Shanghai
Shanghai is worth 2–3 days and is genuinely the easiest Chinese city to land in first — more English signage, a walkable French Concession, and one of the most photographed skylines on Earth along the Bund. Split your time between the colonial-era Bund/Nanjing Road side and Pudong's futuristic towers across the river, then spend an afternoon getting pleasantly lost in the tree-lined French Concession. Budget roughly $35–65/day per person before accommodation.
If Beijing is China's history, Shanghai is its future — or at least the version of the future China was building a decade ago and has now mostly finished. It's polished, walkable, genuinely cosmopolitan, and the single easiest Chinese city for a nervous first-timer to land in.
How many days in Shanghai?
Two to three days covers it well. One evening for the Bund at dusk (when the Pudong skyline lights up — this is the single most iconic view in China), one day for the French Concession's tree-lined streets and cafes, and a half-day for either Yu Garden's old town or a rooftop view from one of Pudong's towers.
The Bund vs. Pudong — see both
| Side | What it is | Best time |
|---|---|---|
| The Bund (Puxi side) | Colonial-era stone buildings along the river promenade | Sunset, for the golden-hour light on the old facades |
| Pudong (across the river) | The futuristic skyline — Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Jin Mao Tower | After dark, when the whole skyline lights up |
Walk the Bund at dusk facing east toward Pudong, then cross via the tourist tunnel or a short taxi/metro ride to stand in Pudong looking back — you get both iconic views of the same skyline from opposite sides, and neither costs anything but a bit of walking.
What's actually worth seeing
- The Bund — the riverside promenade lined with early-20th-century European-style buildings, Shanghai's most photographed strip.
- The French Concession — leafy former French colonial streets (Wukang Road, Anfu Road, Tianzifang) packed with cafes, boutiques, and genuinely pleasant aimless wandering.
- Yu Garden and the Old City — a classical Chinese garden and surrounding bazaar streets, a useful contrast to the skyscrapers everywhere else.
- A Pudong observation deck — the Shanghai Tower's or Jin Mao Tower's observation deck gives you the classic postcard shot of the Bund from above.
Day trips from Shanghai
Suzhou (classical gardens, canals, about 25–30 minutes by high-speed rail) and Hangzhou (West Lake, about 45–75 minutes by high-speed rail) are both easy, worthwhile day trips if you have a spare day — both feel like a genuine change of pace from Shanghai's density.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Skipping the Bund at night thinking you've 'seen enough skyline photos' — the in-person view genuinely outperforms any photo.
- Assuming your Western credit card works everywhere — set up Alipay's international mode before you land; small restaurants and street vendors run on mobile payment almost exclusively.
- Not testing your VPN before arrival — most Western apps and sites are blocked, and VPN provider sites are themselves inaccessible once you're already in China.
Where to stay in Shanghai — hotels
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