Guide to China: Shanghai and Beijing
- Lauren Diaz
- Aug 3
- 19 min read
We visited China in May of 2026 as part of our honeymoon and hit two amazing cities: Shanghai and Beijing. China can feel a little intimidating to plan a trip to, but we fell in love with the country after just about 10 days there. Everyone talks about Japan and Thailand, but China has so many unique sites, a rich history, a beautiful culture, and some of the best food we've had anywhere. This country is massive, and we're already figuring out how we can get back to see more. But in the meantime, here's everything you should see, do, eat, and drink if you decide to go, which we really recommend you do.
General Tips:
Visa Requirements: If you're traveling as an American, you have two options for entry:
1) The 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit program (more info here: https://en.nia.gov.cn/n147418/n147463/c183412/content.html)
2) The Traditional Visa method. We kind of figured we were going to love China, so we decided to just apply for a 10-year visa in case we wanted to go back (spoiler alert, we will). The process was extremely straightforward. You fill out your application online, submit all your info, and if approved, you send your passport to your closest consulate or embassy. I can only speak to our own experience, we did this directly without a third party, which usually charges a fee, though I get that going through one can be easier if you don't live near a consulate. We happened to be living in NYC at the time and there's an office right here, so once we were approved, we dropped off our passports and had them back within 3 days, with a 10-year visa attached. It was $140 per person, which we didn't think was bad at all. More info here: https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/
Currency: China uses the Chinese Yuan, but everything, and I mean everything, is digital. You will not need any cash on this trip. Honestly, I don't even know what their currency looks like, we never saw it once. With that being said, you do need to prepare ahead of time with a few apps, more on that below.
Weather: The weather was honestly perfect in May, mostly mid-to-high 70s, comfortable in pants or shorts, maybe a light jacket for evenings. It was sunny the whole trip, we only got rain on 1 of the days we were there.
Safety: This is probably the safest we've ever felt on vacation. We never once felt like we were in an unsafe situation. There are always people around, and everyone minds their own business. The cities are clean and felt genuinely safe the entire time.
Transportation: There's a lot of public transportation here, and the train system is very well connected. But the method we used most was DiDi, basically the Chinese version of Uber. It's extremely affordable, so we leaned on it constantly to maximize our time.
Outlets: We were actually able to use our regular US two-prong plugs for most of the trip since we stayed in newer hotels with universal outlets built in. I always recommend traveling with a universal adapter though, just for those situations where you can't plug in directly.
Apps: China has a lot of restrictions on applications, so a lot of the apps we rely on daily simply don't work there, any Google app, any Meta app, etc. So you need to be prepared with a few apps on your phone before you leave:
Alipay: This is your holy grail app in China. You'll use it for essentially everything, paying, booking attraction tickets, ordering food, it's basically multiple apps built into one.
WeChat: Think of this as Alipay 2.0. You can also use it to pay for things, book tickets, or message to make reservations, it overlaps a lot with Alipay but you'll want both.
Amap: As mentioned, Google apps don't work here, so you need a reliable map. Amap was amazing and super user-friendly. It's not the easiest to use from the US if you're trying to pre-plan your trip, but it works seamlessly once you're actually in China.
DiDi: This is going to be your Uber, but a fraction of the price. We used DiDi Comfort, which gets you nicer cars stocked with water and other little extras.
Translation App: Apple Translate or Google Translate work fine as long as you're connected to a VPN.
Extras:
If you have an old phone lying around that you're not currently using, I highly recommend bringing it along and picking up a Chinese SIM card once you land. It basically becomes your dedicated China phone, loaded with all the local apps and translators, so you're always connected without juggling VPNs on your main phone. It makes everything so much easier.
Now for the good part: where we stayed, what we did, and everything we ate and drank along the way.
Shanghai:
What a place! We were in Shanghai for almost 5 full days and we barely scratched the surface. It's one of those massive cities that really has a little bit of everything, like a New York or London. You have history, museums, an incredible variety of restaurants, and shopping for days. You can literally just wander around and stumble into so many cool things, so let's dive into what we made it to.
Where to Stay:
Hilton Garden Inn Shanghai Lujiazui
Hilton Garden Inn Shanghai Lujiazui Hilton Garden Inn Shanghai Lujiazui
We stayed at this property for 4 nights and it was perfect for our needs. The views were amazing, the room was clean and modern, and they had great amenities, including a free laundry room that came in handy for such a long trip. There's a train station right outside, but it's also super easy to grab a DiDi and get anywhere quickly.
Things to Do:
Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road Nanjing Road at night
This is an absolute must-visit if you want to walk around and shop. It's nice during the day, but we'd also recommend going back at night to see all the signs lit up, it's a totally different experience. Make sure to pop into some of the big flagship stores along the way, we stopped into the Adidas flagship and it was massive. There are several malls, international brands, Chinese brands, and food hall-style experiences, seriously a shopper's dream. If you walk all the way down, you'll end up at The Bund.
The Bund
The Bund (View of Pudong) Historic Buildings at The Bund
This area is a waterfront promenade known for its historic colonial-era buildings coupled with amazing views across the river of the Oriental Pearl Tower and Pudong skyline. It really embodies the China experience, that contrast of historic and futuristic you'll see throughout your trip. This is another spot we'd recommend visiting during the day and again at night when the lights come on.
Sunset River Cruise
Sunset River Cruise Sunset River Cruise
The views are amazing to see from the ground, but even better by boat. There are several river cruises that leave from this area and you probably can't go wrong with any of them. We booked [ ]. You can hop on any time, we timed ours perfectly with sunset so we could see both sides of the city.
Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
Oriental Pearl Tower at night View from Oriental Pearl Tower
This is that iconic tower you see anytime you look up Shanghai, it's really what sets the skyline apart. You can visit the tower, which has a massive base full of shops and museums, plus multiple viewing levels that give you sweeping views of the city. We went around sunset and it was beautiful watching the city shift from day to night.
Yuyuan Old Street
Yuyuan Old Street Yuyuan Old Street
This was one of our favorite attractions in Shanghai. It's a complex of historic buildings dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that were refurbished and turned into shops and restaurants. The architecture is incredible, and there are so many beautiful corners with fountains, sculptures, and bridges, you could easily spend a whole day here. This is becoming a theme, but you really do want to experience this during the day so you can visit Yu Garden, then come back again at night to see all the lights.
Yu Garden
Yu Garden Yu Garden
This amazing garden sits inside the Yuyuan complex and is only open during the day, hence the day-then-night suggestion above. It was constructed in 1559 and is one of the best-kept surviving examples of classical Chinese garden design. You can wander in here for hours, it's so stunning and peaceful with koi ponds, intricate details, and winding pathways.
City God Temple
City God Temple City God Temple
Connected to the Yuyuan complex is this Taoist temple honoring three figures worshipped as gods of the city. We wouldn't necessarily go out of our way for this one, but it was a good quick pop-in.
Jade Buddha Temple
Jade Buddha Temple Jade Buddha Temple
The temple is named after two jade Buddha statues housed inside. We got there right before closing so we weren't actually able to see the jade Buddhas, but it's still worth a visit even without seeing them. There's also a monastery attached, so there were a lot of monks worshipping and studying while we were there.
Jing'an Temple
Jing'an Temple Jing'an Temple
This was our favorite temple of the three. It sits right in the middle of Jing'an's ultra-modern shopping district, so you get this incredible contrast of old and new. This one felt different from the others with a lot more gold accents throughout, and it was extremely well kept. It was such a cool experience being inside this historic temple with skyscrapers rising in the background.
The Louis
The Louis Exterior The Louis Exhibit
This is one of the most unique Louis Vuitton stores in the world. It's modeled to look exactly like a 19th-century transoceanic cruise ship, paying homage to the brand's beginnings. Beyond the store, they also have a restaurant and an incredible free exhibit where you can learn more about the brand's history. The exhibit is worth a visit even if you're not a huge LV person, it's visually beautiful and just a really cool experience. You do need to reserve tickets in advance via WeChat, even though it's free.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Exterior Starbucks Reserve Roastery Interior
This could easily live in the Where to Eat & Drink section, but I always feel like these are more of an experience. We always pop into a Reserve Roastery whenever we spot one on vacation. They have cool merch, fun coffee devices, different beans, and drinks you can only try at that specific location. We actually had an amazing beer here, an IPA made with Kenyan coffee.
Tianzifang
Tianzifang Tianzifang
A really cute historic area packed with narrow alleyways, shops, street vendors, and local art. Great for an afternoon of wandering and picking up gifts. It's nice to just grab a tea (there's a Heytea across the street, more on that later) and wander the little streets and stores.
Middle Huaihai Road
HAUS NOWHERE / Gentle Monster Flagship Store HAUS NOWHERE / Gentle Monster Flagship Store
If you love to shop, this is another must-visit area. The street is lined with great stores, from small local brands to international giants. Along the way you'll pass the very popular HAUS NOWHERE / Gentle Monster Flagship. Even if you're not buying anything, step inside, the exhibits and decor are a whole experience on their own.
Shanghai Greenhouse Garden
Shanghai Greenhouse Gardens Shanghai Greenhouse Gardens
This garden was incredible, it's located inside Shanghai Expo Culture Park, which is itself such a beautiful area with amazing buildings, water features, and flowers. The greenhouse itself is actually Asia's largest greenhouse garden, broken up into different "biome zones", we walked through everything from a tropical rainforest section to a full desert environment. It was a really cool experience!
Xuyan Banquet Experience
Xuyan Banquet Experience Xuyan Banquet Experience
Another one that could technically live under Where to Eat & Drink, but it's absolutely an experience too. It's a full multi-course meal paired with live performances in a beautifully decorated banquet hall. You can add on getting dressed up in traditional Chinese robes with hair and makeup done. 10/10 recommend the full add-on package, it made for such a memorable night.
Day Trips:
Shanghai Disneyland Park
Shanghai Disneyland Castle Zootopia Land at Shanghai Disneyland
We're huge Disney lovers, so we make it a point to visit if we're anywhere near a park. It's about an hour outside the city but affordable and easy to reach by DiDi. The park itself was beautiful, one thing about Shanghai, at least while we were there in May, is that there are flowers everywhere, the landscaping is amazing. So of course at Disney there were so many beautiful trees and flowers to match their cute pink castle. They have a good mix of unique attractions (a Pixar exhibit, a Zootopia area, a ropes course, a Marvel zone) alongside classics you'll recognize from other Disney parks, like Soarin', TRON, and Buzz Lightyear. Pirates of the Caribbean was hands down the best ride, we rode it three times, the graphics are absolutely insane. For dinner, we ate in Disneytown at Wang Shun Rong Restaurant, which had solid dim sum and noodles, a great way to close out the day.
Where to Eat & Drink:
Dingxing Road Danbingtan
Jiangbing in the making Jiangbing in Shanghai
This was our first meal after landing at 7am in Shanghai, so maybe that made things better, I don't know. But wow. This spot serves jianbing, a very traditional Chinese street food that's basically an egg pancake/crepe situation, delicious. It was such a great way to start the day and feel a little local doing so.
Tilanqiao Lao Tantoucong Fried Cake No. 1 (Jing'an branch)
Fresh Scallion Pancakes in Shanghai Fresh Scallion Pancake in Shanghai
This little window is known for their fresh scallion pancakes. A simple dish, but executed so well. They make each one fresh right in front of you, crispy, savory, doughy, such a great snack.
Address: 328 Xikang Rd, Jing'an, Shanghai, China
Yang's Fried Dumplings
Pan-fried Pork Buns Pan-fried Pork Buns
This is a chain restaurant and you can find multiple locations across the city, but don't let that scare you because they have the best pan-fried pork buns (aka shengjian bao) I have ever had in my life. We actually ate here again on our last day in China at the train station after our trip from Beijing. They do have other menu items that were also delicious, but the buns are the star.
Address: 97 Huanghe Rd, Jing'an, Shanghai, China
Yuxingji Xiehuang Noodle Restaurant
Crab Roe Noodles Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao
This is another restaurant that has multiple locations but does not disappoint. They're known for their crab roe noodles and a giant crab roe xiao long bao. The crab roe sauce was so savory, with just the right amount of salinity, on beautiful, chewy, handmade noodles. Absolutely amazing.
O.P.S. Cafe
Drinks at O.P.S. Cafe Drinks at O.P.S. Cafe
China has some of the coolest specialty coffee shops we've ever visited, such a different experience than what you find in the states. They offer so many creative infusions that combine espresso with unique ingredients like tea, local fruits, and spices, it highlights the flavors of the coffee in such an interesting way. O.P.S. does exactly that. It looks more like a mixology bar than a cafe, with a whole setup measuring every step down to super precise amounts. They run a seasonal menu with some really cool blends, we ordered one called Apple Bite that had espresso, fresh apple and pineapple, purple perilla, jasmine, and bergamot. Such a fun stop if you love coffee and want something a little different.
Matcha Wang
Viral sheep matcha from Matcha Wang Viral sheep matcha from Matcha Wang
You need all the caffeine if you're going to spend the day shopping. This matcha counter is the perfect stop if you find yourself along Middle Huaihai Road. They make the cutest sheep matcha that's gone viral on social media, but it's actually one of the best matcha lattes I've ever had. So it's cute, but also genuinely good.
DD Liuxin Basike
DD Liuxin Basike DD Liuxin Basike
Right across from the Matcha Wang counter, we definitely ate with our eyes here and had to try these little cubed cheesecakes. They're a take on a Basque cheesecake, but less runny and with a ton of unique flavors. The pistachio one was our favorite.
Beijing:
We stayed in the Chinese capital for about 6 days and once again, we ran out of time. These cities are so massive and there is so much to do that you could probably spend a month in each one. We did make it to a lot of places though so let's dive in.
Where to Stay:
Fairmont Beijing
Fairmont Beijing Fairmont Beijing
We used our Amex Platinum Fine Hotels & Resorts benefit to book this one, one of our favorite perks of the card, you get upgrades, breakfast, and credits just for booking through the portal, so if you have an Amex Plat, it's worth looking into for stays like this, or you can apply here using our referral code. As for the hotel itself, it's very upscale. You can tell it's a bit older, the decor leans more antiquated than sleek and modern, but it is spotless. Our room was a gorgeous, spacious suite with a soaking tub and a very fancy bidet with heated seats.
Things to Do:
Summer Palace
Tower of Buddhist Incense Summer Palace
This is a whole complex that has a little bit of everything, lakes, gardens, palaces, even shops and restaurants. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its design, architecture, and landscaping. The area is massive, you probably can't cover it all in one visit, but it's very nice to spend at least a few hours here. It's packed with iconic Chinese architecture, all those red buildings you picture when you think of imperial China. The standout was the Tower of Buddhist Incense, you can climb up for sweeping views over the whole park.
Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
Forbidden City (Palace Museum) Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
Another must-see and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the scale of this palace and the architecture throughout is so impressive. This complex was completed in 1420 and served as the political and ritual center of China for almost 500 years. We did the audio guide, which was really helpful for understanding what you're looking at as you move through, would recommend it if you want context on the history as you go.
Qianmen Street
Qianmen Street Tea Bar soft serve
A super cool little area nearby the Forbidden City with street vendors, shops, and restaurants, definitely worth a walk and some exploring. We stopped at a place called Tea Bar here for the most delicious matcha and jasmine soft serve.
Temple of Heaven
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Temple of Heaven) Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Temple of Heaven)
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are so many in Beijing. It's a historic complex most known for its sacrificial altars, this is where emperors would pray for a good harvest. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests is the main attraction here and also the icon of Beijing. Whenever you look up Beijing, this is what you see, and you might also recognize it from the China Pavilion in Epcot at Disney Orlando. We visited on a rainy day and it was still incredible to see in person.
Lama Temple
Lama Temple Exterior Lama Temple Giant Maitreya Buddha
This temple is massive and packed, there were a lot of people there, but it's such a cool site. It's best known for its Giant Maitreya Buddha, a 55-foot-tall statue that holds the Guinness World Record for the largest wooden Buddha carved from a single piece of Tibetan sandalwood. The architecture is really interesting, and there are a lot of worship halls you can see along the way.
Shichahai
Shichahai Shichahai
A really pretty park full of locals enjoying the evening. One area is packed with street vendors, bars, and a lively nighttime energy, definitely worth walking through after dark. A lot of people suggest coming here for sunset since you can take a boat ride on the lake, we unfortunately missed it, but worth noting if you're interested.
Beijing Olympic Village
Beijing Olympic Village Bird's Nest National Stadium
This was the home of the 2008 Olympics, and now you can walk around the campus. The main attraction here is the Bird's Nest, also known as the National Stadium. We tried to go inside to check out the viewpoint they have, but there was a special event that day, so it closed early, I would check ahead if you'd like to visit.
798 Art District
798 Art District 798 Art District
A super cool area of former factories converted into shops, galleries, and restaurants. We genuinely wish we'd had more time here, we didn't realize how huge it was until we were already walking through it. While you're here, swing by Jing A Brewing Co. for a craft beer and grab dumplings at Jiaodong Liu Mama Rouzhi Dumplings, both were amazing.
Day Trips:
Great Wall of China (Mutianyu)
Great Wall of China Great Wall of China
A must! Do not go to Beijing without going to the Great Wall, it's surreal to actually experience it in person. We went to the Mutianyu section, where you can take a chairlift up and a toboggan down, so much fun, and then explore the wall on your own. We skipped the tour and just took a DiDi there and back so we could go at our own pace, which worked perfectly for us. We ate at Xianlaoman (Mutianyu Branch) nearby, solid Chinese food, we wanted to keep it authentic so we went with this spot, but there are a few other options around if you want something different.
Universal Beijing
Universal Beijing Harry Potter World Universal Beijing Kung Fu Panda Land
What can we say, we love a theme park! This is one of the newest Universal parks, about an hour outside the city. It has some great bites and attractions, there's some overlap with Orlando, like Harry Potter World, Minions, and Jurassic Park, but they also have a full Kung Fu Panda land that's incredible, the theming is so well done, easily our favorite area of the park. There's a CityWalk too, where we tried Beijing-style hot pot at Dong Lai Shun (more on that in the food section, since they have multiple locations around the city).
Where to Eat & Drink:
Metal Hands Coffee
Metal Hands Coffee Beijing Exterior Metal Hands Coffee Beijing
This is one of Beijing's most popular coffee shops, and also a roaster. The location we went to sits in the middle of a hutong, hutongs are basically residential neighborhoods you'll find all over Beijing, narrow alleys, traditional architecture, a totally different feel from the modern parts of the city. Anyway, back to the coffee. This one's a must. They have so many beautiful drinks, the Vienna coffee and the Osmanthus Fragrans Mocha were both delicious, and they had a few bites on the menu too.
Mer Coffee
Mer Coffee Beijing Interior Mer Coffee Beijing
Just like in Shanghai, Beijing's coffee scene did not disappoint, though what makes the Beijing shops extra special is how many of them are tucked into hutongs, so you get this quiet, historic backdrop while you sip. This coffee shop was no exception. It's minimalist, quiet, calm, we had an espresso and pineapple drink here that was so flavorful.
1/4 (One Quarter) Coffee Lab
1/4 (One Quarter) Coffee Lab Interior 1/4 (One Quarter) Coffee Lab
Right by Mer Coffee is this shop, another one built around interesting infusions. My latte here had pineapple, milk, passion fruit, lavender, elderberry, and jasmine, such a unique combination and it worked so well together.
Prince Jun Mansion Afternoon Tea
Prince Jun Mansion Afternoon Tea Prince Jun Mansion Afternoon Tea
China is obviously known for tea, and we had a lot of it. This place offered a wonderful afternoon tea experience featuring freshly brewed teas and canapés. The location itself is stunning, gorgeous architecture, gardens, koi ponds, it's picture-perfect. The spread came with sweet and savory bites and beautiful presentation, such a nice, calm midday break.
Jiaodong Liu Mama Rouzhi Dumplings
Jiaodong Liu Mama Rouzhi Dumplings Jiaodong Liu Mama Rouzhi Dumplings
This dumpling spot is located in the 798 Art District and actually holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand award. There's a full team working hard in the kitchen making each dumpling by hand. They were so fresh, and they had a huge range of fillings. Fair warning, this was probably the spot where we hit the language barrier hardest, they were out of a few options, so we kind of just went with whatever, we're not even totally sure what we ended up ordering. But it worked out, everything was delicious.
No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Zhajiangmian
No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Zhajiangmian No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Zhajiangmian
Another Michelin Bib Gourmand spot known for their soybean noodles. There are locations all over the city, so it's easy to pop into one anytime you're out wandering. The dish features thick wheat noodles tossed in a rich fermented pork and soybean paste sauce that's so savory and delicious, served with a side of fresh veggies to toss in as you like. It's pretty much the only thing on the menu, and they do it very well.
Mingyuan Restaurant
Mingyuan Restaurant Interior Mingyuan Restaurant Kung Pao Chicken
Surprise surprise, another Michelin Bib Gourmand spot. The food in Beijing is just that good, and that affordable. This restaurant has a huge menu covering a little bit of everything, with a lot of specialty dishes native to Beijing. They have their own version of the soybean noodles, though not quite as good as No. 69's, and Beijing-style meatballs that are so crispy and crunchy. The kung pao chicken was the highlight here though, the spice and savoriness were spot on.
Dong Lai Shun
Dong Lai Shun Dong Lai Shun
The place to go for Beijing-style hot pot, which you should absolutely try. It's a different style than what you'll find in the US, we usually do Sichuan-style back home. With this one, you don't actually drink the broth, it's just used to cook the meat, the real star is the sesame-based dipping sauce. Our waitress helped us build the perfect sauce, but there's also a sauce bar if you want to make your own. Every cut of meat was so fresh and tender, but that sauce, wow. We're already craving this again.
Si Ji Min Fu Roast Duck Restaurant
Si Ji Min Fu Roast Duck Restaurant Si Ji Min Fu Roast Duck Restaurant
You cannot leave Beijing without trying Peking duck. Fun fact, "Peking" is the old Western spelling of Beijing, which is why the airport code is still PEK to this day. The dish itself arrived in Beijing back in 1420, and over centuries chefs perfected it with specially bred ducks and custom ovens built just for roasting them. This restaurant is an amazing experience overall, the duck is crispy, juicy, and affordable. Our meal was only $55 for a whole Peking duck with all the fixings, unbeatable for the quality.
Dadong
Dadong Peking Duck Beijing Dadong Peking Duck Beijing
Another Peking duck spot, and almost always the first one that comes up when you search where to eat in Beijing on social media. It was good, don't get me wrong, but if you have to pick one, go to Si Ji Min Fu instead. The duck here was still flavorful, but it ran more expensive and the skin wasn't quite as crispy. It almost felt like it hadn't come straight out of the oven, which at the other spot, it definitely had.
Jing A Brewing Co.
Jing A Brewing Co. Flight Jing A Brewing Co. Cider
We love discovering craft breweries when we travel, and we stumbled onto this one in the 798 Art District. They have a great lineup of beers made with local ingredients. We tried a fruited tea wheat beer that tasted like jasmine tea, and a hawthorn cider, both so good. They also had a pop-up bar at CityWalk in Universal.
Ye Brewing
Ye Brewing Interior Ye Brewing Beers
Another brewery we happened to walk by and wandered into, so glad we did. Incredible beers, we were blown away by every single one we tried. They really showcase local ingredients and fruit. Our favorites were the persimmon sour ale and a tea witbier that actually beat the tea beer we had at Jing A, even though that one was already incredible.
Special Section: Teas Across China:
Mixue Tea Heytea
As mentioned above, China is of course known for tea, but they also have a huge culture around boba and milk tea, those fast-casual spots we all know and love back in the states. We had tea pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times a day. Here's a rundown of the spots we hit, all of them chains across China, and several with locations in the US too (mainly NY and CA).
Mixue
The most affordable, everyday tea and soft serve spot. They even have a location at the Great Wall, such a great refreshment after going up and down so many steps. They have a ton of locations in NYC, where we're now based, so we've already gone back multiple times since getting home. This was our most-visited spot in China simply because of how many locations there are and how cheap it is.
Heytea
Another one we've been able to visit back in NYC, and we loved it. Heytea is largely credited with popularizing "cheese tea," that savory-sweet whipped cheese foam you now see on tea drinks everywhere. They have so many amazing, refreshing fruit teas. You'll find locations in a lot of major areas, Yuyuan Old Street being one example.
Molly Tea
This was our least favorite of the bunch, but still great, that's how high the bar is here. They had a huge matcha and milk tea lineup, we got drinks topped with a pistachio jasmine cold foam, so refreshing for the heat and such a fun, unexpected flavor pairing.
Chagee
This was the first tea we tried in China, and it did not disappoint. Chagee got its start in Yunnan, which is considered the birthplace of tea in China, and it shows, their whole thing is fresh-brewed whole tea leaves rather than powders or syrups, so the flavor comes through so much cleaner. We ended up going back a few more times and always gravitated toward their milk teas, smooth, tea-forward, and not overly sweet.
Lelecha
Another one we've had again since getting back to NYC, and it's so good. Lelecha actually got its start in Shanghai and a lot of their locations pair their teas with fresh pastries too, worth grabbing something to go with your drink if you spot one.
ChaHalo
This was actually our favorite tea spot of the whole trip. Their milk teas were some of the most fragrant we've ever had, floral, smooth, and genuinely unlike anything we've tried before or since. If you only try one tea spot off this list, make it this one. It's also not as easily found in the US!
And that's a wrap on China! We are already dying to book a trip back, it's such an incredible country. As always, our DMs and emails are open for any specific questions. Thanks for reading!
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