🇨🇳 China · Travel Guide
Shanghai Travel Guide
China’s dazzling future and Art-Deco past, face to face across the river.
Shanghai is China at its most cosmopolitan: the colonial-era Bund facing off against the neon supertowers of Pudong across the river, leafy plane-tree streets in the former French Concession, and a food-and-nightlife scene to rival any world city. It’s modern, walkable and one of the easiest places in mainland China for a first-time visitor — a glossy counterpoint to imperial Beijing, and a superb city break in its own right.
Plan my free Shanghai itinerary📅 Best time
October–November and March–May are the most comfortable, with mild temperatures and lower humidity. Summers are hot and sticky; winters are damp and chilly rather than freezing. Autumn is the reliable pick.
💷 Daily budget
$55–110 a day mid-range; cheaper on street food, dumplings and the metro, higher for rooftop bars and international hotels.
🗓️ Ideal length
3–4 days for the city, plus an optional day trip to a canal town like Zhujiajiao.
💱 Currency
Chinese yuan / renminbi (¥, RMB). Payment is overwhelmingly via Alipay and WeChat Pay; link a foreign Visa/Mastercard to one of those apps before you go, and keep a little cash as backup.
🗣️ Language
Mandarin Chinese (with Shanghainese widely spoken); English is a little more common in tourist and business areas than elsewhere, but a translation app is still very useful.
Is Shanghai safe?
General safety
A very safe, orderly megacity where violent crime against tourists is rare and walking around at night is comfortable. As in Beijing, the real risks are non-violent: the “tea ceremony” scam around the Bund and Nanjing Road, pushy touts, and busy traffic.
Solo female travellers
Excellent for solo women — cosmopolitan, well-lit and easy, with a large international presence. Street harassment is uncommon; the main thing to sidestep is the tourist-targeted tea-house scam, not any threat of violence.
LGBTQ+ travellers
Homosexuality is legal, and Shanghai has historically had mainland China’s most visible LGBTQ+ scene, though official restrictions have tightened (the long-running ShanghaiPRIDE ended in 2020). It remains the most relaxed big Chinese city for LGBTQ+ visitors, with discretion advised — see our Shanghai LGBTQ+ guide for the honest detail.
Safety guidance is general and can change — always check your government’s latest travel advice before you go.
Top things to do in Shanghai
- The Bund waterfront and the Pudong skyline at night
- The former French Concession’s plane-tree streets and cafés
- Yu Garden and the Old City bazaar
- The Shanghai Tower observation deck and the museums
- A day trip to the Zhujiajiao water town
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Getting around & essentials
The metro is vast, cheap and signed in English, and the DiDi app makes taxis easy without any language barrier. The Maglev whisks you in from Pudong airport at over 300 km/h. Much of the centre — the Bund, the French Concession — is a pleasure to explore on foot.
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Plan my trip — freeShanghai FAQs
Is Shanghai safe for solo female travellers?
Yes — it’s a very safe, cosmopolitan megacity that’s easy and comfortable for women travelling alone, day or night. The main thing to avoid is the tourist tea-house scam near the Bund and Nanjing Road; violent crime against visitors is rare.
Is Shanghai or Beijing better for a first trip to China?
They’re different: Shanghai is modern, walkable and the easiest soft landing, while Beijing has the headline imperial history and the Great Wall. Many first-timers do both — see our Beijing vs Shanghai comparison to choose.
How do you pay and get online as a tourist in Shanghai?
Payment runs on Alipay and WeChat Pay, so link a foreign card to one before you travel. The metro is signed in English and the DiDi app handles taxis in English — the practicalities are more manageable than many people expect.
How many days do you need in Shanghai?
Three to four days covers the Bund, the French Concession, Yu Garden and the Pudong skyline comfortably, with room for a canal-town day trip.
How do you get mobile data in Shanghai?
A travel eSIM is the easiest option — activate it over Wi-Fi before you fly and you’ll have data the moment you land, with no SIM-counter queue or in-person registration, while keeping your home number for messages. Buying a local SIM instead requires passport registration at a carrier shop, so many visitors prefer an eSIM.
Beyond Shanghai: top places in China
Still deciding where to go?
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