City Snapshot

Shanghai is China at full speed: 1930s Art Deco on the Bund, lane-house neighbourhoods under plane trees, a glass skyline across the river and the country’s best café, gallery and nightlife scene. It is more expensive than Hangzhou, but the best things — riverside walks, free museums and neighbourhood wandering — cost almost nothing. Best months: April–May and October–November.

Top Experiences

Explore the Map

Tap a pin for cost and transport tips.

Eat Like a Local

Neighbourhoods

Plan Your Days

Shanghai Through the Seasons

Season	What to expect
Spring (Mar–May)	Mild and pleasant; blossoms in the parks — one of the best times to walk the city
Summer (Jun–Aug)	Hot and humid, often 35°C+; plum rains mid-June to early July; typhoon season from July to September
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	Clear, comfortable weather and hairy-crab season (大闸蟹, October–November); avoid 1–7 October crowds on the Bund
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Damp and cold, around 0–10°C; festive lights and quieter museums

Day Trips

Student life in Shanghai (tap to expand)

• Universities & student areas: Fudan and Tongji in the north-east around Wujiaochang (Metro 10); SJTU’s main campus in Minhang (Metro 5, Dongchuan Road) and its Xuhui campus (Metro 10/11, Jiaotong University); ECNU, SISU and the Songjiang University Town (Metro 9) further out.
• Going out: the French Concession for bars and live music, Wujiaochang for malls and cheap eats, the Bund for views.
• Study spots: Shanghai Library (Metro 10, Shanghai Library) and the city’s huge café scene.
• Costs: rent is the biggest difference from other cities — try the budget calculator with the Shanghai setting.

Getting around Shanghai (tap to expand)

• Metro: 20+ lines, fares from ¥3 and usually under ¥10; pay with the Alipay/WeChat transit code or the Metro Daduhui app — many gates also take contactless bank cards.
• Rail stations: Shanghai Hongqiao (most high-speed trains to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing; Metro 2/10/17) and Shanghai Station (Metro 1/3/4).
• Airports: Pudong (Metro 2 or the Maglev: ¥50 one way, about 8 minutes to Longyang Road) and Hongqiao (Metro 2/10).
• River ferries: cross the Huangpu for about ¥2 — cheaper than the tourist tunnel and with better views.

Last updated: September 2026. Prices, opening hours and rules in China change often — treat costs as estimates and confirm anything important with the official source before you go.

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