Shanghai is China’s most cosmopolitan city — a mix of futuristic skyline, leafy colonial streets, and easy day trips to canal towns.

Where to stay

Stay near The Bund or People’s Square for the best mix of sights and transport. Compare Shanghai hotels on Booking.com or Agoda (affiliate).

Getting there

Shanghai has two airports plus Hongqiao and Shanghai railway stations, with fast trains nationwide. Book on Trip.com (affiliate). The Maglev from Pudong airport hits 300 km/h.

Day 1 — The classics

• The Bund waterfront promenade, best in late afternoon
• Nanjing Road shopping street
• Yu Garden and the old town bazaar

Day 2 — Concession & skyline

• Café-hop through the French Concession’s plane-tree streets
• Jing’an Temple amid the skyscrapers
• Cross to Pudong for the Shanghai Tower observation deck — skip the line on Klook (affiliate)

Day 3 — Water town day trip

• Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old canal town an hour from the city
• Or visit the Shanghai Museum and the Tianzifang art lanes
• Guided water-town tours are on Viator (affiliate)

Short on time? An 8–10 hour layover plan

Shanghai is one of the easiest Chinese cities to dip into on a 240-hour visa-free transit layover.

• Airport ↔ city: about 50–60 minutes each way from Pudong (PVG) — the Maglev + metro is fastest, or take a Didi; only ~30 minutes from Hongqiao (SHA).
• Buffer: ~1 hour for immigration, and back at the airport ~3 hours before an international flight.
• That leaves ~4–5 hours in the city. Suggested loop: The Bund waterfront → Nanjing Road → Yu Garden, then head back. Short on time? Just the Bund and the Pudong skyline view is worth it.

Quick tips

• Set up your eSIM and payments before arriving
• The metro is excellent and fully signed in English
• Buy a transit card or just tap Alipay’s metro QR

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