Shanghai’s metro is officially the world’s largest by number of stations — over 500 across 20+ lines, covering every corner of this vast city. For visitors, it’s the single best way to navigate Shanghai. The network is clean, frequent, well-signed in English, and goes almost everywhere you’d want to go. The main learning curve is understanding which of the many lines actually matters for your itinerary.
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Fares and Payment
Shanghai’s metro uses distance-based fares like Beijing:
- ¥3 for the first 4 km
- ¥1 extra per additional 4 km (approximately)
- Most tourist trips fall in the ¥3–¥7 range
- Airport connections (Line 2 to Pudong Airport): approximately ¥7; the Maglev connection costs ¥50 separately
Paying with Alipay
Open Alipay, find the Shanghai Metro transit code (乘车码), activate it, and use the QR code at the turnstile. This works seamlessly and is the most convenient option. You need to set up Alipay in advance — see our payments guide for the full process.
WeChat Pay also has a transit code feature that works on Shanghai Metro.
Physical transit cards: The T-Union card (全国交通一卡通) is a nationwide contactless card that works in Shanghai and 300+ other Chinese cities. Buy at metro service centers (¥20 deposit, then load funds). Ideal if you’re traveling to multiple cities.
Single journey tokens: Available from machines in every station. Machines have English. Select your destination, pay, get a small plastic token to tap in at entry and slot in at exit.
The Lines That Matter Most
Line 2 is the most important line for visitors. It runs east-west across the entire city from Pudong Airport (T1 and T2) in the east all the way to Hongqiao Airport and Railway Station in the west. It passes through the heart of Puxi (People’s Square, Nanjing Road) and crosses to Pudong at Lujiazui. If you only understand one Shanghai metro line, make it Line 2.
Key Line 2 stops:
- Pudong International Airport T1/T2 — direct from airport
- Lujiazui — the Pudong financial skyline, Oriental Pearl Tower, SWFC
- People’s Square (人民广场) — central Puxi, major transfer hub
- Nanjing Road (E) — eastern end of the pedestrian shopping street
- Hongqiao Railway Station — HSR to Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Beijing
Line 10 is the French Concession line. If you’re based in Jing’an or the Former French Concession area (where many visitors stay), Line 10 is your friend:
- Xintiandi — the renovated lilong area, restaurants, bars
- Jiashan Market area (Laoximen)
- Jing’an Temple (静安寺) direction via transfer
Line 1 (red, running roughly north-south through the center):
- People’s Square — transfer hub
- Xinzhuang southward — useful for some neighborhoods
- Shanghai Railway Station — main non-Hongqiao railway station
Line 4 (the inner loop):
- Circles through core districts
- Shanghai South Railway Station for some intercity services
Line 9 for Xujiahui (large shopping and entertainment area in the southwest), and connections toward Qingpu for West Bund Museum area.
Getting to Key Attractions
The Bund: Take Line 2 to Nanjing Road (E) or Line 10/Line 2 to Nanjing Road stations. It’s a 5–10 minute walk to the riverfront from either.
Shanghai Old City and Yu Garden: Line 10 to Yuyuan Garden station (豫园站). This station is named for the garden and puts you right at the entrance.
Lujiazui and Pudong Skyline: Line 2 directly to Lujiazui station. Exit 1 or 2 puts you in the financial district with tower views immediately.
West Bund Museums (Long Museum, Yuz Museum): Line 11 to Longyao Road (龙耀路), then a short walk. Or DiDi direct.
Zhujiajiao Water Town: Most easily reached by bus or car from the city. The metro goes partway (Line 17 reaches Zhujiajiao) — check the current Line 17 extension status, as it has been expanding into the western suburbs.
M50 Art District: No convenient metro station. Best by DiDi from the People’s Square area.
The Pudong–Puxi Gap
One thing that sometimes confuses visitors: the metro crosses between Pudong (east, modern skyline) and Puxi (west, historical neighborhoods) via Line 2 at the Lujiazui crossing and several other points. This crossing takes you under the Huangpu River. The river itself, plus the views from the Bund, are a key Shanghai experience — and the metro doesn’t go along the river, just under it. Plan to walk the Bund separately.
Peak Hours
Rush hours hit Shanghai metro hard — particularly Lines 1 and 2 between 7:30–9am and 5:30–7:30pm. Carriages can be genuinely packed. If you’re heading out to Pudong Airport on Line 2 and it’s a weekday morning, allow extra time and consider whether luggage makes the journey miserable.
The metro runs approximately 5:30am to 11pm (Line 2’s Pudong Airport stations close slightly later to accommodate flight arrivals).
Differences from Beijing Metro
- Shanghai uses QR code scanning (turnstile different design) vs Beijing’s more standard tap
- Shanghai Line 2 connects both airports; Beijing needs the separate Airport Express for Capital Airport
- Shanghai signage tends to use more English (Puxi areas especially)
- Line naming and numbering systems are different cities; don’t assume Beijing knowledge transfers directly