How many days should you spend in Shanghai?
Two or three days is a good default for Shanghai on a first China trip. Stay longer if you enjoy big cities or want slower neighbourhood time; add Suzhou or Hangzhou only if those side trips matter more than another day in Shanghai. Come for food, neighbourhoods, art, shopping streets and the skyline contrast, not another imperial-capital experience.
Answer
Shanghai can disappoint travellers who arrive hunting for the same kind of old-China drama they found in Beijing or Xi’an. Its value is different: street-level food, riverside contrast, design, shopping lanes, museums, cafés and a city that feels outward-facing. Two or three days often works well on a classic route; more makes sense if you like cities or want Suzhou, Hangzhou or slower neighbourhood time. The mistake is treating Shanghai as either the whole story of modern China or as a disposable airport stop.