Shanghai travel guides
Straight answers, checked against official and published sources, with the date we last checked them.
Tea plantation near Hangzhou · Photo: Shizhao, CC BY 1.0
Each guide opens with the short answer, then the detail. Every fact is linked to the page we read it on, so you can check it yourself. When we could not verify something, we left it out.
Do you need a visa for Shanghai? Visa-free entry in 2026
What the Chinese Embassy, a Chinese consulate and the National Immigration Administration say about visa-free entry to China in 2026, with dates and sources.
Checked 9 November 2026
Getting from Pudong and Hongqiao airports into Shanghai
How far Shanghai’s two airports are from the centre, how the maglev runs and what the metro covers, with sources.
Checked 9 November 2026
Shanghai to Hangzhou day trip: train, West Lake and what to see
How long the train from Shanghai to Hangzhou takes, what West Lake’s UNESCO listing covers and how to plan a private day.
Checked 9 November 2026
Shanghai to Suzhou day trip: which gardens are UNESCO-listed
Which nine Suzhou gardens are UNESCO-listed, when each was inscribed and how to plan a private day from Shanghai.
Checked 9 November 2026
Zhujiajiao water town: what it is and how to visit from Shanghai
Facts about Zhujiajiao, the Shanghai water town with 36 stone bridges, and how to plan a private visit.
Checked 9 November 2026
The Bund and Pudong: what you are looking at
The Bund’s dates, length and buildings, and the Pudong towers across the river, with sources.
Checked 9 November 2026
Yu Garden: dates, layout and how to give it enough time
When Yu Garden was built, how big it is and what it holds, with sources and a note on timing a visit.
Checked 9 November 2026
Shanghai in 3 days: a route that does not rush
A three-day Shanghai route covering the Shanghai Museum East, Yu Garden, the Bund, the French Concession and Zhujiajiao, with the facts behind each stop.
Checked 9 November 2026
China’s online arrival card: how to fill it in and who is exempt
The official channels for China’s online arrival card, the start date, the seven exemptions and what to do if you do not fill it in before you fly.
Checked 9 November 2026How much does a Chinese visa cost in 2026?
Visa fees charged by Chinese consulates in the US and Canada in 2026, express charges, processing times and how to submit, with the date each page was read.
Checked 9 November 2026Can US citizens visit China and Shanghai in 2026?
What official Chinese notices say about US citizens: the 240-hour visa-free transit list, the visa fee and why the 30-day visa-free list does not include the United States.
Checked 9 November 2026Shanghai visa-free transit: 240 hours, not 144
The 240-hour visa-free transit scheme that follows the old 144-hour Shanghai policy: which countries, how long, the onward-ticket rule and what the official pages leave unclear.
Checked 9 November 2026Who needs a visa for China? A country-by-country table
A country table built from official Chinese notices: 30-day visa-free entry and 240-hour transit, for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Mexico, India, Nigeria and other passports.
Checked 9 November 2026When is the best time to visit Shanghai?
Shanghai’s four seasons, the mid-June to early-July plum rain, the late-August to mid-September typhoon peak and rainfall figures, from Shanghai government sources.
Checked 9 November 2026
How many international tourists visited Shanghai in 2025?
Shanghai received 9.36 million inbound visits in 2025, about 7.14 million of them foreign nationals, with the top source countries and growth rates, from Shanghai government reporting.
Checked 9 November 2026Let us compose your Shanghai
Tell us when you travel and what you love. A Shanghai specialist replies within 12 hours with a first private itinerary.
Sunset over the Bund, Shanghai · David Zhang from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0