Travel guide

Shanghai

The Huangpu divides Puxi from Pudong: century-old façades on one bank, skyscrapers on the other.

Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov

Sights

A row of early twentieth-century buildings along the Huangpu's west bank, best once the lights come on.

Suggested time: 1.5 hours
Opening hours: Open all day. The buildings are lit roughly 19:00–23:00 May–Oct and 18:00–22:00 Nov–Apr, longer on holidays.
Tickets & booking: Free, no booking needed.
Getting there: Metro Line 2 or 10 to East Nanjing Road, then walk east along Nanjing Road for about ten minutes.

Checked 2026-10-06

The Oriental Pearl, Jin Mao and Shanghai Tower side by side, best seen from across the river.

Suggested time: 2.5 hours
Opening hours: The district is open all day. The Shanghai Tower observatory on floors 118–119 opens 8:30–22:00 daily (last entry 21:00).
Tickets & booking: The streets and riverside are free. Tower observatories such as Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl sell their own tickets; check their official channels for prices.
Getting there: Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui.

Checked 2026-10-06

A Ming-dynasty garden of pavilions, rockeries and ponds, hidden among the lanes of the old city.

Suggested time: 2 hours
Opening hours: 9:00–16:30 (last entry 16:00). Closed Mondays except public holidays.
Tickets & booking: ¥40 in Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov, ¥30 otherwise. Ticket windows at the south and north gates, or buy in the “Shanghai Yuyuan” mini program (whether it takes passports: not yet tested).
Getting there: Metro Line 10 to Yuyuan Garden (Exit 1), or Line 14 to the same station (Exit 7).

Checked 2026-10-06

Plane trees and old villas. Wukang Mansion, at the Huaihai Road junction, is the one everyone photographs.

Suggested time: 1.5 hours
Opening hours: A city street, open all day.
Tickets & booking: Free, no booking needed.
Getting there: Metro Line 10 or 11 to Jiaotong University, Exit 7, then about 350 m east.

Checked 2026-10-06

A canal town in Qingpu. Fangsheng Bridge arches over the river as boats drift slowly underneath.

Suggested time: 3.5 hours
Opening hours: The town is open all day; paid sights such as Kezhi Garden open 8:30–17:00.
Tickets & booking: Entering the town is free. A ¥60 pass covers three sights; swap it for a paper ticket at the visitor center with your ID before 15:00.
Getting there: Metro Line 17 to Zhujiajiao, Exit 1, then walk about 20 minutes or take bus 1510 to the old town.

Checked 2026-10-06

Airports: Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. High-speed rail station: Shanghai Hongqiao.

Checked 2026-10-06

Yu Garden is closed on Mondays and stops entry at 16:00. The Bund lights come on only after dark, so go around dusk.

Checked 2026-10-06