Language · 11 published
City guide · China
Shanghai’s visitor core spans both sides of the Huangpu River. The Bund, People’s Square and Nanjing Road anchor Puxi, while Lujiazui’s towers rise directly opposite in Pudong. The former French Concession spreads southwest through tree-lined neighbourhoods, and older water towns or distant cultural sites require journeys beyond the central metro grid.
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
28 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
外滩
The Bund is Shanghai's historic waterfront promenade along the western bank of the Huangpu River. It features a concentration of early 20th-century colonial-era buildings representing various European architectural styles, including Neoclassical, Art Deco, and Beaux-Arts.
豫园
Yu Garden, written 豫园 and identified as way/40036584, is a classical Chinese garden in Shanghai’s historic old city. Its appeal lies in a carefully arranged sequence of pavilions, water, rockwork, bridges, walls and enclosed paths, rather than one isolated monument.
上海中心大厦
Shanghai Tower is a landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui financial district of Pudong, Shanghai. It is among the tallest buildings in the world by architectural height.
东方明珠广播电视塔
The Oriental Pearl Radio and Television Tower is a landmark television tower in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 东方明珠广播电视塔. The tower stands in the Lujiazui area of Pudong district, opposite the Bund across the Huangpu River.
玉佛禅寺
Jade Buddha Temple is one of the first ten publishable places in Shanghai’s current curated ranking. Its clearest visitor purpose is the active Buddhist temple complex and its devotional spaces.
龙华寺
Longhua Temple, known in Chinese as 龙华寺, is a Buddhist temple and historic religious complex at 2853 Longhua Road in Shanghai’s Xuhui District.
朱家角古镇旅游区
Zhujiajiao Ancient Town is a historic water town located in the Qingpu District of Shanghai municipality. The settlement dates to the Yuan dynasty period and developed as a trading hub along the Dianshan Lake watershed.
People's Square is a major public plaza in central Shanghai, covering approximately 140,000 square metres in the Huangpu District. Originally the site of the Shanghai racecourse, the area was redeveloped in the 1990s into an open civic space.
田子坊
Tianzifang is a distinctive lane neighbourhood in Shanghai’s Huangpu District, entered at Lane 210 on Taikang Road and known for its close-grained mix of pedestrian passages, creative businesses and older urban surroundings.
浦东美术馆
The Museum of Art Pudong, known locally as 浦东美术馆, is a contemporary art museum located in Shanghai's Pudong district. Situated along the Huangpu River, the institution occupies a prominent position within the Lujiazui financial area.
上海环球金融中心
Shanghai World Financial Center is a 492-metre, 101-storey skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, completed in 2008 and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates.
金茂大厦
Jin Mao Tower is a landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui financial district of Shanghai's Pudong area. The building stands among the tallest structures in the city and has become an identifiable element of the skyline.
武康大楼
Wukang Mansion, known locally as 武康大楼, is a historic apartment building located in Shanghai's former French Concession area. The building stands at the intersection of multiple streets, creating a distinctive triangular footprint.
复兴公园
Fuxing Park, known locally as 复兴公园, is a public park located in Shanghai's former French Concession area. Established during the colonial era, it reflects European garden design influences uncommon in Chinese urban green spaces.
静安寺
Jing'an Temple, known locally as 静安寺, is a historic Buddhist temple located in Shanghai's Jing'an District. The temple stands as one of Shanghai's most recognizable religious landmarks, situated in a prominent urban position amid modern commercial development.
上海城隍庙
The Shanghai City God Temple, known locally as 上海城隍庙, is a historic Taoist temple complex located in Shanghai's old city district. It serves as a cultural and religious center dedicated to the city's protective deity.
徐家汇圣依纳爵主教座堂
Saint Ignatius Cathedral, known locally as Xujiahui Catholic Church, stands as a prominent Catholic cathedral in Shanghai's Xujiahui district. The cathedral represents one of Shanghai's most recognizable religious landmarks and holds significance in the city's architectural and cultural heritage.
佘山进教之佑圣母大殿
Sheshan Basilica, known locally as 佘山进教之佑圣母大殿, stands as a significant Catholic pilgrimage site on Shanghai's western outskirts. Perched atop Sheshan Hill, this landmark represents one of China's most prominent surviving ecclesiastical structures from the pre-1949 era.
龙华烈士陵园
Longhua Martyrs Cemetery is a major memorial site in Shanghai, located in the Xuhui District.
新场古镇
Xinchang Ancient Town, known locally as 新场古镇, is a historic water town located in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China. It represents a preserved example of traditional Jiangnan architecture and canal-town settlement patterns.
上海植物园
Shanghai Botanical Garden, known locally as 上海植物园, is a botanical garden in Shanghai, China. It serves as a space for plant conservation, scientific research, and public recreation.
共青森林公园
Gongqing Forest Park is a large urban park located in Yangpu District, Shanghai. The park occupies substantial green space in northeastern Shanghai and represents one of the city's significant forest park developments.
梅赛德斯-奔驰文化中心
Mercedes-Benz Arena is a major indoor arena located in Shanghai, China. The venue serves as a prominent entertainment and sports complex on the Pudong side of the Huangpu River, within the Expo Park area developed for the Shanghai World Expo.
上海大剧院
Shanghai Grand Theatre is a major performing arts venue in Shanghai, China. The building stands as a prominent cultural landmark in the city, designed for opera, ballet, symphony concerts, and other large-scale theatrical productions.
上海东方艺术中心
The Shanghai Oriental Art Center is a major performing arts venue in Shanghai, China. Its local name is 上海东方艺术中心. The building is recognized as a distinct visitor destination in Shanghai, noted in breadth-first top rankings of city attractions.
陆家嘴环形天桥
Lujiazui Circular Pedestrian Bridge is the elevated pedestrian structure officially identified in Chinese as 陆家嘴环形天桥. Shanghai's 2026 planning report also calls this circular bridge the Pearl Ring, or Mingzhu Ring.
焦山
天马山
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
Walk the Bund and Nanjing Road as one Puxi route, with People’s Square and its museums nearby. Cross by metro or ferry for Lujiazui rather than treating it as the same walking cluster. Yu Garden and the old city form another compact zone, while the former French Concession rewards a separate route through several neighbourhoods.
Checked 2026-08-26
The municipal guide describes the metro as an efficient way to cross Shanghai’s large urban area. Use it between Puxi, Pudong and the former French Concession, then walk locally. Single tickets, transport cards and supported contactless options are available under current rules. Ferries can make useful river crossings, while suburban water towns need additional rail or road planning.
Checked 2026-08-26
A fixed stay length is not recorded. Build the visit around the Bund, People’s Square, Lujiazui and the former French Concession, then add water towns and suburban districts only when the available time supports a separate journey.
Group places by district instead of crossing the city repeatedly. Start with the Bund, People’s Square, Lujiazui and the former French Concession; treat water towns and suburban districts as separate routes with their own travel allowance.
Use Walking, metro, bus and ferry. Walk within compact clusters and consult the linked official transport information before making longer transfers or relying on a particular route.
Only within individual neighbourhood clusters. The main visitor areas are separated by distances, waterways, major roads or regional approaches, so longer links normally need public transport or a licensed vehicle.
Plan water towns and suburban districts separately from the Bund, People’s Square, Lujiazui and the former French Concession. Check the current route, return connection and any access requirements on the official source before departure.
