intimate view of the city, with stops for pan-fried buns and soup dumplings.
The best of Shanghai
Huangpu DistrictAbout 2 hours
The Bund
After Shanghai opened as a treaty port, banks, trading houses and shipping companies built offices along the Huangpu, turning the Bund into a centre of commerce. The domed HSBC building opened in 1923, followed by the neighbouring Customs House in 1927 with its prominent clock tower. Identifying the buildings' former occupants, then looking across to Lujiazui, reveals two different eras in the city's development as a financial and trading hub.
Location
The Huangpu River's west-bank waterfront along Zhongshan East 1st and 2nd Roads, Huangpu, Shanghai.
Admission
No current blanket ticket or round-the-clock access policy was verified; cruises, building interiors and paid events need separate checks.
Huangpu DistrictAbout 2 hoursCNY 30–40
Yu Garden
Ming official Pan Yunduan built Yu Garden beside his family home to provide a retreat for his elderly father. Its name expresses that wish to please one's parents. The yellow-stone rockery, designed by master Zhang Nanyang, compresses peaks, ravines and climbing paths into a private garden. Corridors and courtyard walls alternately conceal and reveal these scenes, demonstrating how Jiangnan garden makers recreated mountain landscapes within limited urban land.
BookingPurchase through the official Shanghai Yuyuan WeChat account or on site; check notices for the visit date.
Location
Huangpu, Shanghai: north gate at 168 Fuyou Road; south gate at 279 Yuyuan Old Street.
Opening hours
Tuesday–Sunday 09:00–16:30, last entry 16:00; closed Mondays except statutory holidays.
Admission
Adult admission to the classical garden. CNY 40 Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov, otherwise CNY 30; this is separate from the surrounding shopping streets and lantern events.
Pudong New AreaAbout 2 hours
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai Tower's spiral silhouette performs an engineering job: its tapering, twisting form reduces the forces exerted by high winds. A double glass envelope creates buffer spaces that help regulate indoor temperatures and accommodate elevated shared areas. The upper visitor areas overlook bends in the Huangpu and Lujiazui's towers, with the cavity between the two glass skins visible from inside.
BookingTop of Shanghai requires real-name tickets with an identity card or passport; the operator page identifies authorized online sellers.
Admission
The operator distinguishes B1, floor 118 and floors 125–126. Current adult pricing was not retrieved; check the floors and experiences included.
What to eat
Xiaolongbao
Xiaolongbao come from Nanxiang, a town on the edge of Shanghai. The thin wrappers are pleated tightly around pork mixed with aspic, which melts into broth as they steam. Bite a small hole first, let the soup cool and sip it, then add ginger and black vinegar.
Y
Yanduxian
Yanduxian is a Jiangnan spring soup of salted pork, fresh pork and young bamboo shoots. The name echoes the Wu dialect word for the soft bubbling of a pot left on a low flame. The broth turns milky, salty and sweet with bamboo, and it is at its best when spring shoots arrive.
Arrive, explore, settle in
Arriving
Pudong and Hongqiao serve different flights, and Hongqiao is also a rail hub. Check the full airport, terminal and station names, then use the official transport guide to choose rail or taxi.
Getting around
Use the metro across districts and walk within the Bund, Yu Garden or Hengshan–Fuxing Road neighborhoods. Allow a river crossing when combining the two Huangpu waterfronts.
Where to stay
People’s Square or East Nanjing Road works well for a first visit; a metro-connected Xuhui base suits neighborhood walks. Hongqiao can suit an early train, with transfers needed for central sightseeing.
Explore Yu Garden and old-town lanes, then see the Bund’s historic buildings and the opposite skyline with time for an evening waterfront walk.
Route 2
Pudong skyline
Group Shanghai Tower with a Lujiazui waterfront walk. If visiting an observation deck, anchor the outing to its reserved time.
Route 3
Tree-lined neighborhoods
Choose a relaxed route around Hengshan and Fuxing roads for older buildings, lanes and everyday street life; this can fit an arrival or departure day.
More planning advice
Plan in riverbank sections: the Bund and Yu Garden are in Huangpu, while Shanghai Tower is in Pudong. Decide what you want to see on each side before arranging the crossing.
Separate the classical Yu Garden from the surrounding shopping streets in your plan. For the garden itself, allow time to study the rockery and the views concealed and revealed by corridors and courtyards.
Before choosing a Shanghai Tower observation product, check the included floors and extra experiences, then confirm entry arrangements for your date. Products can cover different parts of the building.
Good to know
How many days do I need in Shanghai?
Allow 3–5 days, excluding intercity travel. Leave room for journeys, queues and meals.
When should I visit Shanghai?
Suggested months: Mar · Apr · May · Sep · Oct · Nov. Check weather, holidays and opening arrangements for your actual dates.
Which sights need advance booking?
Read each sight’s booking note and check official information before fixing your dates. Foreign passport booking channels may differ. Booking with a foreign passport →
Make Shanghai your own
Put your favourite places on the map, then decide how to spend each day.
