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Shanghai itinerary — 3 days

Pace

Transport

Day 1 of 3

Day 1 — Shanghai

2 stops · ≈ 3 h 31 min

1 / 5

Shanghai Museum

2 h

One of the world's great collections of ancient Chinese art: bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, jade and antique porcelain. The main building, shaped like a giant bronze ding vessel, stands on People's Square and opened in 1996; a new East branch followed in Pudong in 2024. Admission is free — foreign visitors show their original passport at the gate, and booking ahead is wise during holidays.

Maps

to next location · 21 min

1 / 5

Yu Garden

1 h 30 min

A masterwork of classical Chinese landscape design located in Shanghai's Old City, founded in 1559 during the Ming dynasty by Pan Yunduan. Spanning two hectares, the garden combines intricate pavilions, koi ponds, labyrinthine rockeries, and undulating white walls topped with sculpted dragons. Key highlights include the famous porous Jade Rock (Yulinglong) and the zigzag Bridge of Nine Turnings leading to the historic Huxinting Teahouse.

Maps

Reserve

If you have time left — worth it too.

1 / 5

Shanghai Disneyland Park

7 h

Opened in 2016 in Shanghai's Pudong district, this is Disney's first theme park in mainland China. At its heart rises the 60-metre Enchanted Storybook Castle, the largest and tallest castle in Disney history. The park features seven immersive themed lands packed with groundbreaking rides, including the high-speed TRON Lightcycle Power Run coaster, the immersive Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and the world's first Zootopia land.

1 / 5

People's Square

45 min

People’s Square is a major transport hub that draws visitors to Nanjing West Road, a main shopping street with malls offering local fashion and electronics, and food stalls selling kebabs and scallion pancakes. The area is known for landmarks like the Shanghai Museum, with calligraphy scrolls and bronze vessels, and the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Calm, leafy People’s Park is home to the Museum of Contemporary Art.

1 / 5

Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center

45 min

Modern 6-story space offering interactive exhibits on the city's architecture & urban development.

1 / 5

Fuxing Park

1 h 30 min

French colonial–era green space with a tranquil fountain & ponds, plus walking trails & gardens.

1 / 5

Shanghai Old Street

1 h

Shanghai Old Street, also known as Chenghuangmiao Old Street, is a bustling hub in the Huangpu District featuring ancient pagoda-style architecture and a variety of shops and attractions. It is easily accessible by metro or bus, making it a must-visit destination for experiencing the kingdom of snacks in Shanghai. Located near Yuyuan Garden, this area offers a glimpse into the city's past with its mix of authentic old buildings and reconstructed ones.

1 / 5

Pudong

45 min

Pudong is a sprawling, sparsely populated area with family attractions like Century Park, offering bike trails, boating lakes and minigolf courses, as well as Shanghai Disney Resort. Small, home-style restaurants serve Shanghainese food, while nightlife is centered on the glitzy Lujiazui district. Shanghai World Expo Center draws crowds with its futuristic pavilions, and Pudong International Airport is a major hub.

1 / 5

Qibao

45 min

Qibao is a water town in Shanghai’s Minhang District. Two broad waterways, lined with houses and gardens, run through the town center. Qibao Temple has an elaborate pagoda. The Shadow Play Hall hosts shadow puppet performances. Calligraphy and craft stores fill the lanes and alleyways of the Qibao Old Street area, where restaurants, stalls and teahouses serve traditional dishes.

1 / 5

Huangpu River

1 h 30 min

As you approach the Huangpu River, the towering spires of Pudong's futuristic skyline are perfectly framed between the buildings of East Nanjing Road. Flowing through the heart of Shanghai, the Huangpu River is a vital waterway that has played a central role in the city's development and history. Stretching approximately 113 kilometers, it serves as the natural boundary between Pudong and Puxi, two distinct districts of Shanghai. Lined with iconic landmarks such as the Bund, the river offers breathtaking views of the city skyline and serves as a bustling artery for river traffic and cruises.

1 / 5

China Art Museum

1 h

Free museum featuring modern & contemporary works by Chinese artists in a 2010 World Expo pavilion.

1 / 5

Lujiazui Central Green Space

1 h

Sometimes it's hard to find a little peace amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Shanghai. Fortunately, Lujiazui Central Green Space is the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature. Large fountains and white canopies are scattered across 22 acres of green space, making it a popular spot for wedding photos and picnics. Just as advertised, the garden park sits right in the middle of the Pudong skyline. Come here to unwind during lunch or take a stroll with your dog. Nothing more, nothing less.

1 / 5

Shanghai Circus World

1 h

Large circus presenting multimedia shows incorporating elements of traditional Chinese acrobatics.

1 / 5

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium

1 h

Contemporary aquarium with local & exotic marine life & long, glass-enclosed underwater walkways.

1 / 5

Jin Mao Tower

45 min

88-story, spired skyscraper offering restaurants, offices, a Grand Hyatt hotel & observation deck.

Day 2 — Shanghai

5 stops · ≈ 8 h 17 min

1 / 5

Shanghai Natural History Museum.

1 h

Exhibits on human civilization's history & animals, including ancient species such as dinosaurs.

Maps

to next location · 24 min

1 / 5

Jade Buddha Temple

45 min

Active Buddhist temple known for its large, ornate jade Buddha sculptures.

Maps

to next location · 26 min

1 / 5

Jing'an Temple

1 h 8 min

Shanghai's oldest Buddhist temple boasts nearly 1,800 years of history, originally founded in AD 247 and relocated to its present site in 1216 during the Song dynasty. Today its gleaming gilded roofs and ornate pagoda form a striking contrast against the glass skyscrapers of the Jing'an commercial district. Inside rests mainland China's largest pure silver Shakyamuni Buddha, a serene jade Buddha, and an ancient Ming dynasty bronze bell.

Maps

to next location · 37 min

1 / 5

Tianzifang

1 h 30 min

A vibrant arts and lifestyle enclave nestled in the alleys off Taikang Road in Shanghai's historic French Concession. Tianzifang famously preserved its authentic 1930s Shikumen stone-gate residential architecture, complete with narrow brick lanes and tangled overhead cables. Former workshops and homes now house independent craft boutiques, artisanal tea salons, art galleries, and lively cafes, with local residents still living upstairs.

Maps

to next location · 56 min

1 / 5

Longhua Temple

45 min

This reconstructed 3rd-century Buddhist temple features towers, a library & a traditional garden.

Maps

Day 3 — Shanghai

6 stops · ≈ 8 h 34 min

1 / 5

People's Park

1 h

Set amid skyscrapers, this urban park offers landscaped lawns & wooded areas, plus a pond & cafe.

Maps

to next location · 4 min

1 / 5

Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street

45 min

China's premier shopping street and one of the busiest in the world. The pedestrian section, roughly 1.2 kilometres long, stretches from People's Square towards the Bund: neon signs of boutiques, historic department stores from the early 20th century, and a sightseeing 'train' for weary shoppers. The street has been trading since the 19th century, and in the evening the neon ignites and the crowds thin only late at night.

Maps

to next location · 22 min

1 / 5

The Bund

45 min

The Bund is Shanghai's signature waterfront: roughly 1.5 kilometres along the Huangpu River lined with early 20th-century banks and trading houses in art deco and neoclassical styles. Across the water rises the futuristic Pudong skyline with the Oriental Pearl Tower. By day the walk feels like old Shanghai; after dark both banks light up. The stroll is free — arrive at sunset and stay until night, when the panorama reflects in the Huangpu.

Maps

to next location · 12 min

1 / 5

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

1 h 30 min

The TV tower on the Pudong waterfront — the silhouette on every Shanghai postcard. Eleven rose-pink spheres stack up 468 metres, hiding observation decks at 263 and 351 metres and a glass-floored skywalk; the Shanghai History Museum sits at its base. Completed in 1994, the tower looks especially surreal in fog. Come at dusk, when the Bund's skyline lights up across the river.

Maps

to next location · 12 min

1 / 5

Shanghai Tower

1 h 8 min

China's tallest skyscraper: 632 metres and 128 floors in the Lujiazui financial district. The Top of Shanghai observatory on floors 118–119 sits 546 metres up, and express lifts whisk you there in under a minute. The twisting glass facade rotates 120 degrees, cutting wind loads significantly. Completed in 2015, the tower holds LEED Platinum certification as one of the world's greenest high-rises.

Maps

to next location · 51 min

1 / 5

Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

3 h

A major science museum on Century Avenue in Pudong, opened in 2001. After more than two years of renovation it welcomed visitors again in February 2026 with ten renewed galleries, from robots and computing to biology and Earth sciences, plus a spherical IMAX dome theatre. Almost everything is hands-on, which makes the museum especially rewarding with kids.

Maps

Weather in the coming days

Trip essentials

Currency

Language

Mandarin Chinese

Outlets

Type A, C, and I + 220V

Transport

The best way to get around Shanghai is using the extensive subway system, buses, taxis, and bike-sharing services. The subway is efficient and affordable.

Tips