Where to stay · Shanghai · China
Where to stay in Shanghai
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Melvin Loi, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in The Bund and People's Square. Riverfront heritage buildings, Nanjing Road East and the main museums in Huangpu District. Best alternatives — families: Jing'an; budget: Old City (Yuyuan); nightlife: Former French Concession.
Key facts
- First visit
- The Bund and People's Square
- Families
- Jing'an
- Budget
- Old City (Yuyuan)
- Nightlife
- Former French Concession
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | The Bund and People's Square | Riverfront heritage buildings, Nanjing Road East and the main museums in Huangpu District |
| Families | Jing'an | Golden temple roofs, West Nanjing Road malls and serviced apartments |
| Couples | The Bund and People's Square | Riverfront heritage buildings, Nanjing Road East and the main museums in Huangpu District |
| Budget | Old City (Yuyuan) | Yu Garden, temple-style shopping streets and old lanes around Laoximen |
| Luxury | The Bund and People's Square | Riverfront heritage buildings, Nanjing Road East and the main museums in Huangpu District |
| Nightlife | Former French Concession | Plane-tree streets, lane houses, cafés and boutiques in Xuhui and Huangpu |
| Food lovers | Former French Concession | Plane-tree streets, lane houses, cafés and boutiques in Xuhui and Huangpu |
| Solo travellers | Former French Concession | Plane-tree streets, lane houses, cafés and boutiques in Xuhui and Huangpu |
| Shopping | The Bund and People's Square | Riverfront heritage buildings, Nanjing Road East and the main museums in Huangpu District |
| Quiet stays | North Bund and Hongkou | Older residential streets, Duolun Road and the former Jewish refugee quarter |
Shanghai neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, couples and shopping
The Bund and People's Square
The Bund's line of former banks, trading houses and hotels runs for about 1.5 km along Zhongshan Road East, with Nanjing Road East's pedestrian shopping street leading west to People's Square and the Shanghai Museum. It is the most convenient base for first-timers, with Metro lines 1, 2 and 8 meeting at People's Square and the skyline view a short walk away.
- Good
- Walk to the Bund, Yu Garden and People's Square; Excellent Metro links; Riverview hotel rooms
- Watch out
- Very crowded on holidays and weekend evenings; Touts on Nanjing Road East
- Nearby
- The Bund, Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and culture
Former French Concession
The former French Concession stretches west from Xintiandi along Huaihai Road, Fuxing Road, Anfu Road and Wukang Road, where 1920s villas and Art Deco apartment blocks such as the Wukang Mansion line shaded streets. It is the best area for walking, coffee, cocktail bars and restaurants, and Metro lines 1, 7, 10 and 11 run through it.
- Good
- The city's most pleasant streets to walk; Huge choice of cafés and restaurants; Boutique hotels in old villas
- Watch out
- Few big-ticket sights; Some lanes are a long walk from a Metro station
- Nearby
- Wukang Road, Fuxing Park, Tianzifang, Xintiandi
$$$$ · Best for shopping, luxury, first-timers and families
Jing'an
Jing'an centres on the gilded Jing'an Temple and the shopping malls of West Nanjing Road, with quieter lane-house streets to the north and south. It is polished and central, with Metro lines 2, 7 and 14 at Jing'an Temple station and good hotel stock for business and leisure travellers.
- Good
- Central and well connected; Upmarket malls and restaurants; Calm residential side streets
- Watch out
- Expensive; Mall-heavy main roads
- Nearby
- Jing'an Temple, Jing'an Sculpture Park, Shanghai Natural History Museum
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families and first-timers
Lujiazui (Pudong)
Lujiazui holds the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower within a few hundred metres, plus the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium and big hotels with high-floor views back to the Bund. It feels corporate, but it is ideal for skyline rooms and quick Metro line 2 access to Pudong Airport.
- Good
- High-floor views over the Huangpu; Close to the observation decks and aquarium; Direct Metro to Pudong Airport
- Watch out
- Little street life after office hours; Wide roads and long walks between towers
- Nearby
- Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
$$$$ · Best for couples, nightlife, food lovers and shopping
Xintiandi and Tianzifang
Xintiandi's rebuilt shikumen stone-gate houses hold upmarket restaurants and bars around a pedestrian quarter south of Huaihai Road, while Tianzifang off Taikang Road is a denser maze of small shops and cafés in lived-in lanes. Both sit between the Bund and the French Concession and work well for couples and evening dining.
- Good
- Lively evenings; Walkable to the French Concession; Distinctive lane-house architecture
- Watch out
- Restaurant prices are high in Xintiandi; Tianzifang is packed at weekends
- Nearby
- Xintiandi, Tianzifang, Fuxing Park, Huaihai Road
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget, culture and families
Old City (Yuyuan)
The former walled Old City around Yu Garden and the City God Temple is the place for classical gardens, dumpling shops and souvenir bazaars in rebuilt Ming- and Qing-style buildings. Hotels here are mid-priced and a 15-minute walk from the Bund, and Metro line 10 stops at Yuyuan Garden station.
- Good
- Walk to Yu Garden and the Bund; Good-value hotels; Plenty of cheap snacks
- Watch out
- Bazaar streets are very touristy; Crowds at Lunar New Year and Golden Week
- Nearby
- Yu Garden, City God Temple, The Bund, Laoximen
$$ · Best for budget, culture and quiet stays
North Bund and Hongkou
Across Suzhou Creek from the Bund, Hongkou has the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum in the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue, Duolun Road's preserved buildings and Lu Xun Park. Riverfront hotels on the North Bund look straight at Lujiazui, often at lower prices than the Bund itself.
- Good
- Lower hotel prices close to the Bund; Everyday local street life; Skyline views from the North Bund
- Watch out
- Fewer restaurants with English menus; Quiet at night
- Nearby
- Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Duolun Road, Lu Xun Park, Waibaidu Bridge
$$ · Best for budget and families
Hongqiao
Hongqiao combines Hongqiao Airport's Terminal 2 with Hongqiao Railway Station, the main departure point for high-speed trains to Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Beijing. Hotels here suit an early train or flight, and Metro lines 2 and 10 reach the centre in about 30–40 minutes.
- Good
- Walk to trains and domestic flights; Large modern hotels; Lower prices than the centre
- Watch out
- Far from the sights; No neighbourhood character
- Nearby
- Hongqiao Railway Station, Hongqiao Airport, National Exhibition and Convention Center
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| The Bund and People's Square | $$$$ | The Bund, Nanjing Road, Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden |
| Former French Concession | $$$ | Wukang Road, Fuxing Park, Tianzifang, Xintiandi |
| Jing'an | $$$$ | Jing'an Temple, Jing'an Sculpture Park, Shanghai Natural History Museum |
| Lujiazui (Pudong) | $$$$ | Shanghai Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Ocean Aquarium |
| Xintiandi and Tianzifang | $$$$ | Xintiandi, Tianzifang, Fuxing Park, Huaihai Road |
| Old City (Yuyuan) | $$ | Yu Garden, City God Temple, The Bund, Laoximen |
| North Bund and Hongkou | $$ | Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, Duolun Road, Lu Xun Park, Waibaidu Bridge |
| Hongqiao | $$ | Hongqiao Railway Station, Hongqiao Airport, National Exhibition and Convention Center |
Getting to your hotel
Pudong Airport is about 40 km east of the centre: the Maglev reaches Longyang Road Metro station in about eight minutes, and Metro line 2 runs directly into the city in about an hour. Hongqiao Airport, used for most domestic and some regional flights, is next to Hongqiao Railway Station and about 30–40 minutes from People's Square on Metro lines 2 or 10.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Shanghai for first-time visitors?
The Bund and People's Square. The Bund's line of former banks, trading houses and hotels runs for about 1.5 km along Zhongshan Road East, with Nanjing Road East's pedestrian shopping street leading west to People's Square and the Shanghai Museum.
+Where should families stay in Shanghai?
Jing'an: Central and well connected.
+Which area of Shanghai is best for a budget stay?
Old City (Yuyuan) ($$): Yu Garden, temple-style shopping streets and old lanes around Laoximen.