8 Things to do in Shanghai When it Rains

Shanghai is a city buzzing with activity, so when it drizzles don’t let the wet dampen your trip. We’ve found six indoor activities to keep you occupied – in the rain or shine.

1. Try a dumpling-making course

Eating dumplings is a Shanghai institution not to be missed, but if you want to replicate these steaming little parcels of bliss at home, take a dumpling making course while there.

Cooking course Shanghai dumplings — Learn how to make these steaming dumplings with the Chinese Cooking Workshop in Shanghai.

Try Chinese Cooking Workshop’s Dim Sum classes to learn the ropes. The kitchen offers a range of public courses to take part in, as well as hosting private group courses, which could be good if it’s a family affair.

The Dim Sum courses go for two hours and are staggered throughout the week in morning, lunch and afternoon classes. The group scheduled wok and dim sum courses are beginners-friendly and each lesson starts from making the dough, through to completing the dim sum.

Address: no 370 Wulumuqi Rd (South) near Zhaojiabang Rd

2. Visit the museum for the dying

The Nankeen Exhibition Hall (637 Changle Road) in the French Concession is a small gallery and shop celebrating the beauty and tradition of this 3000-year-old dyeing technique.

Originating thousands of years ago, blue nankeen is a style of Chinese textile that began on the Silk Road, though it’s actually made of cotton. The fabric is rich in history, often used by Chinese commoners to craft things such as clothing and household linens like tableclothes and drapes. It was a traditional gifts at weddings and births.

The little shop-cum-museum is reached by zag-zagging down laneways, and then past a courtyard where (on sunny days) billowing lengths of fabric are strung up to dry.

Address: 637 Changle Rd, Xuhui Qu, Shanghai Shi, China

3. Go to the antique markets

Ignore the tourist trinket stalls crowded around the stunning 18th-century buildings at the busy Yu Gardens and head for the ‘Antique Markets’ in the bowels of the building, where you will find ramshackle little shops overflowing with dust-covered treasures.

Yu gardens shanghai antique vases qing — Uncover treasures at the Yu markets in Shanghai. Don’t forget to haggle.

Everything is apparently from the Qing Dynasty but you should haggle like it was made last week (which it probably was).

Keep smiling and never insult the vendors by offering a ridiculous price, and you will have huge fun here.

4. Get custom glasses frames

Getting glasses made at Han City Plaza is quick and easy.

There are myriad shops and kid-in-a-candy-store numbers of designs to choose from in this rather unprepossessing centre, and it takes as little as 20 minutes to have prescription lenses fitted into the frames you choose. Be ready, you need to haggle hard if you’re after a good deal.

Address: 580 Nanjing Xi Lu

5. Eat authentic at Han Mama’s

Perch on blue and white ceramic stools at long tables and order from Han Mama’s home-style Taiwanese menu.

The signature dish is an unctuous mix of noodles with huge chunks of crumbling, slow-cooked Uruguayan grass-fed beef.

Everything is delivered with crisp efficiency by white-jacketed staff and tastes delicious; the atmosphere is funky and bustling.

The reviews reveal a nourishing, satisfying experience that’s authentic and great value for money, much like the below found on TripAdvisor.

“The braised beef was tender and awesomely good. The broth was well balanced and the noodles were cooked to perfection." Reslimpan, Shanghai, China

Address: 123 Nanyang Lu

6. Visit the Long Museaum West Bund

The Long Museum West Bund is a masterpiece of curving lines and vast spaces filled with Chinese, Asian and European contemporary art, Chinese classical art and visiting exhibitions.

The passion project of art collectors Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei, the space also has an art bookstore, cafe, restaurant overlooking the river, children’s exhibition hall and concert hall.

It’s well worth doing your research on the website to find out what’s coming up at the gallery – and filling your diary with key dates!

Address: 3398 Longteng Avenue, Xuhui District Shanghai

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

7. Scale the world’s largest indoor waterfall

Okay, so you might be doing your best to avoid the wet at all costs, but this magnificent indoor waterfall – and the ‘Cloud Forest’ it’s housed in is well worth a visit, rain, hail or shine.

Simply take the elevator to the top of the Gardens by the Bay and descend the winding ramps. which will give you an incredible glimpse of the show-stopping vegetation. The rain that falls drops from 100 feet above the floor, and produces one of the most show-stopping attractions for guests.

The waterfall is housed in a giant greenhouse-style enclosure and provides a wonderful home for the spiraling walkways that’ll keep you captivated the whole way through.

Address: 18 Marina Gardens Drive Singapore

Open daily from 9am-9pm.

8. Head over to the Science Centre and brush up on your knowledge

No, heading to a Science Centre doesn’t have to feel like going to back to school. It can actually bring to your attention some of the advancements in the world that you might not be aware of.

It’s a family day of fun as you head to Jurong East and get to explore interactive presentations, games and displays. The website will present you with an ever-changing list of exhibitions, with some of the most notable being the ‘CSI Experience’, the ‘Human Body Experience’ and the kinetic garden.

Address: 15 Science Centre Road, Singapore

Open daily from 10am to 6pm.

MORE… 48 hours in Shanghai

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Eight things to do when it rains in Shanghai