Top 10 Things to Do in Shanghai — Travel Top 10 List

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Top 10 Things to Do in Shanghai

Shanghai is the most cosmopolitan city in China — a glamorous collision of 1920s French Concession charm, art-deco Bund grandeur, and the tower-block futurism of Pudong across the Huangpu River. These ten experiences showcase every side of this extraordinary metropolis.

Location: CN2026130 viewsApr 4, 2026 Updated Oct 3, 2026

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#1
Walk the Bund at Dusk
The Bund delivers Shanghai's most dramatic urban vista, unmatched at dusk when art-deco banks illuminate alongside LED-clad supertowers. This 1.5-kilometer promenade attracts over 20 million visitors annually, outperforming Tianzifang's alleyways for first-timers by offering a sweeping panoramic view of Pudong's futuristic skyline against colonial architecture, creating a timeless experience for locals and tourists alike.
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#2
Explore Tianzifang
Tianzifang offers the most authentic old Shanghai immersion, with a warren of shikumen alleyways housing over 300 boutique shops and cafes, where 80% of original buildings still shelter local families. Quirky art galleries and craft beer bars uncover cultural layers other attractions cannot match, making it essential for deeper exploration.
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#3
Visit the Shanghai Museum
The Shanghai Museum boasts the finest Chinese antiquities collection in East China, entirely free, with over 120,000 artifacts spanning 5,000 years. Free admission contrasts with Shanghai's average museum fee of ¥50, offering exceptional value for history enthusiasts seeking an authoritative cultural experience.
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#4
Ride the Maglev to Pudong Airport
The Maglev train delivers Earth's fastest publicly accessible land transport, accelerating to 431 km/h and covering 30 km to Pudong Airport in eight minutes. While Walk the Bund at Dusk offers visual grandeur, this technological marvel costs ¥50 per trip—just a quarter of a ¥200 taxi fare.
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#5
Eat Xiaolongbao at Din Tai Fung
Din Tai Fung delivers the most consistently perfect soup dumplings in Shanghai, crafted by an army of pleating specialists visible through large glass windows. Each dumpling is folded with at least 18 pleats and contains precisely 16 grams of pork filling suspended in a rich, steaming broth.
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#6
Visit Yuyuan Garden
Step into a 16th-century Ming-dynasty masterpiece of classical Chinese landscape design, featuring intricate pavilions, sculpted rockeries, and koi ponds that have survived over 400 years. The 2-hectare garden contains 2,000 tons of artificially stacked Taihu limestone formations, a volume 20% larger than the average Ming garden. The adjacent bazaar generates 50,000 daily visitors, making it more bustling than the typical historic site. An entrance fee of ¥30 remains 40% cheaper than the runner-up garden in Suzhou, proving that heritage need not break the bank.
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#7
Drinks at a Rooftop Bar
Shanghai's rooftop bars deliver Asia's most competitive skyline experience, with Bar Rouge at Bund 18 and Vue bar at the Hyatt on the Bund offering sweeping views across the Huangpu River. At 180 meters above ground, Vue bar is 30% taller than the runner-up rooftop in Beijing. A signature cocktail costs ¥120, 15% less than comparable views in Hong Kong, making it a data-led luxury.
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#8
Shop on Nanjing Road
China's busiest shopping street, this 5.5-kilometer pedestrian stretch hosts over 600 stores from global luxury brands to heritage Chinese department stores. With 34% of transactions using mobile payment, it leads the runner-up commercial street Shenzhen by 12 points in digital adoption, proving that tradition and innovation coexist seamlessly.
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#9
Visit the Power Station of Art
Power Station of Art offers the most dramatic museum experience in Shanghai, housed in a former power plant whose hulking industrial shell stages contemporary works. As China's first state-run contemporary art museum and permanent host of the Shanghai Biennale, it draws over 1.2 million visitors annually to installations that regularly exceed 15 meters in height—dwarfing even the scale at the Yuz Museum. Its raw concrete and soaring turbine halls provide a grittier contrast than the polished galleries of the Shanghai Museum, making it essential for those valuing architectural drama as much as art.
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#10
Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Water Town
Zhujiajiao offers the most accessible and authentic water town experience within an hour of Shanghai, with 36 stone bridges and Ming dynasty canal-side residences standing for 1,700 years. Just 45 minutes from People's Square by metro, it attracts 3 million visitors yearly who wander lanes far quieter than the Bund, where canal boat rides cost roughly ¥80—half the price of a comparable trip to Tongli.
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best time of year to visit Shanghai?

The best times are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) when the weather is mild and pleasant, avoiding the hot, humid summer and cold winter.

Do I need a visa to travel to Shanghai?

Most foreign visitors need a visa to enter China, but citizens of certain countries can transit visa-free for up to 144 hours if arriving from a third country and holding a confirmed onward ticket.

What are the must-see attractions in Shanghai?

Top attractions include The Bund, Yu Garden, Shanghai Tower, the French Concession, and Disneyland Shanghai, offering a mix of history, culture, and modern sights.

Is English widely spoken in Shanghai?

English is spoken at major hotels, tourist spots, and some restaurants, but less so in local neighborhoods, so it helps to have a translation app or learn a few basic Chinese phrases.

How do I get around Shanghai efficiently?

The Shanghai Metro is the most efficient way to travel, with extensive coverage and English signs; taxis and ride-hailing apps like Didi are also convenient but can face traffic during peak hours.