How to Spend 1 Day in Shanghai: The Best Itinerary

Trying to see Shanghai in one day is like trying to read one page of a novel and ticking it off your list. But still, what a page it is! 

I spent around 3 days in Shanghai either side of my trip to Taiwan and wanted to make the most of visiting a city and country that was new to me. I went with zero expectations and was blown away by how much I loved it there.

So if like me, you only have 1 day in Shanghai – first of all take a deep breath. Yes, it’s a sprawling, energetic, futuristic-meets-ancient type of city, but trust me, you can soak in a surprising amount in just 24 hours. 

I’ve done it, and loved it. And while your legs might hate you by the end, your camera roll and stomach will certainly thank you.

Here’s how I spent 1 day in Shanghai; packed, scenic, full of culture and just the right amount of chaotic.

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Morning: Explore Shanghai Old City

I always recommend starting your day as early as possible in Shanghai Old City, where the rhythm of local life beats strongest. It gets incredibly busy from 9am, so if you can arrive earlier, I suggest you do.

You might stumble upon locals playing mahjong or practicing tai chi in the courtyards if you’re early and that’s all part of the magic of this place.

There is nothing quite like stepping into the remnants of ancient Shanghai, wandering the narrow alleyways, watching shopkeepers set up for the day, and taking in the contrast of old wooden facades with the occasional modern café squeezed in between. 

City God Temple

You can’t miss the City God Temple, known as Chenghuang Miao. This historic Taoist temple, dedicated to the City God, is nestled within the courtyard. Dating back to the early Ming dynasty, this has been an integral part of the city’s spiritual life for centuries.

The intricate architecture of the temple will take your breath away – and don’t forget to look up. That’s where the best views are. It costs 10 CNY (approximately £1 to enter).

Huxinting Teahouse

Hilariously, we walked around for a long time trying to find Huxinting Teahouse, when it was right in front of us the whole time – just search for google images in advance so you know what you are looking out for.

Huxinting Teahouse is the oldest teahouse in Shanghai with an iconic zigzag bridge that leads you right there. It was closed for renovation when we visited in May 2025, but if it is open when you go, it’s a great place to rest, seated by the window, sipping on some jasmine tea.

Food, art and souvenir stalls 

You will see vendors and small shops lining the streets of the Old City. You can grab a fresh jianbing (a savoury Chinese crepe) or some steamed dumplings from a food stall or shop for local goods here.

Chenxiang Ge Temple 

Chenxiang Ge Temple is one of the smaller temples in Shanghai, but it’s sincerely impressive and worth a visit. The outside is insanely packed with tourists, and you will instantly feel the height of tranquility in the garden area. 

Quaint, peaceful and reflective. A hidden gem in plain sight that only costs 10 CNY to enter. 

Yu Garden

Just a stone’s throw away is Yu Garden, a serene escape right in the heart of the buzz of the city. The entrance fee is 40 CNY and so worth it.

The curved bridges, koi ponds and traditional pavilions are straight out of a classical Chinese painting. Take your time here; the garden’s details are easy to miss if you rush.

My only criticism of this garden is that when it’s busy, they let far too many people in, making it tough to be able to walk around and enjoy the serenity of the garden.

It was incredibly busy when we visited, and I would have gone earlier, had I have known.

After spending the morning racking up your step count, you’ll likely be hungry at this point. Now, the area around the Old City is a street food paradise if that’s your thing, and you’ll find everything from xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), to pancakes, noodles, ice cream, hotpot, bubble tea and even a McDonald’s.

Lunch at Huì Yuán Sù Shí Fāng 慧缘素食坊 Lotus Vegan

I would suggest hailing a taxi and heading to Lotus Vegan (use this exact location on Google Maps) as it can be tricky to find.

The restaurant is about a 3 minute drive from the Old City or a 25 minute walk – tucked away above what appears to be commercial premises. You will walk past a security guard in a pretty modern Western style office tower and take the lift up to the restaurant.

As the name suggests, this is a vegan restaurant that serves authentic Chinese dishes, and the menu is extensive. The service here is incredibly helpful, even though the lady serving us spoke no English – we were able to communicate effectively through translation apps, even placing our order through a QR code which translated the menu into English. It was a fab, quirky experience with delicious food. 

Just don’t order the ‘corn juice’ – I don’t know what I expected, but it was gross.

Afternoon: choice of a cultural experience or shopping 

I’m giving you two options here of how you might want to spend your day, particularly if you only have 1 day in Shanghai. This will largely depend on whether that day happens to be on a weekend or a week day too.

Shanghai Marriage Market at People’s Park

The Shanghai Marriage Market is truly one of the quirkiest, most fascinating things I have witnessed. The only caveat being that it takes place on Saturdays and Sundays, all year round. Held at People’s Park (it’s best to hail a taxi here), it starts at 1pm and ends at around 5pm.

Every weekend, hopeful parents gather here with laminated résumés full of personal information about their unmarried children, hoping to make a match.

It’s one of the most intriguing, heartfelt and slightly awkward sights I’ve ever seen. 

I spent a good few hours here talking to so many of the locals, gaining an insight into Chinese culture and it was captivating. I suggest doing the same – befriend somebody there who speaks english but can also read Mandarin and you’ll be engrossed.

If you’re anything like me, prepare to spend longer than anticipated here.

AP Plaza Xinyang Fake Market

If you fancy doing some shopping on your 1 day in Shanghai, you can choose to visit the AP Plaza Fake Market and snag some knock off brand-name goods for cheap. This is Pudong’s biggest fakes market, located underground in Metro Line 2’s Science & Technology Museum station.

The market is chaotic, it’s loud, and yes, it’s full of (mostly) knockoffs. You will find everything here from ‘Burberry’ trench coats, knock-off handbags, belts, shoes, watches, gadgets, tech and so so much more. The market is so vast, you could probably spend an entire day here and not get around the entirety of it.

The general rule of thumb here is to haggle hard and not to pay more than 10-20% of the asking price – seriously! 

I put this to the test buying a jade bangle. The lady wanted 720 CNY for it and I said no. I knew it wasn’t real jade, I just liked the look of the bangle, so I offered her 50 CNY and was prepared to walk away.

After some back and forth, she accepted 60 CNY – about £6 instead of the £72 she wanted!

We managed to visit on the previous day – we’d landed and checked in to our hotel by 3pm, so we had a few hours to explore the city.

It’s well worth a visit even if, like me, you don’t condone fakes. I managed to snag a new phone case, some accessories and a couple of small touch lamps for a bargain price.

Evening: Stroll down Nanjing Road East

Depending on how you spent your afternoon, Nanjing Road East is a short walk away from People’s Park or around a 20 minute drive away from AP Plaza (this is a bit of a distance out of the city, but still worth visiting).

Nanjing Road East is Shanghai’s shopping artery and people-watching paradise. One of the world’s busiest shopping streets – think Oxford Street, Fifth Avenue or the Champs-Élysées, and this is Shanghai’s equivalent.

Even if you’re not there to shop, the atmosphere is electric with neon signs, snack stalls and a steady stream of locals and tourists. 

You must try tanghulu or candied hawthorn skewers, as they are also sometimes called here and then make your way to the Bund as the sun starts to dip. 

Traditionally, tanghulu is made with Chinese hawthorn berries, known for their sour flavour that pair perfectly with the sugared candy coating. Personally, I prefer the candy coated grapes – delicious.

The Bund 

The Bund when the sun is setting is absolutely magical – there is a reason why hundreds of locals and visitors alike flock there. Across the Huangpu River, Pudong’s towering skyscrapers in the skyline light up like a movie set for the postcard-perfect Shanghai view.

This is one thing you must witness on your 1 day in Shanghai. 

Is it a cliché? Maybe. 

It is touristy? Yes.

Is it absolutely worth it? A thousand times yes.

You can also go on a cruise along the Huangpu River and get an extraordinary view of the Bund and the surrounding areas. Check availability for the river cruise here.

The Bund is also a hotspot for drinking and dining, with numerous highly-rated rooftop bars and restaurants that offer some of the city’s best views.

Dinner at Din Tai Fung 

For dinner, you can choose to splurge a little and eat at a restaurant nearby with killer views of the Bund, or you can do what we did and head to Din Tai Fung for some excellent food.

Din Tai Fung has won many accolades for it’s authentic Taiwanese cuisine, and they have a few branches in Shanghai, as well as across the world. 

Though we were flying to Taiwan the following morning, I was so grateful to have made the decision to get a taxi to Din Tai Fung in Shanghai.

As is the case for all of their branches world-wide, the queues are long and we sadly never managed to get a table in Taipei in the end.

Drinks with a view

You can grab a taxi or the touristy, but fun Bund Sightseeing Tunnel across the river to Pudong and end your 1 day in Shanghai with drinks at one of Pudong’s rooftop bars. 

Shanghai Tower is the tallest skyscraper in China and so their observation deck is the highest in the city. It is open until 9pm, so you might want to take a ride up in their high-speed elevator to soak in those sprawling city views before grabbing more drinks or heading off to bed.

Alternatively, you can purchase tickets for other skyscrapers like the classic Oriental Pearl Tower or Jin Mao Tower for the exclusive skywalk experience.

Prices vary, so it’s worth checking out which one suits your budget.

If paying for a view isn’t for you, The Ritz Carlton has a rooftop bar on the 58th floor called Flair Bar. Drinks are pricey, but you can experience the glittering views of the city from a dizzying height here too.

Have a cocktail and toast to a day well spent.

It would appear that Shanghai doesn’t sleep, and neither does its skyline. But if your feet beg to differ, you’ve certainly earned your rest.

Where to stay in Shanghai

We stayed at the Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai, with a sweeping view of the iconic Bund skyline. 

While the location of this hotel isn’t the most ideal for 1 day in Shanghai, I wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to be able to stay at my first Shangri-La property for a tiny fraction of what it would cost me to stay in London at The Shard.

We were also perfectly situated to end our 1 day in Shanghai at the end of the evening, so location-wise, you will have no complaints from me.

Overlooking the Bund and the Huangpu River, this hotel is located in the Lujiazui financial district and is composed of 2 towers. The room we stayed in was fairly dated and service wasn’t the best, if I’m honest.

However, the breathtaking views, plush lobby, incredibly comfortable bed and amenities made up for all of that. I wouldn’t stay anywhere else next time I visit Shanghai – and I highly recommend staying here.

Just check out the prices and tell me you aren’t shocked?

How to get around Shanghai 

Shanghai is pretty walkable as many of the sites are close together. You can also take the metro, which is the quickest and cheapest method of transportation to Shanghai.

I’ll be honest and say that when I only have a very limited time such as one day in a city, I don’t bother with the faff of figuring out the public transport system. 

I’d rather walk between sites or hail a taxi on an app (if affordable, like it is in Shanghai). There is no Uber in China, but their version is called Didi (an app you must download and register ahead of your trip to China) and it is just as efficient at booking an Uber. 

Is 1 day in Shanghai enough?

You don’t need to spend a ton of time in Shanghai, I would say 2 days in Shanghai is the sweet spot. However, I understand that you might be limited on time and want to make the most of one full day.

This itinerary is my way of capturing a little bit of everything – culture, history, food, people, gorgeous views and the beautiful calmness that is this city.

Whether it’s your first time here or your fifth, spending 1 day in Shanghai can leave a surprisingly deep impression.

Do I need a visa to visit China?

All British citizens must have a visa to visit mainland China – but this really depends on the amount of time you’ll be in the country for. I found this information quite difficult to obtain online before travelling to China, but eventually discovered we didn’t need a visa thanks to my friend who had travelled to Beijing a few months before.

240 hour visa free transit in China

If you are only going to be in mainland China for under 240 hours (starting from midnight on the day you land), you can take advantage of the 240-hour visa-free transit on arrival. There are two forms you need to complete, and you must show proof of your hotel booking and crucially, your onward flight. This can either be printed or an email confirmation on your phone.

The visa-free transit policy is only applicable if you are a passport holder from one of the 55 countries they allow – the UK and USA being two of them. It is also only applicable to certain parts of China, so you will need to check in advance – Shanghai is definitely one of them, as in Beijing.

I’ll be honest, I found the process of researching this quite stressful. When we arrived at LHR airport to check in for our flight to Shanghai, the first question they ask is to see your visa. We explained that we don’t need one and we were held up for about 30 minutes while British Airways staff made various calls to confirm this is true – so make sure you arrive at the airport early!

The same happened on our return journey from Taiwan to Shanghai. Thankfully, this counted as a separate trip so the 240 hours started again. This time I noticed a stamp on my passport stating I only had visa-free entry into the country for 24 hours, instead of the 240 granted previously – presumably because we were only there for under 24 hours this time before flying home.

Spending longer in China

If you are going to be in mainland China for longer than 240 hours (which quite honestly, I wouldn’t do because of the visa faff), the process to obtain a visa is quite lengthy and costly.

You need to have your flight and accommodation booked ahead of time for your application, and without these, you won’t be given an appointment.

You complete an online application form (which honestly feels like it will never end). They want to know your reasons for travel, and any trips you have taken in the last 5 years – and your reasons for doing so. 

They ask for key information about your immediate family too, including their salaries, maiden names etc. This is regardless of whether they are Chinese citizens or not, and even if they aren’t travelling with you. I gave up with the form at this point, so I don’t know how much more information they require – but it certainly felt very intrusive.

Along with the visa application form, you need to take and provide photos with specific dimensions, in digital format and add these to the visa application. 

Once your application has been submitted online, you need to book a time slot at the Chinese visa application centre in London and go there in person. You need to have printed copies of all your documents: 

• Passport and a printed copy of your passport
• Online application form, completed and printed
• Proof of hotel bookings
• Proof of onward travel / flight details
• Proof of address in the UK

I have read online that you can spend most of the day at the visa office, and they are only open Monday-Friday. The process of obtaining the visa can take a couple of weeks to approve and then you need to go back to the office to collect it.

The fee is upward of £130 for a single entry visa too.

As I said, lengthy.. and costly.

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Watch my Shanghai vlog below: