What are the top things to do in Shanghai?

The Bund, Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, People's Square & Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden & Old City, and more. Paste your own list into Tripsapien and it checks each place's hours, closures, and booking pressure for your exact dates.

Which neighborhoods should I explore in Shanghai?

Huangpu, Bund & People's Square, Pudong & Lujiazui, French Concession, Jing'an & Nanjing Road West. Tripsapien groups your places by neighborhood so each day stays in one or two areas instead of zig-zagging.

When is the best time to visit Shanghai?

October, May, September balance comfortable temperatures with fewer rainy days. Pick your month below to see that month's events, public holidays, and seasonal timing.

Will the places on my list be open when I'm in Shanghai?

Tripsapien checks each place against the exact dates you're in Shanghai and flags closures, limited hours, and sell-outs before the trip.

Shanghai China

Things to do in Shanghai

By Tripsapien Research / Updated May 20, 2026

Shanghai is a Huangpu River city split between older Puxi and Pudong, whose Lujiazui skyline rose after 1990 across from the Bund's concession-era banks. First-timers need five mental districts: Huangpu for the Bund, Nanjing Road, People's Square, and the Old City; Jing'an for high-end westward shopping; the French Concession for lanes and cafes; Pudong for towers; and Hongqiao for transport.

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About Shanghai

City overview

Food & drink

Shanghai food leans sweet, rich, and river-delta specific: xiaolongbao, shengjianbao, hongshao rou, scallion oil noodles, drunken chicken, crab roe noodles, and hairy crab in autumn are the key dishes. Yuyuan Bazaar, Huanghe Road near Nanjing Road, the French Concession, and old-school local restaurants around People's Square make the map; the city is pricier than most mainland Chinese cities but still cheaper than Hong Kong or Tokyo for neighborhood meals.

Top sights

Ranked for suitability using weather, setting, ratings, and review volume.

Map of Shanghai with pinned top attractions (1 through 10)

1
The Bund
4.7★ · 7,247
The Bund runs along the west bank of the Huangpu River with colonial-era banking and trading buildings from Shanghai's concession years. It faces Pudong's skyscrapers and is the city's defining evening walk.
Wikipedia
2
Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
4.6★ · 2,066
Nanjing Road East runs from the Bund toward People's Square and is fully pedestrianized for the core commercial stretch. The broader Nanjing Road corridor is about 6km long and has been one of Shanghai's signature shopping streets since the 1930s.
3
People's Square & Shanghai Museum
4.3★ · 1,277
People's Square sits on the former colonial racecourse and now holds one of Shanghai's busiest metro interchanges under the park. The Shanghai Museum at 201 Renmin Avenue anchors the south side of the square.

Show 7 more sights

4Yu Garden & Old City
5Shanghai Tower & Lujiazui
6Oriental Pearl Tower
7French Concession lanes
8Jing'an Temple
9Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center
10Huangpu River ferry

Neighborhoods

1
Huangpu, Bund & People's Square
Huangpu is the ceremonial centre: the Bund, Nanjing Road East, People's Square, Shanghai Museum, Old City, and Yu Garden cluster around the river and metro Line 2.
2
Pudong & Lujiazui
Pudong is the post-1990 skyline, with Lujiazui towers, malls, river promenades, Century Avenue, and the Maglev-side airport route. It is impressive but less intimate than Puxi.
3
French Concession
The French Concession is Shanghai at walking speed: shikumen lanes, Xintiandi, Tianzifang, boutiques, cafes, Huaihai Road, and leafy residential streets.
4
Jing'an & Nanjing Road West
Jing'an is high-end Puxi, with Jing'an Temple, West Nanjing Road malls, hotels, offices, and easy Line 2 airport-side movement.
5
Xuhui & Xujiahui
Xuhui stretches the French Concession feeling southwest into Xujiahui shopping, churches, universities, and residential lanes. It is strong for cafes and longer stays.
6
Hongqiao
Hongqiao is the transport-and-convention side, with the airport, railway station, exhibition traffic, and suburban hotels. It is practical for trains and business, not the first sightseeing base.

Day trips

100km / about 30m by high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao
Suzhou
Suzhou is the classical-garden and canal day trip, with scholar gardens, old lanes, and enough rail frequency for an easy full day. It is the first choice for a non-skyscraper contrast.
175km / about 45m by high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao
Hangzhou
Hangzhou centers on West Lake, silk shopping, tea hills, and Buddhist cave sites. Spring and fall are the strongest seasons, but weekends bring heavy domestic crowds.
50km / about 1h by Metro Line 17 from Hongqiao Railway Station
Zhujiajiao
Zhujiajiao is the easiest water-town half-day from Shanghai, with canals, stone bridges, and snack streets. It is touristy but much simpler than a private-car water-town itinerary.

Getting around

Shanghai Metro is the visitor backbone, especially Line 2 for Pudong Airport, Longyang Road, Lujiazui, East Nanjing Road, People's Square, Jing'an Temple, Hongqiao Airport, and Hongqiao Railway Station. The Maglev runs from Pudong Airport to Longyang Road, while the cheap Huangpu ferry beats the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel for crossing between the Bund and Pudong.