Shanghai to Ningbo by train

Good to know

• The trains run via Hangzhou, so Shanghai – Hangzhou – Ningbo works well as a loop.
• From Ningbo it is about an hour to Hangzhou East.

Other ways: Buses over the Hangzhou Bay Bridge take about 3 hours.

On the way

Trains run via Hangzhou and then along the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay through Shaoxing, the city of rice wine and the writer Lu Xun.

When you arrive

Ningbo station is close to the centre: Tianyi Pavilion, the oldest surviving private library in China (1561, about ¥30), and Moon Lake are a short taxi ride away. The Ningbo Museum, designed by Pritzker Prize winner Wang Shu from bricks and tiles of demolished houses, is free (closed on Mondays). In the evening, go to the Old Bund where the rivers meet.

How to book

• Buy on Trip.com (English, foreign cards) or in the official 12306 app – tickets go on sale 15 days before departure.
• Your passport is your ticket: you book with its number and scan it at the gates. Bring the same passport you booked with.
• Be at the station 40–60 minutes early: there is a security check at the entrance, and gates close a few minutes before departure.
• Big suitcases fit at the end of each carriage or on the racks above the seats.

Times and fares are typical values for second class, checked in October 2026. Fares are dynamic (peak trains cost more) and timetables change – check the live timetable on Trip.com or 12306 before you travel.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ningbo worth visiting?

If you want a Chinese city without the crowds, yes: one of the world's biggest ports, with a thousand years of trading history, great seafood and few foreign tourists.

What should I eat in Ningbo?

Seafood – Ningbo is a port city – and tangyuan (宁波汤圆), sticky rice balls with a black sesame filling, the city's most famous sweet.