4 Days in Shanghai: The City That Surprised Me More Than Beijing

I was just as excited about visiting Shanghai as I was about Beijing, if not more so. Before the trip, so many people had warned me that Beijing was overrated, too crowded, too heavy with history, not that nice. I loved Beijing anyway, a lot, actually, for exactly those reasons, and I’d go back in a heartbeat.

So many people told me how much they liked Shangahi and planted in me a seed of curiosity about my 4 days in Shanghai and what a completely different side of China might feel like.

Shanghai is really a special city. I imagined it to be a concrete jungle, but it wasn’t only that. Where Beijing carries the weight of imperial history in every street corner, Shanghai feels forward-facing, cosmopolitan, and restless in the best possible way.

The architecture alone tells a story: Art Deco buildings from the 1920s and 1930s sitting in the shadow of the world’s second-tallest skyscraper. Old French Concession streets lined with plane trees and boutique cafes, a ten-minute walk from one of the most dramatic modern skylines on earth. This is what probably surprised me the most- how green it was. I did not expect streets in the centre of the city to be lined with trees making some sort of tunnels over the streets and low rise cute buildings. It looked like many streets in European cities.

I spent 4 days in Shanghai and could have stayed longer. Actually, I wouldn’t mind to go again, maybe I’d take my mum next time (since we go somewehere new every year).

Here’s everything you need to know about making the most of your time in Shanghai.

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Getting around Shanghai: How it differs from Beijing

If you’re coming to Shanghai from Beijing , as I did, there are a few practical differences worth knowing upfront. I hope this tips are also useful for you if you go to Beijing afterwards instead.

The two cities are both modern, both well-connected, and both covered by excellent metro systems, but the way you pay and move around differs in ways that might catch off guard.

The metro payment system

In Beijing, you can tap a foreign contactless Visa or Mastercard directly at the metro turnstile, the first metro in mainland China to offer this (apparently). Shanghai works differently. The Shanghai Metro does not currently support the same tap-and-go contactless foreign card system that Beijing does. Instead, your options are:

• Alipay transit QR code — the easiest option if you’ve set up Alipay before arriving. Open Alipay, tap the transport icon, select Shanghai, and a QR code appears. Scan it at the turnstile to enter and exit. Fast, seamless, and the same system locals use.
• Shanghai Public Transportation Card (SPTC) — a physical stored-value card similar to London’s Oyster or Tokyo’s Suica. It costs ¥20 for the card itself plus however much you load onto it, and works on the metro, buses, ferries and taxis. Look for the red “China T-Union” logo on the card, which means it works in over 330 cities across China, including Beijing, so if you buy it in Shanghai it’s also useful for any other cities you visit. Buy it at metro station service centres or convenience stores like FamilyMart and Lawson.
• Day and multi-day passes — a one-day unlimited metro pass costs ¥18 and a three-day pass ¥45, both valid on all Shanghai Metro lines. Useful if you’re planning to move around a lot.
• The Shanghai Metro app (DADUHUI) — the official metro app, which supports Alipay and WeChat Pay directly and is the most commonly used option by locals. Foreigners can use it by linking an international Mastercard through the app. My honest advice: if you’ve already set up Alipay for Beijing, just use the transit QR code function. It works immediately, requires no new card or app, and is genuinely the smoothest option for a short visit. This is how I managed around Shanghai.
• The scale difference. Shanghai’s metro is the world’s largest by track length, spanning over 800 kilometres. It’s enormous. The good news is that the tourist areas are fairly well concentrated, and you can cover most of what’s on this list using a handful of lines. The metro map looks intimidating at first glance, but in practice you’ll use maybe four or five lines across four days.
• Didi works exactly the same as in Beijing, accessible through Alipay. Use it for anything outside the metro’s reach or when you’re tired and the idea of another transfer feels like too much. Shanghai traffic can be significant during peak hours, so factor that in if you’re trying to reach somewhere by a specific time.
• Getting between Puxi and Pudong. Shanghai is divided by the Huangpu River into two distinct areas: Puxi (the historic west bank, where most of the Old Town, French Concession and Bund areas are) and Pudong (the modern east bank, home to the famous skyline of skyscrapers). Several metro lines cross between the two, and there’s also a tourist ferry that connects them directly across the river, which is a genuinely pleasant way to make the crossing while taking in the view. The ferry takes about 10 minutes and costs a few yuan.
• Security checks. Unlike Beijing, where security checks near major attractions can be lengthy and intensive, Shanghai’s day-to-day security checks are lighter and less frequent. You’ll still go through bag X-ray at metro stations, but the process is noticeably faster and less involved than what you’ll have experienced at Tiananmen Square or around the Forbidden City. It’s one of the ways Shanghai simply feels easier to navigate on a short trip.

Maglev Train

Maglev train– If you’re flying into or out of Shanghai via Pudong International Airport, take the Maglev. Full stop. The Shanghai Maglev is the world’s fastest commercial passenger train, hitting up to 431 km/h and covering the 30 kilometres between the airport and Longyang Road Station in roughly 8 minutes. The ride is eerily quiet, you barely feel the acceleration until you glance at the speedometer climbing past 300 km/h and realise you’re moving faster than almost anything else on earth. It’s one of those travel moments that genuinely makes you stop and think about what humans have built.

A one-way ticket costs ¥50, dropping to ¥40 if you show your same-day boarding pass. One practical note: the Maglev terminates at Longyang Road, not the city centre, so you’ll need to transfer to metro Line 2 or grab a Didi for the remaining stretch to wherever you’re staying. It adds a step, but the experience more than justifies it. Sit in the front carriage if you want the best view of the speedometer.

What to see in 4 days in Shanghai

The Bund and the waterfront

The Bund is the obvious starting point, and rightfully so. The stretch of early 20th-century European-style buildings along the western bank of the Huangpu River, with the Pudong skyline dramatically framed on the opposite bank, is one of the genuinely iconic views of Asia.

Go in the evening when both sides are lit up and the contrast is at its most dramatic, but also go in the morning when the crowds are thinner and you can actually walk along the promenade at a reasonable pace.

The Bund sits in the Huangpu district and connects naturally to Nanjing Road East, which leads you directly into the heart of the city.

When I visited in June, it was gloomy most of the time with some rain, so the the whole skyline was either barely visible or just dimply grey. A bit disappointing, but it is what it is. I guess it is part of the charm of Shanghai.

Nanjing Road

Shanghai’s famous pedestrian shopping street runs east to west from the Bund toward People’s Square and beyond. It’s busy, loud, and completely unsubtle, not the place to come for quiet exploration, but an essential slice of Shanghai’s commercial energy. Walk it at least once, particularly in the evening when the neon comes on. Several of the city’s most famous pastry and street food spots are dotted along or just off this road.

People’s Square and the surrounding area

The area around People’s Square is central Shanghai’s civic hub. The Shanghai Museum, one of the city’s best and free to enter, sits here, with a permanent collection spanning ancient bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and jade across several floors. Worth knowing about even if you don’t go in, since it’s adjacent to most of what you’ll be walking through anyway. The Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center is also here for anyone interested in seeing how the city has transformed and where it’s headed.

Yu Garden and the Old Town

Yu Garden (Yuyuan Garden) is a classical Chinese garden built during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century, right in the heart of the city. It’s beautiful, meticulously designed, and genuinely worth an hour or two inside.

I’d recommend that you purchase your ticket in advance as it is a popular place and the lines might get long.

The surrounding bazaar area is touristy but has its uses, particularly for finding traditional Shanghai snacks and street food. The soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) shops in this area are famous, and deservedly so.

The Old Town surrounding the garden gives you a sense of what Shanghai looked like before the colonial architecture and skyscrapers arrived, though much of it has been restored and commercialised to varying degrees. Yu Garden and the Old Town sit close together and are best done in a single outing, then walk north toward the Bund, which is roughly 15 minutes on foot.

Xintiandi

A beautifully preserved neighbourhood of shikumen (stone-gate) houses from the early 20th century, converted into an upscale dining, shopping and entertainment district. It’s polished and slightly self-conscious, but the architecture is genuinely lovely and the restaurant and cafe options here are among the best in the city.

Worth an evening, especially combined with a wander through the French Concession, which sits directly adjacent.Xintiandi and the French Concession connect seamlessly, so treat them as one half-day rather than two separate stops.

Tea souvenirs: Tianzifang

One of the most enjoyable hours I spent in Shanghai was wandering through Tianzifang, a labyrinthine enclave of narrow alleys in the French Concession lined with small shops selling tea, teaware, handcrafted goods and local art. Every turn revealed another tiny shop, and the smell of different teas drifted from almost every doorway.

It’s the kind of place where you should slow -wander. Some shops are serious about their tea, with knowledgeable owners who’ll let you smell and taste before buying. I bought a couple of teas for myself and as gifts as the packaging is really pretty.

Others lean more toward souvenirs and trinkets. The mix works, and the architecture alone, traditional shikumen stone-gate houses converted into boutiques and cafes, makes it worth visiting regardless of whether you buy anything.

For tea specifically, Shanghai sits close to some of China’s most famous producing regions, and you’ll find Longjing (Dragon Well green tea), Biluochun and Tieguanyin in abundance. A quality loose-leaf tea or a small Yixing clay teapot makes one of the most genuinely useful souvenirs you can bring home from China, compact, light, and the kind of thing you’ll actually use. One practical note before you stock up: check your home country’s customs rules on importing tea, since some countries have restrictions on plant matter that can catch you out at the border.

Tianzifang connects naturally with a visit to Xintiandi, which sits nearby and has a similar vibe but more polished, with better restaurant options for lunch or dinner afterwards.

The French Concession

This is, for me, one of the most beautiful urban neighbourhoods in Asia. Tree-lined streets, Art Deco villas, independent boutiques, excellent coffee shops, and the kind of lived-in elegance that feels genuinely special. I walked through the French Concession multiple times during my four days and found something new each time.

The main streets worth exploring are Huaihai Road (the main artery), Fuxing Road, Wukang Road (famous for its distinctive Art Deco building at the junction, and perpetually busy with photographers), and the quieter side streets around Anfu Road and Changle Road. This is also where some of Shanghai’s best cafes and independent restaurants are concentrated. Slow down here. Don’t rush it

Pudong– The modern skyline up close

Most people experience Pudong from across the river on the Bund. I went up into it, which gives you an entirely different understanding of the scale.

Shanghai Tower is the world’s second-tallest building at 632 metres, and the observation deck at level 118 (about 546 metres up) offers an unobstructed 360-degree view across the city, the river, and on a clear day, far beyond. The experience of being that high up in a building that moves perceptibly in the wind is genuinely surreal. Tickets need to be booked in advance, especially in summer.

Oriental Pearl Tower is the older, instantly recognisable structure with its distinctive pink spheres, and remains one of Shanghai’s most photographed landmarks. The observation decks here include a glass-floored section which gives you a vertigo-inducing view straight down to the city below.

It’s slightly more touristy in feel than the Shanghai Tower but worth visiting for the contrast: looking out from the Oriental Pearl gives you the whole modern Pudong skyline in front of you, whereas from the Shanghai Tower you’re inside that skyline looking out. But to be honest, I did not enjoy the experience that much. There was a lot of waiting, very little space, nowhere to sit and quite crowded.

Doing both on the same day makes geographic sense since they’re within easy walking distance of each other in Lujiazui, Pudong.

Take the metro to Lujiazui Station (Line 2) and walk between them.

Zhujiajiao: ancient water town day trip

About an hour from central Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town built around a network of canals, stone bridges and Ming and Qing Dynasty houses.

It’s connected directly to Shanghai by metro Line 17, which makes it one of the most straightforward day trips you can do from any major Chinese city. Take the line to its terminus, and you’re there.

The town is small enough to cover on foot in a few hours, walking along the canals, crossing the old stone bridges, and watching traditional boat traffic move between the houses. It gets busy on weekends but remains far quieter than the city you just came from, and the contrast is a genuine palate cleanser after the intensity of central Shanghai. Go on a weekday if your schedule allows. I really liked it there and it makes a great day trip from Shanghai.

Imperial banquet dinner show: Xuyan (叙宴)

This was one of the most unexpected highlights of my entire Shanghai visit, and something I’d genuinely never experienced anywhere else in the world quite like it. Maybe the time I rented a hanbok in Seoul and visited the palace, but it was a bit different.

Xuyan is an immersive Tang Dynasty royal banquet experience, and it is extraordinary. Before the show, you choose your traditional costume from an extensive collection of dynasty clothing (if you choose that option), then sit in the styling chair while professional artists do your hair and makeup. I had both done, and the transformation alone was worth the visit. Walk in looking like yourself, walk out looking like you’ve stepped straight out of an imperial court. Allow at least 90 minutes before the show starts if you want the full hair and makeup experience, since it runs on a first-come, first-served basis and the queue moves quickly but the process takes time. One tip- book it in advance because it’s cheaper.

There are two show options to choose from when you book. The banquet hall itself is stunning, decorated in elaborate Tang Dynasty style from floor to ceiling, and from the moment you enter in costume, the immersion is complete. The ceremonial performance during the meal covers eight ritual elements (welcome rites, musical performances on traditional instruments including guzheng and pipa, dance, and a tea ceremony) woven between courses of a multi-course Chinese feast. Every performance was incredible.

Xuyan has 4.6/5 from 487 reviews and over 20,000 bookings, which tells you everything about how consistently it delivers. Book on Klook from €53.90

Practical tips before you go: Book at least three to four weeks in advance, it sells out, particularly at weekends. Arrive 2 hours early if you want hair and makeup. Wear white covered shoes, open-toed footwear doesn’t work with the costumes. Bring reference photos of the makeup style you want or they just do whatever they see fir. VIP seats on stage left in the centre give you the best view of the performers, but I don’t think it’s necessary to pay for them, I have a great visibility on a standard seat. And take photos in the hall before it fills up, the early window before the show starts is your best chance for unobstructed shots.

Even though it is directed towards tourists, it is a genuinely special evening and one of the most memorable things I did in China.

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