Looking for a 5-day Shanghai itinerary? I’ve got you covered!
I’ve lived in Shanghai for over a year, visited the place like 15 times, and worked at a Chinese company there. Shanghai is a city unlike any other because of the huge variety in things to do (check out my post 57 Things to Do in Shanghai!).
This is why Shanghai is a city that requires at least 5 days to see most of the great attractions.
In this guide, I’ll break down those 5 days so you can experience the most efficient trip, packed with the most fun activities.
5 Day Shanghai Itinerary
Here’s what we’ll cover over 5 days: historic areas, temples, modern Shanghai, and traditional neighborhoods.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yu Garden, The Bund & Nanjing Road | French Concession & Tianzifang | Jade Buddha, Jing’an Temple, Jing An Area, Xintiandi | People’s Square, People’s Park, Museums, or Nanjing Road | Modern Shanghai, Lujiazui & Pudong waterfront |
I divided this itinerary into five regions so that you don’t need to take too many taxis. This way, you can go to a starting point by subway or taxi and walk the whole thing from there throughout the day. This will save you time and money.
Day 1: Yu Garden, The Bund & Nanjing Road
Your first day hits Shanghai’s most famous waterfront, Yu Garden, and the main shopping street, Nanjing Road.
Morning
First day in Shanghai! To kick off our trip, we’ll start close to the lower area of the Bund at Yu Garden.
It’s smart to start here because Yu Garden gets very crowded during the day, and the Bund is so wide and spacious that it’s perfectly fine to visit it later on. The Bund is even better in the afternoon because it’s quite fun to do some people-watching.
After spending about an hour at Yu Garden and the Yu Garden bazaar, walk to the riverside, the Huangpu River, and start walking north along the Bund. The entire Bund waterfront is about a 30-minute walk!
Afternoon
The Bund is the famous waterfront stretch with all those colonial buildings on one side and the crazy futuristic skyline across the river. There are actually a lot of things to do in this area. Spend about 2 hours walking and taking photos.
I love this spot because the vibe changes all day. Morning has people doing tai chi and exercises. Afternoon gets packed with tourists and local live-streamers, quite fascinating to see! (Check out video below). Evening brings the epic light show. And at night, it turns into a peaceful riverside walk.
Bring a jacket because it gets way windier than in the city center!
Halfway through the Bund, you’ll see the busy shopping street Nanjing Road. Walk a bit further to the north and you’ll end up in a part of the Bund that most tourists skip. Way less crowded and honestly better for photos. It has this Chicago kind of vibe and architecture. From there, walk a short walk back to Nanjing Road and dive into the chaos.
It’s a pedestrian street loaded with shops, department stores, and food vendors. The walk all the way to People’s Square takes 30 to 40 minutes, but you’ll stop a lot.
Lunch can be anywhere along Nanjing Road, or duck into a side street for more local spots. Try shengjianbao (the pan-fried pork buns) or noodles. (Look for a place where they make fresh ones.)
Evening
Head back to the Bund for sunset and the light show. What I like to do is walk back through Hankou Road, it is the road parallel to Nanjing Road, but is much more local.
In the evening, the buildings on the Bund light up at 7 pm in summer, 6 pm in winter. It’s incredible!
The start is the best part, with all the European buildings lighting up one by one. The light moves fast along the entire Bund. Then lasers come out and it’s just spectacular.
Where To Have Dinner: Fellas Terrace. My absolute favorite restaurant (Italian) at the Bund. Make a reservation through their Instagram page.
If you’re up for some ‘nightlife activities’, check out my Complete Shanghai Nightlife Guide!
Day 2: French Concession & Tianzifang
The French Concession is my favorite area in Shanghai. Tree-lined streets, great cafes, tons of character. It’s a neighborhood you’d never expect to find in China.
Here’s my complete walk-through video on a rainy summer day to get a good sense of the area.
Morning
Start at Wukang Mansion. It’s undoubtedly the most famous (and crowded) spot in the French Concession.
What makes it so special is that the building is so not China-like. It’s this European/New York style building that’s one of a kind in China.
Stop at any cafe for proper coffee and breakfast. There are so many good options here.
My favorite thing to do in the French Concession is to get one of the many rental bikes. It’s such a beautiful area to explore, and it’s way bigger than you might think. By bike, it’s perfectly doable to see most of the great spots.
Check out my complete French Concession guide, with all the best things to do.
Afternoon
Walk or grab a quick taxi to Tianzifang. It’s like a maze of narrow alleyways packed with art galleries, craft shops, and little boutiques. Used to be a residential area, now it’s a local shopping district in Shanghai. It’s a bit touristy but still fun to explore. Also, check out the surrounding area with many cocktail bars like Shadow & Light.
Plan 2 to 3 hours here for wandering, shopping, and lunch. Food ranges from traditional Chinese to international. Try hongshao rou (red braised pork) or hairy crab if it’s the season (October to December).
After Tianzifang, go to Fuxing Park for a break. Watch locals doing tai chi, dancing, playing instruments. It’s a perfect snapshot of everyday Shanghai life.
Evening
The streets around Anfu Road and Wulumuqi Road have the best restaurants and bars. This is where locals and expats actually hang out, so it feels way more real than tourist spots.
Ferguson Lane has a bunch of different restaurants in one spot. Or book ahead at one of the nicer places in the French Concession. You’ll find everything from tiny noodle shops to high-end spots.
Yongkang Road is great for bar hopping. Good craft beer scene and a fun atmosphere.
Day 3: Temples, Jing’an & Xintiandi
Last day mixing a beautiful temple with an upscale shopping district.
Morning
Let’s go to the beautiful Jade Buddha Temple by taxi, as it is furthest away. What I like so much about this temple is that you won’t see many foreign tourists there, unlike at the Jing’an Temple.
It’s like 99% domestic tourists from all over China. It’s really interesting to see all the different Chinese tourists from various backgrounds.
Afternoon
After checking out Jade Buddha Temple, head to the Jing’an area, where you can do some shopping at Reeel Mall or go straight to the Jing’an Temple. The contrast of ancient architecture and modern buildings in the city is pretty cool.
Start at Jing’an Temple. Entry is 50 RMB (7 dollars), worth it! If you catch one of the ceremonies, it’s an incredible place for photos. Lots of different Buddha statues and actual Buddhists praying in the temple. Locals light up incense, throw coins at the middle statue and pray.
The surrounding area is great too. Live musicians on the street, big malls like the mall Reeel, and the contrast between the ancient temple and modern buildings is really unique.
Walk around the Jing’an area. High-end malls like Kerry Centre and Jing’an Joy City. Great restaurants. Streets with French plane trees. Stop at a cafe for coffee.
Lunch at the cross section between Fumin Road and Julu Road food street near Jing’an Temple. Mamamia is great but there are also a lot of local options.
Evening
From Jing’an temple, it’s not far to Xintiandi, a restored old district now known for more luxury brands, hyped products, and fancy food. Sounds a bit odd, but it’s a really nice area to check out. Especially the old alleys.
There are several alleys you can explore that have some great lunch and dinner places. Depending on the time of day, Polux by Paul Pairet is one of my favorite places for lunch or dinner in Shanghai.
Check out boutique shops, maybe visit the Open House Museum. The narrow alleyways and restored buildings show you what old Shanghai neighborhoods looked like.
Xintiandi has a lot of different restaurants, and it’s great for shopping, especially if the weather is nice and you don’t want to be indoors in a mall.
Day 4: People’s Square, Parks & Museums
Spend the day exploring Shanghai’s cultural side with free museums, local parks, and the heart of the city.
Morning & Afternoon
Start at People’s Square. It’s the center of Shanghai and way less touristy than you’d expect for such a central location.
The square is huge, and you’ll see locals flying kites, doing exercises, or just hanging out. It’s a good spot to people-watch and see everyday Shanghai life.
My favorite museums on or close to People’s Square:
The Natural History Museum is really impressive. An extensive collection of fossils and giant restored dinosaur skeletons, and many other nature history related things (Makes sense for a natural history museum!). I love this place, it’s great for kids but also for adults in my opinion. It’s like a 15-minute walk from People’s Park, which is close to People’s Square. It has a 4.6 rating on Google Maps after 32,000 reviews!
The Shanghai Museum is there, and it’s free. Huge collection of ancient Chinese artifacts. The museum is huge, so pick what interests you. The ancient bronze collection on the ground floor is incredible.
Pro tip: The museum closes at 5 pm and stops letting people in at 4 pm. Plan accordingly.
The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is also worth a visit, and also free! It’s about the city’s development and future plans. It’s pretty crazy how fast Shanghai has developed. I always wonder why towns in my home country don’t develop so fast. After 10 years, things are still kind of the same, while Shanghai has become a city of the future.
For something different, check out Jing’an Sculpture Park nearby. It’s a modern park with contemporary art sculptures scattered around. Free entry, nice for a walk, good Instagram spots.
Evening
After all these activities, head to this Starbucks, but now it’s the third biggest after Chicago and Tokyo. It’s quite a fun experience (if you don’t mind the higher prices).
If you want something else, still, go to that Starbucks because the entire surrounding area is great. Louis Vuitton built a ship right there in the city, which is impressive to see! And there are tons of places to eat and drink.
Day 5: Modern Shanghai & Lujiazui
This is the futuristic part of Shanghai, all skyscrapers and modern architecture. Perfect to close your Shanghai trip with a banger!
Morning
Cross the street from your hotel (I recommend Waldorf Astoria) to the Ferry to the Pudong side, and go straight to Shanghai Tower. The tallest building in China, the views are totally worth the price of going up.
The 118th-floor observation deck is what you want. Go around 6 pm if you can, you’ll catch the sunset and see both day and night views. Might be crowded then, but it’s worth it. You’ll see the city change from daylight to night as lights start to turn on across the enormous city.
The elevator goes up 127 floors in 55 seconds. It’s crazy. Tickets are 180 RMB (about 45 dollars). You can book online or get them at the booth. Weekdays are less crowded, but I’ve been a few times, and it’s never been really terrible (as all of Shanghai actually, except during Golden Week…).
Walk around Lujiazui, the area with the tall buildings, to see the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center (we call it the bottle opener), and other buildings up close. Great for photos.
Afternoon
Lunch at IFC Mall or in Shanghai Tower. Every budget and cuisine you can think of is there.
Afternoon is mall time if you want some more shopping. IFC Mall is fancy with luxury brands. Super Brand Mall has more variety. These malls aren’t just shopping, they’re like entertainment complexes.
If you visit Shanghai with your kids, the Aquarium is pretty cool to visit in Lujiazui.
Evening
Last evening, revisit your favorite neighborhood from earlier in the week. Shop for souvenirs. Try that restaurant you didn’t get to. Xintiandi is a great place to visit in the evening as well for a late dinner. If you haven’t seen the light show at the Bund, go check it out, or try one of the many cocktail bars near Tianzifang.
I’d recommend dining at one of the restaurants on the Pudong side of the river, on the side of the tall buildings. The restaurants are not as authentic as on the Bund side, but the view is epic, and you get to see the city from the other side, which you don’t often see.
And it’s a great place to go for a walk after dinner along the river. There are plenty of options for ice cream or other desserts.
Take the ferry back to the hotel one more time and enjoy the view.
Where To Stay
Stay in the French Concession or near People’s Square. Best access to everything, dining, nightlife, and most things to do. The French Concession has the most charm with tree-lined streets and a neighborhood vibe. People’s Square is more central, super convenient for the metro.
Don’t stay in Pudong unless you specifically want to be near the financial district. You’ll waste too much time crossing the river.
👍 Campanile The Bund: ⭐⭐⭐ / 8.2 on Booking.com
The place where you get the best value for your money in Shanghai. Nothing fancy, but a great location, and I always had a good experience there. It’s within walking distance from the Bund (a nice scenic walk through some local streets), and it is very affordable. Breakfast is OK with Western and local options.
👍 The Langham Xintiandi: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 9.1 (Location: 9.7!)
- It’s right next to Xintiandi.
- Very close to Huaihai Lu, which is excellent for shopping.
- Close to People’s Square and the National Museum.
- Surrounded by several parks.
- 15 to 20-minute walk from the Bund
- Save money on taxis since many of the things to see and do are within walking distance
This hotel is a bit more expensive than Campanile, but the location is even better.
👉 Waldorf Astoria: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 9.2
Absolutely incredible place, classic and romantic style, right at the Bund. Walking distance from Yu Garden, the Bund, and Nanjing Road. Especially for first-time visitors, this is a superb hotel. The ferry to Pudong is also right across the street. Around $300 to 400 per night.
Especially for Christmas/the Holidays, this is such a nice place to stay.
Some recommend the Peace Hotel; it’s a bit more central, and while it has a similar classic style to the Waldorf, it‘s older and just a bit less fresh in my opinion.
Quick reference: here’s where each hotel is located so you can see which fits your plans best
6 Essential Tips About Hotels in Shanghai
No matter which area you pick, here’s what you need to know about staying in Shanghai:
1. Hotel rejections for foreigners: You might’ve heard hotels turn away foreign tourists. I got rejected multiple times at local hotels, which was bizarre! But good news, this doesn’t happen anymore.
Back then, hotels needed a special permit to host foreigners. Not every local hotel had one because it was expensive and involved tons of paperwork. Hotels without the permit faced fines if they accepted foreigners. That’s all changed now, thankfully!
2. Language barriers: International hotels usually have English-speaking staff, but not always. Even bigger brands surprise you sometimes. Have Google Translate ready (needs VPN), but WeChat works better. You can scan Chinese text and translate it directly in WeChat.
3. Safety notes: Shanghai is super safe. Walking around at night is totally fine. But don’t chat online about sensitive topics like the government, Taiwan, the president, or anything politically touchy in China. They monitor it, and the police might contact you.
4. Price fluctuations: Hotel prices jump during holidays and trade fairs. Book outside these times if you can. Train tickets sell out fast around holidays too.
5. Location matters: Check if your hotel is near a metro station. Taxis work fine but metro access makes everything way easier and cheaper, alltho taxi’s arent that expensive in China.
6. Payment methods: Shanghai is almost completely cashless but carry some cash for taxis in case your card fails. Everything runs on WeChat or Alipay. You can connect credit cards to Alipay now, which helps.
Airbnb & Guesthouses: What You Need To Know
Besides hotels, you’ve got other options, but here’s the important part: Renting an Airbnb or similar place means you HAVE to register at the police station within 24 hours of arriving. Don’t forget this! If you’re staying at a hotel, they do this for you, but not at an Airbnb or guesthouse.
They may help you. You might get added to a chat group, for instance, with several people helping you through the process.
Sounds intimidating, but it’s not. The police are super friendly (I’ve dealt with them countless times, sounds strange, I know). Just go there, and they’ll help, or your Airbnb host will walk you through it.
Here’s how it works: At the police station, scan a QR code, enter your name, passport details, upload a passport photo, and add your email. Submit it and you’ll get confirmation within an hour. You don’t need to wait around. The whole thing takes maybe ten minutes.
It’s sometimes worth checking out guesthouses on Booking.com. Often they are much cheaper than hotels, and you can stay in some very unique and local places like the guesthouse below. But as I said, it takes some effort to get everything sorted.
Getting Around
Paying in China
China is a bit of an odd duck for tourists. It takes a bit of effort to get everything sorted, like paying, visas, getting a taxi, VPN, and Google Maps is blocked.
The two most important things are:
- SIM card by Airalo (You don’t need a VPN with this SIM Card). Check if your phone accepts e-SIMs.
- Connecting your credit card to Alipay. This is what you’ll use to pay for everything, including the rental bikes. You need a good internet connection to unlock the bikes; otherwise, it won’t work.
Subway
Shanghai’s metro is one of the best in the world. Clean, efficient, cheap, covers the whole city. Single rides cost 3 to 9 RMB (50 cents to $1.50) depending on the distance. You can get a transportation card at any station or use Alipay’s metro QR code.
Taxis
Taxis are everywhere and cheap. Use Didi app (Chinese Uber) to avoid language issues. Most rides in the city center cost 20 to 40 RMB ($3 to $6). Even the more expensive taxis, like the one below, are still very affordable and will only cost a few dollars more.
Rental Bikes
Bikes are everywhere. Unlock them with Alipay, just a few RMB per ride. Perfect for exploring neighborhoods. You can drop them off basically anywhere.
Walking
Walking is great for many areas, especially the French Concession, the Bund, and Nanjing Road. Getting from one place to another doesn’t take long, so you can go to several spots in a day.
FAQs
Here are answers to some common questions about Shanghai.
Is Shanghai worth visiting for tourists?
Shanghai is one of my favorite cities to visit, at least in the top 3. It’s definitely worth visiting. Every time my friends go, they are totally surprised by the city, the incredible Bund, the French Concession, classic Chinese elements, and the overall, somehow, relaxed vibe!
What is the rainiest month in Shanghai?
The rainiest month in Shanghai is June, through July and also August a bit. But, in my experience, these are mostly heavy but short showers, although there will be days it might rain the whole day. Luckily, there are a lot of things to do indoors in Shanghai, and taxis are available everywhere.
Is 4 days in Shanghai enough?
4 days in Shanghai should be enough to see most of the attractions. But 5 days would be perfect!
Do I need a visa for Shanghai?
Most nationalities need a visa for China, but Shanghai offers a 144 hour (6 day) visa-free transit if you’re flying in and out to different countries. Check the requirements for your nationality before booking.
Is English widely spoken in Shanghai?
English is limited outside of tourist areas and high end hotels. Download a translation app and have your hotel address written in Chinese. Most younger people understand basic English, and locals are generally helpful.
What’s the best time to visit Shanghai?
Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) are ideal. Comfortable temperatures, less rain. Avoid Chinese New Year (late January or early February) and Golden Week (first week of October) when everything is way too crowded and more expensive.
Final Thoughts & Tips
I’ve lived in Shanghai for over a year, visited the place like 15 times, and worked at a Chinese company there. Shanghai is a city unlike any other, the huge variety in things to do (check out my post 57 things to do in Shanghai!), safety, futuristic skylines, traditional Chinese neighborhoods, and European-style buildings make it such a unique place. And while over 25 million people are living there, it never feels really crowded or rushed.
Traveling from one activity to another in Shanghai doesn’t take too long, so you can easily do several activities in a day. Unlock a bike with Alipay and explore the city (connect your credit card to Alipay), get a SIM card before going to stay connected (you also need it to unlock bikes), learn how to say thank you (Xie Xie) and hello (Ni Hao) in Chinese, and you’ll have a fantastic trip.
You’ll notice that China and Shanghai are much different from how they are often portrayed in the news.
Hopefully, this itinerary will help you have an unforgettable trip in Shanghai!
Here are some related posts to help plan your Shanghai trip:
- 22 BEST Things To Do In The French Concession (Expert)
- 57 Things To Do In Shanghai: The Ultimate Handbook
- 15 Unique Things to do in Shanghai Near the Bund
- Is Yu Garden Worth Visiting in 2025? Full Guide & Review
- Shanghai at Night: 24+ Best Things to Do & 8 Expert Tips
