Shanghai
Art deco riverfront, a future skyline and canal towns on the doorstep
Shanghai is the easiest place in China to like. The Bund puts 1920s banking houses on one bank of the Huangpu and 600-meter towers on the other. Behind the waterfront, the former French Concession hides plane-tree streets, art deco villas and independent coffee shops.
We pair the city with a half-day in Zhujiajiao or Tongli, and with the Shanghai Museum, the shikumen lanes of Xintiandi and the 118th-floor observatory of Shanghai Tower.
Places to see in Shanghai
The highlights we build into almost every Shanghai itinerary. Your own list can be longer, shorter, or somewhere else entirely.
The Bund
1920s banking houses facing the futuristic Pudong skyline. Go after dark, then walk it again at dawn.
Yu Garden and the Old City
Ming-dynasty rockeries and koi ponds, ringed by the City God Temple bazaar.
Former French Concession
Plane-tree streets, art deco villas, boutiques and some of China's best coffee.
Shanghai Museum
One of the finest collections of Chinese bronze, ceramics and calligraphy anywhere.
Shanghai Tower observatory
546 meters up, on the 118th floor — the fastest lift in the world gets you there in 55 seconds.
Zhujiajiao Water Town
Canals, stone bridges and Ming lanes, an hour from the city center.
Tianzifang
Lane-house ateliers, tiny cafes and craft shops off Taikang Road.
Jing'an Temple
A gold-domed Buddhist temple sitting on an island in the middle of the ring road.
Nanjing Road
The city's main shopping promenade, best walked after the department stores light up.
Power Station of Art
A converted power plant now Shanghai's largest contemporary-art museum.
More places in China
Tell us what you want to see in Shanghai
We do not publish fixed packages or prices, because almost nothing about a good trip to China is fixed. Send us your dates and interests and a specialist will design an itinerary around them — with a clear, itemized quotation.
- Your own English-speaking guide and private vehicle
- Hotels chosen for location, not for commission
- Tickets and permits booked on your behalf, including timed entries
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