Must-do’s in Shanghai: Complete guide
Shanghai, the Pearl of the Orient, an oasis within the Asian giant, China. A surprising place that combines the most classic China with modernity, progress and skyscrapers. We were able to spend three days in the city as part of our 7-month trip through Southeast Asia and we want to bring you a post about the must-do’s in Shanghai.
It is a huge city that is very reminiscent of the big cities of the world. To us it reminded us a bit of New York, as it is a similar kind of city. It is surprising the contrast with a culture and society like the Chinese, rather conservative and with communist leaders. The truth is that we did not have many expectations with Shanghai, but we liked it a lot and we found it a city worth visiting, with several interesting places and that will make you enjoy whoever visits it.
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Data and facts of Shanghái
It is the third largest city in the world, with 25 million inhabitants.
It has one of the most famous skylines in the world, the financial area of Pudong.
It has the longest shopping street in the world, Nanjing Road, with more than 5 km.
During the 19th century, it was controlled by different powers in concessions (French, British, American) which gave rise to its mixture of architectural influences.
It has one of the largest ports in the world.
It has the Maglev, the fastest train in the world, which connects Pudong with the airport with a maximum speed of 431 km/h.
It has the third tallest building in the world, the Shanghái Tower.
Hopefully you have made yourselves hungry with this introduction, because below we will elaborate more on must-do’s in Shanghai.
Take a picture at The Bund
If there is an iconic place in the city and a place that has to be on the list of must-do’s in Shanghai, it is The Bund, the iconic viewpoint to Pudong, the financial district of the city, full of large skyscrapers.
This is one of the most important areas of Shanghai, as it houses large bank headquarters, major companies and is the end of the famous Nanjing Road, the most important street in the city. It also faces the Huangpu River, which separates the two parts of the city.
To visit The Bund, we recommend to do it in two moments. The first would be early in the day, to see it quietly, stroll along the promenade and take pictures during the day without many people. The second, obviously, is the most famous way, the night. In this case it is impossible to see it alone, there will be many people, but you can always find a space for you.
Tour Nanjing Road, must-do's in Shanghai
Nanjing Road is the most important and oldest commercial street (about 150 years) of the city. It has a length of 5.5km long and, the truth is that if you stay nearby as we did, you will walk it a thousand and one times. For us, it is worth seeing the hustle and bustle of people crossing it and the endless shopping malls and stores. You can find practically anything you want and you will see real monsters of stores and supermarkets, it’s amazing. In addition, it is completely pedestrian, so it is quite comfortable to walk around.
We walked it both day and night, so we recommend it the same way as with The Bund, as the view is very different. And, at the end of the street is The Bund, so it is a good idea to combine walking the street with going to the famous viewpoint. It is one of the top must-do’s in Shanghai to understand the magnitude of the city we are talking about.
See the contrasts in Yuyuan Market
This market has its roots in the 16th century, when it began to be used as a commercial area for the inhabitants of the city. The architecture is classical Chinese, so you will see a great contrast with the rest of the city. In fact, as in the attached photo, there are areas where you see the Shanghai Tower towering above the classical buildings in a super curious picture. For us, this contrast and its architecture is the great attraction of the place, so we recommend that one of the things to do in Shanghai, is that you get lost in the market and observe these two Shanghai.
The market itself is quite touristy and has many stores oriented to this type of sale, we did not think it was worth much. If there is an area of food stalls that we think is interesting to try the local delicacies such as Xianlongbao, but the rest is very tourist-oriented.
Visit Yuyuan Garden
Designed and built by the Ming dynasty in 1559 as a private retreat for his family, the Yuyuan Garden is a space built in pure Chinese architecture, with stone bridges, pavilions, ornamental rocks…. Obviously, it has been restored several times to its current appearance. The visit is done by walking through these gardens and seeing all these elements arranged in different spaces. This style is called water garden landscaping and at all times is thought to give a sense of peace and harmony through the arrangement of bridges, trees and pavilions.
It is really curious to find a space so well maintained and that represents so well the architecture of the past in a city as large and modern as Shanghai, which is to be appreciated to understand the origins and where they come from.
It is a very touristy place and is not too big, so we recommend going early. The opening hours are from 9h to 16:30h (last entrance at 16h) and tickets can be purchased directly at the box office for a price of 30-40 CNY, depending on the time of year. The approximate duration of the visit is 1-2h.
Viewing the Pudong buildings from below
Yes, the most famous spot in Shanghai is The Bund and you can see the big skyscrapers from an impressive perspective. But what if we see the buildings from below and walk around the area? That is what we recommend as an activity of the must-do’s in Shanghai, since it is impressive to see the magnitude of the buildings from the bottom.
You can visit this area of Pudong if you get off at the Lujiazui subway stop (line 2) and start walking under the giants, especially the Shanghai Tower and the Pearl Tower, the crown jewels.
Climbing one of its skyscrapers, must-do's in Shanghai
We had quite a few doubts about whether or not to climb a skyscraper if it would be worth it. Finally, we decided to go up to the observation deck of the Shanghai Tower, which is the 3rd tallest building in the world and what a real blast! The feeling we had at the top we had never had before and no wonder, since the viewpoint is 546m (the tower measures 632). It is a visit that we totally recommend, as it gives you a different perspective of the city and you feel really small up in such a monster. In addition, the elevators are considered the fastest in the world, reaching a speed of 20.5 m / s, crazy.
The price to go up the Shanghai Tower is 180 CNY (about 22 euros) and the opening hours are from 8:30 to 22h. We recommend going early, it is a major attraction in the city. You can buy tickets at the box office directly, but you have the risk that there are no more or, as we did, by Get Your Guide, which made the management super simple and easy.
Another skyscraper option, is the other icon of Shanghai, the Pearl Tower. It has an entrance fee of 160 CNY (20 €) and you can combine it to make observatory, wax museum and simulation center for about 330 CNY (30 €). The viewpoint in this case, is 263 meters high, so it is almost half of the Shanghai Tower. We think it’s more worth the other, since for about the same price, it will give you a perspective unlike anything you’ve ever seen.
See the French concession
The French Concession of Shanghai is one of the most emblematic and charming places in the city. It was administered by France from 1849 to 1943 and was a place where many expatriates lived. In its day, this area was a place of residence for artists, diplomats, merchants and many buildings were built in the art deco and neoclassical style, many of which are still there and have been preserved.
As a curiosity, and as a sign of what has been this area and part of China in recent centuries, in this area are also the residences of Sun Yat-Sen, founding father of modern China and Mao Zedong, leader of the communist revolution.
Currently, it is an area with a marked bohemian air, and it is seen in its two most important areas, Xintiandi and Tianzifang. It is a place that has to be on our list of must-do’s in Shanghai.
Xintiandi Area, French concession
This area is famous for its Shikumen-style buildings, converted into tea houses, cafes, restaurants… As a great historical relevance of the place, in this area was held the first meeting of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921.
Currently, it is a mixture of more classical buildings and a bohemian and alternative air, which attracts many visitors and is very oriented to tourism. In this area you will find very western restaurants like French, Italian, Spanish, also some bars oriented to nightlife, where you can have drinks or party at night and luxury stores.
The reality is that this area did not surprise us too much, we see it super oriented to tourism and in the end it is curious to see this type of construction in a city like Shanghai, but it is too commercialized.
Tianzifang Area, French concession
For us, this area has much more charm and is one of the areas that we would definitely visit and recommend in the list of things of must-see’s of Shanghái. Although the area is totally commercialized, it seems much more authentic. It was once a residential neighborhood for artists and now many art galleries are still maintained.
We walked around the area, looked at its stores, tasted tea in a tea house, ate in a very small place very tasty food at a good price, so we took very good memories of this area. We recommend doing the same, walk and eat in one of the locals, you will have a good time and you will see a much more authentic area.
Admiring the Temple of the Jade Buddha, must-do's in Shanghai
The spiritual place par excellence of Shanghai. It was built in 1882 and houses two beautiful white jade statues from Burma. One of them sits in a meditation posture and the other is reclining. They are the two main attractions of the place and the reason why people visit the place.
It is another such place similar to the Yuyuan Gardens, which maintains a traditional Chinese architecture in a totally futuristic city. It is also an important place of worship and meditation for Buddhists in the city, so it is a place of peace in the middle of a rather bustling city.
The entrance fee is 20 CNY and is open daily from 8 am to 4:30 pm. This place needs to be in the list of must-do’s in Shanghai.
Taste its gastronomy, must-do's in Shanghai
Being such a big and modern city, Shanghai is one of the few places in China where you can find all kinds of world cuisine. If you feel like trying any kind of food, you will be able to do it.
But we believe that one of the charms of visiting any place and one of the must-do’s in Shanghai, is to try its own cuisine. We leave you a list of dishes to try that should be part of the things to do in Shanghai:
- The star dish, the Xianlongbaos. They are dumplings stuffed with soup and pork / chicken / other types of meat / crab …. They are a delight and have a very curious technique to eat them. We recommend you to try them at Yang’s Fried Dumplings, a fast food chain where they have them quite cheap, but actually you will see them all over the city in any restaurant or street stall. Another place we visited that was the best we tried (although a bit more expensive) is at Sue Hsiao Liu Artisan.
- Hong Shao Rou or braised pork in soy sauce, sugar and spices.
- Crayfish. Yes, Shanghai is famous for crayfish. When in season (Autumn) you will see a lot of restaurants serving them. You will see them in soups, in batter, in noodles and even inside the Xianglonbao.
- Noodles with chives and soy. We love noodles and want to try them everywhere we went in China. And Shanghai was no less. You will see them everywhere too. However, the best ones we ate were at a street stall in Tianzinfang, in the French Concession.
- Shanghai Yogurt. It is a kind of Greek yogurt but a bit more sugary that is sold by the stalls of Shanghai and that, to be honest, it goes in very fresh.
- Stinky tofu. Also a typical dish of the region and of the Anhui region. We didn’t like it too much, but you can try it and share your impressions with us.
Stroll through People's Square and its park
It is not the most beautiful or photogenic place in Shanghai, but given its historical, political and social relevance, we believe that you should visit it at least once and it becomes one of the must-do’s in Shanghai. It is People’s Square and its park, located in the heart of the city, next to Nanjing Road and being an area of passage of many people every day for its busy underground stop. Besides, it’s a peaceful respite in the middle of a city like this, a place to take a stroll among the trees.
It is surrounded by the Shanghai Museum, the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Shanghai Museum of Urbanism.
A couple of interesting facts about the square:
- Every Sunday, a real-life Tinder takes place in the park. But it’s not the matchmaking candidates who go there, it’s their mothers. Dozens of mothers post photos of their children in an attempt to find a partner for them, in a super-curious tradition for Westerners.
- Underneath the park, we happened to find a shopping centre dedicated to anime and manga, which had one of the biggest arcades we had ever seen. It was called D-Mall, in case you’re curious to see it.
Take a trip to a village on the water, must-do's in Shanghai
We found it curious that one of the things to do in Shanghai was to visit villages that are built on canals, like Venice. The truth is, we were surprised to see that in a city like this, there could be something like this with traditional architecture that seemed to have stopped in time. So we decided to go and see the nearest and most famous one, Zhujiajiao, known as the Venice of Shanghai.
For us, Zhujiajiao was a bit of a disappointment. We had come with certain expectations based on photos we had seen on social media and it seemed a bit prepared and very touristy. It is beautiful, yes, but we don’t like to see a McDonalds in its most important area, for us it takes away its charm. And yes, we know that it happens in many places (in China a lot) but we can’t help being a bit more romantic when we go to visit places. However, we think it is a place to see and spend a morning, so we recommend it as one of the must-do’s in Shanghai.
To get to Zhujiajiao, you can get there directly by metro from the city centre for less than 3 euros in about 1 hour. The stop is Zhujiajiao Station (line 17).
Other villages on the water to visit from Shanghai and their comparison are:
| Town | Distance from Shanghai | Approximate Time | Recommended Transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhujiajiao | 50 km | 1 hour | Metro (Line 17) or taxi |
| Fengjing | 60 km | 1.5 hours | Bus or taxi |
| Qibao | 18 km | 30 minutes | Metro (Line 9) |
| Nanxun | 120 km | 2.5 hours | Bus or private car |
| Tongli | 85 km | 1.5 hours | Train + taxi |
| Wuzhen | 130 km | 2.5 hours | Bus or train + taxi |
| Xitang | 85 km | 1.5 hours | Bus or train + taxi |
Try Maglev, the world's fastest train
If I tell you that there is a train that works by magnetic levitation and that it is one of the fastest trains in the world, would you like to get on it? Well, in Shanghai, you can.
The Maglev is a train that links Shanghai airport with the Pudong financial centre. Some facts about the train:
- It works by magnetic levitation, which eliminates friction forces and allows it to reach higher speeds.
- The maximum speed it reaches is 431 km/h and an average speed of 300 / 350 km/h.
- It covers 30km in 7 minutes.
It is available daily from 6.45am to 9.42pm every 15-20 minutes. A single ticket costs around 50 CNY (7€), so it is not cheap. You can get it at the airport or at the Longyang Road stop.
Many people take it just to try it out, as they don’t need to go to the airport, so if you’ve got the itch and fancy it, you’ve got this chance to try out a technological breakthrough and we wanted to include it in our list of must-do’s in Shanghai.
Go back to your childhood with Disneyland Shanghai
We haven’t been and we don’t have a real reference as for all the above, but we want to put it as something to do in Shanghai, because after having been to the one in Paris twice, Disneyland is always a good option for a different plan. And Shanghai has one of the Disneyland parks, so if you’ve never been, it might be a good time to do it.
From the feedback we have, it’s not as spectacular as the one in Paris, but it’s worth it all the same. Tickets can be purchased online at their official website.
Where to stay in Shanghái
Accommodation in Shanghai is not easy, as it is expensive and you have to look hard to find good deals in good areas. We managed to find a hotel that was very good value for money, so it’s the first one we’ll recommend, but we’ll also leave you with other good options we found. We are going to look for options especially near People’s Square and Nanjing road, as it is the best place to stay and move around the city.
- Dayin Hotel (€) – It is a hotel / hostel located next to Nanjing Road and People’s Square. This means it is in the best area of the city. The facilities are good, it has breakfast and the rooms, although small, do what they are supposed to do. We liked it and would repeat as it must be one of the best value for money in the city.
- WeFlow Youth Hostel (€) – The cheapest you’ll find is this hostel located near People’s Square which has over a 9 rating on Booking.com. Obviously, it’s for those who want to share a room or want a private room and don’t mind sharing bathrooms and showers. In our opinion, it’s not bad at all.
- River House Near The Peoples Square and The Bund (€€) – A slightly more expensive option but aimed at those who want a flat. It’s a good option to save the cost of eating out in a city like Shanghai. Also, the rooms look new, with good views and in a great location. The reviews say so.
- Radisson Collection Hyland (€) – A more usual hotel, perfectly located in the Huangpu area and with facilities such as restaurant, spa, gym… A good but not high-end option for those who prefer to sleep in a hotel.
Map of places, must-do's in Shanghai
Here is a map with all the must-do’s in Shanghai that we have mentioned above.
Shanghai, what a great surprise! We didn’t have high hopes for the city and, to be honest, it surprised us for the better. We think it is a perfect city for 2-3 days, with interesting things to see, many contrasts and a lot of modernisation.
If you have any doubts about what to do in Shanghai, don’t hesitate to contact us via RRSS or comments, we will be happy to answer.
