Shanghai Travel Guide: 6 Days, Every Experience Worth Having
Hi my lovely readers!
I had pretty low expectations for Shanghai going in, since I’ve been there before. But after six days between the immersive theatre shows, the late-night crayfish suppers, the day trip to a water town and Disneyland, I came home already thinking about when I could go back.
Here’s what we did, what was worth it, what to skip, and what you absolutely cannot leave without doing.
Is Shanghai Right for You?
Shanghai is for people who love cities that reward curiosity. It is not a beach trip or a nature escape. It is dense, food-obsessed, endlessly stimulating and full of experiences you cannot find anywhere else in the world. We went for some of the best immersive entertainment that most tourists walk past without knowing it exists.
We went as a group of three and had the best time but this would have worked if you were travelling solo too. The metro is easy to navigate, and DiDi keeps every ride tracked and safe. Plus, the city is safe enough even at night. More on safety here: [LINK: Is Shanghai Safe for Solo Female Travellers?]
Quick Facts
📍 Location: China East Coast. Pudong International Airport (PVG) or Hongqiao Airport (SHA) have planes flying directly from Singapore, a 5 to 6-hour flight.
🗓️ How long to stay in Shanghai: 6 days is a solid Shanghai-only trip. 4 days is doable but you will feel rushed. If you have 3 days more, places like Hangzhou and Suzhou are cities less than 1 hour away via high-speed trains and you can combine that with your trip [LINK: Hangzhou Travel Guide]
💰 Budget: Day-to-day costs are very manageable. Street food and local restaurants run around RMB 30 to 80 (SGD 6 to 15) per person per meal. As for transportation, even Didi is affordable, with each trip roughly SGD 4 on average. The big experiences are where costs build up but they are all so worth it.
💳 Currency: RMB. Everything runs on WeChat Pay (微信支付, Wēixìn Zhīfù) or Alipay (支付宝, Zhīfùbǎo). Set these up before you land. [LINK: How to Pay for Things in China]
🗣️ Language: Mandarin. English is limited outside hotels but apps, photos and pointing get you a lot further than you think.
🛂 Visa: Singaporeans get 30-day visa-free entry. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry.
When to Go
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are when Shanghai is at its best. Temperatures sit between 14°C and 25°C, the skies are clear and everything is pleasant to walk around in. We went in the spring and the weather was near-perfect.
Don’t go during Golden Week (first week of October) or Chinese New Year (late January to February). That’s when crowds are enormous, prices spike, and booking anything becomes a nightmare.
Summer (June to August) is usually hot and humid, with temperatures hitting 35°C while winters (December to February) are cold and damp. Both are doable since most of the activities here are indoors, so weather matters less than you might think for the experiences themselves. The exception is Disneyland, which is an outdoor park and in winter, the daylight ends earlier, which affects your evening and how much time you actually have before the fireworks.
Where to Stay
We stayed around 淮海中路 (Huáihǎi Zhōng Lù / Huaihai Road) and 新天地 (Xīntiāndì), at 如家商旅酒店 (上海外滩新天地淮海路店), which was at the heart of Shanghai. It puts us within walking distance from The Bund, Nanjing Pedestrian Road and Yu Yuan Garden, and on metro lines that reach everywhere else, making it really convenient. This hotel was near 大世界 地铁站(Dà Shìjiè Metro).
[LINK: 如家商旅酒店 review]
For the Disneyland portion of the trip (Days 5 and 6 in our itinerary), we moved to the Nous Hotel near the Disneyland Park. About 2.5km from the entrance with a free shuttle, outdoor pool and a lot more personality than the official resort hotels, at a fraction of the price. [LINK: Nous Hotel Review]
Tip: If you are doing the 1.5-day Disneyland ticket option as we did, the two-hotel split works really well. The commute from central Shanghai to Disneyland can be long. Also, the last train is at 10:25pm, so it can be a rush.
Getting Around
The metro (地铁, Dìtiě) is your main mode of transport. It covers the city well, has English signage throughout, and each station has a bag security check at the entrance. Pay via Alipay or WeChat QR code, or pick up a transport card (交通卡, Jiāotōng Kǎ) on arrival.
However, for convenience, DiDi (滴滴, Dīdī) was the ride-hailing app we used all the time. Set it up before you arrive and link it to Alipay. Use it for late nights, the Zhujiajiao day trip, and anywhere the metro does not conveniently reach. Everything is tracked and there is a record of every trip.
Tip: Save your hotel address in Chinese characters on your phone. You will need it for DiDi and it is helpful any time you have to ask someone for directions.
[LINK: Getting Around Shanghai & Hangzhou]
Before You Land, Sort These Out
WeChat, Alipay and Meituan are the top few apps we used on this trip need to be set up before you land, not after. You will need them from the moment you clear immigration and you do not want to be figuring it out jetlagged at the airport. [LINK: Essential Apps to Download for China]
We also booked the big experiences the moment our travel dates were confirmed. Some of these experiences are only available on weekends and operate at specific times and dates, so the rest of our itinerary had to be arranged around them. Furthermore, the plays such as Sleep No More could sell out weeks ahead, especially on weekends, while activities like 宫宴 Gong Yan (Gōng Yàn) need bookings at least 1 to 2 months in advance. Tickets to the 新和医院 RPG go fast on weekends.
Make sure to download all your tickets and bookings offline before you fly. Save them as PDFs or screenshots. Verification codes do not always come through on roaming data, and you do not want to be stuck at a venue entrance unable to pull up your booking. This was what happened when we booked the Shanghai Romance Park tickets online and couldn’t log into the app without a verification code.
Carry your passport every single day. As a foreigner in China, your passport is the only accepted ID at tourist attractions, Disneyland, hotels and train terminals. Most of the time, the tickets are linked to your passport number. In fact, Disneyland scans the physical passports in place of the entry tickets.
The Experiences
This is what makes Shanghai genuinely different from anywhere else I have travelled. The food is exceptional but so are the things you do here. These were the standout experiences from our trip, with everything you need to know before you book.
If you are thinking of visiting The Bund, visit it on a weekday afternoon. Weekend evenings are overwhelming. Weekday afternoons around 4pm are when the light is best and the crowds are much more manageable.
The Immersive Experiences (Do Not Miss These)
Shanghai has such an immersive entertainment scene that most visitors miss. These three were the highlights of the entire trip for us.
不眠之夜 Sleep No More (Bùmián Zhī Yè): a silent, immersive retelling of Macbeth set across five floors of the fictional McKinnon Hotel (麦金侬酒店, Màijīnnóng Jiǔdiàn). You wander freely, follow actors, explore over 90 elaborately designed rooms and create your own version of the story. No two people ever see the same show. I went in not knowing what to expect and came out already thinking about going back. If you take nothing else from this guide, take this. Book the Adventure Spirit tier for your first time, and go alone if you can. Rated NC16. [LINK: Sleep No More: The Complete Guide]
📍 1013 West Beijing Road, Jing’an District | 🚇 Nanjing West Road Station (Lines 2, 12) | 💰 Adventure Spirit: RMB 660 (SGD 152) via 大麦 Damai, or from SGD 145.58 via Pelago/Klook. Wandering Spirit: RMB 590 to 648 (SGD 136 to 149) via Damai, or from SGD 130.14 via Pelago/Klook | 📱 Book via Pelago, Klook or 大麦 (Dàmài / Damai). Sells out weeks ahead. [LINK: Full first-timer’s guide]
新和医院 RPG (Xīn Hé Yuàn RPG / 古影沉浸式互动游戏剧场): an immersive role-play experience with no real Western equivalent. You get missions and have to think of strategies to execute them, including bribing them. The NPCs were so committed and so helpful. And do arrive early to get into the guild costumes, some of the guilds even got to wear the pretty cheongsam sets! [LINK: Xinhe Hospital RPG: The Complete Guide]
📍 百联南方购物中心, Minhang District | 🚇 Lotus Road Station (Line 1), 380m | 📱 Book via 大众点评 (Dianping) or 大麦 (Damai) [LINK: Full guide]
宫宴 Gong Yan (Gōng Yàn): a theatrical imperial dining experience. Seven courses of Han dynasty cuisine served with full ceremony, live performances between each dish, osmanthus plum wine that gets refilled without you asking, and the option to dress in period costume beforehand. I thought it was going to be gimmicky but it was not. It was one of the most memorable meals of the entire trip. We went for the lunch slot (afternoon, around 12pm to 2pm), which worked perfectly. Read more about what food was served in the post here. We were done by early afternoon and had time to get to the Nous Hotel and make the Disneyland afternoon entry. Book this via WeChat, search 宫宴预定, and do it 1 to 2 months ahead. This is not an exaggeration as we booked 3 weeks in advance and only had crappy seats on the side. [LINK: GongYan Review]
📍 1485 West Beijing Road, 1F-2F, Jing’an District | 🚇 Jing’an Temple Station Exit 6 [LINK: Full review]
上海千古情 Shanghai Romance Park (Shànghǎi Qiān Gǔ Qíng): a performance park styled after old Shanghai. Honest take: the park itself did not fully live up to what we had seen on social media (the photogenic spots are mostly on Main Street and not much beyond that), but the SongSung Romance Park Show inside is worth it. High production values and a show that actually delivers. Build your visit around the main street’s show schedule and treat the park as a bonus. Head upstairs before you leave, most people miss the Hobbit-inspired photo spot and the river view up there.
[LINK: Honest review of the Shanghai Romance Park]
The Food
Shanghai’s food scene could fill its own guide, and it does. [LINK: Shanghai Food Guide: Every Restaurant Rated] But here are the highlights from our trip.
莱莱小笼 Lai Lai Xiaolongbao (Lái Lái Xiǎolóngbāo): A Michelin Bib Gourmand, near Nanjing Road. The queue, when we arrived at 9am, already told us everything we needed to know but it moves pretty fast. Get the crab roe XLB (RMB 48 / SGD 9 for a basket), the pork chop cutlet and the prawn dumpling soup. We tried other foods here as well, which you can read about here. [LINK: Full review]
📍 504 Tianjin Road, Huangpu District | 🚇 People’s Square Station (Lines 1, 2, 8)
蟹叁宝 (Xiè Sān Bǎo): One of Shanghai’s most celebrated crab roe specialists. The crab roe rice was rich, fresh and super yummy, though it can be a huge portion for a solo traveller so you can grab the alternative instead. Go early on a weekday evening and you’ll walk straight in. [LINK: Full review on what we ate and alternatives for solo travellers]
📍 388 Madang Road, SOHO Fuxing Plaza D, F1, Huangpu District | 🚇 Xintiandi Station Exit 4, 50m right
四季民福 (Sìjì Mínfú): One of the more local joints for the famous Peking duck. We had to order their duck, all carved for us and had a duck bone broth made from the carcass. We also added the delicious squirrel fish and black bean noodles. This was one of the best meals of the entire trip. Though, do go earlier or later than the dinner crowd, as the restaurant gets busy. [LINK: Full review]
📍 283 Huaihai Rd (M), North Block, Level 3, Huangpu District, Shanghai, China, 200083
很久以前羊肉串 A long time ago (Hěn Jiǔ Yǐqián Yángròuchuàn): the late-night BBQ skewer spot that everyone is queuing for. Join the queue via Meituan or their app, then go to the shorter-wait branch at 818 West Nanjing Road B1F instead of the one near Nanjing Pedestrian Street. The lamb and beef skewers were the star and the fever patches for the grill heat are necessary. [LINK: A long time ago guide]
沪小胖 (Hù Xiǎo Pàng): A serious late-night crayfish supper. Order both the crab and the crayfish set on Meituan. This late-night snack hits best after dinner for sure. [LINK: Full review]
📍 Huaihai Middle Road branch (淮海中路店), Huangpu District
小菜园 (Xiǎo Cài Yuán): Zhejiang-style restaurant inside 百联南方购物中心, which is also where the RPG is. Convenient to do both in the same afternoon. The red braised pork is the bestseller but the stir-fried beef was the one we kept talking about. [LINK: Full review]
The Day Trip
朱家角 Zhujiajiao (Zhūjiājiǎo): a Ming and Qing dynasty water town about 40 minutes from central Shanghai by DiDi (RMB 60 to 90 / SGD 11 to 17 each way). River canals, arched stone bridges, narrow lanes and a completely different pace from the city. The best approach is to arrive mid-morning and wander with no plan.
小船Coffee We ducked into 小船Coffee when it started raining and stayed far longer than intended, where their resident dog, named Lucas, was very much in charge. The old post office and local temple are worth a stop but honestly, the best moments are the ones you find turning down a random alley. [LINK: Full day trip guide]
The Wellness and Beauty
览庭·星汇足道 (Lǎntíng Xīnghuì Zúdào): foot massage about 10 minutes from the Huaihai Road area. Always check Meituan before walking in, bundle deals are almost always cheaper than the counter price. The room has a projector with streaming, which is an underrated touch after a long day.
青禾美甲 (Qīng hé): nails near the Nanjing pedestrian street. Book via Meituan, message on WeChat in advance to confirm your design and pay the deposit. No surprises, no upselling, everything agreed beforehand.
The Hidden Gems
忠曜堂 (Zhōngyào Táng): a TCM-themed gelato shop where the staff run a theatrical herbal consultation and prescribe your flavour with full ceremony. The black sesame and plum flavour gelato are the ones to get. They also sell the most adorable plushies shaped like traditional Chinese medicine ingredients. [LINK: Full review]
📍 3 Hunan Road, Xuhui District | 🚇 Shanghai Library Station Exit 3, 100m
豫园 Yu Yuan Garden and BalaThÉ (Yùyuán): the 16th-century Ming dynasty garden and, right next door, BalaThÉ逛山·非遗茉莉主题店, a heritage jasmine tea house sitting directly opposite the always-packed 阿嬷手作. No queue, outdoor seating, good tea.
📍 218 Anren Street, Huangpu District | 🚇 Yuyuan Garden Station (Lines 10, 14) Exit 1
Shanghai Disneyland
上海迪士尼乐园 Shanghai Disneyland (Shànghǎi Díshìní Lèyuán): In 2026, with the 10th anniversary celebration running through Spring 2027, this is a must-visit in Shanghai. In fact, get the 1.5-day tickets if you can. Going in without the pressure of fitting everything into one day means you are relaxed the whole time, which was exactly what we needed and it made it a completely different experience. Prioritise Tron Legacy, Zootopia’s Hot Pursuit and the Mickey Storybook Adventure show. Stay for the 9:30pm fireworks. [LINK: Full guide with ride rankings and tips]
📍 310 Shendi West Road, Pudong New Area | 🚇 Disney Resort Station (Line 11) Exit 3 | Passport required as only accepted foreign ID | Station closes 10:30pm, last train departs at 10:25pm | 💰 1.5-day tickets from SGD 149.88 via Pelago on weekdays (prices may vary by date)
The 6-Day Itinerary
Day 1
莱莱小笼 breakfast → 豫园 Yu Yuan Garden + BalaThÉ tea → 不眠之夜 Sleep No More (afternoon show) → 海底捞 Haidilao hotpot dinner → 外滩 The Bund → 览庭·星汇足道 foot massage → 沪小胖 late-night crayfish supper
Sleep No More runs about 2 hours and leaves you hungry for dinner. Haidilao is right nearby and sorts out the hunger fast. The Bund at night is worth the walk, even if you are tired, and the foot massage to end off the night managed to erase the tiredness from our day.
Day 2
小菜园 Xiao Cai Yuan lunch → 新和医院 RPG (afternoon) → 青素 Qingsu Nails → 很久以前羊肉串 late-night BBQ skewers
The RPG and lunch are in the same mall, which makes the logistics easy. Our nails, though a little pricey, did a nice job with our nails, which is all that mattered.
Day 3
上海千古情 (Build your day around the show schedule) → 蟹叁宝 Xie San Bao crab rice dinner → 新天地 Xintiandi browsing
Xintiandi is worth a wander even if you are not eating or shopping. The restored 石库门 (shikumen) architecture at night is really beautiful.
Day 4
朱家角 Zhujiajiao day trip (leave by 9am, DiDi there and back) → 忠曜堂 gelato on the way back → 四季民福 Peking duck dinner
Leave earlier from Shanghai, the water town is best before the crowds build. Get the Peking duck, it was such a yummy end to replenish our energy after our day of walking.
Day 5
南京路 Nanjing Road shopping → 宫宴 Gong Yan imperial banquet (lunch slot, around 12pm) → with luggage, check into Nous Hotel → Shanghai Disneyland evening entry
This was a hotel change day for us. We brought our luggage to 宫宴 (which was a hassle but necessary), checked into Nous right after, then headed straight to Disneyland Park for the evening. This setup is specifically useful if you have the 1.5-day Disneyland tickets since you want to arrive in time for the evening session. If you are just doing one full day at Disneyland instead, you could check into Nous the evening before without the bag shuffle.
Though I would suggest not putting Gong Yan together with this to fully maximise your time at Disneyland.
Day 6
Full day 上海迪士尼乐园 Shanghai Disneyland → browsing shops and quick bite at Disney Town → 9:30pm fireworks
The full day after the evening entry on Day 5. Relax into it, you have the time, I would suggest running through the rides after 5pm on both days and spending the day watching the performances and taking photos.
If You Are Travelling Solo
Shanghai is one of the better solo trips I can think of, particularly if you love doing things at your own pace and following your curiosity without having to coordinate with anyone. Their great transportation system takes the navigation stress away completely and DiDi means you are never stuck somewhere you do not want to be.
Solo Female Tip: A lot of the experiences here, such as Sleep No More, are great for people going solo since they split everyone else up anyway. You move faster, make every decision yourself, and even have a much higher chance of getting a 1v1 moment with the actors.
Adding Hangzhou into the itinerary
Hangzhou is 45 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed train (高铁, Gāotiě) and has a completely different energy. We visited West Lake, had a hanfu photoshoot in full traditional costume (another great itinerary for solo travellers), ate Zhejiang cuisine, which is lighter and fresher than anything in Shanghai, and had the most fun KTV experience of my life. If you can make time for it, it’s highly recommended. [LINK: Hangzhou Travel Guide: 3 Days at West Lake]
All the Shanghai Posts
[LINK: Is Shanghai Safe for Solo Female Travellers?]
[LINK: Essential Apps to Download for China]
[LINK: How to Pay for Things in China]
[LINK: Getting Around Shanghai & Hangzhou Transport Guide]
[LINK: Sleep No More Shanghai: First-Timer’s Guide]
[LINK: 新和医院 RPG Guide]
[LINK: 宫宴 Gong Yan Imperial Banquet Review]
[LINK: 上海千古情 Honest Review]
[LINK: Shanghai Disneyland Guide: 1.5 Days Done Comfortably]
[LINK: Nous Hotel Review]
[LINK: Zhujiajiao Day Trip from Shanghai Guide]
[LINK: 忠曜堂 Herbal Gelato Review]
[LINK: 莱莱小笼 Xiaolongbao Review]
[LINK: 蟹叁宝 Xie San Bao Crab Roe Rice Review]
[LINK: 四季民福 Peking Duck Review]
[LINK: 沪小胖 Late Night Crayfish Review]
[LINK: 很久以前羊肉串 Queue Strategy Guide]
[LINK: 小菜园 Xiao Cai Yuan Review]
[LINK: Best Immersive Experiences in Shanghai Roundup]
[LINK: Shanghai & Hangzhou Food Guide: Every Restaurant Rated]
[LINK: Shanghai vs Hangzhou: Which City Should You Visit?]
[LINK: The Full 9-Day Shanghai & Hangzhou Travel Guide]
Have you been to Shanghai before, or is this the trip you have been thinking about for a while? Drop me a comment below, I would love to know what is on your list. And if you are adding Hangzhou to the itinerary, my full 9-day guide has everything together. [LINK: The Full 9-Day Shanghai & Hangzhou Travel Guide]
