by Nicor  (format  changed) / CC BY-SA 3.0

A. About Shanghai

Nickname: The Pearl of The Orient

Featuring an incredible modern skyline Shanghai, situated on the Huangpu River, is considered the most dynamic Chinese city.

The Chinese metropole sitting on an estuary of the mighty Yangtze River has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland China. 

If you can handle the immense crowds, you're ready for the world's most populous metropolis.

Best Things to do in Shanghai

The Good: 

Shanghai delights visitors with excellent shopping, some of the world's tallest and most iconic skyscrapers, idyllic Chinese gardens, and a beautiful location.

Furthermore, it is one of the biggest cities in the world.

The Not-So-Good:

While air pollution (there is usually no blue sky!) in Shanghai is low compared to other Chinese cities, it is still substantial by world standards. 

Furthermore, the often bad weather is to be noted on the negative side.


B. Best Things to Do in Shanghai in 2024 (Detailed List with Photos and Information)

In total, we count more than forty sights in Shanghai. The following sights and attractions contribute to a score of 7.35/10 in this most important category:

# Shanghai Tower 7 3.6 out of 5 stars

Shanghai Tower is the world’s second-tallest building featuring the world's highest observation deck.

Skyscraper Total Height: 635 m | Observation Deck Height: 561 m | View Type: Glass Windows | Completed: 2015

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Shanghai Tower

by Baycrest / CC 2.5

# Shanghai World Financial Center 7 3.6 out of 5 stars

This skyscraper is the ninth highest in the world. Foreigners and Chinese alike informally refer to the building as "the bottle opener".

Skyscraper Total Height: 492 m | Observation Deck Height: 474 m | View Type: Glass Windows | Completed: 2008

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Shanghai World Financial Center

by Mgmoscatello / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Yu Yuan Garden (Yu Garden) 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Planted in 1577 during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) the small but beautifully laid out Yu Yuan Garden (equally known as Yu Garden) includes architectural features such as thirty pavilions, pools with fish, and turtles, decorated bridges, cloisters, colorful pagodas, and elaborate rockeries.

Highlights include the Pavilion of Listening to Billows, the door of the Dragon Wall, the fourteen meters high Great Rockery, the 3.3 meters high Jade Rock, and — just outside the walls of the garden and free to visit — the iconic Mid-Lake Pavilion Teahouse with its Nine-zigzag Bridge.

Chinese Garden Land Area: 0.02 km2 / 2 hectares / 5 acres | Opened: 1780

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities in the World | Shanghai | Yu Yuan Gardens

# The Bund (Wai Tan) 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

The Bund (Wai Tan) is Shanghai’s famous 1.6 km (1-mile) broad riverside esplanade that faces the modern skyscrapers of Lujiazui in the Pudong District.

The area along the west bank of the Huangpu River is lined with heritage buildings and offers — depending on the weather and smog level — fantastic views of the iconic Shanghai skyline.

Waterfront Area

by Daniel Case / CC BY-SA 3.0

# Oriental Pearl Tower 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Completed in 1994, the 468 m-(1,535 ft-) tall futuristic-looking Oriental Pearl Tower (Dongfang Míngzhuta) still is Shanghai's most recognizable landmark.

On one of those rare clear days, you have an excellent 360-degree view of the busy Huangpu River, the new Pudong district, and the famous Bund promenade, from the top deck.

Skyscraper Total Height: 367 m | Observation Deck Height: 350 m | Completed: 1994

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Oriental Pearl Tower

# Chinese Old Town 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Located south of the Bund, Chinese Old Town is a beautiful area of rebuilt traditional Chinese buildings, bazaars, gardens, temples, and tourist-oriented shops.

Historic Area

Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Chinese Old Town (Nanshi)

# Ocean Aquarium 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Opened in 2002, the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (ranked as the #10 aquarium in the world in our elaborated list) is located in the Pudong New District of Shanghai, adjacent to the famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower.

Its main features are four subsea tunnels with an overall length of 155 meters.

Aquarium Biggest Tank: 2.2 million liters | Total Water Volume: 4.9 million liters | Viewing Panel: no big one | Tunnel: 155 m | Species: 450 | Established: 2002 | Rank in Our List of The Best Aquariums in The World: 10

Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Ocean Aquarium

# Shanghai Museum 6 3.1 out of 5 stars

Frequently regarded as one of the best museums in China, the impressive Shanghai Museum displays on five floors a collection of over 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, costumes, and art by indigenous populations.

The museum is housed on People’s Square in a striking concrete building with a round dome and a square base. The highlight of the collection is the Ox-shaped Zun (Wine Vessel), created between 1600 BCE and 1046 BCE.

Art and Archaeological Museum FREE Gallery Space: 10,000 m2 / 107,639 ft2 | Galleries: 14 | Artworks on Display: ca. 4,000 | Established: 1952/1996 | Visitors (2017): 2,109,200

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | Shanghai | Shanghai Museum | 6/10

 

# Nanjing Road 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Shanghai's attractive, partly pedestrianized main shopping street is over 5.5 km long and attracts about a million shoppers daily.

Shopping Street

Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | Nanjing Road (partly pedestrianized shopping street)

# People’s Square and Park 5.5 2.7 out of 5 stars

Located in the heart of Shanghai, People’s Square and Park is home to Shanghai Museum, the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, spectacular fountains, artworks, and a vast underground shopping area.

Square and Park Land Area: 0.098 km2 / 24.3 acres | Opened: 1952

Best Things to do in Shanghai | Best Cities | No. 21: Shanghai | People’s Square and Park

 
 

Scoring and Icons Legend (Click here for detailed information)

10 = top-10 sight in the world

9 = world-class  

8 = outstanding

7 = excellent 

6 = impressive

5 = interesting

4 = decent

3 = mediocre

2 = bad

1 = abysmal

= World Heritage Site

= Excursion

C. Other Notable Sights and Attractions in Shanghai

    • Jin Mao Tower (total 421 m, observation deck 340 m, built 1998) 5.5
    • French Concession (city district) 5.5
    • Shanghai Natural History Museum 5.5
    • Xintiandi (city district) 5.5
    • Longhua Temple 5.5
    • Shanghai Science and Technology Museum 5.5
    • Fuxing Park 5.5
    • China Art Palace 5.5
    • World Expo Museum 5.5
    • Shanghai Zoo 5
    • Xujiahui Cathedral 5
    • Jade Buddha Temple 5
 

D. Best Day Trips and Excursions from Shanghai

  CLASSICAL GARDENS OF SUZHOU (World Heritage Site: since 1997, Distance from Shanghai: 111 km, 1 h by train) 6

 

E. Top 10 List of the Best Things to Do in Shanghai (including close-by excursions)

To sum things up, these are the ten best sights we recommend to you when visiting Shanghai for at least three entire days:

Shanghai Tower (height: 632 m) 7

Shanghai World Financial Center (height: 492 m) 7

  CLASSICAL GARDENS OF SUZHOU (111 km from Shanghai) 6

Yu Yuan Gardens 6

The Bund (Wai Tan) (quay) 6

Oriental Pearl Tower (height: 367 m) 6

Chinese Old Town (Nanshi) 6

Ocean Aquarium (155 m tunnel) 6

Shanghai Museum 6

 Nanjing Road (shopping street) 5.5