Costs nothing · Shanghai, China
15 Free Things to Do in Shanghai
Shanghai without spending: 15 places with confirmed free entry, ranked by the travelers who went.
Only places with a confirmed free-entry policy make this list. Ranked by traveler review volume. Updated monthly.
The Bund (Wai Tan)
NeighborhoodThe Bund is Shanghai's grand riverfront promenade, where a sweeping curve of the Huangpu River sets two centuries of architecture face to face.
Read our full guide →Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road)
LandmarkNanjing Road is China's most famous shopping street, a heaving, dazzling commercial artery running from the historic Bund toward central Shanghai.
Read our full guide →Former French Concession
NeighborhoodThe Former French Concession is Shanghai's most charming and atmospheric district, a leafy quarter of plane-tree-lined streets, low-rise lane houses (shikumen), Art Deco villas, and converted…
Read our full guide →Tian Zi Fang
NeighborhoodTianzifang is a beloved warren of narrow lanes in Shanghai's Former French Concession, a maze of restored shikumen (stone-gate) lane houses now packed with tiny boutiques, craft studios, art…
Read our full guide →Xintiandi
NeighborhoodXintiandi is one of Shanghai's most fashionable districts, an upscale, pedestrian-friendly enclave where blocks of traditional 'shikumen' (stone-gate) houses, the distinctive low-rise brick lane…
Read our full guide →Jin Mao Tower
LandmarkThe Jin Mao Tower is one of Shanghai's most iconic skyscrapers, standing 421 meters tall with 88 floors.
Read our full guide →Bund International Architecture Exhibition
LandmarkThe Bund International Architecture Exhibition is not a traditional museum but a stunning open-air display of over 50 buildings along Shanghai's iconic waterfront.
Read our full guide →Shanghai Development Exhibition Hall
MuseumThe Shanghai Development Exhibition Hall offers a fascinating look at the city's transformation from a fishing village to a global metropolis.
Read our full guide →Heping Fandian
LandmarkHeping Fandian, also known as the Peace Hotel, is a historic landmark on the Bund in Shanghai's Huangpu District.
Read our full guide →Shanghai World Expo Museum
MuseumThe Shanghai World Expo Museum is a modern museum dedicated to the legacy of world expositions, situated in the Huangpu District of Shanghai, within the former Expo 2010 site.
Read our full guide →Century Park
Park & natureCentury Park is a sprawling green oasis in the heart of Shanghai's Pudong district, covering 140 hectares.
Read our full guide →1933 Old Millfun
Landmark1933 Old Millfun is a distinctive landmark in Shanghai's Hongkou District, originally built in 1933 as a slaughterhouse.
Read our full guide →The Bund City Sculptures
LandmarkThe Bund City Sculptures are a collection of contemporary public artworks displayed along the historic Bund in Shanghai, near People's Square.
Read our full guide →Jing'an Sculputure Park
Park & natureJing'an Sculpture Park is a contemporary green space located on Shimen Er Road in the bustling Jing'an district of Shanghai.
Read our full guide →Tianshan Tea City
MarketTianshan Tea City, located on Zhongshan West Road in Changning, is one of Shanghai's premier destinations for tea lovers.
Read our full guide →
How we pick these
Every place here is genuinely free to enter. We filter the 142 Shanghai places we track down to those with no admission charge, then rank them by traveler reviews. Updated monthly.
Good to know
A few museums are free only on set days — check opening info before you go.
Entry is free, but transport, snacks and lockers in Shanghai still add up.
Free attractions draw crowds; mornings are usually the calmest.
Common questions
What can you do for free in Shanghai?+
This list ranks the best no-cost things to do in Shanghai, from parks and viewpoints to museums with free entry.
Are there free museums in Shanghai?+
Some museums are free all the time and others on specific days. The verified-free ones are included above.
Is Shanghai expensive to visit?+
You can see a lot of Shanghai on a tight budget by leaning on the free attractions here and eating where locals do.
Rather have a human do the planning? A Local Friend can build this day for you, at local prices.