Shanghai Hotels

Travel in Shanghai—City Guide

Known as the famous "ten miles of foreign land," Shanghai, was the first port in China opened to the outside world. Since then, it has been an international metropolis where cultures meet, merge and melt.

The jarring skyscrapers of Lujiazui in Pudong are juxtaposed by the Western Neoclassical architecture of the Bund sitting across the Huangpu River. Xintiandi, transformed from the old Shanghai Shikumen is adjacent to Huaihai Road which is also known as the “Oriental Champs Elysees".

The former French Concession is now a holy land. It represents the trendy café culture, a fine taste and a mix of city life, fashion, and tradition. Delicacies and scenic ambiance can be found as you stroll down Hengshan Road through the towering trees. The diversity of the cultures creates a unique traveling experience where you will always encounter something new here - Shanghai.

A Global Metropolis by Huangpu River

The Huangpu River divides Shanghai into Pudong and Puxi. Pudong, a place where skyscrapers have sprouted, has now, solidified itself as the financial center of Shanghai. Puxi boasts a prosperous inner ring where old and modern buildings stand side by side. Huaihai Road in Huangpu District, Nanjing Road in Jing'an District, Lujiazui of Pudong District and the Bund by the Huangpu River are the central hubs of finance, fashion, and culture in Shanghai.

Outside the outer ring, there are the Songjiang and Qingpu districts etc... Here, the feature outlets and old towns are worth visiting.

Don't Miss the Following Destinations in Shanghai

Located besides the Huangpu River and overseeing the Bund across the river, Lujiazui is the financial heart of China. Many large financial institutions' headquarters in the Greater China area are nestled here. Dozens of landmarks are stunningly scattered around, such as the Oriental Pearl Tower (famous for its unique silhouette), Shanghai Tower (The world's second-largest skyscraper), and other high-rise buildings, including Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower.

Tianzifang is located in the former French Concession where old alleys are reborn with the joint efforts of many artists there. These alleys are transformed into art galleries, creative hubs, restaurants, and more. It is also worth mentioning that the old Shikumen houses are still home to many locals. You can take a walk through the alleys of traditional Shikumen and stay at the Ruijin InterContinental Hotel- built in the early 1920s- to travel back in time and experience a bit of the old Shanghai. Here, these three independent gardens are interlinked together alongside four distinctly unique British neoclassical villas (each tells the story of the influential and affluent people who once lived there) here.

You can go to Shanghai Disneyland for some quality family time and embark on a wonderful adventure. Fulfill your childhood dreams with Disney characters, cheering and dancing with your family or the crowd at the parade! Enjoy Hollywood's highest-box-office musical in history, "Lion King" or others like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "TRON Lightcycle Power Run" (exclusive to Shanghai Disneyland). Get ready to indulge yourselves!

Travel Tips

The Bund is a place that you cannot miss since it captures the essence of Shanghai in one frame. If you want to see it at its best then we suggest visiting during sunset hours or at dawn to capture its beautiful skyline.

Shanghai's 'Hollywood', Zhujiajiao town, is often shot in ancient Chinese films for its perfect setting. By the antique canals and bridges, thousands of buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasty stand; giving the place a serene and authentic Chinese element for films to capture. Even the famous writer from Taiwan, Echo (Sanmao) was deeply fascinated.

Located in the former French Concession, Shanghai Jiaotong University is one of China’s top universities. Here, the old library inherits its architectural style from the Elizabethan era of Britain. It is also a nice place to take a stroll and absorb the academic atmosphere, a change from the typical sights of Shanghai.

Accommodation Beyond Belief

From luxury hotels in Lujiazu to classic detached houses in the French Concession and traditional local residences, the city has numerous options to accommodate your tastes.

Staying near the Bund gives you access to gorgeous sceneries and all tourist’s spots in the city such as, Waibaidu Bridge, Huangpu Park, and Broadway Mansion. You can learn more about Shanghai by staying at Hotel Indigo On the Bund, located by the South Bank. There, you can see an old rickshaw in the hotel lobby, and find Shanghainese elements such as metal pieces collected from shipyards on Shiliupu dock in the rooms.

Lujiazui is the district where fulfills the future sense, with uniquely shaped skyscrapers everywhere, restaurants, bars, housing hotels and luxury branded shops. In addition, when night falls, the residential area of south Lujiazui, becomes very lively and you can experience the local nightlife there.

Shanghai Railway Station is a very convenient transportation hub within the city.  Therefore, hotels in this area is ideal choice because of the numerous buses and metro lines that will help you get easily access to main attractions, such as People's Square, the Bund, Huaihai Road, 50 Art Park on Moganshan Road and so on…

Paradise for Shoppers

As a world-class city, Shanghai is the place to shop for your favorites, where it be luxury items or wholesale goods on Qipu Road. In Shanghai, destinations for shoppers are Lujiazui, Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, Jing' a District, Xujiahui, and so on.

Nanjing Road was the first commercial street in Shanghai, a paradise for domestic and foreign shoppers. Nanjing East Road is dotted with all kinds of stores, traditional and modern; if you aim for high-end shopping experience, put these names on your list: Hang Lung, Reel, Kerry Center, Meilongzhen on Nanjing West Road. Also, 10 Corso Como by Jing’an Temple is also a good place to go for fashion lovers.

Huaihai Road is known to be romantic and elegant with massive shopping malls standing close to each other. These include Lane Crawford, Xintiandi, K11, Hong Kong Mall, and IAPM; where many luxury brands have set up their flagship stores (Nike, Hermes, Adidas, Muji, and UNIQLO). On Changle Road, Fumin Road, and Julu Road, you can also check out new arrivals or tiny fashion items in independent stores or buyers' boutique shops, which are set up by local designers, celebrities and some famous buyers.

Almost all leading high-level brands in the world could be found in Lujiazui. The International Financial Center, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Oriental Pearl Tower gather a wide range of brand name stores in the area.

Global Harbor is a popular place for locals to shop and it hosts large rooftop garden. Here, over thousands of brands could be found ranging from fast fashion to international and local brands. If you are a shopping lover, Global harbor would be the choice!

Travel the World of Gourmet Food in Shanghai

A city with such a diverse collection of cultures, like Shanghai, comes with a diverse menu of tastes and food options. From local Shanghai cuisines to Michelin restaurants, street snacks and kaiseki cuisine, Sichuan food to French molecular cuisine.... You can experience cuisines from all over the world in Shanghai.

Want to try the Michelin Stars in Shanghai? Go to Lanting and Haijinzi for local delicacies, Dashuwujie and Kung Tak Lam for vegetarian food, and Ultra Violet for some ‘out of the world’ experience designed by Paul Pairet.

In the inner ring of Shanghai, spicy cuisines like Sichuan, Hunan, Hotpot will definitely excite any foodie. Gubei is a place where the great tastes of Asia meet. Here, Korean and Japanese restaurants outnumber Chinese restaurants and once the weekend comes, the place fills with irresistible smells like that of Korean barbeque.

Traditional Culture and Vanguard Spirit

Before Shanghai opened up to the world, Chenghuang Temple was the only place for locals to have fun. Since the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, Chenghuang Temple has merged with the surrounding environment of bustling markets and streets.  It also carries the traditional culture and local spirit. The area around it is an incarnation of all culture, religion, business, and citizens, which makes it definitely worth visiting.

"Art" is an extremely important element to Shanghai and its increasing influence on contemporary culture reflects the spirit of modern Shanghai. Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Fashion Week, and 1933 Old Millfun (comprised of newly-renovated factories), and M50 on Moganshan Road all represent Shanghai's endeavor on being on the forefront of the 'Art World'.

Shanghai music festivals varies from the electronic music feast Midi Music Festival, Simple Life Music Festival that is loved by everyone, to Strawberry Music Festival for independent musicians. With larger scales and more music events, festivals in Shanghai are becoming amazing parties for music lovers home and abroad.

Nightlife in Shanghai

There are countless places for you to spend a night in Shanghai. A quiet stroll down the Huangpu River, an elegant terrace restaurant on the Bund, lively bars on West Nanjing Road, midnight snacks in the sub-cultural neighborhoods or sing your night away in massive KTV rooms. Wherever you choose to spend the night, the bright lights of Shanghai will never leave you out.

Shanghai, a place with many diverse cultures, has a unique bar scene where people share their lives. On Hengshan Road, you can find all types of bars ranging from, a highly sought after beer bar, an old jazz bar, fashion and music bar where icons visit. People enjoy the big city nightlife, alcohol, and the unique feel of the multi-bar culture in Shanghai.

You can head to renowned bar Dr. Beer which stocks the largest collection of beers in Shanghai, swinging jazz bar Blue & Jazz, hidden bar world ranked Speak Low and many more on Hengshan Road.

Outside of the bar scene, you can go to the Shanghai sports stadium and listen to a concert, go sit in a Han yuan book store and read letters from fans in memorizing ZhangGuorong, a Hong Kong movie Star,  go to KTV and sing with a few friends until morning, or walk along small lanes and have a meaningful time.

Modern Business Hub

Shanghai is one of the most important financial centers in both China and the world. You can explore the business aspects of Shanghai in the Oriental Art Center, designed by French architect Paul Andrew. The Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall, and Shanghai International Convention Center are worth for visiting as well.

Shanghai International Convention Center, the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and Jin Mao Building are all well-known buildings in Pudong. The total area of Shanghai International Convention Center covers 110,000 square meters that oversee the historic buildings across the river. It is perfectly situated for business and travel purposes.

The National Convention and Exhibition Center is the world's largest single building and exhibition complex; only a distance of 1.5 km from Hongqiao International Airport. As the luxury hotel in the area, the InterContinental Shanghai NECC Hotel is only 5 km from both Hongqiao International Airport and Hongqiao Railway Station. In addition, it is only a 3-minute walk from the hotel to the line 2 subway station. For these reasons, people on business conferences are highly recommended to staying here.

How to Get to the City

Shanghai has two airports and three train stations. Pudong Airport is located 30 km away from downtown areas and is used mainly for international flights. Hongqiao Airport is about 13 km to the downtown areas, and it is mainly for domestic flights.

The 3 railway stations include: Shanghai Railway Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Station and Shanghai South Railway Station.

Shanghai Railway Station is in the city center, and travelers could get there by subway lines 1, 3 and 4. Passengers could go right into subway stations after they get off the trains.

Shanghai South Railway Station, located in the southwest of Xuhui District, is about 5 km to the popular Xujiahui District.

Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station is the newest and largest train station in Shanghai, seamlessly connecting passengers to airports, bus stations, long distance coach stations and subway stations.

Everyone has their own love for trips: romantic strolls, fairytale castles, elegant villas, museum tours, or old scholar's temples... No matter what you love, you will find it while exploring Shanghai.