Shanghai works as a contrast between historic streets and a futuristic skyline. Keep each day on one river side where possible.
Parent tip: Check visa/entry requirements, attraction reservations, official transport information and local payment options well ahead.
A modern natural history museum in Jing'an Sculpture Park with dinosaur skeletons, animal displays and hands-on areas. Indoors and suited to all ages, it can fill half a day.
A large science museum in Pudong with interactive galleries on robotics, space, the human body and the natural world. An indoor choice for a hot or wet day that suits mixed ages.
The Disney theme park in Pudong with rides, shows and themed lands for all ages. Plan a full day and expect queues for popular rides.
A large aquarium in Lujiazui, near the Oriental Pearl Tower, with a long underwater viewing tunnel. Indoor, so a useful choice on wet or very hot days.
The observation deck of Shanghai Tower in Lujiazui, China's tallest building, reached by fast elevators. A short indoor visit with views across the city and the Huangpu River, best on a clear day.
Shanghai's riverside promenade lined with historic early 20th-century buildings, facing the Pudong skyline across the Huangpu River. Free and easy to walk, and especially striking when the lights come on in the evening.
A classical Chinese garden in Shanghai's old city with rockeries, ponds and pavilions, surrounded by a busy bazaar. The garden is compact but popular, so go early and keep children close in the crowds.
China's leading museum of ancient Chinese art on People's Square, with bronzes, ceramics, jade and calligraphy. With younger children, pick one or two galleries.
A magnetic levitation train linking Longyang Road station with Pudong International Airport, covering the distance in minutes. Kids enjoy watching the speed display, and it can double as an airport transfer.
A large astronomy museum in the Lingang area of Pudong, a branch of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, with striking architecture and exhibits on space and the universe. It is far from the centre, so plan a half day.