Art-deco riverfront, skyline towers and China's easiest city
Shanghai is where most international flights land, and the gentlest possible landing: card-friendly, metro-simple, walkable along the Bund. It pairs the 1920s riverfront with the tallest skyline in the country, and makes the perfect first two days or last two days of any trip.
Tickets below are the official standard adult prices at the time of checking. Real-name booking means your passport is the ticket — book under your exact passport name and carry the booklet itself. Prices checked Nov 1, 2026 — operators change them without notice, always confirm on the official site before paying.
Fifty-two banks and trading houses from the 1920s facing Pudong's sci-fi skyline across the river. Free, and best at night when the towers light up.
Tip — The classic walk is Nanjing East Road metro → the Bund → cross to the riverside promenade. Sunset into blue hour is the money shot.
A 400-year-old merchant garden of rockeries and zigzag bridges, wrapped by a lantern-lit bazaar.
Tip — Buy xiaolongbao soup dumplings at the bazaar — the queues at the famous house move fast.
China's tallest building, with the world's highest observation deck at 546 m — or choose the classic Oriental Pearl across the river.
Tip — Sunset slots sell out days ahead — book the deck online with your passport and take the time slot seriously.
Superb bronzes, ceramics and calligraphy in People's Square, free with a reservation.
Tip — The East branch in Pudong is newer and quieter; the People's Square branch is the classic.
Plane-tree streets, 1930s villas, boutiques and cafés. Wukang Road is the anchor; rent nothing, just walk.
Tip — Weekend afternoons are busy; weekday mornings feel like a movie set.
A 1,700-year-old canal town of stone bridges and tea houses at the end of metro line 17 — the easy day-trip escape.
Tip — Go on a weekday; weekends the lanes pack solid. Last metro back is around 22:30.
| Period | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Oct – Nov | Cool, dry and the city's best light — book hotels early around trade fairs. |
| Mar – Apr | Mild and blooming; rain pick-up in late April. |
| Jun – Jul | Plum-rain season: hot, humid, wet. |
| Dec – Feb | Grey and damp but thin crowds, and hotel prices drop. |
China's main aviation hub: Pudong (PVG) for international, Hongqiao (SHA) for domestic and the high-speed rail station. The maglev from Pudong hits 300 km/h in eight minutes.
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