69Imperial City, Modern Access
Beijing
China
Asia-Pacific
Beijing's wide boulevards and modern metro handle strollers well, but ancient sites and crowds require planning.
Best stroller: Compact
China
Shanghai
75/100Futuristic Family City📊 Medium confidence
Shanghai's modern metro, flat terrain, and futuristic infrastructure make it Asia's stroller surprise - despite the crowds.
✅
Bring your stroller
This city is stroller-friendly. Compact strollers work best.
Key Factors
- •Good overall accessibility
- •Compact stroller recommended
Shanghai scores 75/100 on our stroller-friendliness scale. Below you'll find a full breakdown of terrain, transit accessibility, and family facilities — plus neighborhood-level tips and stroller vs. carrier advice for Shanghai.
📋 The Bottom Line
Shanghai is remarkably stroller-friendly for a megacity. It's completely flat, the metro system is one of the world's largest and almost entirely accessible, and modern districts like Pudong and Xintiandi have excellent infrastructure. Malls are abundant with good family facilities. The main challenges are crowds (especially at attractions), the language barrier, and some older neighborhoods with narrow lanes. Chinese culture is very welcoming to young children - expect lots of positive attention.
Quick Facts
Overall Score75/100
Best StrollerCompact
Biggest ChallengeYu Garden / Old Town
Data Quality📊 Medium confidence
Gear Recommendations
- 🎒Compact stroller for metro - essential to fold quickly
- 🎒Air pollution mask for bad air quality days
- 🎒Portable changing pad - many restrooms lack them
- 🎒Carrier for Old Town / Yu Garden exploration
Shanghai Stroller Score Breakdown
Smooth Surfaces8/10
Smooth, paved paths
Flatness9/10
Flat and easy
Public Transit9/10
Excellent accessible transit
Elevators & Ramps8/10
Elevators widely available
Family Facilities7/10
Good facilities in main areas
Space & Comfort4/10
Crowded in popular areas
Family Welcome6/10
Generally welcoming
Best & Worst Areas for Strollers in Shanghai
🟢 Where It's Easy ✓
- •The Bund waterfront - Flat, wide, iconic skyline views
- •Pudong Lujiazui - Ultra-modern, flat, skyscrapers
- •Xintiandi - Renovated, flat, family-friendly dining
- •Century Park - Huge, flat, playgrounds, green space
- •Jing'an Sculpture Park - Flat, modern, peaceful
🟡 Where You'll Struggle ⚠
- •Yu Garden / Old Town - Extremely crowded, narrow paths
- •Tianzifang - Narrow lanes, no stroller space
- •Nanjing Road pedestrian street - Very crowded
- •Some metro stations during rush hour - Packed trains
🎒 When to Bring the Carrier 👶
- •Yu Garden old town (extremely crowded, narrow lanes)
- •Tianzifang lanes (narrow artist alleys)
- •Nanjing Road during holidays (shoulder-to-shoulder crowds)
Tips from Parents Who Visited Shanghai
❌ What Parents Wish They'd Known
- ✕Metro is huge - distances between platforms are long
- ✕Golden Week and Chinese New Year make crowds extreme
- ✕Air quality varies - check AQI daily
- ✕Language barrier is real - download translation app
- ✕Some apps require Chinese phone number (WeChat, Alipay)
⭐ Parent-Recommended Spots
- ★The Bund waterfront walk - Flat, iconic, stunning day or night
- ★Shanghai Natural History Museum - Modern, accessible, excellent
- ★Shanghai Disney Resort - World-class, stroller rental available
- ★Century Park - Massive green space, flat, playgrounds
- ★Lujiazui skywalk - Elevated walkway, flat, amazing views
Also in China
Compare stroller-friendliness across China
Similar Scores Worldwide
Cities with a similar stroller experience to Shanghai
75Stroller-Friendly
Oslo
Norway
Europe
Oslo rewards families with great transit and a strong outdoor culture - some hills to navigate.
Best stroller: Compact
75Stroller-Friendly
Melbourne
Australia
Oceania
Melbourne is flat, tram-friendly, and very family-oriented - the café culture embraces strollers.
Best stroller: Compact
75Northern Powerhouse for Parents
Manchester
United Kingdom
Europe
Manchester's flat terrain, modern tram system, and friendly locals make it surprisingly great for strollers.
Best stroller: Compact
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