Best of Shanghai: Hotels, Dining & Hidden Gems

Insider luxury city guide to Shanghai — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.

Shanghai is China's most international city: Art Deco banks along the Bund face the glass towers of Pudong across the Huangpu River, while plane-tree-lined lanes in the former French Concession hide cocktail bars, boutiques and some of Asia's most ambitious restaurants. For luxury travellers it rewards a short, well-planned stay built around river views, food and architecture.

• Language tip: Mandarin and the local Shanghainese dialect are spoken; English is common in luxury hotels but limited with taxi drivers. Keep your hotel's name and address written in Chinese characters, and set up a mobile payment app or carry a card your hotel confirms is accepted.
• Getting around: The metro is fast, clean and signposted in English. For door-to-door travel, ask your hotel to arrange a car with a driver, especially for Pudong International Airport, which is a long drive from the centre. The Maglev train runs between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road station.

Where to base yourself

The Bund

Shanghai's historic waterfront, lined with early-20th-century Art Deco and neoclassical buildings facing the Pudong skyline.. Best for First-time visitors, river-view hotel rooms, evening walks and rooftop bars.. Top pick: A late-evening walk along the promenade when the Pudong skyline is lit..

Former French Concession

Leafy streets of low-rise villas and lane houses, with independent boutiques, cafés and cocktail bars.. Best for Walking, shopping, relaxed dining and a residential feel.. Top pick: Wandering Wukang Road and the lanes around Anfu Road..

Lujiazui (Pudong)

The skyscraper district across the river, home to the Shanghai Tower and some of the city's highest hotel rooms.. Best for Skyline views, business trips and observation decks.. Top pick: The view back across the river to the Bund from a high-floor bar..

Jing'an

Central and polished, around Jing'an Temple and the West Nanjing Road shopping strip.. Best for Luxury shopping, central hotels and easy metro access.. Top pick: Jing'an Temple, then the flagship stores on West Nanjing Road..

Where to eat

• Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet — Multi-sensory tasting menu
• Fu 1088 — Shanghainese
• Jia Jia Tang Bao — Soup dumplings
• Lost Heaven — Yunnan

Insider tips

• See the Bund twice: early morning, when locals practise tai chi on the promenade, and after dark, when the skyline is lit.
• Visit Yu Garden at opening time to see the Ming-era garden before the surrounding bazaar fills up.
• Allow a half day for Zhujiajiao or another canal town if you want a slower contrast to the city.
• Check visa and transit-visa rules for your passport well before travel, as they change.

Suggested itinerary

• 1
• 2
• 3

Continue exploring

Back to Luxury City Guides

• Best of Singapore: Hotels, Dining & Hidden Gems — Insider luxury city guide to Singapore — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• St. Moritz City Guide 2026 — Where to Stay & Eat — Insider luxury city guide to St. Moritz — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning.
• Stockholm — Insider Luxury City Guide — Insider luxury city guide to Stockholm — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Strasbourg Travel Guide — Neighborhoods, Tips & Itinerary — Insider luxury city guide to Strasbourg — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning.
• Best of Sydney: Hotels, Dining & Hidden Gems — Insider luxury city guide to Sydney — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Taormina City Guide 2026 — Where to Stay & Eat — Insider luxury city guide to Taormina — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Tbilisi City Guide 2026 — Where to Stay & Eat — Insider luxury city guide to Tbilisi — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Tel Aviv City Guide 2026 — Where to Stay & Eat — Insider luxury city guide to Tel Aviv — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Best of Toronto: Hotels, Dining & Hidden Gems — Insider luxury city guide to Toronto — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.
• Tulum Travel Guide — Neighborhoods, Tips & Itinerary — Insider luxury city guide to Tulum — hand-selected hotels, fine dining, cultural highlights, and local secrets for discerning travelers.

Hotel reviews · Destinations · Best hotels · Compare hotels · The Journal · Plan & Book

Published by Peters Signature Travel.