From fishing village to financial capital of Asia in two centuries — Art Deco on the Bund facing Pudong's towers, French Concession streets hiding xiaolongbao temples, and the sheer scale of 25 million people in a city that reinvents itself every decade.
Photo: David Zhang · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cropped and resized
Quick Picks: Best Hotels in Shanghai, China
Best Luxury
Best Boutique / Unique Stay
Best Overall
Best for Families
The Middle House
The Bund is Shanghai's defining image — a 1.5km promenade of 52 Art Deco and neoclassical buildings from the 1920s–30s facing the futuristic Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River. The Peninsula, Waldorf Astoria, and Fairmont Peace Hotel line the waterfront. Most spectacular at night. Best for first-timers and those who want the quintessential Shanghai photo.
The Former French Concession is Shanghai's most beautiful neighborhood — tree-lined avenues, 1920s French villas and lane house complexes (shikumen), the city's finest café culture, best cocktail bars, and most interesting independent restaurants. Tianzifang (arts and craft alleyways) and Xintiandi (upscale dining) anchor the culture. Best overall neighborhood for repeat visitors.
Jing'an is the most practical base for visitors — central, well-connected, with a good mix of mid-range and luxury hotels, excellent restaurants at all price points, and the historic Jing'an Temple (ancient Buddhist temple surrounded by modern skyscrapers). Popular with expats. Less touristy than the Bund, less expensive than the French Concession.
Xintiandi is Shanghai's best-preserved shikumen (stone gate house) neighborhood, converted into a luxury dining and shopping district — polished and touristy but beautiful. People's Square nearby has the excellent Shanghai Museum (free), Shanghai Urban Planning Museum, and the city's densest transit hub. Best for short visits and first-timers.
Pudong's Lujiazui is where the postcards come from — Shanghai Tower (632m, world's second tallest), the Jin Mao Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center create Asia's most dramatic skyline cluster. Business-focused with luxury business hotels; the energy is corporate rather than cultural. Essential for the view from the observation decks — less essential as a base.
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The Bund · Only New Building on the Bund in 70+ Years · Sir Elly's Rooftop · Art Deco
The most prestigious address on the Bund — The Peninsula Shanghai, the only new building constructed on the Bund in over 70 years (opened 2009). 235 rooms with Art Deco interiors and full Pudong skyline views. Sir Elly's rooftop bar and restaurant is the best in the city. Yi Long Court (Cantonese, Michelin-starred) is exceptional. Perennial #1 Shanghai hotel.
From ~CNY$3,000 / night
The Bund · 1911 Baroque Revival + Modern Tower · Restored Long Bar · Yi Long Court
The most historically layered luxury hotel in Shanghai — Waldorf Astoria on the Bund, occupying the 1911 former Shanghai Club (the most exclusive men's club in colonial Asia) plus a new contemporary tower. The Long Bar (the longest bar in Asia in 1911) has been painstakingly restored. Yi Long Court has Michelin-starred Shanghainese cuisine. Six dining venues total.
From ~CNY$2,500 / night
The Bund · 1929 Art Deco Landmark · Old Jazz Bar · Shanghai Heritage Institution
Shanghai's most storied hotel — the Fairmont Peace Hotel, a 1929 Art Deco landmark (the 'Sassoon House') that hosted Charlie Chaplin, Noël Coward, and every major figure of the Shanghai golden age. The Old Jazz Bar (resident Old Jazz Band playing since 1980) is the most atmospheric live music venue in the city. 270 rooms with heritage character and Bund frontage.
From ~CNY$2,000 / night
Haidian · Adjacent to Palace · Aman Retreat
Aman's Shanghai outpost in a converted 1920s Colonial-era building in the French Concession — surrounded by a private garden in one of Shanghai's most coveted residential neighborhoods, with 24 rooms and suites that feel notably house-like rather than hotel-like. The French Concession location puts guests in the most atmospherically beautiful part of the city, with plane-tree-lined streets, independent restaurants, and the city's best vintage shopping within walking distance.
From ¥ 5,000 / night
Bund-Adjacent · Spa & Wellness · Italian Luxury
Bvlgari's Shanghai debut in a glass-and-stone tower in the Jing An district — occupying the top floors with views of the Shanghai skyline and the Jing An Temple below. The Italian craftsmanship, Il Ristorante dining, and Bvlgari Spa bring the same formula that worked in Tokyo and Dubai to one of the world's fastest-changing cities. For visitors who want the maximum luxury statement in one of China's two global cities.
From ¥ 4,000 / night
Jing'an · Italian Design · Best Boutique Hotel Shanghai · Traveler Rating 9.8/10
Shanghai's most acclaimed boutique hotel — The Upper House in Jing'an, designed with Italian craftsmanship by Patricia Urquiola, 111 rooms, and rated 9.8/10 by Travel + Leisure. The Mid-Range Hotel of the Year pick repeatedly. Yaoming Restaurant is excellent. Walking distance to Jing'an Temple and Nanjing Road West shopping.
From ~CNY$1,500 / night
French Concession · Heritage Shikumen · Private Courtyards · Most Beautiful Setting
Shanghai’s most extraordinary luxury hotel — a hidden urban sanctuary of restored 1930s shikumen villas blending old Shanghai heritage with ultra-refined contemporary luxury in the leafy Xuhui district.
From ~CNY$2,200 / night
Jing An · Spa & Wellness · Urban Retreat
A 193-room spa hotel in the Jing An district — The PULI is Shanghai's most wellness-focused mid-luxury boutique, with a spa that occupies a full floor, a pool, and rooms designed for genuine rest in a city that rarely slows down. The PULI restaurant is well-regarded locally; the Jing An location gives excellent access to the neighborhood's galleries, boutiques, and the Jing An Temple. A consistent presence on CNT and Forbes recommended lists for Shanghai.
From ¥ 2,500 / night
South Bund · Boutique · Industrial Design
One of Shanghai’s original design hotels — an industrial-chic boutique property built inside a converted 1930s warehouse overlooking the Huangpu River near the South Bund.
From ¥ 1,500 / night
Jing An · Boutique · Art-Forward
A 96-room boutique hotel in a renovated 1930s building in the French Concession — Cachet is one of Shanghai's most atmospheric mid-range options, with period details, a rooftop pool and bar, and direct access to the neighborhood's plane-tree-lined streets and the city's best restaurant density. Forbes recommended. A natural choice for those wanting to spend their Shanghai time in the French Concession rather than the Bund luxury corridor.
From ¥ 800 / night
The Bund · Mid-Range · River Views
A design boutique on the Bund with some of the most dramatic Pudong skyline views available at a mid-range price — Hotel Indigo occupies a heritage Art Deco building and references the history of the International Settlement throughout its design. The rooftop Char bar has panoramic night views of the Huangpu River and the Pudong towers. 184 rooms; well-priced for the location quality. A consistent recommendation for those wanting the Bund experience without Peninsula or Waldorf pricing.
From ¥ 900 / night
Hostels from CNY$80 · French Concession Guesthouses from CNY$200 · Budget Hotels from CNY$300
Budget options are best in Jing'an (near transit, clean mid-range from CNY$300) and the French Concession (boutique guesthouses from CNY$200, best neighborhood energy). Quality youth hostels (Mingtown Etour, Crazy Shanghai) run CNY$80–120 for dorms. Shanghai is cheaper than Hong Kong or Singapore for budget travel — a clean private room near the center is CNY$200–350.
From CNY$80 (dorms) / CNY$200 (private)
Jing An · Budget · Social Hostel
A well-regarded budget hotel and hostel in the French Concession — private rooms and dormitory options in a neighborhood that is by consensus the most pleasant part of Shanghai for independent exploration. Clean, well-maintained, and social; the East Jing An has been a reliable recommendation for budget travelers for several years. Walking distance from the best independent cafés, wine bars, and street food in the French Concession.
From ¥ 100 / night
Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) are Shanghai's most iconic food — a pleated dumpling filled with minced pork and scalding-hot broth, eaten carefully with a spoon and chopsticks. Din Tai Fung (multiple locations) is the globally recognized standard. For more local alternatives: Jia Jia Tang Bao (Huangpu, no English menu, queue required) and Nan Xiang Mantou Dian (Yu Garden, the historic original since 1900). Don't miss shengjianbao (pan-fried pork bun), noodles, and red-braised pork belly (hong shao rou) as Shanghainese staples.
The Bund's waterfront buildings have been converted into some of Shanghai's most spectacular restaurant settings. M on the Bund (rooftop, Mediterranean, since 1999) pioneered the scene. Jean-Georges Shanghai (Three on the Bund) has served international fine dining for 20+ years. The most celebrated current opening: Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (20-course tasting menu, 10 seats, holographic projections — the world's most experimental restaurant, CNY$6,000+/person).
The French Concession has the best café and bar scene in Asia outside Japan. The shikumen lane houses have been converted into coffee roasters (Seesaw, Manner), natural wine bars (Pua, Liquid Laundry), and cocktail bars (The Cannery, The Nest). Tianzifang's alleyways hold 100+ small shops and cafés. On summer evenings, Fuxing Park's bar terrace (local institution) is the most atmospheric outdoor drinking spot in the city.
Shanghai is the best city in the world to eat regional Chinese cuisine in one trip. Peking Duck: Da Dong (multiple locations, theatrical serving presentation, among the most famous in China) is the accessible benchmark. Beyond Shanghainese: Cantonese at Yi Long Court (Peninsula Hotel), Sichuanese at de Noodle (French Concession), and Yunnan at Lost Heaven (French Concession, extraordinary). Each represents a distinct regional tradition worth exploring.
China’s most famous fine dining experience — a multi-sensory, ultra-exclusive restaurant where each course is paired with synchronized projections, music, scents, and lighting in a secret dining room for just 10 guests nightly.
Learn MoreThe Bund’s most iconic modern French brasserie — glamorous riverfront dining with huge portions, skyline views, and one of Shanghai’s best long lunch scenes.
Learn MoreShanghai’s legendary street-food chain famous for shengjianbao — crispy-bottom pork soup dumplings cooked fresh on giant griddles.
An elegant private-mansion restaurant serving refined Shanghainese cuisine in one of the city’s most intimate fine dining settings.
Learn MoreA beloved local institution for traditional Shanghainese comfort food — lively, crowded, and famous for rich home-style classics.
A stylish seafood-focused restaurant and oyster bar known for lobster rolls, cocktails, and laid-back Brooklyn-style energy in Shanghai’s former French Concession.
Learn MoreThe essential Shanghai experience — walk the 1.5km Bund promenade from the Garden Bridge (north) to the New Bund 33 area (south) at dusk or after dark. The 52 heritage buildings on the west bank (Art Deco, neoclassical, Gothic) facing the Pudong skyline's glass towers across the Huangpu River creates the world's most dramatic architectural conversation. The light show on the Pudong towers begins at 8pm.
Yu Garden (Yuyuan) is a 16th-century Ming Dynasty garden — 2 hectares of pavilions, rockeries, ponds, and zigzag bridges in the heart of the city. The surrounding Yuyuan Bazaar is touristy but has the best xiaolongbao in the area (Nan Xiang, since 1900) and excellent local snack culture. The Old City God Temple (Chenghuang Miao) complex is atmospheric day or night.
Learn MoreThe French Concession is Shanghai's most beautiful half-day walk — starting at Tianzifang (Taikang Road arts alleyways, original lane houses with boutiques and cafés), through Fuxing Park (Olmsted-inspired, morning tai chi, evening bar culture), along Wukang Road (the most photographed street in Shanghai, Art Deco and villa architecture), to the intersection of Huaihai and Maoming roads for the French-era buildings.
The Lujiazui cluster of Shanghai Tower (632m, world's second tallest), Jin Mao Tower, and the Shanghai World Financial Center (SWFC) creates one of the world's most dramatic skylines. The SWFC 'bottle opener' observation deck (100th floor, 474m) is the best value; Shanghai Tower's 118th floor observatory (546m) is the highest. View from the Bund is free and generally superior to any observation deck.
The Shanghai Museum (People's Square, free, one of China's best) holds 140,000 objects representing 5,000 years of Chinese art — ancient bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, and furniture. The adjoining Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center has an extraordinary scale model of the entire city. West Bund Museum District (11km along the river in Xuhui) is the new cultural hub — Long Museum, Yuz Museum, and West Bund Art Center are all world-class.
Learn MoreBest Time
April–May and September–November for the best weather — mild temperatures (16–24°C), lower humidity, and clear skies. Spring brings cherry blossoms in the French Concession's parks. June–August is hot (35°C+), extremely humid, and typhoon season. December–February is cold (4–10°C) with occasional fog; quieter and cheaper.
Currency
Chinese Yuan (CNY / RMB). 1 USD ≈ 7.2 CNY. Cards: international Visa and Mastercard work at major hotels and some restaurants; many local restaurants and shops are WeChat Pay / Alipay only (mobile payment). Carry some CNY cash; exchange at the airport or bank on arrival.
Language
Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua). Shanghainese (Wu dialect) also spoken locally. English widely spoken at hotels and tourist-area restaurants; minimal in local neighborhoods.
Visa
Most Western nationals require a visa for mainland China — apply through the Chinese embassy before travel. Exception: 144-hour visa-free transit (TWOV) — allows up to 6 days without a visa if you hold a valid onward flight to a third country and stay within Shanghai. Check current TWOV eligibility for your nationality before planning. US, UK, and most EU citizens are typically eligible for TWOV.
Getting There
Two airports: Pudong (PVG, international, 45km east) — Maglev to Longyang Road in approx. 8 minutes (~CNY$50), then metro; or taxi ~CNY$200, 45–70 min. Hongqiao (SHA, domestic and some short-haul, 18km west) — metro to downtown in 30 min. ~12h from Los Angeles · ~15h from New York · ~9.5h from London (direct on BA). High-speed rail from Hongqiao: Beijing 4.5h (CNY$550), Hangzhou 1h, Suzhou 25 min.
Time Zone
China Standard Time (CST, UTC+8). China does not observe daylight saving time.
FAQ
The Bund and Huangpu for the most iconic hotel experience — Peninsula, Waldorf Astoria, and Fairmont Peace all face the waterfront. French Concession for the most beautiful and livable neighborhood — Capella Jian Ye Li is here, with the best café and bar scene in the city. Jing'an for the most practical and transit-connected base — The Middle House and the best mid-range hotel options. Xintiandi for the shikumen architecture and proximity to People's Square.
Wide range, but generally less expensive than Tokyo or Hong Kong for equivalent quality. Peninsula and Waldorf Astoria from ~CNY$2,500–3,000/night (~$350–420 USD). Fairmont Peace Hotel from ~CNY$2,000; Capella from ~CNY$2,200. The Middle House from ~CNY$1,500 (~$210 USD). Budget dorms from CNY$80 (~$11 USD); private from CNY$200 (~$28 USD).
The French Concession and the Bund waterfront are highly walkable. The metro (20 lines, 500+ stations) is excellent and cheap (CNY$4–10 per journey) for moving between neighborhoods. Tianzifang and Yu Garden are walkable from the Bund. A car is not needed for central Shanghai; Didi (China's Uber) works reliably for longer trips.
Most Western nationals require a visa for mainland China — apply through the Chinese embassy 4–6 weeks before travel. The 144-hour visa-free transit (TWOV) allows up to 6 days without a visa: you must hold a valid onward flight to a third country, remain within Shanghai, and be an eligible nationality. US, UK, and most EU citizens are eligible. Check current rules before planning — TWOV eligibility changes.
Yes — download and test a VPN before leaving home. Google, Gmail, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and most Western apps are blocked in China. ExpressVPN and NordVPN are widely used; download and activate before landing — they are difficult to obtain on Chinese networks. Apple Maps works inside China; Google Maps does not. WeChat and Alipay are essential for payments.
The Bund — 1.5km of Art Deco and neoclassical buildings facing the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River. Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) — Shanghai's most iconic food, best at Jia Jia Tang Bao or Din Tai Fung. The French Concession — the most beautiful tree-lined neighborhood in mainland China. Among the most dramatic skyline in Asia — Shanghai Tower (632m, world's second tallest), the Jin Mao Tower, and the SWFC in Pudong. And the sense of a city reinventing itself faster than almost anywhere on earth.
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