Shanghai · China
Where to stay in Shanghai: 11 districts compared
104 places to stay in this guide fall in one of the 11 districts of Shanghai. The most are in Huangpu District (30), Xuhui District (16), Pudong (16). The area whose centre is nearest the city centre is Huangpu District, 1.5 km away. Nothing here is ranked: each area is described by the same facts, so you can choose by what matters for your stay.
- Districts compared
- 11
- Places to stay counted
- 104in the 11 districts
- Most places to stay
- Huangpu District30 places
- Nearest the centre
- Huangpu District1.5 km
Compare
The districts of Shanghai, side by side
Sorted by the number of places to stay. Distances are straight-line from each area's centre point.
| Area | Places to stay | From the centre | Nearest main sight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huangpu District | 30 | 1.5 km | Yu Garden 0.5 km |
| Xuhui District | 16 | 5.9 km | Saint Ignatius Cathedral 0.3 km |
| Pudong | 16 | 6.8 km | Shanghai Science and Technology Museum 0.4 km |
| Yangpu District | 10 | 6.0 km | Oriental Pearl Tower 3.4 km |
| Minhang District | 9 | 16 km | Saint Ignatius Cathedral 10 km |
| Jing'an District | 8 | 2.5 km | Jing'an Temple 0.5 km |
| Hongkou | 5 | 3.9 km | Oriental Pearl Tower 3.1 km |
| Putuo District | 5 | 7.6 km | Jade Buddha Temple 4.6 km |
| Changning District | 3 | 4.9 km | Jing'an Temple 2.1 km |
| Jiading | 2 | 25 km | Jade Buddha Temple 22 km |
| Baoshan District | 0 | 20 km | Jade Buddha Temple 18 km |
Areas: the 11 districts of Shanghai that Wikidata records as a district of China located in the city. Places to stay are not assigned by boundary: each is counted in the area whose centre is nearest, and only when it is within that area's reach (twice the radius of a circle the size of the area where Wikidata gives its size, otherwise 1.5 km) and no nearer the centre of a neighbouring town in this guide; 104 places to stay are counted this way. Sights are counted the same way. Main sights: the 10 sights in these areas covered by the most Wikipedia language editions. Stations: railway and metro stations in Wikidata. All distances are straight-line from the area's centre point; on foot or by road they are longer.
Restaurants, cafes and bars: as mapped in OpenStreetMap, counted in the area whose centre is nearest, the same way as the places to stay.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0), map data of 21 September 2026.
Main sights
Shanghai's main sights and the area each is counted in
The 10 sights in these areas covered by the most Wikipedia language editions, a measure of how widely documented they are.
Hotels by area
Hotels in each area of Shanghai
Questions
Where to stay in Shanghai: questions travellers ask
What is the best area to stay in Shanghai?
That depends on what the stay is for, so this guide does not rank them. The facts: the most places to stay in this guide are in Huangpu District (30), Xuhui District (16), Pudong (16); the area whose centre is nearest the city centre is Huangpu District (1.5 km); the most sights recorded in Wikidata are in Huangpu District (36); the area centre closest to a station is Yangpu District (Pingliang Road station, 0.1 km).
Which area of Shanghai has the most hotels?
Huangpu District, with 30 places to stay in this guide, of 104 counted across 11 districts.
Which area of Shanghai has the most restaurants?
Jing'an District: 546 restaurants mapped in OpenStreetMap counted there by the nearest-centre rule (each restaurant goes to the area whose centre is nearest), the most of the 11 districts; then Huangpu District (436), Xuhui District (349).
Which area of Shanghai is Oriental Pearl Tower in?
Oriental Pearl Tower is counted in Huangpu District: its nearest area centre, 1.3 km away. Huangpu District has 30 places to stay in this guide.
Which area of Shanghai is Shanghai Museum in?
Shanghai Museum is counted in Huangpu District: its nearest area centre, 1.4 km away. Huangpu District has 30 places to stay in this guide.
Sources: areas, sights and stations from Wikidata (CC0); places to stay from each operator's own public pages and from Wikidata. Shanghai travel guide · How this guide is made.