Free Things to Do in Shanghai: 16 Unique Experiences That Costs Nothing in 2026

I was surprised to find there are so many free things to do in Shanghai, and also within its surrounding areas.

Before I went to Shanghai, I had assumed it would be expensive, or definitely more expensive than other cities in China. Although in fairness, if you are converting from a strong currency, Shanghai is, dare I say, reasonable, especially for it’s food, public transportation, taxis and entrance fees to touristy spots.

I know you are here for a few days and if you are watching your budget or intrigued to find out what to do in Shanghai for free or like me who like free things, then stick around and I will list you the free things to do in Shanghai.

So here’s my list on the free things to do in Shanghai, and obviously, transportation to get to these places are not free unless maybe you are able to walk there.

Free Things to do in Shanghai from my experience

To be fair, I did a mix of both paid and free things to do in Shanghai, to try and get the best experience for our first time trip to Shanghai.

Shanghai is a fun, vibrant city and so different to Beijing or Xian, with a more modern vibe and definitely more foreigners so the locals are bit more used to translating on the app and general sense of English especially the younger crowd.

Lots of great bakeries and independent coffee shops with shopping aside, we also visited alot of the touristy spots and culture. Our main highlight was the Yu Gardens and the Bund, they are both uniquely different and surreal to see and experience.

Granted I visited during the Golden week and it was super busy but it was a good busy, no shoving or anything bad, and there’s good crowd control as well. Yu Gardens bazaar area was free to visit, and it was so pretty at night with the lights on and we took so many pictures here. The Bund was uniquely different with the French buildings, I thought I was not in China for a moment.

My friends who lives in Shanghai also recommended few spots to add such as the XuJiaHui cathedral and academy and Zhang Yuan Road where we had the most delicious gelato.

Quick Tips for visiting Shanghai

Before you come to Shanghai, here are a few things I recommend you should know and also prepare for before visiting.

Book your Hotel early

I like to book my hotels and accomodation early, as soon as I have my flight plans would be when I research my place of stay.

In China, if you stay at a hotel, they would always coordinate your details with the Police so you don’t have to. However, if you stay with a friend in an apartment, don’t forget to register at their apartment reception. I didn’t till a few a days in when they locked us out of the apartment to tell us to do so which I was happy to do but didn’t realise it was needed.

The process to register was not hard, it was all online and fill out the necessary details such as passport no and flight plans, the reception would help you.

Carry your Passport with you everywhere

We were told to carry our passports with us at all times. Luckily we did listen. All our tickets we have purchased beforehand and new tickets purchased at the location are all connected to our passports.

China is safe enough so don’t worry too much although that said still be vigilant cause its always good to be safe regardless.

Download all the Apps you will need

I cannot express the importance for you to do this before you arrive in China. Set up Alipay, WeChat (if you can), and set up the banking details in the apps before arriving.

Other apps you can download would be Amaps which is their Google Maps, and also Google Lens is very useful. To order taxis, Didi is the app they use but if you already have Alipay set up, there’s a Didi within Alipay so you don’t have to download a seperate app.

Free things to do in Shanghai

Here are my favorite free things to do in Shanghai, its a mix of areas, locations, museums and more, of course you don’t have to do all but it’s a guide for you to know what’s available here.

1. Walk along the Bund area

The Bund is probably already on your list of places to see in Shanghai, and it is very much free to walk around.

My advice is and if you can is to visit during the day and also at night time. It’s two completely different vibes. Check when the lights get turned on, sometimes at 6pm between October to April and 7pm between May and September depending on the season.

Isn’t the Bund super touristy? Well yes, of course it is, it’s probably one of the most touristy areas in Shanghai and I am a tourist, so I will be there.

Also it does get insanely busy during the Golden week so keep this in mind but it was very well organised so I wasn’t pushed or anything, more crowd control than a random match day in Newcastle United St James’ Park.

It’s so interesting to see the architecture and the buildings along the Bund, and so pretty with the lights at night time.

You can take the Metro Line 2 or 10 to East Nanjing Road Station, then walk maybe 10 to 15 mins.

2. Enter buildings for free in the Bund

I never knew this as I normally walk along the Bund and take in the exterior of the buildings but you can actually go inside some buildings and take a look at the interior as well.

Also some of these buildings I am going to list are working buildings meaning people work here so be mindful towards them and their customers.

1. No12, The Bund SPD Bank, walk straight to the main entrance and you can have a look at their stunning mosaic ceiling and breathtaking main lobby building and the high ceilings. Oh just in case, this bank is open weekdays only as far as I am aware.

2. Waldorf Astoria in The Bund, if you are staying here then you lucky thing to experience this beautiful hotel. If you have to pass by, you can venture inside and have a look around and also it’s a lovely place for a coffee if you fancy it.

3. No 20, the Bund, Peace Hotel, inside you can see the intricate art deco scuplture and also the glass ceiling dome. You can grab a coffee at the cafe next to it which allows you to venture inside to have a look. (Not quite free but will be nice to see if you fancy it and the photo op).

3. Explore the French Concession

Explore the former French part of the city in Shanghai, the French took over this area between 1849 and 1943 so they can live there and run their business.

And the architecture looks so much like it is in Paris, the avenues, the structure of the buildings with the balcony and also the trees, it was wild to walk around here as in the contrast to other parts of the city.

4. Wukang Mansion Building

Wukang Mansion Building is one of the most famous and most photographed building in Shanghai, and ironically most people are not sure why.

Wukang Mansion was designed by architect László Hudec, and its’ told that he was given one of the hardest land to work with, as it’s get narrow on one end. So instead he embraced the awkwardness and designed it the way it looks now, and many has compared the Wukang Building to the Flat Iron in New York.

Also a lot of famous Chinese actors have lived here as well. And don’t forget, Wukang Mansion is still operating as an apartment even now, so technically when you take pictures of the exterior, there are people living inside as well.

And it became a popular photo spot only the last few years, presumably made popular by XiaoHongShu.

5. XuJiaHui Cathedral, The Cathedral of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

You can take the metro line 1, 9 or 11 to Xujiahui Metro Station and leave at Exit 3. The cathedral is one of the largest cathedral in China, and it’s also free to enter.

The cathedral has a gothic style architecture, and you will have to dress respectfully as it is still a place a worship and a working cathedral, and don’t forget to take picture outside.

Check the opening times before you go though, it does say Tuesday to Saturday, 9am–4pm, with last admission at 3:30pm but it may close to public at during religious days.

6. XuJiaHui Acadamy

Next to the XuJiaHui Cathedral, and locals often call it the real life Hogwarts, due to it’s impressive architecture inside and high ceilings. There are reading spaces here, exhibitions and the one feature is they also have a 3d printed Gate of Guangqi inside.

And a good photo op vantage point, you have go to up to the rooftop terrace, and you can take a picture of the cathedral from this vantage point. Also, they are closed on Mondays so factor this in to your itinerary if you fancy a visit.

7. Visit the Famous Louis Vuitton Ship

There’s no way you haven’t seen this online and in videos. I was excited to have a look at the ship and yes it is an actual very large ship in the middle of Shanghai.

You can go inside “The Louis”, and might need a reservation if you plan on dining inside. Outside, I notice there are loads of photographers you can hire, and they work hard, so hard, I was very impressed. But no I didn’t rent a person but maybe next time.

It’s quite a cliche probably to visit but I enjoyed it, The Louis Ship is something I have never seen before and the building was huge, and very pretty at night when the light comes on.

You can take the West Nanjing Road metro station Exit 5.

8. Venture inside Starbucks Roastery Reserve

Next to the Louis Vuitton ship building, is the world’s largest Starbucks Reserve Roastery. We went inside mainly for relief from the heat outside and hopefully find a seat to rest for a bit.

It was extremely packed inside, there’s 2 floors here, you can watch coffee beans being roasted with impressive big barrels and and they have a selection of unique cakes on display as well.

We found a seat eventually and if you go upstairs, they have seats facing the Louis Ship but good luck getting a seat here. We did order this tea coffee drink which was unsual but grew on me.

It is free to enter and roam around, getting a drink is optional.

9. Zhang Yuan North Maoming Road

Around the corner from the Starbucks Roastery (if Starbucks is behind you then turn left), walk down the Zhang Yuan road, and you can immerse youself with the different type of atmosphere. The architecture are former Shikumen buildings, interestingly it was a former private garden in late 1800s, and now it is open to the public.

Many of the old stone houses (Shikumen) lined the area here and there are many independent and luxury shops and boutiques along the way. Sometimes they hold exhibitions here, and when we visited they had a pop up for the tennis that was going on at the time.

What I also really liked is the vibe, it’s so chill with the exception of a few crowds to take pictures of some buildings. There are lots of cute shops here, we had a gelato as well and noticed lots of places to eat with lines and we all know what this means (probably a good spot to try).

Location: No. 188–258 North Maoming Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai (near West Nanjing Road and HKRI Taikoo Hui)

10. Take a picture of the 1000 Trees building

The famous 1000 trees building, this is actually a shopping mall and you would not have guessed this by looking from the outside.

I would say it is a very unique building for photo ops and videos as it looks like a jungle or greenery from afar. Also known as the hanging gardens of Shanghai.

There are restaurants and shops inside as you would find in many malls and art exhibitions as well. It’s basically part mall and part urban art installation.

I would say the main attraction is the exterior of the 1000 tree building rather than the inside, there are better malls and shops to visit if your goal is shopping.

To get the shot like you do in the videos, you have to go to a park opposite the 1000 trees, you can also take photos in front of the mall and on the bridge as well.

The park can bit bit complicated to get to, you have to cross the bridge to the otherside of the 1000 trees. And enter a neighbourhood, and walk inside and basically find the river from there.

To get here you can take the metro line 13 to Jiangning Road

11. Wander around the M50 Art District

Visiting the M50 Art District isn’t necessarily a must do in my opinion but if you are already visiting the 1000 Trees and if you have the time and interest in Art, you can pop by to visit.

The M50 is one of the known contemporary art district in Shanghai, and it is in a former textile factory along Suzhou Creek (the river outside of the 1000 Trees).

There’s over 100s of galleries here and studios, and most of them are free to enter.

Metro: Lines 3 or 4 to Zhongtan Road Station, Exit 1, then a 5-minute walk.

12. Explore the Yu Garden Bazaar

If you are visiting Shanghai, aside from the Bund, I would say the Yu Garden Bazaar is a must visit.

The thing is the Yu Garden does cost about 40 to 50 Yuan to enter, however the Bazaar itself is free to enter and wander around.

I missed the time to enter the Yu Garden on my first visit, and decided to roamed around the bazaar instead. Its stunning when the lights come on, so if you can time it well, you can visit at the Golden hour, so you get best of both worlds if you can call it that.

The night time with the lights will be the best time, it’s a different vibe to the day time.

I have to warn you it does get busy, and if you use the toilet, bring tissues just in case and expect long queues.

There’s Heytea and Chagee and lots of shops selling snacks, and street food. Walk further in and you will come to the lake aurrounded by the buildings and walk across the Nine Bend bridge.

You can dress up in traditional clothing, and get your make up done here which is not free but if you like to experience it and take photos, I would say this is a great spot for it.

You can take the Metro Line 10 to the Yu Yuan Garden Station

13. Find a Husband or Wife at the Marriage Market

In China, there are areas mainly in parks where matchmaking happens. Relatives of potential candidates will display their child (mainly) work credentials, age, height and more, and like a market, you can walk around and read them.

If you are interested, of course have a chat with the relatives and see if you or someone you know is a match.

This is a real thing, so please if you are there as a spectator to be respectful, as it’s not a show or a gimmick to them. If you are a foreigner, they might take an interest in you, and they are very friendly so don’t take offence to anything.

In Shanghai, we visited the one at People’s Park on a Saturday, we found out the marriage market is normally held during weekends.

It was packed, and even though we cannot read the prospects, it was insightful and definitely an experience.

You can take the Metro Lines 1, 2, or 8 to the People’s Square Station

14. DisneyTown Shanghai

Disneytown in Shanghai comes highly recommended by few friends of mine. It’s free to enter and walk around, especially great if you want to have a feel of Disneyland but you don’t want to pay to go in.

It’s not like Disney Theme park, it’s mainly shops and yes Disney shops are here if you want to purchase any Disney merchandise, and restaurants with entertainment.

You can also wait till later in the evening and catch the fireworks from the Shanghai Disney theme park.

To get here, you can take Metro Line 11 to Disney Resort Station

Free entry Museums in Shanghai:

These are the two main museums in Shanghai you can visit, they are free to enter but you have to book in advance.

15. Visit the China Art Museum

I personally didn’t go to this museum, but for those of you who are interested, this former China Pavillion is now the largest art gallery in Asia.

It looks like an inverted red pyramid and the entry is free for some of the collections inside.

Also you will have to book on their official WeChat or website and book ahead of time for your entry spot.

You can take the metro line 8 to the China Art Museum station

16. Take in the history in the Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum is probably the one museum I recommend you visit if you are interested in Museums.

It is free to enter and has a ton of ancient Chinese bronzes, ceramics, jade, calligraphy, paintings, Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, coins, and ethnic minority costumes and more.

You would have to book online a week in advance, and there’s lots of attractions that will require to do so. And as I mentioned earlier, always bring your passport with you especially as your tickets are attached to your passport, and I don’t mean physically but in your passport chip.

The museum has two locations and the original location is at People’s Square and they now have a newer, larger one in Pudong which opened in February 2024. Apparently most of the permanent collections have moved to the Pudong site so make sure to check beforehand which exhibition you like to see first and go to that location.

You can take the Metro Lines 1, 2, or 8 to People’s Square Station.

Final Thoughts on my Free things to do in Shanghai

Overall, I enjoyed visiting Shanghai, not only I was there visiting my friends but also to explore a new city. And I didn’t expect there were lots of fun, interesting and Free things to do in Shanghai.

It is famously known to be an expensive city compared to the other cities in China. Sometimes the best things to do are the free ones except the transport to get there and metro tickets are about 3 yuan to 6 yuan.

It was so interesting to see the marriage market, it was very different experience especially after hearing about it online and videos about it. I do hope they find their match there, it’s literally Bumble or Hinge in real life.

Seeing the different types of neighbourhood was also the highlight for me, one day I was transported to Parisian street and another to a temple and then to a modern shopping garden with a thousand trees. I would say there are lots of children here as well, and locals adore kids, so most of the time, most areas are child friendly.

I hope this guide to free things to do in Shanghai will be useful for you and your plans to visiting Shanghai, let me know if you come across more and I will add them to the article for others.

Courtney xx

More Shanghai travel guides to help you plan for your China trip:

1. First Time in Shanghai: Everything I Wish I Knew Before Going

2. 23 Best Things to Do in Shanghai You Should Visit
3. Chinese New Year Traditions Explained: What They Mean & How to Celebrate