Shanghai
China's gateway city and the #1 inbound destination for both American and European visitors — colonial waterfront meets Blade Runner skyline.
Best time
March–May and September–November
Suggested stay
3–4 days
Getting there
The main international gateway — Pudong (PVG) and Hongqiao (SHA) airports. Half-hour trains to Suzhou; ~1 h to Hangzhou.
Don't miss in Shanghai
The experiences Western travelers rate highest here.
The Bund
Shanghai's waterfront showpiece — colonial-era banking palaces on one side, the neon sci-fi skyline of Pudong on the other.
Shanghai Tower & Lujiazui
Stand on the observation deck of China's tallest building (632 m) and look straight down on the whole Yangtze delta.
Yu Garden & Bazaar
Ming-dynasty rockeries, koi ponds and zigzag bridges — then graze the soup-dumpling stalls of the surrounding bazaar.
Former French Concession
Leafy Art-Deco streets, plane trees, independent cafés and boutiques — Shanghai at its most strollable.
Nanjing Road
China's busiest shopping street — 5 km of neon and department stores leading to the Bund.
Huangpu River Night Cruise
Sail between the two Shanghais under full neon — the classic night in the city.
Keep exploring
More destinations at the same level of the journey.
Beijing
The capital and the single strongest draw for Western tourists — Great Wall, Forbidden City and 3,000 years of imperial history on one subway map.
Xi'an
Eastern terminus of the Silk Road and home of the Terracotta Army — the ancient capital every history-loving Westerner comes for.
Guilin & Yangshuo
The karst landscape on the 20-yuan note — the scenery Westerners picture when they imagine 'China'.
Chengdu
Pandas, hotpot and teahouse life — the laid-back Sichuan capital that became a top-5 inbound city in 2025.