CHINA · East China · Shanghai
MUST-SEERiverfront grandeur, soaring skylines and quieter lanes between.
Shanghai is at its most interesting when you give both sides of the river their moment. Begin with the Bund, then explore a garden, museum or tree-lined street. The skyline is spectacular, but the small-scale details keep the city from becoming a collection of towers.
Look a little closer
The riverfront gives you two very different cityscapes at once. Study the older façades on one side and the towers across the water, then revisit as the light changes.
Plan your visit The promenade can be very busy, follow current crowd controls and confirm cruise arrangements directly if adding a boat trip.
Official information & visiting details ↗Garden design and old-city lanes provide a different scale from the riverfront. Plan time inside the garden rather than confusing the neighbouring shopping area with the attraction itself.
Plan your visit Check garden tickets and opening days, popular periods can bring substantial queues.
Official information & visiting details ↗A museum visit provides context for art and objects encountered elsewhere on your trip. Select the branch and collection that interests you before travelling across town.
Plan your visit The museum has different locations, confirm the exact branch, reservations and current exhibitions.
Official information & visiting details ↗Choose a skyline viewpoint, then balance it with a walk through a quieter part of the city. The contrast between monumental buildings and everyday streets is the story.
Plan your visit Book any observation deck through its official operator and allow for visibility and weather.
Official information & visiting details ↗An unhurried introduction
A suggested outline, adjust it to opening days, bookings and your pace.
Enjoy the place, not just the sights
Try a meal of local dumplings or another Shanghainese speciality, then slow down in a café. Choose one neighbourhood for a longer walk rather than spending the day crossing the city for isolated photo stops.
Three or four nights allow the riverfront, museums and different neighbourhoods without constant rushing.
Nearby bases, direct contact
Hotel contacts to start your search.
Speak to the hotel directly.
A Bund-side base for exploring the historic waterfront, with the river central to the stay.
32 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, The Bund, Shanghai 200002A landmark historic hotel at the meeting of Nanjing Road and the Bund.
20 Nanjing Road East, Shanghai 200002Suggestions are based on location and the hotels’ published information, not personal inspections. Confirm room types, accessibility, parking and current rates directly. Need help with a group hotel request?
Getting here & around
Shanghai has several major rail stations and two principal airports. Confirm the exact arrival point before arranging a transfer. The metro is useful, while river crossings and long neighbourhood walks need time of their own.
Check rail connections ↗Local knowledge
Explore the destination resources below, then ask your hosts or the attraction directly about current visiting arrangements, local guides and suitable routes.
Shanghai international visitor portal ↗Information reviewed October 24, 2026. Confirm changing details with the attraction or hotel before travelling.
Photo: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-ovozr · Wikimedia Commons ↗ · CC0 ↗. Display cropped to fit.
Visitor information is linked beside each attraction. Hotel contact details are linked to official hotel websites or the identified destination-service listing.