Shanghai travel blog — The fullest Shanghai travel guide for first-timers

This Shanghai tourist destination will give you the feeling of returning to the days of the Republic of China. Because most of the works recreated are almost identical to the originals. You will see Department Store Building No. 1, Xintiandi neighborhood…

Not only is it open to visitors, filming still takes place at the studio (but if there is filming, the whole filming area will be blocked from visiting).

How to go: You take mentro line 1 from the city center to Xinzhuang station, then change to line 5 to continue to Minhang Development Zone station. Then take a taxi to go to Shanghai Film Park.

Shanghai Tower

• Address: 501 Yincheng Middle Rd, Lu Jia Zui, Lujiazui Residential District, Pudong Xinqu
• Opening hours: 8:30 – 21:30
• Ticket price: 180 yuan – Buy tickets in advance here
• Directions: Metro Line 2 – Lujiazai – Exit 6

Lujiazui area is home to the most modern high-rise buildings in Shanghai city. Among them, the most prominent is still the 128-storey Shanghai Tower. This is the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world.

You can buy tickets to the observation deck on the 118th floor of Shanghai Tower to see the panoramic view of Shanghai city. The view up here is quite blurry due to the glass covering it.

I went at sunset but couldn’t see anything clearly. I had to wait until the whole city was lit up to be beautiful. You can book tickets online or buy at the counter (queuing takes 10 minutes).

Huangpu River

The Huangpu River is known as the Mother River of Shanghai. It divides Pudong, Puxi from the world-famous the Bund and Lujiazui financial centers. Admiring the brilliant night view of the Huangpu River is an indispensable stop for visitors to Shanghai. You can also take a cruise on the river to admire the extremely poetic and romantic scenery on both banks.

With a total length of about 113 km and a river width of 300 – 700 meters, the Huangpu River flows through various districts of Shanghai and is the symbol of this flourishing metropolis.

Chenghuang Miao (City God Temple of Shanghai)

Address: 249 Fangbang Middle Rd, Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200000
Hours: 8:30 AM–4:30 PM

Among the modern high-rise buildings in the city, somewhere still looms ancient architectural features from the Ming Dynasty, which are being preserved in the area of the Imperial Chenghuang Miao.

Although the name is a temple, there is actually no temple at all inside this neighborhood. This entire area is a complex of houses and two gardens built in the 15th century. Currently, most of the buildings on the grounds of the City God Temple of Shanghai have been used as restaurants, fashion stores and hotels.

Around this Shanghai tourist destination, it is always bustling with people. Revealing to you that the Imperial Chenghuang Miao is very sparkling at night, and there are many more attractive dishes.

Going to Chenghuang Miao, you can fully experience Shanghai’s folk customs, sample famous local snacks and dishes. Every night, the colorful lights on the ancient buildings make the place beautiful.

Yu Garden

Address: 279 Yu Yuan Lao Jie, Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200000

Located in the tourist area of Chenghuang Miao, Yu Garden is a classical garden with a history of more than 400 years. It has a sophisticated design and a rare quietness in a bustling city like Shanghai. When you visit Yu Garden, you can also see hundreds of famous inscriptions and stone carving collections.

In addition to Yu Garden, Shanghai also has a number of other famous gardens such as Guyuan, Drunk Baichi, Qiuxiayu, Qushuiyuan…

Xintiandi (# shanghai guide)

Xintiandi street located near Huaihai Road was formerly known as the old Shikum alley. Today, it is a fashionable spot frequented by young people and a must-see tourist destination. During the day, you can admire the beautiful street views and enjoy leisurely afternoon tea. In the evening, you can go to different bars to experience the bustling nightlife in Shanghai.

There are many food stalls, commercial, entertainment and cultural shops along both sides of the road. Xintiandi Street has blue tiles, red and green brick walls, thick lacquered doors. Walking through here will give you the feeling that you are reliving the years 1920 – 1930.

Madame Tussauds Shanghai

Madame Tussauds Shanghai is located next to Nanjing Road and has a famous collection of wax figures. Here, you can dance with Michael Jackson, quarrel with Sun Hao, the emperor’s “Four Lord”, see Yao Ming, play with Beckham and even shoot Obama. It’s really interesting, isn’t it?

In Madame Tussauds museum, you can learn about the process of making wax statues and have hands-on experiences such as competing in making models of famous people’s hands… However, you can also make your own hand wax model and keep it as a souvenir here.

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (# shanghai city guide)

Address: China, Shanghai, Pudong, Lujiazui
Hours: 9 AM–6 PM

Shanghai Aquarium Park is located next to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, where you can see not only freshwater creatures, marine creatures from around the world but also exciting animal performances.

There are 4 tunnels at the bottom of the aquarium. If you get lost here, you just need to look up and you will see magical sharks or sea turtles swimming right above your head.

Jade Buddha Temple

Address: 170 Anyuan Rd, Jing’An, China, 200061

Jade Buddha Temple is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Shanghai. Besides its ancient and sacred beauty, this pagoda is also famous for its Buddha statue, exquisitely carved from a block of white jade from Burma. This is why you should visit the temple to admire this 19th-century statue.

When visiting the temple, remember to maintain order, dress neatly and discreetly, and do not film or take photos because this is a temple of worship for local people.

World Financial Center

If you want to see the panoramic view of Shanghai from above, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the World Financial Center when coming to this city. This is considered the most magnificent building in Shanghai in particular and the world in general because it holds the record for being the building with the highest roof in the world with 101 floors, 492m high.

Dine at a luxury restaurant and watch Shanghai transform by night from an unlikely location is sure to be a memorable experience in your trip. Come and let us know how you feel?

Take a cruise on the Huangpu River

Another way to see the city and its charming Shanghai Bund is to cruise along the Huangpu River. Standing on the cruise ship, visitors will feel the atmosphere as well as the vibrant and bustling beauty along the river banks.

The time for a cruise trip lasts about 1 – 4 hours, especially if you go in the evening, you will be served a luxurious dinner. Evening is the best time for you to book a cruise trip. When the light from the tall buildings shines straight onto the Huangpu River, it creates a shimmering, surreal photo frame that couldn’t be more wonderful.

Shanghai Centre Theatre

Address: 1376 Nanjing Rd (W), 南京西路 Jing’An, Shanghai, China, 200041

In addition to unique cuisine and interesting sightseeing spots, enjoying a concert at Shanghai Centre Theater is also another great experience. In particular, when visiting Shanghai Centre Theater, visitors should definitely not miss the world’s most famous circus performances including balancing acts, contortion, coordinated juggling and discus throwing… With the incredible talent and technique of the artists, your 2 hours will definitely not be wasted.

Where to stay?

Not all hotels in China are allowed to accept foreign guests. To know whether the hotel accepts foreign guests or not, read the reviews. If you see any language beyond Chinese, it proves that the hotel is allowed to accept foreign guests.

Hotels that are allowed to accept foreign guests in Shanghai will check in international guests using a facial recognition system (while in Beijing, we do not have this case when checking in).

Hotel room prices in Shanghai are relatively expensive but the quality is not very good. And especially the receptionist here speaks English very bad (only in central areas with tourists, luckily the receptionist can speak a few English sentences).

As a major city in China, this city offers all types of hotels from budget to luxury. Please refer to the Shanghai hotels below for your trip.

FX Hotel Xujiahui Shanghai Stadium Branch

This hotel has a 4-star standard, located in the center of Xujiahui and Everbright Xuhui. This place features 118 rooms for visitors to choose from. And you can rest assured because the equipment is fully furnished. In addition, customer service is considered very good by the attentive and enthusiastic staff.

The cost per night is about $43 for a double room of about 15m2. Considered quite economical for your budget. Come and experience it.

Shanghai Chi Chen Boutique Hotel

Shanghai Chi Chen Boutique Hotel is a 3-star hotel with full amenities. Especially here is the extremely spacious parking lot and includes airport shuttle service. The staff is considered enthusiastic, thoughtful and dedicated. They are ready to advise you on tourist attractions or questions about their city.

When traveling to Shanghai, you can freely choose the form of accommodation from 5-star hotels to motels or apartments for rent @heremagazine

Guhua Garden Hotel Shanghai

Guhua Garden Hotel Shanghai is also another 3-star hotel in Shanghai.

With room prices ranging from only $37, and there are up to 138 rooms with full amenities such as TV, refrigerator, wifi… for visitors to choose from. The service here is quite good, the staff are enthusiastic and friendly enough to give this affordable hotel 10 points, right?

In my opinion, you should book a room near Nanjing Walking Street and near metro stations for convenience. Although it is cheaper to live far away, it is very tiring to go back and forth, and the receptionists in these areas are not very good at English.

I discovered this because during my trip to Shanghai, I booked a room in 2 different zones. The first few days, I stayed at Shanghai Holland Hotel, near MRT Zhongsan Bei. This hotel is close to my friend’s house and is a residential area, so there are very few restaurants around.

The next day, I moved to Baron Business Hotel, near Nanjing Road and Shanghai Wharf. This was the cheapest option and had 2 single beds at the time of my booking. However, the staff here has very good English, different from the first hotel I stayed at.

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Hotel Equatorial Shanghai (Agoda, Booking)
• Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai (Agoda, Booking)
• The Langham Shanghai Xintiandi (Agoda, Booking)
• InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin (Agoda, Booking)
• Cordis, Shanghai, Hongqiao (Agoda, Booking)
• Campanile Shanghai Bund Hotel (Agoda, Booking)
• The PuLi Hotel and Spa (Agoda, Booking)
• SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Bund (Agoda, Booking)
• The PuLi Hotel and Spa (Agoda, Booking)
• The Peninsula Shanghai (Agoda, Booking)
• Shanghai Marriott Marquis City Centre (Agoda, Booking)

Check out more top & best hotels in Shanghai on Agoda.com or Booking.com

What to eat?

The Chinese have a saying “South-sweet, north-salty, east-hot and west-sour.” and Shanghai cuisine belongs to the “South sweet” category. For that reason, the dishes here are often less greasy, fresh and have a very characteristic sweet flavor. Furthermore, in the cooking process, from selecting ingredients to presenting the dish, is given great importance. No wonder the dishes here are compared to beautiful women.

Below are some famous traditional dishes that domestic and foreign tourists come to Shanghai must enjoy.

Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Sheng Jian Bao)

Pan-Fried Pork Buns (Shengjianbao) can be said to be a typical Shanghai snack with a history of hundreds of years. Its characteristics are: Crispy outside, juicy, delicious meat. The flavors of meat, oil, onions and sesame linger in the mouth.

Shanghai Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

When it comes to Shanghai Soup Dumplings, the dumplings at Nanxiang Xiaolongbao are the most famous. This dish is very famous, originating from the town of Nanxiang on the outskirts of Shanghai. It has a small size, thin transparent shell and is steamed using a special small bamboo basket, so it is also called “(small cage dumpling)”. The taste is delicious, fatty but not greasy, very frugal and worth enjoying.

Shanghai-Style Braised Pork Belly (Hong Shao Rou)

Shanghai’s braised pork is sweeter than other places. This dish includes soy sauce, sugar, Hangzhou braised pork (dongpo meat), Wuxi braised pork with a very thick and red oil sauce.

Shanghai Savory Mooncakes (Xian Rou Yue Bing)

The savory mooncakes are very crispy, the meat inside is delicious and you can taste the delicious sauce in every bite. The taste of the cake is very light, much less fat than the traditional moon cake. The most famous mooncakes is in Guangming Village.

Stir-fried rice cakes

There are many delicious cakes in Shanghai made from rice, a typical ingredient of the ancient agricultural civilization. In Shanghai there are many traditional rice cake shops such as Wang Jiasha and Shen Dacheng. Snack shops everywhere are also very popular with young people.

Shanghai Sweet and Sour Ribs

The Shanghai sweet and sour ribs dish, sweet and tender, the meat is best eaten when it is cold. Almost every restaurant in Shanghai has this dish and visitors coming here cannot miss it.

Smoked fish (Xun Yu)

Smoked fish is very popular in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. This dish is a cold dish. The pieces of fish are marinated for more than three hours with more than ten different spices so they are very soft, and the sauce is sweet and not spicy at all, making it very enjoyable for visitors to enjoy.

Crab Roe with Tofu

Crab Roe with Tofu is a flavorful dish in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai. It is made by cooking crab meat with yellow tofu. The dish has a delicious taste and is smooth and soft and is very popular in Shanghai.

Chinese Tea Eggs

Chinese Tea Eggs is considered a famous dish of Shanghainese. When mentioning this beautiful city, it is certainly impossible not to enjoy it and is considered the most worth trying dish when coming here. Egg tea’s main ingredients are braised eggs with star anise, cinnamon bark, etc. When eaten, it has a light, relaxing scent. This dish has a fairly frugal flavor, suitable for morning breakfast.

Shanghai steamed dumplings

It’s no exaggeration to say that Shanghai steamed dumplings are the ultimate street food. If you are a lover of culinary tourism, you should not miss this dumpling dish. The two most popular types are vegetarian dumplings and steamed dumplings, each with its own unique flavor.

Shark fin soup

Shanghai shark fin soup is called a “high-end dish” famous not only in China but also in the world. However, the price paid is not cheap. But if possible, you should enjoy this dish when traveling to Shanghai.

Yangcheng Lake Crab

This is a species of crab that lives in Yangcheng Lake and is only found in Shanghai. This species of crab has a rather strange shape compared to other crab species. It has a blue color covered with feathers and a scrumptious flavor. You can taste fried or steamed Yangcheng crab at several restaurants in Shanghai.

Where to eat?

• Shanghai Ren Jia House: Where you can enjoy many delicious and cheap dishes such as Shanghai dumplings, drunken shrimp (shrimp soaked in wine)…
• Wang Baohe Restaurant: This is the world of crab dishes and wine. If you want to eat delicious Yangcheng lake crab, come here.
• Xiao Shaoxing Restaurant: The main dishes of this restaurant are chicken foot soup, chicken blood and chicken dishes.
• Xinjishi Restaurant: This restaurant is a bit shabby, but the food is delicious and super cheap. The most popular dishes here are: soy-braised pork, pickled eggplant, crab-flavored tofu…
•  Jian Guo Restaurant: The famous dining destination in Shanghai attracts the most tourists with its cozy space, delicious, abundant food and affordable prices. For less than 100 yuan, you can have a full meal with many dishes at this restaurant.
• Shanghai markets are a great place for those who love and want to explore Shanghai’s street food.

What and where to shop in Shanghai?

Have fun, eat, drink, take pictures but don’t forget to shop. You can refer to the gifts you should buy and some shopping locations in the detailed article here!

Suggested Shanghai itinerary 5 days

You should spend 4 days or more to explore Shanghai. During my trip to China, I went to three places: Shanghai – Beijing – Suzhou, in which Shanghai was the main transit point. So I spent 2 more days in Suzhou and 3 more days in Beijing.

The following itinerary is the days I spent in Shanghai. You can alternate Suzhou and Beijing into the itinerary below.

DAY 1: Fly to Shanghai – Nanjing Pedestrian Street – The Bund

I flew to Shanghai at 2:15 p.m., then it was over 5pm after I finished checking in and got back to the hotel. So after eating, you can only visit Nanjing Pedestrian Street, then go to the Bund area to admire the night view.

DAY 2: Xintiandi – Kikyo Space – The Bund

The next day in Shanghai, we visited Xintiandi and Kikyo Space (a virtual living photography museum). Then in the evening, I went back to Shanghai Bund again, because I hadn’t played full the day before.

DAY 3: Shanghai Film Park – Shanghai Tower – Shanghai City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao)

Because Shanghai Film Park is quite far from the center, I spent half a day here. Around 3pm, go back to Shanghai Tower to see the panoramic view of the city. In the evening, go to the Chenghuang Miao area to eat and visit.

DAY 4: Powerlong Museum – Light Museum – Lujiazui – Flair Rooftop

Last day in Shanghai, for photography activities, eating and shopping.

DAY 5: Go to the airport to return to Hanoi

Travel costs

In general, the cost of self-sufficient travel to Shanghai is relatively expensive, especially air tickets and hotels. However, the cost of food and transportation in the city is quite cheap. To save money, you should hunt for cheap air tickets and book hotel rooms early.

The following is a summary of my self-sufficient travel costs to Shanghai, you can refer to it:

TRANSPORTATION
Hanoi - Shanghai round trip air ticket	2,265 ¥	* Prices change from time to time
Maglev train tickets	50 ¥
Traveling for 5 days	219 ¥	* Includes subway and taxi rides
Taxi to the airport	220 ¥
ACCOMMODATIONS
Holland Hotel for 2 nights	426 ¥
Barron Bussiness Hotel for 3 nights	1041 ¥
PLACES TO VISIT
Shanghai Film Park	80 ¥	*Buy at the counter or pre-order here
Kikyo Space	99 ¥
Light Museum	79 ¥
Powerlong Museum	50 ¥
Shanghai Tower Observation Deck	180 ¥	*Buy at the counter or pre-order here
SHOPPING
Souvenirs	30 ¥
SIM Card	200 ¥
EATING
Food for 5 days	500 ¥
TOTAL	5,439 ¥	750 USD

Some notes and tips before you go

Language: Remember that most Shanghai locals do not speak English. So to have the most complete trip, learn basic communication sentences in advance or bring a mini dictionary for tourists (of course, in the case of a tour, this is not necessary). At the same time, bring a map, write down the hotel address and emergency phone number for tourists, etc. so that if any problem occurs, you can respond promptly.

Money: Shanghai residents rarely use the US dollar. Therefore, if you want to buy or sell goods here, you should exchange to yuan (CNY) before going to China. In case of urgent need, you can also exchange money at banks or some places that specialize in exchanging money for tourists. Make sure you have enough knowledge to not be disadvantaged in this case! The use of USD in China in general and Shanghai in particular is not very common. Except for some places that specialize in selling goods to tourists, all denominations and currencies can be accepted, but otherwise, Chinese Yuan is still the most popular. At the same time, photocopy your passport so you can exchange money at banks when you run out of money.

If you come to Shanghai in the summer, don’t forget to bring sunscreen, umbrella, handheld fan, etc. because the summer here is quite hot and sunny.

I exchanged money for yuan at Ha Trung street, Hanoi. When exchanging money, the staff also advised me that the 100¥ note is very often counterfeited, so you need to pay attention to this note.

Bring your passport with you because you will be checked at any time on the street (usually the police will not be too harsh on this case, you can show the passport photo saved on your phone for check).

When traveling to China on your own in general and to Shanghai in particular, you should pre-install some necessary applications to support during the trip such as Baidu, WeChat, Didi…

Shanghai is one of the extremely safe cities, I don’t feel afraid when walking at midnight. The reason is because many security cameras with facial recognition systems are installed all over the city. Anyone who does anything unusual will be found out immediately.

If you don’t know how to arrange your Shanghai travel itinerary, you can refer to Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour. This tour will go to the main tourist attractions in the city such as People’s Square, Jade Buddha Temple, Oriental Pearl Tower… For details, please refer to the following link.

Above is all the information you need to know about traveling to Shanghai, hopefully it will be helpful for your upcoming trip.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Shanghai you can refer to

• Shanghai By Night
• Best of Shanghai Half Day Tour
• Essential Shanghai 3 Day Private Tour
• Shanghai Museum Half Day Tour
• 2 Days Shanghai Private Tour
• Modern Shanghai Private Day Tour
• Shanghai City Walking Tour
• Traditional Shanghai Private Day Tour
• Private Shanghai Classic Full Day Bike Tour
• Shanghai Disneyland Admission Ticket
• Shanghai Disneyland Admission (90 days calendar)
• Huangpu River Cruise（Qingjiang Line）
• Yu Garden Admission Ticket in Shanghai
• Shanghai Tower 118th Floor Observation Deck Ticket
• Shanghai Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
• Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park Ticket
• Shanghai Pudong International Airport Transfers
• [World Highest Skywalk] Shanghai Jin Mao Tower 88th Floor Exclusive Skywalk Experience
• [Bund View·Klook Exclusive] Shanghai Magic Jungle Ticket
• Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden
• Shanghai EF PARK Power Formula Park
• Shanghai Disneyland Annual Pass
• Shanghai Disneyland (1 Day Admission/2 Day Admission)
• Oriental Pearl Tower
• CMHK | HK 7 Days unlimited data + 200 HK Local Mins + 1GB Mainland China and Macau data (HK Airport Pick Up)
• [Thailand Pick Up] Dtac GO INTER SIM Card Zone 1(Asia, Australia, USA, exclude Thailand)
• 4G LTE WiFi (MNL Airport Pick Up) for Asia
• 4G Portable WiFi (Manila Delivery) for Asia
• [Unlimited Data] 4G Portable WiFi for Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau from Uroaming (HK Airport Pick Up)
• 4G WiFi (HK Airport Pick Up) for Hong Kong/Macau/China (No Speed Limited) from Song WiFi

Read more China guide here.