About

About ULTIMATE Shanghai City Guide

ULTIMATE Shanghai City Guide is an independent guide for visitors to Shanghai, China. We publish 13 curated lists: restaurants, tea & cakes, bars, hotels, sights, museums & arts, parks, walks, shopping, health, property, developments and getting around. We cover the Bund, Lujiazui and Pudong, the former French Concession, Xintiandi, Jing’an, Yu Garden and the Old City, the West Bund and Suzhou Creek, with day trips to Suzhou, Hangzhou and Zhujiajiao.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the National Immigration Administration, the Shanghai Museum or UNESCO. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm. MICHELIN distinctions and price bands are quoted only from the official MICHELIN Guide.

Before you go

Opening hours, entry rules and payment options change often. Please check directly with each place, and with official sources, before you travel. Prices are in Chinese yuan (¥).

For venues

Run a venue in Shanghai and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• The entrance to an antique villa at Amanyangyun, by Chimster123, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Jiangnan Gallery at the Shanghai Museum East, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pavilions and rockeries in Yu Garden, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bund’s historic waterfront at night, by David Zhang from Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Bund’s historic waterfront at night, by David Zhang from Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The former HSBC building and the Customs House on the Bund, by Gary Todd, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The former HSBC building and the Customs House on the Bund, by Gary Todd, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fairmont Peace Hotel on the Bund, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lake in Century Park, by Tim Sheerman-Chase, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• M50 Creative Park on Moganshan Road, by MNXANL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Customs House clock tower on the Bund, by Gary Todd, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pudong’s skyline across the river, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Enchanted Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disneyland, by Phlizz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wukang Mansion at the junction of Wukang Road and Huaihai Road, by Suicasmo, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A ferry crossing the Huangpu River, by Legolas1024, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fuxing Park, by Jpbowen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shanghai Grand Theatre from People’s Square, by そらみみ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Huashan Hospital, by Livelikerw, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower and Lujiazui across the Huangpu at blue hour, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The hall of Shanghai Hongqiao railway station, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Peninsula Shanghai at night, by そらみみ (Soramimi), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Peninsula Shanghai at the north end of the Bund, by Livelikerw, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Huashan Hospital, by Livelikerw, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shanghai IFC with Shanghai Tower behind, by DvTor8303, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Jing’an Temple on West Nanjing Road, by This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images,, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Jing’an Temple on West Nanjing Road, by This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images,, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Jin Mao Tower in Lujiazui, by Ermell, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Long Museum West Bund, by This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote. Feel free to use any of my images,, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lujiazui at night, by Phlizz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, by David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• M50 Creative Park on Moganshan Road, by MNXANL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shanghai Maglev train, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Shanghai Metro Line 10 train, by 4300streetcar, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shanghai Museum East in Pudong, by Nat4Eben, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Jiangnan Gallery at the Shanghai Museum East, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nanjing Road East in the evening, by TheBlueRutabaga, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• West Nanjing Road, by Hermann Luyken, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Rosemary Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, by Miamireader, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Griffith Observatory with downtown Los Angeles beyond, by The Fun Chronicles, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline across the Huangpu River from the Bund, by Zhang Zhang (张涨）), licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ramparts of Galle Fort, by Daibo Taku, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yu Garden with Shanghai Tower beyond, by Stefan Fussan, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fuxing Park, by Jpbowen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Fairmont Peace Hotel on the Bund, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, by Dmitry A. Mottl, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Peninsula Shanghai at the north end of the Bund, by Livelikerw, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Peninsula Shanghai at night, by そらみみ (Soramimi), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• People’s Square, by Ermell, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Plaza 66 on West Nanjing Road, by MNXANL, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shanghai Centre and The Portman Ritz-Carlton on West Nanjing Road, by User:Legolas1024, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lujiazui at night, by Phlizz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Inside the Power Station of Art, by Iswzo, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The chimney of the Power Station of Art, by Wyanhache, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Lujiazui, by Balon Greyjoy, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pudong’s skyline across the river, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Terminal 1 departures at Pudong International Airport, by Wyanhache, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wukang Mansion, designed by László Hudec, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Xiaolongbao, Shanghai’s soup dumplings, by Robigasp, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Rockbund Art Museum, by Jpbowen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shikumen lane-house architecture, by Can Pac Swire from Toronto, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• West Nanjing Road, by Hermann Luyken, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Lujiazui, by Balon Greyjoy, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Humble Administrator’s Garden in Suzhou, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pavilions over water in the Humble Administrator’s Garden, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Suzhou Creek from the Waibaidu Bridge, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shanghai Symphony Hall, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The concert hall of Shanghai Symphony Hall, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A lane in Tianzifang, by 钉钉, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China, by Ermell, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Shanghai Maglev train, by Chainwit., licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, by David Berkowitz from New York, NY, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A dining room at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, by Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose from Montreal, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Suzhou Creek from the Waibaidu Bridge, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The West Bund Museum, by Lcsun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The West Bund Museum, by Lcsun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• West Lake in Hangzhou, by Fredlyfish4, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Willows on the shore of West Lake, by Circa24, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wukang Mansion at the junction of Wukang Road and Huaihai Road, by Suicasmo, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Wukang Mansion, designed by László Hudec, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Restored shikumen lanes in Xintiandi, by Can Pac Swire from Toronto, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Xintiandi Style, by N509FZ, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Xiaolongbao, Shanghai’s soup dumplings, by Robigasp, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A basket of xiaolongbao, by Darrylsnow, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Restored shikumen lanes in Xintiandi, by Can Pac Swire from Toronto, Canada, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pavilions and rockeries in Yu Garden, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A pond in Yu Garden, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yu Garden with Shanghai Tower beyond, by Stefan Fussan, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored shikumen lanes of Zhangyuan, by Juan Antonio Segal, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A canal and stone bridge in Zhujiajiao, by Lloyd Tudor, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zhujiajiao at night, by Woong Deewaa, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.