Shanghai Travel Guide: Skyline & Lilong

Shanghai is a city of electric dualities: futuristic towers reflect in the Huangpu River while Ming-dynasty gardens whisper ancient secrets just steps away. Stand at the Bund’s railing as the neon skyline of Pudong ignites at dusk, then slip into a narrow lilong lane where tea steams and mahjong tiles clack. Chase steaming baskets of xiaolongbao through a wet market at dawn, ride the world’s fastest elevator to the 118th floor for a view that stretches into tomorrow, and lose yourself in the plane-tree streets of the French Concession, where 1920s villas hide behind ivy and a third-wave coffee shop waits around every corner. From hidden speakeasies to golden temples, from ancient water towns to the pulsing nightlife, this guide takes you beyond the postcard — into the soul of a city that never stops becoming.


Ready to skyscraper-hop, dumpling-crawl, and feel the heartbeat of modern China? Let’s discover Shanghai together.

What's Included?

Very tall and modern skyscraper visible on the background of an asian temple complex
  • A detailed 117-page PDF Travel Guide covering everything you need to explore Shanghai with confidence and depth.
  • Where to stay: 5 neighbourhoods compared with pros, cons, and best-for recommendations
  • Getting around: Metro lines, Didi ride-hailing, taxis, the Huangpu ferry, shared bikes, walking, and how to use the Shanghai Public Transport Card and digital transport codes
  • Money & digital payments: The cashless reality explained — setting up Alipay and WeChat Pay with foreign cards, when cash still matters, ATM tips, neobank fee savings, and the real story behind foreign card surcharges
  • Staying connected: VPNs (which ones work, how to install before you fly), eSIM and international roaming options, and a complete offline survival kit if everything fails
  • Safety & common scams: Pickpocketing hotspots, the tea ceremony and art gallery scam, fake monks, unofficial taxis, and why violent crime is reassuringly rare
  • Cultural etiquette: Queuing (or the lack of it), the no-tipping rule, chopstick taboos, temple behaviour, the meaning of face, and handling stares with grace
  • Itineraries: 1-, 3-, and 5-day plans balancing iconic sights, hidden lanes, local life, nightlife, and the best day trips
  • Iconic landmarks & skyline views: The Bund Promenade, Shanghai Tower, SWFC, Oriental Pearl Tower and many more
  • Historical architecture & hidden lanes: Bund Art Deco row, Xintiandi, Wukang Road & Wukang Mansion, and many more
  • Classical gardens & temples: Yu Garden, Huxinting Teahouse, Jing'an Temple, Longhua Temple & Pagoda and many more
  • Food & drink deep dive: Must-try dishes, street food and night market streets, best restaurants for every budget, and drinks
  • Day trips: Suzhou, Hangzhou, Zhujiajiao Water Town, and Nanjing, each with complete transport instructions, getting-there guides, and tips
  • Practical tips: Essential Mandarin phrases with pronunciation, plug and adaptor guide, air quality and health advice, essential apps to survive, and the unglamorous truth about public toilets and tissues
  • Packing advice: Seasonal clothing guide, why walking shoes matter more than you think, the temple scarf, power bank rules (including maximum flight-safe capacity), VPN pre-installation checklist, and a handful of small items that make a big difference
  • Travel-tested advice based on real, on-the-ground experience — never copied from generic sources.
  • English and Spanish versions available. Click here for the Spanish version.
The recognisable towers of Pudong, Shanghai, with a bridge between them and the photographer

Discover Shanghai

From the Bund's floodlit colonial grandeur and the neon skyline of Pudong to hidden lilong lane houses and ancient water towns, Shanghai is China's city of the future with a soul rooted in the past. Our guide brings together soaring skyscrapers, delicate soup dumplings, serene temples, and thumping nightlife so you can feel the pulse of this unstoppable metropolis — in every lane, every meal, and every moment.

Shanghai's famous skyscrapers in the morning, with some of them reflecting the sunlight down onto the ground

Futuristic Skyline & Riverside Views

The Bund's iconic promenade, the world's fastest elevators to 118th-floor panoramas, and the nightly LED light show across the river.

A temple complex that takes on a mystical atmosphere at night, with decorations and lighting in shades of orange and yellow

Ancient Gardens & Temple Serenity

Ming-dynasty rockeries and dragon walls, golden-roofed temples amid skyscrapers, and the scent of incense at dawn.

Brick houses in a secluded alley in Shanghai, surrounded by lush, dense trees

French Concession & Secret Lanes

Plane-tree-lined streets, ivy-covered villas, and hidden lilong alleys where old Shanghai still whispers.

Baskets filled with traditional Chinese steamed dishes

Soup Dumplings & Street Food Culture

Steaming baskets of xiaolongbao, sizzling shengjianbao, and the nightly food street crawls where locals eat until dawn.

A busy street, lined with neon signs and lights at night

Unique Experiences & Nightlife

Speakeasies behind false doors, tailor shops in fabric markets, karaoke till sunrise, and the magic of Shanghai Disneyland.

The skyscrapers of Pudong, in Shanghai, reflected in the water in the soft light of dusk Shanghai's famous and iconic towers seen from above at night, with the city lit up at their feet A serene temple complex in China, with dark roofs, dark, ancient wood, and beautiful traditional decorations A narrow, secluded alley, with chairs and bicycles on both sides, and lush green plants climbing up the walls The iconic Disney castle, with people taking photos, and a big white cloud in the distance

Highlights

The Bund
A floodlit curve of colonial grandeur facing the neon future of Pudong, where the city's past and present meet in one breathtaking waterfront mile.
Shanghai Tower
The world's fastest elevator rockets you 118 floors up to a view that stretches forever, with the Huangpu River snaking through the city like a golden ribbon.
Yu Garden
A Ming-dynasty dream of rockeries, dragon walls, and zigzag bridges, crowned by the floating Huxinting Teahouse — four centuries of calm in the heart of the old city.
Tianzifang & the French Concession
Plane-tree-lined streets, ivy-covered villas, and a labyrinth of lilong alleys where artists' studios, craft shops, and hidden cafés breathe life into old Shanghai.
Shanghai Disneyland
Mickey meets the Middle Kingdom in a park where TRON lightcycles race, pirates battle over sunken treasure, and the Enchanted Storybook Castle rises taller than any other on earth.


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