SHANGHAI · East

Shanghai 上海

The Bund skyline and plane-tree lanes — China’s most international metropolis.

CityShoppingHeritage buildings
Best timeOctober · April · May
Stay3–4 days
This monthAugust · Seasonal
View on map
Main citiesHuangpu, Jing'an, Xuhui, Pudong
Main airportsPudong PVG / Hongqiao SHA
Getting around13+ metro lines; Hongqiao HSR hub
BudgetHigh (¥600–1,200/day)
Language barrierMost international city in China; English widely workable
Payment easeExcellent (most int'l card POS in China)
Altitude notePlain, 4 m
Best monthsOctober · April · May
When to Go

When to visit Shanghai

综合气温舒适度、降水与极端天气、景观季节性、节假日人流的月度评分。绿越高越适宜,红色月份需谨慎。

58
JAN
1–9°
 
60
FEB
3–10°
 
74
MAR
6–14°
 
86
APR
11–20°
★ Best
84
MAY
16–24°
★ Best
70
JUN
21–27°
 
56
JUL
25–31°
 
62
AUG
26–31°
 
84
SEP
22–27°
 
90
OCT
16–23°
★ Best
78
NOV
10–17°
 
60
DEC
4–11°
 

Mar–May · Spring

GOOD
  • Blossoms and new plane leaves; April kindest
  • Muggy pre-plum-rain from late May
  • Holiday crowds

Jun–Aug · Summer

HOT
  • June plum rains; 38°C+ dog days
  • Night walks and art museums as escapes
  • Occasional typhoons

Sep–Nov · Autumn

BEST
  • Crisp air; plane-tree gold in Nov–Dec
  • The best city-walk window of the year
  • Exhibition season opens

Dec–Feb · Winter

SHOULDER
  • Damp 0–8°C chill that cuts
  • Bund light shows and New Year crowds
  • Hotel rates below spring/autumn
Climate

Year-round temperature & rainfall

平均最高温月降水均值

-20°20°40°January 降水 64 mmFebruary 降水 65 mmMarch 降水 90 mmApril 降水 106 mmMay 降水 120 mmJune 降水 257 mmJuly 降水 177 mmAugust 降水 149 mmSeptember 降水 117 mmOctober 降水 61 mmNovember 降水 63 mmDecember 降水 43 mmJanuary 平均 5℃ · 适宜度 58February 平均 7℃ · 适宜度 60March 平均 10℃ · 适宜度 74April 平均 16℃ · 适宜度 86May 平均 20℃ · 适宜度 84June 平均 24℃ · 适宜度 70July 平均 28℃ · 适宜度 56August 平均 29℃ · 适宜度 62September 平均 25℃ · 适宜度 84October 平均 20℃ · 适宜度 90November 平均 14℃ · 适宜度 78December 平均 8℃ · 适宜度 60JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC

Temperature & rainfall: ERA5 1995–2024 monthly means for a representative city; conditions vary by city, altitude and terrain. Dots show monthly suitability. (Updated 2026-08)

Attractions

Top attractions in Shanghai

每个景点都标注了决策信息:最佳季节、建议时长、预约要求与人流水平。

Must-see Th

The Bund & Lujiazui Skyline (外滩·陆家嘴)

A century of architecture facing the future: the heritage promenade against one of the world's great skyscraper clusters.

最佳季节 Clear nights 建议时长 2–3 h 到达方式 Metro Line 2/10 East Nanjing Road 预约 Free; tunnel & towers ticketed 人流 Crowd control on holidays 适老宜幼 Easy
Culture Yu

Yu Garden & City God Temple (豫园·城隍庙)

Ming garden and old-town bustle — the Zigzag Bridge and Nanxiang soup dumplings.

最佳季节 Off-holidays 建议时长 2–3 h 到达方式 Metro Line 10/14 Yuyuan 预约 Garden ¥30–40 人流 Capped on Golden Weeks 适老宜幼 Easy
City Wu

Wukang Road–Anfu Road (武康路·安福路)

Ground zero of plane-tree city walks: Wukang Mansion, cafés, boutiques and old villas.

最佳季节 Spring/autumn, weekend mornings 建议时长 2 h 到达方式 Metro Line 10/11 Jiaotong University 预约 Free 人流 Weekend afternoons packed 适老宜幼 Easy
Culture Sh

Shanghai Museum (East) (上海博物馆东馆)

National-grade bronzes, painting and ceramics; the 2024 East branch is superbly laid out.

最佳季节 Year-round (closed Mondays) 建议时长 3 h 到达方式 Metro Line 2 + shuttle 预约 Free reservation; special shows ticketed 人流 Managed 适老宜幼 Kids' zones
Ancient town Zh

Zhujiajiao Water Town (朱家角古镇)

Shanghai's best-preserved Jiangnan water town — Fangsheng Bridge and granny's zongzi.

最佳季节 Weekdays, spring/autumn 建议时长 Half day 到达方式 Metro Line 17 Zhujiajiao 预约 Free entry; combo sights extra 人流 Weekend-heavy 适老宜幼 Boat rides
Family Sh

Shanghai Disneyland (上海迪士尼)

Asia's busiest Disney — TRON and the new Zootopia land.

最佳季节 Off-holidays 建议时长 1–2 days 到达方式 Metro Line 11 Disneyland 预约 Official app tickets + early entry 人流 High year-round; peak CNY/summer 适老宜幼 The ceiling
Culture

Culture & local life

Shanghai is a city of folds: Bund colonial frontage, Pudong cyberpunk skyline, plane-tree middle-class lanes and old-town longtang life — four time zones within 15 km. The city walk is not a marketing word here; from Wukang Mansion to the wet market on Wulumuqi Middle Road, architectural and social history share one frame.

Haipai culture runs on contracts and proportion: the “refinement” is not coldness but respect for rules — queues, quiet voices, going Dutch. Longtang uncles are brash and warm; office workers are restrained and polite; the same people switch registers freely.

Benbang cuisine's “thick oil and red sauce” is the city's taste memory: sugar in braised pork is sincerity, spring bamboo in yanduxian is seasonality. Street-level Shanghai is also China's coffee capital — the plane-tree district out-densifies Paris.

Local know-how

  • Commuters walk fast; on escalators keep left passing, don't block side by side
  • No tripods blocking flow at Bund viewpoints; drones banned in much of the city
  • Queue culture is strict at restaurants — cutting will be called out publicly
Special Notes

Special notes & precautions

⚠ Holiday crowd controlThe Bund and East Nanjing Road run one-way flows and metro skips on New Year/National Day — check police notices.
⚠ Extreme summer heat38°C+ saunas in July–August: schedule indoors at midday, hydrate, watch for heat exhaustion.
⚠ Disney ticket trapsCheap third-party tickets drive most complaints — buy on the official app/flagship store only.
✓ A classic 48 hoursDay 1: Bund—Yu Garden—Xintiandi; Day 2: Wukang Road—West Bund museums—Pudong skyline at night. Add a day each for Disneyland and Zhujiajiao.
✓ Cheap thrill at altitudeThe ¥180 observation deck is fine — but Duoyun Bookstore on floor 52 gives the same night view for a coffee.
Food

Eating in Shanghai

Benbang is sweet and glossy; dim sum is embroidery — xiaolongbao, shengjian, crab-shell pastry and a bowl of scallion oil noodles is Shanghai.

Xiaolongbao (南翔小笼包) · Skin thin, soup rich — open a window, drink the broth, mind the heat Shengjian buns (生煎馒头) · Crisp black-sesame bottoms that burst with juice Braised pork (红烧肉) · Rock-sugar soy glaze — the benbang icon Yanduxian (腌笃鲜) · Spring bamboo, salted pork and tofu knots in one pot Scallion oil noodles (葱油拌面) · Crisped scallions and dried shrimp — longtang breakfast Autumn crab feast (蟹宴) · Hairy crab Sep–Dec; roe over rice is the luxurious peak
  • Benbang leans sweet and rich — ask for “less sugar” (the chef will ache)
  • Vegetarian: noodle shops and high-end veg (Fu He Hui)
  • Halal/kosher: covered by the international dining scene, Bund and Gubei

🍽️ Useful phrases for ordering (tap to copy)

生煎一两,现煎的。
Shēngjiān yì liǎng, xiàn jiān de.
One liang of pan-fried buns, freshly made.
少糖少油。
Shǎo táng shǎo yóu.
Less sugar and oil, please.
大闸蟹什么时候的最好?
Dàzháxiè shénme shíhou de zuì hǎo?
When's the best season for hairy crab?
Practical

Clothing, stays, transport & souvenirs

出发前最后确认的四件事:怎么穿、怎么住、怎么走、带什么回去。

👕

穿衣

  • Spring/autumn: shirt + light jacket; light colors photograph well in the lanes
  • Summer: 38°C saunas — quick-dry, sun protection, folding umbrella (storms)
  • Winter: damp-cold “magic attack” — down + thick knitwear; unheated interiors bite
  • Plum rain (June): waterproof shoes and fast-drying fabrics
🏨

Where to stay

  • Bund/East Nanjing Road: view-room premium (Peace Hotel legend), walkable old town
  • Jing'an/former French Concession: boutique and design stays, city-walk base
  • Pudong: business value, Line 2 straight in
  • Disney area: Toy Story Hotel for early entry
🚄

Getting around

  • Metro solves everything: ¥3–9 by distance; Alipay “Metro大都会” or transit card scan
  • Hongqiao: HSR + airport in one hub; Beijing in 4.5 h
  • Taxis scarce at rush (base ¥14); ride-hailing responds fast
  • Shared bikes are perfect for the plane-tree district
🛍️

What to buy

  • White Rabbit candy (大白兔) — The nostalgic national candy
  • Butterfly cookies (蝴蝶酥) — International Hotel's queue-worthy pastry
  • Time-honored snacks (沈大成·王家沙) — Seasonal qingtuan and sweet sticks (Short shelf life — eat soon)
  • Local design brands — Candles and goods from homegrown studios
Nearby

Nearby destinations

Keep Exploring

Change the month —
a different Shanghai awaits.

Back to the interactive map to explore Shanghai — and China — in other seasons.

Revisit Shanghai in its best month