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Major city · China

Shanghai上海

Pick Shanghai over Beijing if you want the Bund skyline, 1930s architecture and a food-and-shopping city rather than imperial sights; give it 3 nights and pair it with a day trip to Suzhou or Hangzhou by high-speed rail.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Shanghai is China's largest city and its financial capital. The Bund's colonial-era waterfront faces the Pudong skyscraper district across the Huangpu River, and the former French Concession has tree-lined streets, cafes and boutique shopping. High-speed rail puts Hangzhou under an hour away and Beijing under 5 hours.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Best months
Mar–May and Oct–Nov: mild, drier air before summer humidity sets in and after the main typhoon risk passes
avoid Jun–Jul (Meiyu plum-rain season, persistent drizzle and humidity), Aug (30°C (86°F)+ heat with occasional typhoon remnants), early Oct (Golden Week brings domestic crowds and higher hotel prices)
Airports
PVG · SHA
Nights
3
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.
What is in this basic guide6 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Shanghai110 ▾

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Shanghai, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers
DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

The Bund waterfront and its 1930s bank buildingsPudong skyline: Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower observation decksFormer French Concession plane-tree streets and cafesYu Garden and the old-city bazaarXintiandi and Tianzifang lane shopping and barsShanghai Museum's bronze and ceramics collection
Airports
PVG Shanghai Pudong (Maglev to Longyang Rd metro (8 min, separate fare) or Metro Line 2 into the centre; confirm current maglev hours with the operator) · SHA Shanghai Hongqiao (Domestic-focused; shares a hub with the high-speed rail station, Metro Lines 2 and 10)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    not flagged

  2. Feb

    not flagged

  3. Mar

    Best

  4. Apr

    Best

  5. May

    Best

  6. Jun

    Avoid

  7. Jul

    Avoid

  8. Aug

    Avoid

  9. Sep

    not flagged

  10. Oct

    Care*

  11. Nov

    Best

  12. Dec

    not flagged

Best: Mar–May, Nov. Mixed: Oct. Avoid: Jun–Aug. Month by month →

* only part of the month (early, mid or late).

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Shanghai: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The metro is extensive, cheap and covers almost every sight; buy a transit card or use a mobile payment app for entry. Taxis and ride-hailing (Didi) are affordable but need a Chinese phone number or hotel help to book. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay before you arrive, as many shops and street vendors no longer take cash easily.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

The Bund and People's Square

Central, on Metro Lines 1/2/8, walkable to the waterfront and museum.

Former French Concession

Quieter tree-lined streets, cafes and bars around Xintiandi and Tianzifang.

Jing'an

Mid-range hotels near a metro interchange, close to shopping on Nanjing Road West.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Watch out

Safety

Violent crime against tourists is rare; the real risks are scams, traffic and getting stuck without a working payment app — set up Alipay/WeChat Pay before you land.
  • Mobile payment (Alipay/WeChat Pay) is expected almost everywhere; carry some cash and a foreign card as backup in case app setup fails.
  • Tourist-area tea-ceremony and bar scams around Nanjing Road and the Bund: friendly strangers invite you for tea or drinks that end in an inflated bill — walk away from unsolicited invitations.
  • Foreign visitors need a valid visa or the 144-hour transit exemption; rules change, so confirm with the Chinese embassy or a current official source before booking flights.
  • Air quality can be poor on still winter days; check an air-quality app if you have respiratory issues.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Ambulance
120
Fire
119
Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Shanghai. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May and Oct–Nov: mild, drier air before summer humidity sets in and after the main typhoon risk passes · avoid Jun–Jul (Meiyu plum-rain season, persistent drizzle and humidity), Aug (30°C+ heat with occasional typhoon remnants), early Oct (Golden Week brings domestic crowds and higher hotel prices)
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast
  4. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources