Shanghai for first-time visitors
Checked
Shanghai in five lines
Suits: first-timers, food, architecture, short business trips.
Days needed: 3 for the centre, 4-5 with a day trip by train.
Getting in: two airports, Pudong 浦东 Pǔdōng (PVG, international) and Hongqiao 虹桥 Hóngqiáo (SHA, next to the main high-speed station).
Getting around: metro plus Didi; pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay (how).
Visa: most visitors use 30-day visa-free or 240-hour transit.
Getting in: airports and stations
| From | How | Price | Time | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pudong Airport (PVG) 浦东国际机场 | Maglev to Longyang Road, then metro | ¥50 | about 8 minutes, a train every 15-20 minutes | |
| Metro Line 2 to People's Square | about ¥7, about 60 minutes | |||
| Taxi to People's Square | about ¥180, about 50 minutes | |||
| Hongqiao Airport (SHA) 虹桥国际机场 | Routes not checked yet | |||
| Shanghai Hongqiao Station 上海虹桥站 | Routes not checked yet | |||
240-hour visa-free transit via Shanghai
- Transit ports in Shanghai
- PVG, SHA, Shanghai passenger seaport
- Where you may stay
- 24 regions
Who qualifies and how to prove onward travel: 240-hour transit.
Shanghai overview
Pudong Airport sits on the coast, far east of the centre, so the first decision is how to cover that distance. The Maglev 磁浮 Cífú is the fastest leg (about 8 minutes, a train every 15-20 minutes) but stops at Longyang Road 龙阳路 Lóngyáng Lù, where you change to the metro. Metro Line 2 runs straight through to People's Square 人民广场 Rénmín Guǎngchǎng for about ¥7, about 60 minutes; a taxi is about ¥180, about 50 minutes and skips the change.
Hongqiao, on the west side, combines the domestic airport with the main high-speed station, so travellers arriving by train from Beijing or Hangzhou land there. We have not priced the Hongqiao routes yet.
Areas to know
The Bund 外滩
People's Square 人民广场
Former French Concession 衡复风貌区
Lujiazui 陆家嘴
Where to stay in Shanghai
Where-to-stay page not built yet (needs 6+ checked properties)
Start here
Visa-free entry: who qualifies
Book now or wait (trips in 2027)
How to pay
Trains from Shanghai
Shanghai tonight
New Year's Eve in Shanghai
Where do I find events and nightlife in Shanghai?
For club nights, free entry and table bookings, use Guestlist Shanghai: it lists tonight's free-entry clubs, upcoming events and table minimums, in English. For the night itself, see Shanghai tonight and New Year's Eve in Shanghai.
Show the driver 给司机看
上海市黄浦区人民广场
Shànghǎi Shì Huángpǔ Qū Rénmín Guǎngchǎng
People's Square, Huangpu District, Shanghai
Questions people ask
How much is the Maglev in Shanghai?
¥50 for a standard single (secondary source; we are checking the operator page).
How long is a taxi from Pudong Airport to the city?
To People's Square: about ¥180, about 50 minutes, depending on traffic.
Sources
- Shanghai Maglev Train: Speed, Route & Cost, TripSM, retrieved
- Transportation at Shanghai airports, Shanghai Government (English), retrieved
- China Further Expands the 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy to 65 Ports, China Briefing, retrieved
- 240-hour visa-free transit policy, Shanghai Government (English), retrieved