Things to Do in Shanghai

1. Shop at Nanjing Road: Nanjing Road is the famous shopping street in Shanghai that runs for several miles from Zhongshan Lu. You can spend a great time shopping for your favorite clothing collection, Chinese-styled scarf, hand-made watches, and many more. To keep you engaged along this long stretch, you’ll find beautifully handcrafted Chinese artifacts to expensive boutiques with vibrant music running all over the street. There are malls, historic shops, street vendors, and small outlets, where you can test your bargaining skills and enjoy the shopping time. The street is fully packed with live performances depicting Chinese culture and especially during the festive season the street shines like beautiful sparkling light. Other than this, you can feed yourself with finger-licking Chinese street food such as Xie ke huang, Chinese-style fried chicken, Xiaolongbao, and many more.

Location: Nanjing Road, Shanghai

2. Explore Shanghai Museum: Talking about classical Chinese art museums then nothing can beat the beauty of the Shanghai Museum. This magnificent museum sits in a modern building which is a perfect example of an art of work. You can take a walk in and out of the museum with each corner giving you an insight into the Chinese historical culture. This is one of the best things to do in Shanghai as exploring the Shanghai Museum is fun during your visit as you will get impressed by different collections of ink drawings, calligraphy, coins, and furnishing from the Ming and Qing periods.

Location: Renmin Ave, Ren Min Guang Chang, Huangpu, China, 200003

3. Have fun at Disneyland Park: Grab a ticket to the Shanghai Disneyland park and get ready to embrace the child in you, this one of the favorite things to do in Shanghai by tourists. You can’t miss the exciting day of thrilling rides, spectacular shows, and delectable treats that will delight children and adults as well. The Shanghai Disneyland park combines classic Disneyland magic with Chinese culture to create a one-of-a-kind experience unlike any other Disney park in the world. The seven-themed lands at Shanghai Disney Resort will make sure that you don’t get bored while exploring your childhood memories with your friends or families.

Location: Pudong, Shanghai, China
Fee: Adults - 507 CNY, Child/Senior -365 CNY)

4. Watch performances at the Shanghai Circus World: Shanghai circus world is one of the world’s largest acrobatics art and is one of the favorite things to do in Shanghai by travelers, which attracts lots of tourists from different parts of the globe. Get ready to mesmerize with the beautiful plays and performance which includes traditional bowl dancing, death-defying motorcycle stunts, and many more. Not only this, there are some dazzling performances by professionals where modern lightning effects are used on stage to give it a breathtaking experience to viewers. To give a fun element you can enjoy the magic, dance, animal act, traditional Chinese acrobatics, and soothing musical vibe of the circus.

Location: 2266 Gonghexin Rd, Peng Pu Xin Cun, Zhabei Qu, Shanghai, China, 200072
Fee: Kids - Free, adults - (130-160 CNY)

5. Get a birds-eye view World Financial Center: Shanghai Financial Center is located in the beautiful financial district of Pudong, making it a cultural and commercial symbol of a global financial hub. You can get a beautiful scenic view after reaching the top of the World Financial Center, where you will be covering a massive height of 492m. Coming down to the majestic offering of Shanghai Financial Center, it has world-class financial facilities and cultural art exhibitions, making it a key highlight for travelers. This one of the most visited places in Shanghai, make sure to add it to your bucket list of things to do in Shanghai. You can take a walk across the skywalk corridor which is made up of transparent glass, giving you an airwalk experience.

Location: 100 Century Avenue, Pudong, Shanghai
Fee: 60-100 CNY

6. Cruise at Huangpu River: A cruise is a perfect way to appreciate the scenery along the Huangpu River. When visiting Shanghai, a Huangpu River cruise is one of the favorite things to do in Shanghai. If you have time, you can take a Huangpu River night cruise to see the most spectacular night view. A buffet, Chinese food, and western cuisine are all available onboard the ship. You will savor a delectable meal while taking in the sights. This mode of transportation appeals not only to tourists but also to locals who enjoy relaxing on a river cruise.

Location: Shanghai, China
Fee: 120 - 188 CNY

7. Visit Yuyuan Garden: Yuyuan Garden, or Yu Yuan in Chinese, is a classical garden in Shanghai's Huangpu District that is a must-see attraction. While Yuyuan Garden is small, it contains all of the elements that a traditional Chinese garden should have. Pavilions, halls, rockeries, ponds, and cloisters all have their own distinctive features. The roof ornaments, and window openings, as well as the dragon-adorned walls, make this imposing structure stand out. You can enjoy your peaceful walk in the Yuyuan garden with your families or friends, don’t miss to add it to your list of things to do in Shanghai.

Location: 279 Yuyuan Old St, Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200000
Fee: 13 CNY per person, children under 1.3 M height - Free

8. Explore Watertown: Shanghai's Water Towns are a fantastic mix of traditional Chinese and Western architecture. You can feel as though you are walking through China's history as you stroll along the canals of the old town. Instead of huge crowds of visitors, you'll see locals washing clothing, sipping tea, or playing cards alongside the water. Prepare to be immersed in Nanxun Water Town, where you'll be able to witness the traditional Chinese writing brush-making process and enjoy a wedding show on the water.

Location: Shanghai, China

1. Cruise along the Huangpu river: Get ready to view the magnificent Shanghai Skyline’s color in the evening time. You can enjoy the boat cruise in the downtime where beautiful contrast is created in the skies, giving a peaceful and relaxing experience.

2. Watch an Acrobatic show: When talking about the famous nightlife activity to do in Shanghai then attending the Acrobatic show is one of them. The shows are wonderful with several acts such as juggling, equilibrium, acrobats, and air cycles on high wires.

3. Walk and Shop Along Nanjing Road: Shopping is more fun during the nighttime as you can enjoy the beautiful lighting of the street and can enjoy each moment without actually getting tired. You can take a walk on Nanjing road and test your bargaining skills at different outlets and have an amazing shopping time. Not only this, to keep you entertained while shopping, there are multiple street performances going around each corner of Nanjing road. Among the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, you can hop into a bar or enjoy the mouth-watering street foods of Shanghai and make your trip more memorable.

4. Relax in a Bar at Xintiandi: Old Shikumen stone houses can be found in Xintiandi, as well as numerous Western restaurants, bars, and pubs. It's particularly lovely in the evenings when the street lamps turn on and the sunsets. This area is a beautiful mix of history, culture, and, of course, a grand food and drink festival. You can surely enjoy your moments with your loved one so don’t miss adding it to your list of things to do in Shanghai.

1. Enjoy the sailing experience at Dishui Lake: Dishui Lake is not only famous for its beautiful scenery but it also accommodates rooms for adventure enthusiasts who can pump up their adrenaline by opting for sailing, which is organized by Shanghai Sailing Club. The club has a good variety of boats for all skill levels, including dinghies and Fareast keelboats.

2. Parkour at LINK Parkour: Pump your blood with all-new excitement at LINK Parkour, where you can do jumping, climbing, running up walls, and many other action-oriented activities. For safety, mats are kitted out to break your fall and give you all-new memorable moments.

3. Scuba Diving: Scuba Diving is a one-stop solution for people who look for a water-related adventure-packed activity to do in Shanghai. You can take a deep dive into the blue ocean where you’ll be exploring a new world of marine and aquatic life.

4. Mountain biking with Prodigy Outdoor: When looking for some chill activities then mountain biking can be the right activity for you. While biking around the beautiful mountains you can capture one of the purest scenic beauty of nature. This is one of the most preferred adventure activities to do in Shanghai opted by tourists coming to shanghai.

Day 1: Starting with your first day, you can start with exploring the pudong and the Lujiazui. Although the views from across the Huangpu River are breathtaking, you’ll see a densely populated city with skyscrapers, shopping centers, and restaurants. After having a mesmerizing view across the Huangpu river, get ready to have a stunning view at Shanghai World Financial Center and admiring some exceptional panoramic views, Lujiazui makes you feel like you've teleported into the future.

Day 2: Plan a spiritual visit to JING’AN temple and escape to a world of shopping
The Jing'an Temple is one of Shanghai's three most well-known and important Buddhist temples. Although the Jade Buddha Temple and the Longhua Temple are more well-known among tourists, the Jing'an Temple should not be overlooked! You can have a peaceful and pleasing experience during your visit to the JING’AN temple. After your visit, in the nighttime, you can plan a scape to a world of shopping at Nanjing Road, where you can shop for beautiful Chinese style scarfs, dresses, artifacts, and many other products. Along with this, you can enjoy beautiful street music and lightning which will enhance your shopping experience. Don’t miss to burst your hunger with the mouthwatering street foods, and luxurious restaurants along with the market.

Day 3: Time for some scenic view at Yuyuan Garden with some adventure activities.
Yuyuan Garden is located in the heart of Puxi city and is one of the favorite places by visitors to see medieval China. It is a well-known garden, not only because it is surrounded by a pedestrian area full of small alleyways where vendors sell their wares and food, but also because of its quiet and traditional courtyard atmosphere, which is steeped in history. After having a peaceful time at Yuyuan garden, you can arrange some time for adventure activities such as sailing in Dishuai lake, where you can have a beautiful experience while cruising. Want more? Then you can go scuba diving or Mountain biking with Prodigy Outdoor, this will pump your adrenaline and make your trip more memorable.

Yes, Shanghai is an expensive place to visit where the cost for 1-week travel for one person is nearly around 4,654 CNY. This cost will include your traveling cost, food, accommodation, travel within the city, and other basic needs.

The best time to visit Shanghai is from October to November. This short autumn season has pleasant temperatures and is free of the crowds and rain showers that characterize summer, the peak tourist season. Winter travelers may experience cold weather, which makes city exploration less enjoyable.

You might need around 18,617 CNY for a 2 weeks trip to Shanghai for 2 people. In this budget, you can explore all the places of shanghai such as the scenic beauty of Yuyuan Garden, adventure-packed scuba diving, majestic view of the world financial tower, and many more. Other than this, this budget includes your traveling, stay, food and accommodation.

Shanghai is slightly more expensive than Beijing in terms of travel expenses as Shanghai has many modern and ancient places to visit. In Beijing, most visitors spend between 30-70 CNY per person per day which is comparatively 20% more expensive than in Shanghai.

When talking about food in Shanghai, you can enjoy a mouthwatering Chinese meal which will cost you around 124 CNY, which is 30% more expensive than Beijing. Shanghai has multiple tourist spots such as the Shanghai circus, World finance center, Disneyland park, and many more. With more traveling spots in Shanghai, you need to spend more money on entertainment costs which are around 10% more expensive than in Beijing.

Shanghai is one of the beautiful places to visit as it holds many ancient and modern spots which will add value to your travel experience. The most famous places in Shanghai include the Shanghai museum, where you get to know more about the history and culture of Shanghai city.

With the touch of modernity, you can view the majestic example of modernity at the world finance center. There are many other famous spots such as the Shanghai circus, Disneyland park, and Dishui Lake, where you can spend quality time with your kids and families and add beautiful memories to your travel experience.