Shanghai, China
Quick port decision
Can I DIY?
Conditional
Moderate on your own
Main attraction
The Bund
~25 min by taxi
Getting from the ship
Transport needed
Public transport: Limited
Return risk
Moderate
Long transfer from the city, plus border formalities
Top sights
Beautiful Scenery
The Bund
1-2 hrs
East Nanjing Road station, metro lines 2 and 10
A 1.5 km protected waterfront on the Huangpu, lined with 52 gothic and baroque buildings that housed old Shanghai's banks and trading houses. Open all day, no ticket and no booking, which makes it the reliable choice when the transfer eats the morning, and the one sight that is never shut.
Ancient History & Ruins
Yu Garden and the old city
2 hrs
Yuyuan station, metro line 10
Closed Mondays except on statutory holidays, and last entry is half an hour before closing — both worth checking against your call. A Ming garden begun in 1559 with more than 460 years of history, beside the City God Temple. Tickets are sold at both gates as well as online, so a walk-up is possible.
Great Food & Dining
Nanjing Road
1-2 hrs
China's best-known shopping street, 1,033 metres of pedestrianised frontage running inland from the Bund, so the two pair naturally into one walk. The street is open around the clock even though the stores are not, which makes it the other dependable option on a Monday.
DIY vs. excursion
Can I DIY this?
Conditional
Getting around
Moderate
Excursion
Recommended
Large ships use Wusongkou in Baoshan, well downriver from the city — official guidance puts central Shanghai at about 25 minutes by taxi. A free shuttle runs every 15 minutes from the terminal to Baoyang Road station on Metro Line 3. Do not confuse this with the metro station named International Cruise Terminal, which serves the separate North Bund terminal.
Return risk
Moderate
Main risk
Long transfer from the city, plus border formalities
Wusongkou is a long way from central Shanghai and the official 25-minute figure does not allow for peak traffic. Immigration at an international maritime crossing adds time, though cruise passengers are exempt from fingerprinting and permit stamping.
Getting from the ship
To The Bund
Free terminal shuttle
Every 15 minutes from exits 2 and 3 to Baoyang Road station, Metro Line 3.
Metro Line 3
Baoyang Road is the northern terminus, so central destinations mean a long ride and usually a change.
Taxi
Official indicative fares: about 100 yuan to the city centre, 150 to Hongqiao airport, 200 to Pudong.
To The Bund
~25 min by taxi
Public transport: Limited
Walkable from ship: No
Tender port: No
Exploring Shanghai
Simplest approach
Shuttle to Baoyang Road and Metro Line 3 if you have the day and the paperwork. Baoshan's own riverside — Wusong Paotaiwan, Baoshan Riverside Park and the Long Beach tower — is the closer alternative.
Practical notes
Recommended visit duration
A full day, given the transfer each way
Crowds
Wusongkou can handle three ships at once and does so on record days — expect slower shuttles and immigration processing when it happens.
Worth booking ahead?
Yes
From other cruisers
What cruisers are saying
Independent videos showing what the port day is actually like.
Cruise Port of Call - China, Shanghai, WuSongKou International Cruise Terminal
Fly High Cruise Far · YouTube
All you need to know about Cruising From Shanghai in 2026:Visa, Cruise Terminal, Embarkation Tips
Project CN · YouTube
Videos by independent YouTube creators.
Cruises calling here
8 routes in Galythia's catalogue include Shanghai, China.
MSC Bellissima
4 nights · Asia
from Shanghai
MSC Bellissima
5 nights · Asia
from Shanghai
MSC Bellissima
5 nights · Asia
from Shanghai
Spectrum of the Seas
5 nights · Asia
from Shanghai
Spectrum of the Seas
8 nights · Asia
from Shanghai
Spectrum of the Seas
9 nights · Asia
from Yokohama
Silver Muse
14 nights · Asia
from Tokyo
Silver Muse
15 nights · Asia
from Hong Kong
Image credits
Photo: Pxfuel (creator not identified on the source page) / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0 · resized · CC0 1.0