Shanghai, China

15 Best Things to Do in Shanghai

The Bund tops the list, and the rest of Shanghai follows, ranked by real visits.

Ranked by traveler review volume across 142 places we track in Shanghai. Updated monthly.

  1. The Bund

    Landmark

    The Bund is a waterfront area and protected historical district in central Shanghai, running along the western bank of the Huangpu River.

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  2. The Bund (Wai Tan)

    NeighborhoodFree entry

    The Bund is Shanghai's grand riverfront promenade, where a sweeping curve of the Huangpu River sets two centuries of architecture face to face.

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  3. Yu Garden

    Park & nature

    Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden in the Old City of Shanghai, next to the City God Temple and Yuyuan Bazaar.

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  4. Oriental Pearl Tower

    Sight

    The Oriental Pearl Tower is a futurist TV tower in Lujiazui, Shanghai, on the banks of the Huangpu River directly opposite the Bund.

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  5. Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Mingzhu)

    Landmark

    The Oriental Pearl is Shanghai's retro-futuristic TV tower, a 468-metre structure of giant pink spheres strung along three columns, an instant icon of the Pudong skyline since the 1990s.

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  6. Waibaidu Bridge

    Landmark

    Waibaidu Bridge, also known as the Garden Bridge, is the first all-steel bridge in China and the only surviving camelback truss bridge in the country.

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  7. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum

    Museum

    The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum commemorates the more than 20,000 European Jews who fled Nazi persecution and found refuge in Shanghai during World War II.

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  8. Nanjing Road

    Neighborhood

    Nanjing Road is a major shopping street in central Shanghai, running west–east from the Bund to Jing'an District.

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  9. Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Road)

    LandmarkFree entry

    Nanjing Road is China's most famous shopping street, a heaving, dazzling commercial artery running from the historic Bund toward central Shanghai.

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  10. Shanghai World Financial Center

    Landmark

    The Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) is the distinctive 'bottle opener' skyscraper in Pudong's Lujiazui district, 492 metres tall, with a trapezoidal aperture near its top that gives it its nickname.

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  11. Former French Concession

    NeighborhoodFree entry

    The 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…

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  12. Tian Zi Fang

    NeighborhoodFree entry

    Tianzifang 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…

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  13. Shanghai Disneyland

    Park & nature

    Shanghai Disneyland is mainland China's first Disney theme park, a vast, world-class resort that blends classic Disney magic with distinctly Chinese touches.

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  14. Xintiandi

    NeighborhoodFree entry

    Xintiandi 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…

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  15. Jade Buddha Temple

    Religious site

    The Jade Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple in Shanghai, founded in 1882. It is known for two jade Buddha statues imported from Myanmar: a 1.95-meter, 3-ton sitting Buddha and a smaller reclining Buddha.

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The full picture, restaurants included, lives in the categories below.

Attractions & sights

Landmarks, museums, neighborhoods

142 places

Restaurants

Where to eat

Explore

Day trips

Escapes near the city

Coming soon

Experiences & tours

Book things to do

Coming soon

Photo spots

Best views

Coming soon

Wellness

Spas & relaxation

Coming soon

Off the beaten path

12 hidden gems in Shanghai

Like Wonderhand Spa and Biking Trail-China Outside Adventure, loved by reviewers, skipped by tour groups.

See them →

Get outdoors

12 outdoor adventures near Shanghai

Yu Garden (3 km away) and more, all within 100 km.

Explore →

For the kids

14 things to do with kids

Yu Garden and more the whole crew will rate.

Bring them →

Date night

12 romantic spots for couples

Yu Garden at two-person pace.

Slow down →

Costs nothing

15 free things to do in Shanghai

Verified free entry, The Bund (Wai Tan) included.

Spend nothing →
Best things to do in China
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