Shanghai, China

Things to Do in Shanghai: 24 Ideas by Area

Shanghai at a glance

Things to do in this guide: 24
Areas and themes covered: 9
TRIPLR journeys including Shanghai: 4
TRIPLR suggested stay: 4 days

Things to do in Shanghai

Photo by William Ducret on Unsplash
Jin Mao Tower Cloud Walk
The Jin Mao Tower Cloud Walk takes travellers outside the building envelope for a high-altitude circuit around one of Lujiazui’s landmark towers. Harnessed and guided, the route replaces the filtered safety of an observation deck with open air, height and direct exposure to the skyline.
- Lujiazui & Pudong Skyline
- Splurge
Photo by Li Yang on Unsplash
Cha’s Restaurant Shanghainese Dinner
Cha’s gives a polished introduction to Shanghainese cooking in the dining heart of Xintiandi, where red-braised meats, river fish, seasonal vegetables and delicate cold dishes can be ordered in a more refined setting than a neighbourhood canteen.
- Xintiandi & Huaihai Road
- Splurge
Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash
Apartment Cocktail Bar Shanghai
Apartment Cocktail Bar Shanghai represents the French Concession’s more discreet nightlife mood, with a low-lit room, tightly made drinks and a setting that feels deliberately removed from the city’s louder rooftop and club circuit.
- French Concession
- Splurge
Photo by Timothée Gidenne on Unsplash
Old Shanghai Teahouse Experience
The Old Shanghai teahouse experience centres on the traditional teahouse world around Yuyuan, where carved windows, dark timber, classical rooflines and views over busy lanes create a strong sense of place. Travellers sit with Chinese tea and small accompaniments while the market district moves below.
- Old Shanghai & Yu Garden
- Mid-range
Photo by Roméo A. on Unsplash
Shanghai Disneyland Full Day
A full day at Shanghai Disneyland means moving through themed lands, headline rides, character moments, stage entertainment, dining breaks and the evening castle show as one continuous resort experience.
- Disneyland & Family Shanghai
- Splurge
Photo by Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra on Unsplash
Tank Shanghai Art Complex
Former aviation fuel tanks on the West Bund have been reshaped into circular exhibition spaces surrounded by pools, lawns and open public areas. The approach is part of the experience: concrete forms, water reflections and landscaped paths build anticipation before the galleries themselves.
- M50 & Contemporary Art Shanghai
- Mid-range
Photo by yanzheng xia on Unsplash
Shanghai Speakeasy Cocktail Circuit
Shanghai’s speakeasy cocktail circuit turns the French Concession and surrounding night districts into a sequence of discreet doors, intimate rooms and highly technical drinks. The pleasure comes from pacing: one bar for precision, another for atmosphere, perhaps a final room for conversation.
- Rooftops & Shanghai Nightlife
- Splurge
Photo by Yifan Cong on Unsplash
Wukang Road Heritage Walk
Wukang Road is the core heritage walk of the French Concession, lined with plane trees, villas, apartment houses, cafés and carefully preserved façades.
- French Concession
- Free
Photo by Chastagner Thierry on Unsplash
City God Temple Market Walk
The City God Temple Market area is the densest expression of Old Shanghai’s commercial theatre: snack counters, souvenir shops, lanterns, restored façades and side lanes radiating from the temple precinct.
- Old Shanghai & Yu Garden
- Mid-range
Photo by Nuno Alberto on Unsplash
Jing’an Temple Evening Visit
Jing’an Temple is most compelling at blue hour, when its golden roofs and lit halls stand against the surrounding towers and traffic of central Shanghai. The visit combines active Buddhist spaces, incense, courtyards and highly visible architecture at one of the city’s busiest intersections.
- Jing’an & West Nanjing Road
- Mid-range
Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
M50 Contemporary Art District
Former textile warehouses beside Suzhou Creek have become Shanghai’s most recognisable independent art district, with small galleries, studios, design shops and experimental spaces spread through brick lanes and industrial courtyards.
- M50 & Contemporary Art Shanghai
- Free
Photo by Edward He on Unsplash
Nanxiang Soup Dumpling House
Nanxiang Soup Dumpling House is the classic Old Town stop for xiaolongbao, with bamboo steamers, quick service, busy dining rooms and queues that reflect its reputation. Travellers come to taste delicate soup dumplings close to the heart of Yuyuan, often adding crab roe versions or other steamed specialities.
- Old Shanghai & Yu Garden
- Mid-range
Photo by Freeman Zhou on Unsplash
Ritz-Carlton Flair Rooftop Lounge
Flair Rooftop at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong is a high-level lounge where cocktails, terrace seating and close-range views of the Oriental Pearl Tower define the evening. The atmosphere is polished and social rather than purely sightseeing-focused, with the skyline functioning as part of the room.
- Lujiazui & Pudong Skyline
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by Henry Chen on Unsplash
Yuyuan Lantern Festival Evening
During the lunar new year season, the Yuyuan area is transformed by large-scale lantern installations, festive decorations and evening crowds moving through the historic streets. The displays often combine zodiac themes, folk motifs and contemporary lighting with traditional rooflines and market façades.
- Old Shanghai & Yu Garden
- Mid-range
Photo by Sofia Romero on Unsplash
Yu Garden Classical Walk
Yu Garden is the classical heart of Old Shanghai, a Ming-dynasty garden world of pavilions, ponds, rockeries, dragon walls, carved halls and carefully controlled views.
- Old Shanghai & Yu Garden
- Mid-range
Photo by Zhou Xian on Unsplash
West Bund Art Center Walk
The West Bund art corridor strings together museums, galleries, public art, design spaces and riverside promenades along a broad stretch of the Huangpu. Rather than one attraction, it is a cultural landscape where architecture and urban planning are part of the visit.
- M50 & Contemporary Art Shanghai
- Free
Photo by Ralf Leineweber on Unsplash
Xintiandi Shikumen Walk
The Xintiandi Shikumen Walk traces one of Shanghai’s most recognisable redeveloped lane-house districts, where stone-gate architecture, brick façades, narrow passages, boutiques, restaurants and public squares sit in a carefully managed urban setting.
- Xintiandi & Huaihai Road
- Mid-range
Bund Luxury Hotel Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea in a Bund luxury hotel slows Shanghai’s waterfront down to a measured ritual of fine tea, pastries, polished service and river views.
- Rooftops & Shanghai Nightlife
- Cost band: luxury
Fu He Hui Vegetarian Tasting Menu
Fu He Hui presents a composed, multi-course vegetarian tasting menu built around Chinese ingredients, seasonal produce, mushrooms, teas and refined temple-inspired restraint.
- Jing’an & West Nanjing Road
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on Unsplash
Fairmont Peace Hotel Jazz Bar
Inside the Fairmont Peace Hotel, the Jazz Bar preserves a living fragment of Shanghai’s Art Deco-era nightlife.
- The Bund & Huangpu Riverfront
- Cost band: luxury
Photo by Elliot Voilmy on Unsplash
Power Station of Art Visit
A converted riverside power station now houses one of Shanghai’s most important contemporary art venues, with vast industrial halls suited to large installations, biennale-scale exhibitions and ambitious curatorial projects.
- M50 & Contemporary Art Shanghai
- Mid-range
Photo by Darren Nunis on Unsplash
Shikumen Rooftop Mahjong Evening
A Shikumen Rooftop Mahjong Evening places travellers in a hosted residential-style setting where tea, conversation and the sound of tiles create a close encounter with a deeply familiar Chinese social game.
- French Concession
- Mid-range
Photo by Dave Xu on Unsplash
Lujiazui Riverside Skyline Walk
The Lujiazui riverside walk follows the Pudong bank of the Huangpu, where landscaped promenades, viewing platforms and tower silhouettes face the historic Bund across the water.
- Lujiazui & Pudong Skyline
- Free
The Bund Rainy Night Walk
A rainy-night walk along the Bund turns Shanghai’s waterfront into a reflective stage: wet stone underfoot, lit heritage façades along one side and Pudong’s towers shimmering across the Huangpu.
- Rooftops & Shanghai Nightlife
- Free