Things to Do in Shanghai
Discover 20 activities and experiences in Shanghai, China — from outdoor adventures to cultural events. Curated from real traveler recommendations.
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Bund "Sightseeing" Tunnel
A slow-moving tram, through a comically low-tech tunnel with bizarre commentary in English and Chinese. It is marketed as a Sightseeing Tunnel, however there are no sights other than 80s-era rope lights, lasers and some inflatables that look as though they belong in a car dealership. It is a rather surreal experience. This is the fastest way of crossing between the Bund in Puxi and the Pearl TV Tower in Pudong but also the most expensive; it is essentially a tourist trap. After arriving you'll be dropped off in a hall full of tourist-trap shops, which should come as no surprise since the entrance is a few meters from the TV Tower and this is a mode of transportation that locals rarely use. '''Not recommended''' for those sensitive to strobe lights or mediocrity — unless you are prepared to spend some cash to look at flashing lights instead of walking 5 minutes to the South and taking the ferry or walking 5 minutes West to Nanjing Road East metro station and taking the Metro. On the other hand, it is also significantly less packed than either of those during peak hours.
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- ¥45 one way/¥60 return
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Old City God Temple (Lao Cheng Huang Miao)
The area around the Old City God Temple and the Yuyuan Gardens has become a large commercial hub, with many restored historical buildings as well as new buildings in a somewhat traditional style. Take photos, shop for souvenirs, and enjoy the many restaurants and eateries. Enjoy an illuminated diorama or other forms of 19th century street side entertainment. Come after 6:30PM when the lights show off the beauty of the buildings in a new way. Eat upstairs at one of the restaurants overlooking the square on Yu Yuan Lu (with a pond criss-crossed by a zigzag bridge and tea room) and see the reflections of the lights. (The City God Temple lies at the southern end of this commercial area, and the Yuyuan Garden at the northern end: the entrance to the Garden is near the zigzag bridge).
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Shanghai International Circuit
Motor racing venue where the Shanghai Grand Prix Formula One race is held. Special buses run from Shanghai Stadium metro stop (line 1) and a few others around the city. They cost ¥50 return and leave every few minutes when they fill up. On Friday and Saturday it takes an hour or so each way (so if you are staying somewhere in the centre of Shanghai budget two hours door to door), on Sunday it is significantly quicker. They also drop you as far away from the main stand as it is possible to get, so budget on another 20-30 minutes to get to your seats depending on where your seats are. On the way back, you are better off just to jump on any bus as they all take you back to a metro station and your door to door travel time should be about the same.
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- Jiading District
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City Beach
Jinshan City Beach is on the north bank of Hangzhou Bay, at the southern end of Jinshan District. The area combines great scenery, points of interest and entertainment all in one strip, and is composed of 2 square kilometers of blue waters, 120,000 square meters of golden sands and a 1.7 kilometer silver walkway. Every spring, Jinshan beach hosts the national kite flying competition and the world beach volleyball tournament; in the summer thousands of visitors come for the Fengxia Music Festival. Sail boating, speed boating, bungee jumping and 4-wheeling activities makes this place a great spot for athletics as well.
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Shanghai Zoo
See the giant panda and many more exotic animals at this spacious and modern zoo that's for the most part a far cry from the concrete animal prisons found elsewhere in the country (such as Beijing). Be prepared for some some shocking behaviour by other visitors. Note that the good amount of space given to the animals means that a lot of walking is involved. There are some fairground rides for the children as well.
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- Summer 06:30-17:30; winter 06:30-16:30
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- ¥40; children less than 1.2m (3ft 11in) in height are free with paying adult
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Lu Xun Park
This park provides a quiet spot for reading, meditation, and exercising, yet on the eastern side are plenty of rides small kids would enjoy and a lake with boats for rent. Lu Xun — one of the most important Chinese writers of the 20th century — is buried here and has both a memorial statue and clock in his honor. Mao was an admirer and did an inscription for the tomb.
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- Free, boats and rides extra
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Shanghai Acrobatics Show
All the impressive acts of a Chinese circus packed into one 90 minute show. The location is easy to walk by as the theater is hidden inside a hotel. Tickets are best bought in advance, especially for weekend shows. The good acts are up right from the start, so don't be late! An alternative is the Shanghai Circus in Zhabei.
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- 1376 West Nanjing Lu
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- about 150 yuan
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Take a boat on the river
There are many companies that run river tours. Look for one of the cheaper ones. This is a great way to see the striking Shanghai skyline and river banks and shoot some good photos. A cheaper but less scenic alternative is to take one of the many ferries that cross the river for a couple yuan.
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Drink at a tea house
Visit one of Shanghai's many tea houses. Be careful not to order amazingly expensive teas or too much food. Beware of friendly-seeming strangers wanting to take you to a tea house or bar; this may be a scam.
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Gongqing Forest Park
A large forest park that provides an escape from the urban confines of the city. Great for picnics and relaxation. Features thrill coasters, miniature train ride, pleasure boats, mini-golf, bumper cars.
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- Northeast corner of Nenjiang Road (Chinese: 嫩江路) and Jungong Road (Chinese: 军工路). Ticketing booth along Nenjiang Road just east of Jungong Road, or along Jungong Road north of Nenjiang Road.
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- Mon-Sun 6:00-17:00
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- ¥15, children under 1.2 metres free when accompanied by an adult. Activities inside the park cost extra. Separate bamboo garden (Chinese: 万竹园; literally Thousand bamboo garden) on the south side of Nenjiang Road is admission ¥20
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Changfeng Park
It is a park like most others except it also has a mini-amusement park and aquarium within. Worth a visit if you are staying nearby as it is less crowded than Zhongshan or Century Parks.
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Huangpu River cruise
At the Bund's southern ferry port with the following: One hour, two hour and three hour cruises on the Huangpu. There is a large number of ticket offices and the prices differ slightly.
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- The three hour trips leave at 2PM
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- 1 hr around ¥50
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Huangpu River ferry
For those on a budget or short on time, you can take the ferry across to Pudong. This takes about 15 min and costs ¥2.
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Stampede Karting
Supposedly the largest go-kart track in Asia, it's not bad, though the price leaves a little to be desired.
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- 88RMB/round
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Shanghai Circus World
Known, among other things, for fine acrobatic shows and is on many tour group itineraries.
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- No. 2266 Gonghexin Road
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Bihai Jinsha
A popular place for Shanghai residents to go on weekends.
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Xinghai beach
Undergoing development as a resort.
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International Convention Center
Various events.
Exploring Shanghai: A Traveler's Guide to Activities
Shanghai rewards curious travelers with an exceptional range of experiences. Whether you have a weekend or several weeks, the city's 20 documented activities cover the full spectrum — architectural landmarks and world-class museums at one end, local neighborhood festivals and underground cultural scenes at the other. The activities listed on this page come from Wikivoyage contributors who have personally explored Shanghai and written detailed, practical descriptions to help you plan your visit.
The most rewarding way to experience Shanghai's activities is with company. Solo travelers who arrive without plans often find that meeting a fellow traveler at a hostel, cafe, or through the Nomax app opens up entirely new itineraries — a museum visit becomes a half-day exploration, a street food crawl turns into an evening of discovery, a day trip to a nearby site becomes an adventure. Shanghai has an active traveler community, and the city is designed to reward those who explore it with open curiosity.
When planning what to do in Shanghai, consider mixing well-known attractions with neighborhood-level experiences. The city's most photographed sights are popular for good reason, but Shanghai's character lives in its quieter corners too — the local markets, the parks where residents spend their weekends, the small performance venues where the next generation of artists and musicians are finding their voice. The 20 activities on this page include both categories, ordered by the richness of their traveler-written descriptions.
How to Get the Most from Shanghai's Activities
Timing matters in Shanghai. Many of the city's best attractions have shorter queues and better atmospheres on weekday mornings. Major cultural sites — museums, galleries, historic monuments — often run free admission windows on certain days or evenings; check before booking. Outdoor activities and walking tours are best enjoyed in the morning before the city heats up or fills with tour groups.
Budget-conscious travelers will find that Shanghai has a strong free-to-access layer. Public parks, open-air markets, architectural walking routes, and many community events cost nothing. The price information included with activities on this page (where available) helps you plan a realistic daily budget. A mix of free and paid activities across a week in Shanghai is entirely feasible for most traveler budgets.
For travelers who want to do more than just sightseeing, Shanghai offers organized activities through local guides, tour companies, and traveler apps like Nomax. Group activities — cooking classes, cycling tours, kayaking excursions, photography walks — are a natural way to meet people while experiencing the city. Many travelers who use Nomax in Shanghai coordinate these types of group experiences together, splitting costs and building memories that last beyond the trip itself.
Activities for Different Travel Styles
Not every traveler wants the same experience. History enthusiasts will gravitate toward Shanghai's museums, heritage sites, and guided historical walks that reveal the layers of the city's past. Outdoor and adventure travelers will focus on the parks, cycling routes, climbing areas, and day trips to surrounding natural areas. Food travelers will treat Shanghai's markets, restaurants, and food tours as the primary activities of each day. Culture seekers will fill evenings with concerts, theater, gallery openings, and street performances.
The 20 activities documented on this page span all these categories. Use the numbered list above to browse in order of description quality — longer descriptions generally mean more detailed, firsthand traveler knowledge. For each activity, the address and opening hours (where available) give you everything you need to plan your visit without needing to search elsewhere.
Connecting with Travelers in Shanghai
One of the best things about traveling to Shanghai is the community of international travelers already there. Backpackers, digital nomads, long-term expats, and short-trip tourists all share the same city at any given moment. Nomax makes it easy to find who is in Shanghai right now, see what activities they are joining, and coordinate plans. Whether you want a hiking companion, someone to split museum entry with, or a group for an evening out — the app connects you to people with the same itinerary in minutes.
Download Nomax before your trip to Shanghai to set your travel dates and start discovering who else will be there at the same time. The app is free, requires no subscription, and works across all the major traveler destinations worldwide — meaning the community you build in Shanghai often extends to your next destination too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best things to do in Shanghai?
Shanghai offers 20+ activities and experiences for travelers. Top highlights include Bund "Sightseeing" Tunnel, Old City God Temple (Lao Cheng Huang Miao), Shanghai International Circuit, and much more. This page lists every documented activity in order of description quality, so you can find both the major attractions and the hidden gems.
Are there free things to do in Shanghai?
Yes — Shanghai has a strong selection of free activities. Public parks, open-air markets, walking routes through historic neighborhoods, and many cultural institutions offer free admission on specific days. Scroll through the list above and look for activities marked with free or no price information — these are often the city's most authentic experiences.
How do I meet other travelers while exploring Shanghai?
Download Nomax — a free travel companion app that shows you other solo travelers currently in Shanghai. You can join group activities, chat with travelers at the same spots, and plan outings together. Many travelers in Shanghai use Nomax to find companions for day trips, museum visits, and evening activities.
What activities can I do with travel companions I meet in Shanghai?
Shanghai has activities for every interest — guided tours, food experiences, outdoor adventures, cultural events, and nightlife. Use Nomax to coordinate with other travelers: join a group for a walking tour, split a day-trip cost, or simply explore the city together. The app makes spontaneous plans easy.
Explore Shanghai with fellow travelers
Download Nomax — find travel companions, join group activities, and chat with solo travelers in Shanghai right now. Free forever.
Travel tips by Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA 3.0). Content may have been updated since publication.
