The Bund at blue hour
Stroll the riverside promenade as the Lujiazui towers light up, then take a short Huangpu River cruise.
The Magic City · 魔都
Shanghai 上海
Art-deco boulevards, a skyline from the future and the best soup dumplings on earth.
Locals call it Modu — the Magic City. In a single afternoon you can walk the 1920s banks of the Bund, sip coffee under plane trees in the former French Concession, and ride an elevator to the 118th floor of the second-tallest building in the world.
Shanghai is also the easiest gateway into China: two international airports, the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, and high-speed trains that put Suzhou 30 minutes and Hangzhou under an hour away.
Getting there
Most long-haul flights from Europe, the US and Southeast Asia land at Pudong International (PVG). From Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok the flight is around 4.5–6 hours. Our driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name board.
Don't miss
Top experiences in Shanghai
Yu Garden & the Old City
A Ming-dynasty garden of rockeries and koi ponds, wrapped by lanes full of snacks and teahouses.
French Concession by bike
Plane-tree avenues, art-deco villas, hidden lane houses (lilong) and the city's best cafés.
Dumplings & night food walk
Xiaolongbao, shengjianbao, scallion pancakes — tasted with a local foodie who knows where the queues are worth it.
Tours
Private tours including Shanghai
Best value
7 days
✈ Arrive in Shanghai
Hu Shang Jiangnan: Shanghai & the Water Towns
Dreamy Jiangnan meets the Magic City: Suzhou gardens, the Three Kingdoms on Taihu Lake, a lantern-lit night in Puyuan, West Lake tea and Shanghai from the 58th floor — with five free experiences along the way.
from US$299 pp
3 days
✈ Arrive in Shanghai
Shanghai Highlights
Three days that cover the Magic City from every angle — colonial Bund, Ming-dynasty garden, art-deco lanes, street food and a canal town on the edge of the city.
from US$590 pp
5 days
✈ Arrive in Shanghai
Jiangnan Water Towns Slow Journey
For travellers who want the China of ink paintings: overnight in a canal town, wander misty bridges at dawn and taste the food of the rice-and-fish country.
from US$1,090 pp
4 days
✈ Arrive in Shanghai
Hangzhou Tea & West Lake
A slow, green escape for tea lovers: tea fields at dawn, a tea ceremony with a master and a lake that changes colour with every hour.
from US$860 pp
Plan ahead
Useful guides
China Visa-Free Entry: 30-Day Visa Exemption & 240-Hour Transit Explained
Who can visit China without a visa, how the 240-hour transit works, and what to prepare before you fly into Shanghai.
How to Pay in China as a Foreigner: Alipay, WeChat Pay & Cash
Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card before you fly — plus when cash and credit cards still work.
Halal Food & Mosques in Shanghai and Hangzhou: A Muslim Traveller's Guide
Where to find halal food, how to spot Muslim restaurants and which historic mosques to visit in East China.
Ready to see Shanghai?
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