Best Things to Do in Shanghai (2026 Guide)

Best Time to Visit Shanghai

March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable weather — mild temperatures, lower humidity, and fewer downpours than summer. June through August is hot and humid with typhoon risk; winter (December–February) is cool and occasionally grey but uncrowded. The city never truly quiets down, but Golden Week holidays (October 1–7 and late January/February for Chinese New Year) bring surging domestic visitor numbers.

Getting Around

Shanghai’s metro is one of the world’s largest and most efficient — 20+ lines cover virtually every tourist area. The Bund, Nanjing Road, People’s Square, Xintiandi, and Tianzifang are all on or close to Line 2 and 10. Taxis are plentiful and use meters; Didi works throughout the city. The Shanghai Maglev (the world’s fastest commercial train) connects Pudong Airport to Longyang Road station in 8 minutes — a ride worth doing in itself.

Best Neighborhoods in Shanghai

The Bund / Huangpu is the city’s iconic waterfront promenade lined with colonial-era buildings; the view of Pudong across the river is especially dramatic at night. French Concession (Xuhui / Jing’an) covers the most atmospheric residential area — leafy plane-tree streets, heritage lane houses (longtang), independent boutiques, and the densest concentration of good restaurants and bars. Pudong is the futuristic east-bank district home to Shanghai Tower (the world’s second tallest), Jin Mao, and the Shanghai World Financial Center. Old City (Nanshi) surrounds Yu Garden and the City God Temple, offering a dense warren of souvenir stalls and traditional snack food. Tianzifang in the French Concession is an artisan craft and café quarter built inside 1930s shikumen alleyways.

Food & Drink

Shanghainese cuisine favors sweetness and richness: hong shao rou (red-braised pork belly), xiaolongbao (soup dumplings — Din Tai Fung and Jia Jia Tang Bao are the benchmarks), sheng jian bao (pan-fried pork buns), and hairy crab (in season, October–November). The French Concession hosts some of China’s best modern restaurants as well as excellent Yunnan, Sichuan, and international options. Yuyuan Bazaar is the go-to for traditional snacks. The Bund bar scene is sophisticated; speakeasy-style cocktail bars on Yongkang and Yanping roads draw a knowledgeable local crowd.

Practical Tips

• Visa: Most foreign nationals require a Chinese tourist visa. Shanghai qualifies for 144-hour transit visa-free entry — check eligibility and current rules before travel.
• VPN & internet: Google, Instagram, WhatsApp, and most Western platforms are blocked in China. Install and test a VPN before entering the country. WeChat is essential for messaging and payments.
• Payment: Shanghai is largely cashless. Alipay’s international tourist version now accepts foreign Visa/Mastercard for in-app payments at most merchants. Carry some RMB cash as backup.
• Getting to/from airports: Pudong Airport (PVG) is the main international hub — Maglev to Longyang then metro, or a taxi taking 45–60 min. Hongqiao (SHA) handles domestic and some regional flights and is on metro Lines 2 and 10.
• Language: English signage is common on the metro and major tourist sites; conversational English is limited in restaurants and shops. Download Pleco or Google Translate offline.
• Xiaolongbao timing: At popular dim sum spots, arrive early (before 10am) or late (after 1:30pm) to avoid 30–60 minute queues.