Shanghai in 3 days

Start at the colonial-era riverfront promenade looking across to Pudong. Quietest and best-lit before 9am.

💡 Walk south to north; the historic banks and hotels are on your left, the skyline on your right.

A Ming-dynasty classical garden wrapped in a temple-market lane. Buy a ticket for the garden itself, not just the (crowded) bazaar.

💡 Go for the rockeries and pavilions; skip the tourist-priced food stalls outside.

Cross to Pudong for sunset from the observation deck of China's tallest building, then the lit-up skyline from river level.

💡 Book the deck ahead online; arrive ~40 min before sunset for the day-to-night change.

Plane-tree avenues, 1920s villas, independent cafés. This is the Shanghai people fall in love with.

💡 Start around Wukang Road (武康路) and just wander — the back streets are the point.

Two takes on restored shikumen lanes: Tianzifang is a craft-and-coffee maze, Xintiandi is polished bars and design.

💡 Tianzifang for browsing, Xintiandi for a sit-down drink. You don't need both — pick by mood.

Shanghai's jazz tradition runs back to the 1930s; several heritage hotels and bars keep nightly sets.

💡 Reserve a table for the early set if you want a seat near the band.

A riverside art mile — the Long Museum and Power Station of Art anchor China's contemporary scene.

💡 Check what's showing before you go; one major exhibition is plenty for a morning.

Canals, stone bridges and tea houses an hour out — a calm contrast to the skyline.

💡 If you'd rather not leave the city, swap in Qibao (七宝) on the metro instead.

The regenerated creekside is where locals stroll at dusk — bridges, warehouses, far fewer tourists than the Bund.