Shanghai

Shanghai is one of those cities that sounds overwhelming on paper, futuristic skylines, huge crowds, massive train stations, and endless metro lines. But in reality, Shanghai is surprisingly easy to navigate and incredibly manageable, even if you only have one full day.

 

We didn’t plan to stay long, and honestly, one day turned out to be the perfect amount of time to see the main highlights without feeling rushed. Shanghai is polished, efficient, modern, and very different from other parts of China, especially more traditional or historic cities. It’s a fun mix of old temples, markets, skyscrapers, and chaotic pedestrian streets, and even in a short visit, you get a good feel for the city.

Arriving in Shanghai

I arrived in Shanghai after an 8-hour high-speed train ride from Hong Kong, which was… a lot. Thankfully, Shanghai makes up for the exhaustion by being incredibly straightforward to move around. The metro system is huge, clean, fast, and runs everywhere you need to go.

 

I arrived at Shanghai Hongqiao Station (the main station), where you can immediately connect to:

  • Line 2 (green)

  • Line 10 (purple)

Both go straight into the city.

 

I also got extremely lucky: the man sitting next to me on the train spoke English and basically adopted me. He helped me order coffee (first time using Chinese train apps), chatted with me the entire way, and, noticing I was travelling with two giant suitcases and a massive backpack, offered to have his private driver take me to my hotel. It was my first real taste of Chinese friendliness and hospitality, and honestly such a comforting way to arrive in a new city.

Where We Stayed: Fish Inn (Bund Branch)

  • Price: ~€20 for per night per person
  • Booked via: Booking
  • Accepted payments: Cash, Mastercard, Visa, Alipay
  • Amap name: Ziyuju

 

The location was perfect, walking distance to The Bund, and close to metro stations. The hotel was comfortable, clean, and super convenient. For the price, it was honestly great.

Getting Around Shanghai

Metro

The metro is absolutely the best and fastest way to get around. It’s modern, easy to understand, and all signage is in English.

 

How to pay:

  • Visa & Mastercard work directly at the gate readers

  • Alipay also works, but you need to activate the Shanghai transit card in the app

  • Tickets can be bought at machines (English option available)

Each time you enter a metro station, your bag goes through a security scanner. It’s normal, you get used to it quickly.

 

Buses

Buses run throughout the city, but we didn’t need them at all.

Our One-Day Shanghai Itinerary

Even with just one day, we managed to see a lot. Shanghai is surprisingly compact when it comes to major attractions.

 

City God Temple

Entry: 10 RMB

A small but historically important temple. Not the most extravagant in China, but still worth a quick stop, especially because it’s right next to the best part of Shanghai…

 

Yuyuan Old Street (Must Visit!)

Hands down my favourite place in Shanghai. This area feels like stepping into a nostalgic version of old China, lanterns, wooden architecture, curved rooftops, tiny alleys, snacks, shops, tea houses… everything.

 

Go twice if you can:

  • Early morning: opens at 9am: quiet, peaceful, easier to take photos

  • Evening: the whole area lights up and becomes so beautiful (and chaotic). It gets insanely crowded at night, but it’s absolutely worth it.

Yu Garden

Entry: 40 RMB

A classical Chinese garden filled with historic buildings, ponds, rock formations, and little bridges. Beautiful but can get extremely crowded depending on the time.

The Bund

You can’t go to Shanghai without seeing its iconic skyline. We visited:

  • Afternoon

  • Evening/night

Both are worth it, but the night skyline is what Shanghai is famous for.

 

We walked via Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, which felt like an ant colony, thousands of people flowing through wide streets. Crowd control was so intense that they created one-way pedestrian lanes to reach the Bund viewing platform.

 

Tip for photos: Walk slightly toward the left-side exit; the further edges clear up faster.

People’s Park

The park itself is nothing special, but the Marriage Market is the real attraction.

 

Since the 1990s, parents and grandparents gather here with handwritten “profiles” of their children, age, job, salary, hobbies, hoping to match them for marriage. The success rate seems low, but the crowd? Huge. It’s fascinating, a bit dystopian, and an interesting cultural glimpse.

Jing’an Temple and Park

Entry: 50 RMB

Probably the most famous temple in Shanghai. Beautiful inside and surprisingly peaceful despite being surrounded by busy roads.

Fun activity: Try your luck at throwing a coin into the temple’s multi-level wishing tower. It’s harder than it looks, and fun to watch other people fail too.

 

Jing'an park is a lively place, especially on weekends. Elderly people dancing, playing music, and enjoying their time. Cross the pedestrian bridge for a great photo angle of Jing’an Temple from above.

Day 2: Day Trip to Suzhou

Suzhou is often called the “Venice of the East”, famous for its canals, classical gardens, and picturesque old streets. It’s an easy and popular day trip from Shanghai, especially because the high-speed train is so fast. We were excited to visit, but… we went on a Sunday, and Suzhou was packed. So packed that some streets were barely walkable. It definitely photographs better than it feels in person on a busy day. We definitely felt that it was being overhyped.

How to Get to Suzhou

  • Go to Shanghai Station

  • High-speed trains take 25–36 minutes

  • Book round-trip tickets in advance, they sell out fast.

See the Useful Information for detailed instructions on how to use the HSR.

 

When you arrive, take Metro Line 4 into the city. Important:

  • Credit cards don’t work on Suzhou’s metro

  • Buy a ticket from the machine (English available)

  • Pay with cash or Alipay QR code (again, you'll need to activate it in the Suzhou region)

What We Did in Suzhou (and What We Skipped)

  • Pingjiang Road: Famous canal street lined with shops, teahouses, and old buildings. But it was so crowded we could barely move. Still pretty, but stressful.
  • Lion Forest Garden: 20 RMB. One of the most famous gardens, but also way too overcrowded. The tiny paths created waiting lines, which made it so much less enjoyable.

  • Suzhou Garden (Better Alternative): We didn’t go, but it’s bigger and supposedly less claustrophobic than Lion Forest Garden.

  • Bao'an Temple Tower: Was under construction during our visit.

  • Qilishan Ancient Street: Looked great online but far too crowded in real life.
  • Tiger Hill: another famous scenic spot, but we didn't make it there.

Final Thoughts

Shanghai surprised me in the best way. It’s modern, clean, efficient, and extremely easy to navigate, even if it looks intimidating from the outside. With its fast metro system, well-connected attractions, and compact layout, you can comfortably see all the major highlights in one full day without feeling rushed.

For me, Shanghai was the perfect mix of historic temples, glowing old streets, chaotic food areas, and that postcard-perfect skyline. It’s a city that gives you a great impression in a short amount of time, and unless you’re into museums or niche neighbourhoods, you really don’t need more than a day or two to enjoy it fully. I left Shanghai genuinely impressed, well-fed, and grateful for the small acts of kindness from strangers that made my first hours in China so much easier.

 

Suzhou is one of those places that looks incredible in photos, the canals, the gardens, the old streets, and it is nice, but timing makes all the difference. Visiting on a Sunday meant we were swallowed by crowds, which definitely affected the experience. Narrow streets and tourist hotspots quickly become overwhelming when they are packed shoulder-to-shoulder. That said, Suzhou might still be worth visiting once, especially if you go on a weekday when it’s quieter. One day is absolutely enough to see the main areas, wander along the canals, and visit a garden or two. It’s an easy, quick, and convenient day trip from Shanghai, but it’s not a place I’d personally rush back to.