Shanghai's Top Sights
The Bund at blue hour, the French Concession, Yu Garden, and the Pudong skyline — timed to beat the crowds.
The Bund
The 1.5 km riverside promenade of 1920s Art Deco banks facing the Pudong skyline. Free; best at blue hour (just after sunset) when the lights come on but the crowds are still thin.
Yu Garden & City God Temple
A 16th-century classical garden ringed by a tourist bazaar. Go early (opens 8:45am) — the garden is serene before the tour buses. Small entry fee.
The French Concession
Plane-tree-lined streets, art-deco lanes, boutiques and cafés — Xintiandi, Tianzifang and Wukang Road. Free to wander; the city's most livable district.
Pudong skyline
The Oriental Pearl, the Shanghai Tower (632 m, the world's second-tallest) and the IFC. The Shanghai Tower observation deck is the highest open to the public.
Nanjing Road
The pedestrian shopping street from the Bund to People's Square — busy, touristy, but the walk to the Bund is a rite of passage.
Locals' Tip
Do the Bund at blue hour, not full dark — the skyline lights are on but the tour crowds haven't arrived yet.