If you find yourself with a free day (or weekend) while in Shanghai, make sure to check out these neat spots. Happy travels!

1. 黄山 Huangshan Mountain

A trip to Huangshan will take a little more than a day, since it takes 6-8 hours of travel time depending on if you go for a train or bus, but the views are absolutely worth the travel time. Huangshan is known across the country for having gorgeous views year-round. Due to its well-known beauty, the mountain is a popular spot for Chinese tourists. If you go during the summer, it may seem like the entire population of China is on the mountain with you, but if you go sometime between October and March, you can escape the endless stream of group tours and enjoy the views just a bit more.

There are plenty of trails on top of the mountain for you to test your hiking skills, so make sure to give yourself a little break and take the cable car up (#regrets for walking up). Early mornings are INCREDIBLE; clouds surround the mountain so it looks like a sea of them. You can stay in a hotel on top for pretty cheap if you book in advance. Food is scarce and expensive up there, though, so pick up some at the convenience stores at the bottom of the mountain before heading up. The people working at these stores were so kind and can fill you in on the best trails as well as spots for photos.

2. 朱家角 Zhujiajiao Watertown

A nice break from the big city, Zhujiajiao is an actual day trip that offers good food, small shops, and a short cruise. The town is quiet with small streets that make for some cool photos. As with Huangshan, the people here are so kind and can point you in the direction of the best food. Food is traditional Chinese with a few local dishes. Make friends with them! Since the town’s main business comes from tourism, the workers there have some fun stories of things they’ve seen so be sure to ask.

3. Disneyland (obviously)

Disneyland Shanghai. Is. Lit. Depending on what all you want to do, you can probably see it all in one day. The park has been described as having its roots in classic Disney, but being distinctly Chinese. That description could not be more accurate. If you are looking for rollercoasters, head over to Tomorrowland where you can ride the Tron coaster. Other than that, the park doesn’t have much to offer in the way of rollercoasters. Rides are more for people looking for stories than thrills, and the level of detail put into them is unreal.

Food here is cheap and tasty so eating your way through the park is a great option. The park has an app that lets you look at all of the menus so you can pick and choose what to eat. Rumor is if you eat alone in the royal dining hall in the castle, staff there will put Baymax across the table from you. Not sure if that is sad or wonderful, but please someone go and confirm this rumor. Make sure to stay for the light show that starts at 8pm. The entire park shuts down and sits in front of the castle for a light show/ firework extravaganza. Just a warning, the park goes back and forth between songs in English and Chinese so make sure you figure out which before belting the lyrics. It gets weird when you’re singing in the wrong language, and yes, I am speaking from experience.