One Day Layover in Shanghai

A number of airlines will include a layover in Shanghai on your way to another destination in Asia. If you get the chance to explore Shanghai, it is definitely worth your time. Check out our guide below to help plan your day in Shanghai.

Visa Exemption

The most important thing to know about visiting China is the visa. Shanghai and a number of other cities in China have a Visa Exemption for 72 hours or 144 hours. This is more than you need if you are only there for 24 hours or less. Be aware, most airlines will not let you board the plane if you do not have a visa in hand. You may need to provide proof of your ticket out of China to the airline.

We had to argue for a good hour with the representatives in Japan on our return trip through China. Many people have not heard of the visa exemption, so give yourself time to explain at the airport. Check out more details on the visa exemptions here.

When you get to China, there will be a lot of signs that lead you to the customs area. There will be a form you need to fill out when you arrive to give to customs. Normally the forms are scattered along the way in at various desk areas. Make sure you follow the signs for the 144 Hour or 72 Hour Visa Exemption and do not follow the signs for foreigners. The two areas are separate and luckily the visa exemption line is usually much shorter. Make sure you bring a copy of your flight information leaving the country and a copy of the hotel/address you are staying at if you are staying overnight.

Getting to the City

After getting your visa exemption taken care of, its time to head to the City. The easiest way of getting to the City is via taxi. When you exit the airport there is a queue for taxis. They will ask where you want to go. If you are spending the night, we recommend staying in the Bund, the historic tourist area. If you are not spending the night, you should still head to the Bund for your day in town. Taxis from the airport take about 30-40 minutes to get to the Bund.

We recommend printing out your hotel or accommodations address and showing that to the taxi driver to help. If you need a hotel recommendation, check out the Hotel Indigo on the Bund. The views at night are amazing and the location is a great starting point for touring the city. There is also a Ramada Inn and a hotel at the airport that you can book if you want to stay near the airport.

You can also take a train from the airport, using Subway Line 2, however it can be very confusing buying a ticket and reading all the signs. If you do plan to use the subway, plan ahead and ask for help when buying a ticket.

Things to do in Shanghai

Below is a list of things to check out in Shanghai. This list is made up of things you can do in a day, so more time consuming or attractions outside of the city are not listed.

• The Bund – The entire area is better viewed in the evening when the buildings light up, but in the day it is still an impressive sight. The entire waterfront has a long pedestrian walkway that lets you take ample selfies with the skyline as a backdrop.
• Yuyuan Garden – The gardens are beautiful and there is a lot of architecture that is amazing in itself. There are a ton of shops and buildings around the gardens that you can spend hours souvenir shopping.
• Shanghai Museum – The museum is free and has a great display of Chinese artifacts. The museum is located in the People’s Square, which is a large park area that is pretty neat in itself.
• Nanjing Road – The area is commonly compared to New York’s version of 5th Avenue. Lots of shopping, lots of people, and at night, it is bright and colorful.
• Oriental Pearl TV Tower – If you have time and enjoy observation decks, this is the best one in Shanghai. There is also a revolving restaurant and multiple observation decks you can check out. The tower is visible from the Bund.

Cash or Card?

While you can use your credit card in Shanghai, we recommend only using them at major hotel brands or well known stores. Cash is best for food, taxis, or . Most tourist souvenir shops will haggle the price, so having a variety of bills available is best. The shop owners will always start high, so if you really want something, shop around and find the best price.

The best shopping is around the Yuyuan Garden. There are probably nearly a hundred shops to wander through selling everything from intricately carved chop sticks to silk scarves.

How Safe is Shanghai?

All in all, the city is very safe. Now we do not recommend running around at night on empty streets, but the tourist areas are very safe. You should always use taxis that are marked and always make safe travel decisions.

When you are shopping for souvenirs make sure to keep your cash hidden until you are paying and don’t flaunt large amounts of money or expensive items around loosely. You will not get attacked, but pick pockets and petty theft can easily happen in crowded areas.

Our one day layover in Shanghai

We landed in Shanghai late at night, so we immediately headed to our hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo on the Bund. The views from the hotel are amazing.

The next morning we started with breakfast at the hotel, which Hotel Indigo does an amazing job of as well. From the hotel we headed out on the city by foot, weaving through the Yuyuan Garden and shopping at the same time. We spent a few hours in the gardens and streets shopping.

After we had our fill of the shops and the gardens, we headed out towards the People’s Square. The museum was closed sadly, so we just wandered down around the square for about 30-45 minutes. From the square we walked down Nanjing Road and checked out some of the shops. Nanjing Road dead ends into the Bund, so we spent the rest of our time walking the sidewalk on the Bund and taking pictures of the skyline.

At dusk the lights begin to switch on, so each high rise has its own colors or design. We finished off our evening with dinner at the Hotel Indigo again before heading back to the airport for our flight. The taxi drive back took about 45 minutes with a little traffic. Customs and check in for our flight took another hour total, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time.

Hopefully our guide to Shanghai has helped you plan for your layover. If you have any questions about anything, we’d love to help out if we can. Feel free to comment below or send us a message.