Shanghai travel guide

At a glance

provincial-level municipality in China. For a first visit, Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower are strong starting points. This guide brings together 18 places, practical 1/3/5/7-day routes and a concise food shortlist so you can understand the city before shaping the trip around your pace.

Highlight stops

• Shanghai World Financial Center — skyscraper in Shanghai
• Shanghai Tower — megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Shanghai, China
• Oriental Pearl Tower — TV tower in Shanghai, China
• Jin Mao Tower — landmark skyscraper in Shanghai
• The Bund — historical district in central Shanghai, China
• Shanghai Museum — museum in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, China
• Shimao International Plaza — skyscraper
• Yu Garden — classical garden in Shanghai

Food and drink

Use these well-documented flavours as a practical tasting shortlist; open an item to understand it and add it to your trip plan.

• ramen — Japanese noodle soup of Chinese origin
• fried rice — cooked rice stir-fried with eggs and other ingredients
• chow mein — fried noodles
• pork skin — skin of a pig
• grass jelly — jelly-like dessert eaten in East Asia
• sugarcane juice — liquid extracted from sugarcane

1-day itinerary

Day 1 · Culture evening

Shanghai Grand Theatre · Park Hotel · Shimao International Plaza · Nanjing Road

3-day itinerary

Day 1 · Culture evening

Shanghai Grand Theatre · Park Hotel · Shimao International Plaza · Nanjing Road

Day 2 · Museums and art

Shanghai Museum · Yu Garden · The Bund · Oriental Pearl Tower

Day 3 · Architecture and city fabric

Jin Mao Tower · Shanghai World Financial Center · Shanghai Tower · Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

5-day itinerary

Day 1 · Culture evening

Shanghai Grand Theatre · Park Hotel · Shimao International Plaza · Nanjing Road

Day 2 · Museums and art

Shanghai Museum · Yu Garden · The Bund · Oriental Pearl Tower

Day 3 · Architecture and city fabric

Jin Mao Tower · Shanghai World Financial Center · Shanghai Tower · Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Day 4 · Culture evening

Mercedes-Benz Arena · China Art Museum · Shanghai Library · Saint Ignatius Cathedral

Day 5 · History and landmarks

Jade Buddha Temple · Zhabei District

7-day itinerary

Day 1 · Culture evening

Shanghai Grand Theatre · Park Hotel · Shimao International Plaza

Day 2 · Architecture and city fabric

Nanjing Road · Shanghai Museum · Yu Garden

Day 3 · History and landmarks

The Bund · Oriental Pearl Tower · Jin Mao Tower

Day 4 · Architecture and city fabric

Shanghai World Financial Center · Shanghai Tower · Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Day 5 · Culture evening

Mercedes-Benz Arena · China Art Museum · Shanghai Library

Day 6 · History and landmarks

Saint Ignatius Cathedral · Jade Buddha Temple · Zhabei District

Before you go

This route distributes nearby source-backed stops across balanced days. Opening times and ticket conditions can change; check the official source before visiting.