Shanghai: the city's best neighborhoods
Find a great area to stay in Shanghai
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The Bund
0.9 miles from downtown
Best enjoyed from the ground up. Start at street level for some grade-A people-watching on the boardwalk. Get above the crowds and soar to the clouds – M on the Bund serves classic martinis on the roof terrace, with the Shanghai skyline delivering a breathtaking backdrop. Recline on the daybeds at Vue Bar and cool off in the terrace whirlpool.
Places to stay from $22 a night
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Jing'an
1.6 miles from downtown
Loud, crowded and a dream destination for tourists and expats. The trio of malls forms a golden triangle where you can burn through your holiday spends. Expats queue at City Supermarket for their fix of imported western food. Shop till you drop and then stroll through Jing’an Park. Hit the Sauna Room at the Equatorial Hotel for a quick detox.
Places to stay from $12 a night
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Huangpu
0.4 miles from downtown
Xiaolongbao is a dish that’s not to miss. Tuck into these delicate pork-filled dumplings at Nanxiag Xiaolongbao Restaurant in City God Temple. Once you’ve had your fill, work it all off with a stroll through Dongtai Road Antiques Market for retro homeware and kitsch souvenirs.
Places to stay from $10 a night
About Shanghai
Including tips for the best time to visit Shanghai
While Shanghai’s skyline may portray a futuristic outlook, the Chinese city remains one of the oldest in the world. Situated on the famous Yangtze River, Shanghai is home to dynasty-era temples, waterways and a proud heritage that combines both Asian and Western cultures.
Dating back over 6,000 years, Shanghai has grown to become one of the world’s most populous and important financial cities. As a vital trading point between Europe and the Far East during the Song dynasty, the city experienced a golden age that continued throughout the 19th-century, through the Japanese occupation of WWll and into the present day, where the influences of such events can still be felt.
The futurist architecture of the Jin Mao and Oriental Pearl Tower offer breathtaking views of the city and nearby historical districts, while Shanghai’s heritage can be found at the Jade Buddha Temple. Take a boat tour along the Yangtze River to the Zhujiajiao Watertown to find traditional cuisine and markets or humour the children with a once in a lifetime trip to Shanghai Disneyland.
The diverse blend of eastern and western culture is present across Shanghai’s food scene, with many restaurants serving European staples. Head to popular chain restaurants like Din Tai Fung for hot soup dumplings and steamed crab or the Wujiang and Zaphu Road for market stalls selling Peking duck, rice bowls and pork.
Tonight
From $46 per night
Next weekend
From $90 per night
| Most popular time to visit | October-December |
| Cheapest time to visit | January-March |
| Local currency | CNY 10 = $1.49 |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Average weekend price | $155 per night |
| Average weekday price | $169 per night |
| Average stay | 2 nights |
Points of interest in Shanghai
Stay near the top sightseeing spots in Shanghai
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Pedestrian Street of East Nanjing Rd.
0.4 miles from downtown
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Jin Mao Tower
1.7 miles from downtown
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Oriental Pearl Tower
1.6 miles from downtown
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People's Square
In downtown
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Shanghai Stadium
3.9 miles from downtown
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Yu Garden
0.9 miles from downtown
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Jing'an Temple
1.9 miles from downtown
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Shanghai reviews
What other travelers say about Shanghai
It is impossible not to love this city.
October 7, 2021
It is impossible not to love this city. It has everything from architecture and culture to various restaurants and bars and there are also many places near to visit. It combines the classic with the modern, but best advice is to avoid chinese festivity days because everything becomes overcrowded!
It is a vibrant city with a lot of shopping places as well...
July 6, 2021
It is a vibrant city with a lot of shopping places as well as eating places. I was hoping that the city would have bilingual services especially at subway station. There are places that had difficulty to navigate due to language barriers.
A wonderful city.
June 27, 2021
A wonderful city. Greatly improved in the past two years (was great even then). Loved the Bund and the promenade on the other side, loved Xintiandi and the French concession. Loved the street food. Loved the fact that you can easily bike all day for few Yuan. Simply loved the city.
A fabulous city that I enjoy visiting often.
May 13, 2021
A fabulous city that I enjoy visiting often. We ate at M on the Bund - not cheap but great location and delicious food. Yershari in the Super Brand shopping centre in Pudong is also very good to eat at.
I live in Shanghai.
January 29, 2021
I live in Shanghai. I've lived here for two years already. During our time here, my husband and I have discovered a few things to see and do here. For example, The Natural History Museum, the amazing light shown on The Bund at night time, the great shopping areas of East Nanjing and West Nanjing street, some beautiful 5-star hotels, local cuisine, exciting bars for ex-pats and some very big shopping Malls. All of these things are great places to see and experience if you are a couple without children or have older kids or just single. It is not an ideal place for a young family to visit as it's a big city with not very much to do for young children.
The city is beautiful and modern - toilets are western and...
August 5, 2020
The city is beautiful and modern - toilets are western and clean. It was very easy to get around on the subway but difficult or almost impossible for foreigners to enter museums, art galleries and tourist sites without a QR health code which foreigners cannot actually get. I carried my negative results of my covid19 test around so I could enter buildings. It was however a slow and tedious process.
Popular places to stay in Shanghai
Stay in some of the best accommodations Shanghai has to offer
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Green Court Place Jingqiao Middle Ring Shanghai Pudong, Shanghai
From $179 per night
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The Sukhothai Shanghai Downtown Shanghai, Shanghai
From $234 per night
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The Langham, Shanghai, Xintiandi Downtown Shanghai, Shanghai
From $194 per night
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Primus Residence Shanghai Hongqiao Shanghai, China
From $102 per night
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