Date
Open to Evening walk along the Bund
About Shanghai's skyline and history
Meet like-minded people in Shanghai
On your own in Shanghai? Check in for the days you're there, say what you're open to, and other travellers and locals who chose to be seen can ask to join. They see your city, never your exact spot.
Shanghai dazzles solo travellers with the colonial architecture of the Bund, the futuristic Pudong skyline and tree-lined streets full of cafés and bars. It is China's most international city, with a big expat community and a lively food and nightlife scene. Travellers gather in the former French Concession, around Jing'an, and along the Bund.
Meeting people in Shanghai: what works
- Set up a payment app such as Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card before you arrive, as cash and cards are rarely used.
- Stay near People's Square, Jing'an or the former French Concession, which are central and full of cafés and bars.
- Join walking tours of the former French Concession or the old town around Yu Garden to meet other travellers.
- Look for expat and language exchange meetups, which are common and a great way to meet locals.
Stay safe
Be wary of friendly strangers inviting you to a tea tasting or bar near the Bund and Nanjing Road, a well-known scam, and note that many Western apps need a VPN to work in China.
Meet in public places, tell a friend where you’re going, and never send money to someone you met online.
Cards people might post in Shanghai
Examples of what you could be open to. Post your own in a minute.
Friends
Open to Café hop in the former French Concession
About Architecture and coffee
Friends
Open to Xiaolongbao crawl
About Shanghai dumplings
Ideas
Open to Mandarin language exchange
About Learning Mandarin
Nearby and related
Guides
- Apps to make friends: an honest comparisonAn honest look at apps to make friends as an adult, from BFF by Bumble and Meetup to Timeleft and Peanut: what each is good for and what to watch for.
- Book Clubs in Singapore: Where to Find Your Reading PeopleFind a book club in Singapore: Silent Book Club sessions, free NLB library clubs in four languages, independent clubs, the Writers Festival and DIY tips.
- Dating apps in Singapore: an honest 2026 comparisonTinder, Bumble, Hinge, Coffee Meets Bagel and more, compared for Singapore: how matching works, verification and indicative SGD prices.
- Dinner with strangers in Singapore: social dining, supper clubs and how to do it safelyHow to have dinner with strangers in Singapore: Timeleft, supper clubs with communal tables, home dining, Meetup groups and doing it yourself safely.