What is Shanghai best known for?

The Bund and the Pudong skyline facing each other across the Huangpu River, Yu Garden, the tree-lined Former French Concession and xiaolongbao soup dumplings.

How many days do you need in Shanghai?

Three days covers the Bund, Pudong, the old town and the French Concession. Add a day for Disneyland and another for Suzhou or a water town.

Is Shanghai worth visiting?

Yes. It is the most cosmopolitan city in mainland China, with a spectacular skyline, rich early twentieth-century architecture and outstanding food.

What is there to do in Shanghai with kids?

Shanghai Disneyland is the big draw, along with the observation decks in Pudong, a river cruise and a boat ride through the canals of Zhujiajiao.

Things to Do in Shanghai 2026: The Best Sights

Shanghai is China showing off. On one bank of the Huangpu River stands a mile of grand 1920s banks and hotels; on the other, a forest of skyscrapers that did not exist a generation ago. Stand between them at night, with the towers lit and the barges sliding past, and you are looking at one of the great city views on earth.

Away from the river the scale shrinks. There are lanes of brick shikumen houses, streets shaded by plane trees, temples wedged between shopping malls, and steamers of soup dumplings on every block. It is China's biggest city, and with its excellent metro it is far easier to enjoy than its size suggests.

The big sights

The Bund
Landmark
Photo: Lloyd Tudor, CC BY-SA 4.0
A sweeping riverside promenade lined with the grand buildings of old Shanghai: banks, trading houses, clubs and hotels in a parade of neoclassical and Art Deco stone, built when this was the financial capital of Asia. Directly opposite, across the water, is the futuristic skyline of Pudong.
Walk it twice. In the early morning you share it with kite flyers and people practising tai chi; after dark both banks are floodlit and the whole city turns out to look.
Yu Garden
Landmark
Photo: Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0
A classical Chinese garden from the Ming dynasty in the heart of the old town, packed into a small space with great skill: rockeries, carp ponds, pavilions, zigzag bridges and walls topped with undulating dragons. Outside the gate is a bazaar of upturned eaves and red lanterns, and a famous teahouse on a pond.
Tip: Go on a weekday morning. The garden is small and loses its calm when it is full.
Shanghai Tower
Landmark
Photo: Janak Bhatta, CC BY 4.0
The tallest building in China twists as it rises above the Lujiazui financial district, flanked by two other giants, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower. Its observation deck, among the highest in the world, looks straight down on the river, the Bund and the city fading to the horizon.
Tip: Pick a clear day. On hazy ones the view can vanish entirely.
Oriental Pearl Tower
Landmark
Photo: Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0
The pink-sphered television tower that became the symbol of new Shanghai when it opened in the 1990s. It looks like something from a retro science-fiction film, and it has viewing levels including a glass-floored walkway. Even if you do not go up, it is the star of every skyline photograph.
Jing'an Temple
Landmark
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
A Buddhist temple of golden roofs and dark timber sitting in the middle of one of the busiest shopping districts in the city, surrounded on all sides by glass towers. The contrast is the attraction. Step through the gate and the noise of West Nanjing Road falls away.

Neighbourhoods to wander

The Former French Concession
Neighbourhood
Photo: SSYoung, CC BY-SA 4.0
The loveliest part of Shanghai for an aimless walk. Plane trees meet overhead along streets of old villas, Art Deco apartment blocks and lane houses, now home to cafés, boutiques, bars and bakeries. Wukang Road and Anfu Road are good places to start, with the wedge-shaped Wukang Mansion as a landmark.
Xintiandi
Neighbourhood
A few blocks of traditional shikumen houses, the grey-brick lane homes with stone-framed gates unique to Shanghai, restored and turned into a smart pedestrian quarter of restaurants and shops. It is polished rather than authentic, but a pleasant place for dinner outdoors.
Tianzifang
Neighbourhood
Photo: 钉钉, CC BY-SA 4.0
A tangle of narrow alleys in an old residential block, crammed with tiny craft shops, galleries, tea sellers, snack stalls and bars. It is more chaotic and more fun than Xintiandi, with washing still hanging overhead in places. Expect crowds at weekends.
Nanjing Road
Neighbourhood
Photo: EditQ, CC BY-SA 4.0
China's most famous shopping street runs west from the Bund to People's Square as a broad pedestrian avenue under a blaze of neon signs. The shops are mostly familiar names, but the evening crowds and lights are a spectacle in themselves, and it is the natural route between the river and the centre.

Museums and family days

Shanghai Museum
Museum
One of the best museums of ancient Chinese art in the country, known for its bronzes, ceramics, jade, calligraphy and painting. The original building on People's Square is shaped like an ancient bronze cooking vessel. It is the place to make sense of several thousand years of history in an afternoon.
Shanghai Disneyland
Activity
Photo: Phlizz, CC BY-SA 4.0
Out in Pudong, mainland China's first Disney park has the largest castle of any Disney park and several rides found nowhere else, including a high-speed Tron coaster and a lavish Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride. It takes a full day and is reachable by metro.
Tip: Avoid Chinese public holidays and weekends, when queues are at their longest.
Huangpu River cruise
Activity
Seeing the two skylines from the water, old on one side and new on the other, is the easiest way to understand the city. Sightseeing boats run up and down the central stretch of the river, and the evening sailings, when everything is lit, are the ones to choose.

Eat and drink

Xiaolongbao
Food
Photo: Matt's Life from 南翔 (Nanxiang), 豫园 (Yuyuan Gardens), 上海 (Shanghai), CC BY 2.0
Shanghai's gift to the world: delicate steamed dumplings filled with pork and a mouthful of hot soup, served in bamboo baskets with black vinegar and ginger. They are associated with Nanxiang, now a suburb of the city. Bite a small hole, sip the broth, then eat the rest.
Shengjianbao
Food
The breakfast cousin of the soup dumpling. These plump pork buns are fried in wide, shallow pans until the bases are golden and crunchy while the tops stay soft, then scattered with sesame seeds and spring onion. They are just as full of scalding broth, so approach with care.

Day trips

Zhujiajiao
Day trip
Photo: BrokenSphere, CC BY-SA 3.0
An old water town on the western outskirts of Shanghai, where canals take the place of streets and stone bridges arch between whitewashed houses. Wooden boats are poled along the waterways, and the lanes are lined with snack stalls and teahouses. It is the easiest of the region's canal towns to reach.
Suzhou
Day trip
Photo: King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short ride away by high-speed train, Suzhou is famous for its classical gardens, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Humble Administrator's Garden is the largest and best known. Add the canals of the old town and the city's silk tradition, and it makes a rewarding day.

Where to stay in Shanghai

Not sure which area suits you? Read our guide: Where to stay in Shanghai →

Getting around

The metro is one of the largest in the world, with signs and announcements in English, and it reaches almost every sight. Taxis and ride-hailing are plentiful. Many Western apps and websites are blocked in mainland China and mobile payment is the norm, so sort out maps and payment before you arrive.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot, humid and can be very wet; winter is chilly and damp. Avoid the national holiday in the first week of October and Chinese New Year if you can, when the sights are extremely crowded.

Questions about visiting Shanghai

What is Shanghai best known for?: The Bund and the Pudong skyline facing each other across the Huangpu River, Yu Garden, the tree-lined Former French Concession and xiaolongbao soup dumplings.
How many days do you need in Shanghai?: Three days covers the Bund, Pudong, the old town and the French Concession. Add a day for Disneyland and another for Suzhou or a water town.
Is Shanghai worth visiting?: Yes. It is the most cosmopolitan city in mainland China, with a spectacular skyline, rich early twentieth-century architecture and outstanding food.
What is there to do in Shanghai with kids?: Shanghai Disneyland is the big draw, along with the observation decks in Pudong, a river cruise and a boat ride through the canals of Zhujiajiao.

The best things to do in Shanghai

Don't miss

The big sights

The Bund

Yu Garden

Shanghai Tower

Oriental Pearl Tower

Jing'an Temple

Neighbourhoods to wander

The Former French Concession

Xintiandi

Tianzifang

Nanjing Road

Museums and family days

Shanghai Museum

Shanghai Disneyland

Huangpu River cruise

Eat and drink

Xiaolongbao

Shengjianbao

Day trips

Zhujiajiao

Suzhou

Where to stay in Shanghai

Getting around

When to go

Questions about visiting Shanghai

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