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A city to plan, not just a list to scroll

Shanghai, made easier
to make your own.

Shanghai is a good first stop in China if you want a city that mixes riverfront landmarks with neighbourhood days. Give a first visit three or four days: one for the classic centre, one to wander, and room for a museum, food trail or farther-out trip. Leave room for a Shanghai bathhouse or onsen-style spa, too.

Shanghai's Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River at dusk
Shanghai, across the river at dusk.

Before you land

Shanghai at a glance

The Shanghai, China basics you should know in seconds.

Currency
Chinese yuan CNY / RMB
Paying
Alipay · Weixin Pay Keep a cash or card backup. Payment guide ↗
Language
Mandarin Chinese Save your hotel’s Chinese address.
Power
Type A / C / I 220 V · bring a universal adapter.
Tipping
Not routine Usually no need to add a tip.
Metro
From ¥3 Standard city-rail fare; Airport Link differs.
Your arrival airport
Pudong · PVG or Hongqiao · SHA They are not interchangeable when choosing a hotel. Compare arrivals ↓
Entry rulesCheck your passport hereShort visit and conditional transit are different.

Fares and payments checked against Shanghai’s metro guidance and visitor payment guide. Recheck before travel.

A question to settle before booking

Entry is a China-wide rule, but you should not have to leave the Shanghai page to find your starting answer. Transit eligibility also depends on your route, not just your passport.

Before you book

Check your mainland China entry options

Choose the country on your ordinary passport. The result appears here—no extra page or account needed.

Select the passport you will actually use, not your country of residence.

Planning a later trip? Some current waivers have end dates.

Important: This mainland China planning aid is not an entry approval. It covers the 50-country unilateral waiver, three commonly used mutual agreements and the 57-country 240-hour transit programme. Other bilateral, regional and special-passport rules may apply. Airline and border authorities make the final decision.

Policy data last checked . Always reconfirm before booking or flying. See other mutual visa-waiver agreements ↗

Land with a plan

From the airport, then around town

Compare like with like: the city-centre reference here is People’s Square. Your hotel may be closer or farther.

Pudong is the farther airport. These are indicative journeys to People’s Square, not hotel quotes.

Lowest-cost direct rail

Metro Line 2

About 1 hour · about ¥7

Direct to People’s Square. Best if you’re travelling light and arriving while trains run.

The fast-train experience

Maglev + Metro

8 min to Longyang Road · ¥50 maglev ticket

The fast part ends at Longyang Road; add a metro transfer and its fare to reach the centre.

Door-to-door

Taxi / DiDi

About 50 min · taxi around ¥180

Traffic and your exact destination change both. Check the app quote or taxi meter when travelling.

Once you are in the city

Metro for long hops. Walk for neighbourhoods.

Use a live route planner for the exact station exit and last train. For a short door-to-door trip or heavy luggage, compare DiDi with the metro’s full walking-and-transfer time.

Current metro payment options ↗

Airport routes, times and taxi estimates: Shanghai Airport Authority’s visitor guide, updated June 2026. They are indicative, not guaranteed fares.

Editor's starting point

Start here

A closer look at the places and decisions that shape a visit to Shanghai.

Shanghai · 34 researched options

Explore Shanghai experiences

Compare cooking classes, bathhouses, tea and cultural activities by time, price, language support and booking needs.

Browse all 34 experiences →

Choose by situation

Plan around your day

Use a focused shortlist when weather, time or travel style matters more than the activity category.

Check the season

When to go, what to wear

Choose a season to see a simple packing look and how the weather may shape your day.

Autumn · Sep–Nov

Easy layers for long walks

One simple outfit idea, not a packing rule.

Midweight cardigan
Light top
Long trousers
Walking shoes

What this means for your dayThis is a good season to link nearby streets and sights on foot, with a layer for later by the river.

Broad seasonal guidance based on the Shanghai municipal government’s weather overview, not a forecast. Check the weather again before departure; temperature tolerance varies.

Read before you go

All Shanghai guides

Browse everything in one place. Choose an interest to narrow the list without leaving the page.

20 guides

Best Cooking Classes in Shanghai

Eight Shanghai cooking classes compared by dish, language, duration and booking — from folding xiaolongbao to a full cooking-school session.

Best Tea Experiences in Shanghai

Seven Shanghai tea options from a Yu Garden teahouse to a Song-style whisking workshop, with the difference between drinking tea and making it spelled out.

Best Cultural Workshops in Shanghai

Six Shanghai workshops outside the kitchen: calligraphy, seal carving, kung fu, tai chi, temple sutra copying and a Song-style tea ritual.

Unique Things to Do in Shanghai

A bespoke suit, a bathhouse with four buffets, Song-dynasty tea whisking and immersive dinner theatre, with booking notes.

Beyond the guidebook

Explore the China
most visitors miss.

Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guides to the bathhouses, tea houses and everyday rituals that rarely make the itinerary — with the practical detail that makes them easy to do yourself.

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