When to visit Shanghai: Late spring or autumn are cooler; summer is hot, humid and prone to typhoon-driven downpours
When is the best time to visit Shanghai?
Avg Temp
26–34°C
Rainfall
High, ~180mm/month (plum rain season into early summer)
Best Time
Late spring or autumn are cooler; summer is hot, humid and prone to typhoon-driven downpours
Packing Tips (3)
- Lightweight breathable clothing
- A compact umbrella or rain shell for sudden storms
- Portable fan or cooling towel for the humidity
What does Shanghai cost?
Typical prices
- Budget mealCN¥30.00
- Mid-range mealCN¥120.00
- CappuccinoCN¥30.00
- Domestic beerCN¥30.00
- Taxi (per km)CN¥3.00
- Public transport ticketCN¥4.00
- Museum entryCN¥0.00
- Mid-range hotel (night)CN¥550.00
Local currency: CNY
Food & Drink
Din Tai Fung (Shanghai branches)
Taiwanese chain famous for xiaolongbao soup dumplings pleated to a precise 18 folds, a benchmark stop for dumpling lovers.
Jesse Restaurant (Jia Jia Tang Bao area, Xujiahui)
Old-school Shanghainese eatery packed with locals for braised pork, drunken chicken and sweet-savory red-braised dishes.
Fu 1088
Upscale Shanghainese dining inside a restored 1930s villa in the former French Concession, serving refined versions of local classics.
Lost Heaven
Yunnan and Dai minority cuisine on the Bund, known for sour-spicy fish and mint-forward dishes in an atmospheric carved-wood interior.
Yang's Fry-Dumplings (Xiaoyang Shengjian)
Cult favorite for shengjianbao, pan-fried pork buns with a crisp bottom and soupy interior, eaten standing at simple counters.
M on the Bund
Pioneering rooftop fine-dining restaurant overlooking the Huangpu River and Pudong skyline, credited with kickstarting the Bund's dining scene.
Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet
Single-table, multisensory tasting-menu restaurant combining projection, scent and sound with each course, one of the most exclusive reservations in China.
The Bund waterfront bars
A strip of rooftop and riverside bars along Zhongshan Road with views across to Pudong's neon skyline, including Bar Rouge and Vue Bar.
Found158
Underground nightlife complex in a former air-raid shelter on Julu Road, home to techno club Elevator and several live-music venues.
Speak Low
Speakeasy-style cocktail bar hidden behind a fake bookshelf inside a small shop near Yongkang Road, multi-level with a Japanese bartending pedigree.
Yongkang Road
Former Concession-era street lined with small bars and outdoor drinking crowds, a longtime late-night hangout though periodically restricted by the city.
Culture & History
Shanghai Museum
Renowned collection of ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and jade at People's Square, with a new East Bund branch opened in Pudong.
Shanghai Museum of Glass
Housed in a converted glass factory in Baoshan, mixing industrial history with contemporary glass art installations.
Propaganda Poster Art Centre
Basement gallery hidden in a residential compound displaying original Chinese Communist Party propaganda posters from the 1950s–1970s.
Power Station of Art
China's first state-run contemporary art museum, set in a converted 1985 power plant on the Huangpu riverfront, host to the Shanghai Biennale.
Rockbund Art Museum
Art Deco building near the Bund reworked by architect David Chipperfield, showing rotating contemporary art exhibitions.
Cathay Theatre (Guotai Cinema)
Art Deco cinema on Huaihai Road operating since 1932, one of Shanghai's oldest surviving movie theaters.
UME International Cineplex (Xujiahui)
Large modern multiplex near Xujiahui Cathedral showing first-run Chinese and international blockbusters with IMAX screens.
Shanghai International Film Festival
One of Asia's major film festivals, screening Chinese and international films across venues citywide with red-carpet premieres.
Shanghai Longhua Temple Fair
Traditional temple fair and bell-ringing ceremony at Longhua Temple, one of the city's oldest Buddhist sites.
Active & Fun
Physical Shanghai
Boutique strength-training gym chain popular with expats, with several French Concession locations offering personal training.
Shanghai Oriental Sports Center
Olympic-standard aquatics center in Pudong built for the 2011 World Swimming Championships, open to the public for lap swimming.
Shanghai Disneyland
Mainland China's first Disney resort in Pudong's Chuansha area, featuring the Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Enchanted Storybook Castle.
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park
Marine-themed park in Lingang combining an aquarium, animal shows and rides, one of the newer large parks on the city's outskirts.
Cities in China
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