Your China & Yunnan Travel Experts
A useful Shanghai plan separates central walking days from longer excursions. Count the day you arrive as a partial day unless your transport and hotel timing are certain.
Use metro access and actual station exits when grouping sights. Allow margins for security checks, traffic and large venue queues, especially when a timed ticket or onward train fixes the end of your day.
Choose a Shanghai hotel area →
See the Shanghai municipal travel portal for current transport and visitor information.
What to prepare for Shanghai Trip?
Do I need a visa to visit Shanghai?
Can I get visa on arrival in Shanghai?
How can I confirm the right entry arrangement?
Do I need to purchase travel insurance?
Do I need to buy some Chinese currency before arrive?
How much will it cost roughly for a trip to Shanghai?
Where can I get cheap flights to China?
How difficult will it be if I decided to travel Shanghai on my own?
Do I need to travel with a travel agency?
How to Get from Shanghai Airport to Your Shanghai Hotel?
Basic mandarin /Chinese you need in China
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Shànghǎi, 上海，namely means on the sea, locates at China's east coast, is one of China's earliest port city that has a deep connection to the world. Sitting at the entrance point where China's mighty Yangtze River joins the sea, Shanghai witnesses the magnificent change and splendor history that China had been through in the past a few centuries and more. Few cities in the world enjoy such a history, glamour, mystique and exotic promise in its name alone. This ancient city is now a modern metropolis of both technological and financial center of China with its boutique history and travel sites attracting numerous tourists come for its beauty.
Shanghai is home to some of the iconic landmark architectures in Asian, the Oriental TV tower, Jinmao Tower and Shanghai Tower, they are among those architectures forming up Shanghai's most picturesque skyline. Facing the east bank of Huangpu River, on the contrast, there is the bund, “a celebrity beauty” of Shanghai.
Apart from the skyscrapers and the bund, there is Yuyuan Garden, a classic Chinese southern style garden, the French concession, the Huaihai Lu and Nanjing Lu pedestrians where you can indulge yourself for an endless shopping tour. And the lòngtáng (laneway) and shíkùmén (stone gate) housing, completing themselves for your attention for its antique face of 1920s-1930s old Shanghai.When the night arrives, neon lights illumine the city for you with another view.
The Best Things to do in Shanghai can be listed as below:
Requirements depend on passport, purpose and route. Some visitors qualify for visa-free entry, while eligible travelers transiting to a third country or region may qualify under the current transit policy at designated ports. Do not assume that an old 72-hour or 144-hour rule applies to your trip.
Check the National Immigration Administration guidance and verify your onward booking and permitted area before travel.
Do not plan on receiving an ordinary tourist visa at arrival. Confirm any visa, exemption or transit permission before departure with the immigration authority or a Chinese diplomatic mission. Entry decisions remain subject to the applicable rules and border inspection.
Check the rule for your passport, arrival port, travel purpose and onward itinerary before departure. A city having an entry office does not mean it issues tourist visas to every arriving visitor. Confirm your documents with the relevant immigration authority or Chinese diplomatic mission before buying a nonrefundable journey.
Check the cover you need for medical care, trip changes, luggage and the activities on your itinerary. Read the exclusions and claims process before paying. If a tour includes any insurance, ask for the current policy wording and coverage limits; do not assume it replaces your own travel policy.
Set up at least two payment options for your journey: a suitable card, a modest RMB cash reserve and, if useful, a supported mobile wallet. Check which methods your accommodation and booked attractions accept, and verify your bank's overseas charges. Avoid treating an old daily cash estimate as a current requirement.
See China's official visitor payment guide for the available payment channels.
Estimate accommodation, local transport, meals and chosen paid experiences separately. A Bund walk has a different cost profile from a theme park day or a skyline ticket; a hotel near your intended metro route can also save transfer time. Public holidays, room category and the number of travelers affect the price.
Compare current ticket and hotel offers for your actual dates. Do not use historical exchange rates or daily cost ranges as a present-day quote; ask for an itemized itinerary before committing.
You can get cheap flights on Expedia or any major airlines official website if you are lucky to find any seats on sale. Here in this article, we are also offering you some popular optional websites that Chinese are using when we travel domestically or abroad. You may find it surprisingly cheaper compared to the main western booking sites.
Notice:
When you are booking a discounted flight ticket, please make sure to check that you have enough luggage allowance attached to your ticket. Sometimes, cheap tickets don't come with any allowance at all. And if that is the case, you can always purchase some on their official website in advance, in case being charged three times more at the check-in counter at airport.
China Domestic Flights Luggage Allowance Details:Type, size, weight,etc.
China Domestic Flight Liquid Baggage Restrictions
Civil Aviation Flight Lithium Battery Regulation
Luggage Loss, Damage and Delay by Air
Domestic and International Departure Procedure in China
China Flight Luggage Restriction for Cash and Special Items
Among those earliest port cities that have connection to the world in China, Shanghai is probably the most foreigner friendly city in China next to Hong Kong and followed by Beijing and Guangzhou. Most of the taxi drivers here can speak English and delivery you to those hot travel spot without any problems and the road signs in Shanghai equipment with English name below especially when it is near a travel site and not to mention the efficient metro system. They even got an smart phone app for you to check metro lines and purchase ticket and it is English yes, you will love it! So, pack a well written travel book in your bag and off you go, it is easier than you imagine and in fact travel Shanghai on your own is best way to discover its beauty.
It is difficult to answer this question as it really depends on what kind of traveller you are. Staying in a costy city like Shanghai, saving time there means saving money. As a major Chinese online tour operator as we are—Yun Sky Travel, we can save you a lot of time and hassle compared to drowning in the internet trying to search bits of information on your own. We have discounted price offered by hotels and scenic sites, transportation system, and experienced local guides who can show you the first–hand Shanghai in a most efficient way, it is a way to get a bigger deal by paying less in short.You can plan your trip on your own for it is manageable, but an arranged side tour to Shanghai's water towns or to its nearby cities like Hangzhou and Suzhou is both cost and time efficient.
Shanghai is a city that has a clearly four seasons climate.The best time for a Shanghai trip will be around summer (June to August) and autumn (September to November).
However there are some national public holidays or golden weeks as Chinese describe them which are best to be avoided and they are listed as below:
Though Shanghai has many to see, most of the sites are collectively located near the both bank of Huangpu river. The bund area and the east bank skyscraper area. Generally speaking, 3-5 days are good enough for most visitors. For those sites in downtown city, Yuyuan Garden, The Bund, Nanjing Rd, People Square can be done in day 1, day 2 you can plan a bit further to the old French Concession ,Jing'An Temple, or Shikumen area. Day 3 can be a Disney trip for a whole day and day 4 and 5 can be a trip to water village nearby or a side trip Hangzhou or Suzhou.
Below is some well organized and highly suggested itineraries written by our experienced travel consultant for tourist who travels Beijing independently.
Independent One Day Tour to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town
Independent Shanghai Day Tour, Shanghai Day Tour for Solo Travellers
Independent One Day Shanghai Tour, Shanghai Discovery Tour
Day Tour to Huangshan from Shanghai, Huangshan Tour
Hangzhou West Lake Tour from Shanghai, Independent West Lake Tour
Independent Suzhou Day Tour from Shanghai
Here are some of our Popular Shanghai Packages for your recommendation:
Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Nanjing Road
Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Nanjing Road, West Lake, Linyin Temple, Six Harmonious Pagoda, Qinghefang Street, Meijiawu Tea Village
Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund, Yuyuan Garden, Nanjing Road, Humble Administrator Garden, Silk Factory, Tongli water town
Jade Buddha Temple, Yuyuan Garden, The Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Chenghuangmiao Street, Mt. Huangshan, Tunxi Old Street, Xidi Village, Hong Cun Village
Want to know where to stay in Shanghai? The best locations to stay in Shanghai for tourists are :
In conclusion, the best location to stay in Shanghai depends on what you want to see in Shanghai. For tourists, we would suggest you to choose hotels in city center of Shanghai for the most convenience, which is marked as red square area in the photograph below.
Below is a tourist map of Shanghai which illustartes the districts of Shanghai and also with scenic spots marks on it.
Shanghai has an excellent efficient metro system, so as long as you are staying within walking distance of a metro station, you won't have any problems getting around in Shanghai. Below is an ultimately detailed Shanghai metro map for orientation; verify the current network and route before travel.
How to Get to Yangshan Port in Shanghai
How to Get to Pudong Airport from Hongqiao Airport
How to Get to the City Center from Shanghai Pudong Airport
How to Get to Huangshan from Shanghai
How to Get to Zhujiajiao Water Town from Shanghai
How to Get to Zhouzhuang Water Town from Shanghai
How to Get to Wuzhen Water Town from Shanghai
How to Get to Tongli Water Town from Shanghai?
How to Get to Xitang Water Town from Shanghai?
How to Get to Luzhi Water Town from Shanghai
How to get to Fengjing Ancient Town from Shanghai
How to Get to Nanxun Water Town from Shanghai
How to Get to Yiwu from Shanghai
| Pinyin | English | Chinese |
| Nǐ hǎo | hello | 你好 |
| Zǎo shàng hǎo | good morning | 早上好 |
| Wǎn shàng hǎo | good evening | 晚上好 |
| Xiè xiè | Thank you | 谢谢 |
| Duì bù qǐ | sorry | 对不起 |
| Qǐng wèn/bù hǎo yì si | Excuse me | 请问 |
| Qǐng wèn wèi Shēng jiān zài nǎ lǐ | Excuse me, where is the washroom please? | 请问卫生间在哪里？ |
| Wǒ yào qù jī chǎng/huǒ chē zhàn/jǐu diàn… | I want to go to airport/railway station/hotel… | 我要去机场/火车站/酒店.. |
| Wǒ xiǎng yào yì bei kā fēi | I would like a cup of coffee | 我想要一杯咖啡 |
| Duō shǎo qián ? | How much? | 多少钱？ |
| Bú yào là jiāo | no spicy | 不要辣椒 |
Editorial accountability
Hu Lei, CEO. The named owner is responsible for travel-planning accuracy and escalation of time-sensitive checks.
Yuntian Travel (Yunnan) Group is identified in its corporate profile as a licensed professional inbound travel service provider based in Kunming, China. Registration and travel-service documents can be requested before booking.
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