Shanghai — Skyline, Bund & Modern China
Shanghai is China's gateway to the future, a city where Art Deco banks line the historic Bund while futuristic towers rise across the Huangpu River. It is the country's most cosmopolitan destination and a showcase of East meets West.
Why visit Shanghai
Shanghai is China's gateway to the future, a city where Art Deco banks line the historic Bund while futuristic towers rise across the Huangpu River. It is the country's most cosmopolitan destination and a showcase of East meets West.
Top highlights
- The Bund — Stroll the riverside promenade lined with 1920s banks and trading houses, directly facing the Pudong skyline.
- Pudong skyline — Admire the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center from the river or a rooftop bar.
- Yu Garden — Escape the bustle in a 400-year-old classical garden with rockeries, pavilions and koi ponds.
- Nanjing Road — Walk one of the world's busiest shopping streets, blending historic stores and neon-lit modern malls.
Visit the Bund at sunrise or just after sunset when the skyline lights switch on; Yu Garden is least crowded early in the morning.
Suggested itinerary
Day 1 — walk the Bund at dawn, visit Yu Garden and the bazaar, then dinner with a skyline view. Day 2 — explore the Former French Concession's lanes and cafés, then cross to Pudong for the Shanghai Tower observation deck. Day 3 — browse Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Museum before an evening Huangpu River cruise.