Shanghai doesn't ease you in. The Pudong skyline alone is enough to stop you mid-sentence: a cluster of glass towers facing off against Art Deco Bund architecture across the Huangpu River. Air China flies non-stop from Milan Malpensa this autumn and winter from €536 return.
✈️ The deal
- From: Milan, Italy
- To: Shanghai, China
- Airline: Air China
- Stops: Non-stop
- Price: €536–€599 return
- When: November–December 2026
Example dates:
06/11/2026 – 05/12/2026
07/11/2026 – 05/12/2026
15/11/2026 – 03/12/2026
22/11/2026 – 06/12/2026
01/12/2026 – 11/12/2026
09/12/2026 – 16/12/2026
💰 How far does your money go?
A basket of xiaolongbao at a local spot near the old town costs under €4. A bottle of Tsingtao at a bar near the Bund: around €1.50. A full sit-down dinner at a neighbourhood restaurant rarely exceeds €8. The same spend in Milan barely covers an aperitivo.
☀️ The weather
November in Shanghai is mild and largely clear, with highs of 10–20°C and low rainfall throughout the month. Early November can reach 19°C, good for walking. December cools sharply: daytime highs of 8–16°C and near-freezing nights by late in the month. Pack a jacket for December, but both months are mostly dry.
🏨 Where to stay
Shanghai splits between the historic Bund waterfront and the ultra-modern Pudong skyline district. Both have good options across all budgets.
Hanting Hotel Shanghai Hengshan Road · 8.2/10 · From €45/night
Clean and functional rooms next to Metro Line 1, minutes from the French Concession. Best value for central access.
Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund · 8.7/10 · From €120/night
Boutique design hotel with Bund views and a rooftop bar. Worth the step up.
The Peninsula Shanghai · 9.4/10 · From €480/night
Art Deco landmark at the northern tip of the Bund. One of the best hotels in Asia, with a rooftop overlooking the Pudong skyline.
🎯 What to do
Shanghai is ancient gardens, colonial architecture, and a skyline that still doesn't look entirely real.
The Bund. Walk the waterfront promenade at dusk: Art Deco buildings on one side, the Pudong towers on the other, and the Huangpu River between them.
Yu Yuan Garden. A 16th-century classical garden tucked behind Nanjing Road. Five acres of pavilions, koi ponds, and carved rockwork. Calm, old, and genuinely beautiful.
Tianzifang. Narrow lanes in the French Concession filled with independent cafes, food stalls, and small shops. Best place to eat without paying tourist prices.
Shanghai Tower observation deck. The world's second tallest building. The 118th floor gives you the full panorama: the Bund, the Yangtze Delta, and 24 million people compressed into a flat horizon.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Shanghai sits at the centre of one of China's most connected rail networks. Classic destinations are closer than they sound.
Suzhou. 25 minutes by high-speed train. Classical gardens and ancient canals, UNESCO-listed. Often called the Venice of the East, and it earns it.
Hangzhou. 45 minutes by train. West Lake is one of China's most celebrated landscapes: willow-lined paths, mist, pagodas, and hills. Marco Polo called it the finest city in the world. Still worth it.
Wuzhen. Around 1.5 hours by bus or train. An ancient water town still in use, with stone bridges, narrow canals, and black-tile rooftops. One of the best-preserved old towns in eastern China.
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