Shenzhen 深圳 is probably one of the best cities in China if you want to experience a futuristic city without spending a lot of money. This city is famous for its massive shopping malls, futuristic architecture, creative art spaces, high-tech transportation, and surprisingly affordable food and drinks. And the best part? Many of the Shenzhen attractions are completely free.
We spent time exploring Shenzhen and found that you don’t always need to buy an expensive attraction ticket to have a great time here. Some of the most interesting places are actually shopping malls, metro stations, bookstores, parks, and public spaces.
So if you’re planning a trip and looking for free things to do in Shenzhen or affordable experiences that won’t break your budget, here are some of our favorite places to add to your itinerary.
Free Things to Do in Shenzhen
1. Zhongshuge Bookstore (钟书阁)
If you love beautiful bookstores, don’t skip Zhongshuge Bookstore.
Located inside OH Bay, Zhongshuge is much more than just a place to buy books. The interior is designed almost like an art installation, with huge bookshelves, curved staircases, and colorful spaces that make the bookstore incredibly photogenic.
The spiral bookshelf is probably the most recognizable part of the store, and it almost feels like you’re walking inside a movie set.
The Shenzhen location covers more than 1,100 square meters and has around 45,000 books, making it both a bookstore and a cultural space.
And yes, entering the bookstore is free.
You don’t need to be a book lover to enjoy this place. We mainly came here for the architecture, photos, and the experience.
📍 Location: OH Bay, Bao’an District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Linhai Station
Pro tip: Combine Zhongshuge Bookstore with OH Bay because both are in the same area.
2. OH Bay (欢乐港湾)
If you’re looking for one place where you can spend several hours without spending anything, OH Bay is a great option.
OH Bay is a huge waterfront entertainment and shopping complex in Bao’an District. The area combines a seaside park, shopping streets, restaurants, public spaces, and the famous Bay Glory Ferris wheel.
While the Ferris wheel itself requires a ticket, the OH Bay area is free to enter.
You can walk along the waterfront, take photos of the Ferris wheel, relax in the park, and enjoy the evening atmosphere.
There are also music fountains and water shows around Celebration Square on selected evenings, so it’s worth staying until nighttime.
The Ferris wheel looks especially impressive after sunset when the whole area lights up.
📍 Location: Bao’an District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Linhai Station, Exit B2
Best time to visit: Late afternoon and evening.
3. MixC World (万象天地)
One of our favorite things about Shenzhen is that even shopping malls can feel like tourist attractions.
MixC World is a perfect example.
This huge lifestyle complex in Nanshan combines indoor shopping with an open-air shopping street, restaurants, art installations, and plenty of photogenic spaces.
One of the most famous photo spots here is the giant Bubblecoat Elephant, a huge elephant sculpture located around the Water Plaza.
But there’s another reason we recommend coming here: HAUS NOWHERE Shenzhen is also located inside MixC World.
The outdoor areas are free to explore, so you can spend a few hours walking around, taking photos, checking out the architecture, and window-shopping without paying an entrance fee.
📍 Location: Nanshan District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Hi-Tech Park Station, Line 1
This is also a good place to escape the heat because you can easily move between the outdoor areas and the air-conditioned mall.
4. HAUS NOWHERE Shenzhen
If you’re looking for one of the most unusual free attractions in Shenzhen, put HAUS NOWHERE on your list.
Located inside MixC World, HAUS NOWHERE is a futuristic retail and art space created by the team behind Gentle Monster.
The Shenzhen location is huge, covering around 6,914 square meters, and combines fashion, art, exhibitions, installations, and retail.
The first thing you’ll probably notice is the enormous human-like sculpture inside.
The whole space feels more like an art exhibition than a normal shopping store.
There are giant sculptures, futuristic installations, strange characters, and massive murals throughout the building.
And the best part?
You don’t need to buy anything to enter.
So even if you’re not interested in shopping, it’s still worth visiting just for the experience and photos.
📍 Location: MixC World, Nanshan
💰 Entrance: Free
Pro tip: Visit HAUS NOWHERE together with MixC World since they’re in the same complex.
5. MOCAUP – Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning
For something a little more cultural, visit MOCAUP, short for the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning.
This museum actually combines two institutions: the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and the Museum of Urban Planning (MOUP).
The contemporary art section focuses on modern and contemporary art, while the urban planning museum is all about Shenzhen’s development and how the city has transformed over the years.
And honestly, the building itself is already worth seeing.
Shenzhen is famous for transforming from a small fishing town into one of China’s biggest technology and financial cities, so the urban planning section is particularly interesting if you want to understand the city beyond its skyscrapers.
📍 Location: 184 Fuzhong Road, Futian District
💰 Entrance: Free for the museum’s public admission areas, with specific exhibitions potentially requiring reservation/tickets
🕐 Opening: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
Pro tip: Check the current exhibition and reservation requirements before visiting because temporary exhibitions can have different admission rules.
6. COCO Park (购物公园)
You might not think of a shopping mall as a tourist attraction, but COCO Park is one of the easiest places to experience Shenzhen’s modern city life.
Located in Futian, COCO Park is surrounded by restaurants, shops, cafés, bars, and nightlife.
During the day, it’s a convenient place to shop and grab food. But I personally think the area becomes more interesting in the evening when the restaurants and nightlife start getting busy.
The mall is also right next to the metro, making it very easy to reach.
You don’t have to spend money here either. Walking around the mall and surrounding area is free.
📍 Location: Futian District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Shopping Park Station
If you’re already exploring Futian, COCO Park is an easy stop to add to your itinerary.
7. UpperHills (深业上城)
Another shopping complex that feels more like a city attraction is UpperHills.
What makes UpperHills interesting is its combination of modern architecture, shopping, restaurants, cafés, public spaces, and surrounding greenery.
The complex is located near Lianhua Hill Park and Bijia Mountain Park, so you can combine shopping with a walk around the parks.
There are also plenty of interesting architectural details and elevated areas that are great for photography.
You can walk around the complex, check out the stores, take photos, and enjoy the atmosphere without paying an entrance fee.
📍 Location: Futian District
💰 Entrance: Free
Pro tip: UpperHills is also connected to one of Shenzhen’s drone-delivery routes, so this can be a fun place to combine shopping with one of Shenzhen’s futuristic food-delivery experiences.
8. Shenzhen Bay Cultural Square (深圳湾文化广场)
If you love futuristic architecture, this might be one of your favorite places in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen Bay Culture Square is one of the city’s newest cultural landmarks. The complex was designed by MAD Architects and consists of several unusual stone-like buildings that almost look like they were dropped from outer space.
The entire complex covers around 188,000 square meters and includes exhibition halls, cultural spaces, design facilities, and public areas.
Even if you don’t want to visit the paid exhibitions, you can still enjoy the public areas and architecture.
The outdoor spaces are especially nice for photography, and the location is right next to Shenzhen Bay and Talent Park.
📍 Location: Houhai, Nanshan District
💰 Public areas: Free
🚇 Metro: Talent Park Station, Line 13, Exit B1
This is one of those places where you can easily spend an hour just walking around and taking photos.
Pro tip: Come in the late afternoon. The architecture looks completely different when the sunlight starts getting softer.
9. Gangxia North Station (岗厦北站)
Yes, we’re telling you to visit a metro station.
But this isn’t just any metro station.
Gangxia North Station is famous for its futuristic architecture and massive underground spaces. The station is one of Shenzhen’s major metro interchanges, connecting Lines 2, 10, 11 and 14.
The station is enormous, with huge open spaces and dramatic architectural details.
One of the most recognizable features is the giant central atrium, sometimes referred to as the “Shenzhen Eye.”
And obviously, you don’t need to pay an entrance fee because you’re already using the metro.
This is a perfect example of why Shenzhen is such an interesting city for photographers. Even taking the subway can become part of the sightseeing experience.
📍 Location: Futian District
💰 Entrance: Free if you’re already traveling by metro
Pro tip: Bring a wide-angle lens. Some of the underground spaces are surprisingly huge.
10. Sea World Shenzhen (海上世界)
Despite the name, Sea World Shenzhen isn’t a theme park.
It’s actually a large entertainment and dining area in Shekou, centered around the iconic Minghua ship.
The ship is permanently docked in the middle of the plaza and is surrounded by restaurants, cafés, shops, and public spaces.
During the day, it’s a nice place to walk around and explore.
But I recommend coming in the evening.
Once the lights turn on, the entire area becomes much more lively, and the ship looks completely different against the Shenzhen skyline.
There are also fountain and water performances around the plaza, depending on the current schedule.
📍 Location: Shekou, Nanshan District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Sea World Station
You don’t have to spend money here. Just walk around, take photos, and enjoy the atmosphere.
11. Dongmen Old Street (东门老街)
If you want to experience a completely different side of Shenzhen, head to Dongmen Old Street.
Shenzhen is known for futuristic skyscrapers and technology, but Dongmen gives you a much more traditional shopping-street experience.
This pedestrian area is filled with shops, restaurants, street food, small stores, and plenty of people.
It’s also one of the better places to find affordable food and souvenirs.
Unlike some of Shenzhen’s luxury shopping malls, Dongmen feels much more casual and local.
And of course, walking around is completely free.
📍 Location: Luohu District
💰 Entrance: Free
🚇 Metro: Laojie Station
Pro tip: Come hungry. There are plenty of cheap snacks and local food around the area.
Affordable Things to Do in Shenzhen
Not everything needs to be completely free.
One of the things we love about Shenzhen is that even some of the city’s most futuristic experiences can cost surprisingly little.
Here are two experiences we think are worth trying.
1. Ride a Driverless Taxi
This is probably one of the coolest affordable experiences you can try in Shenzhen.
Yes, you can actually take a driverless taxi around parts of the city. Companies such as Pony.ai operate commercial robotaxi services in Shenzhen, with coverage including areas around Nanshan, Shenzhen Bay and Qianhai.
You can request a ride through platforms including PonyPilot, WeChat, Amap and other mobility platforms.
The experience is honestly quite strange the first time.
You get inside the car, look toward the driver’s seat…
and there is nobody there.
The car uses cameras, sensors and LiDAR to understand the road and drive itself.
And the best part is that it doesn’t have to be an expensive tourist experience.
Depending on the route, discounts and current pricing, you can sometimes get a short ride for only around ¥15–20 (about US$2–3).
For us, paying around $2 for a 15-minute ride in a driverless taxi is one of those experiences that feels much more expensive than it actually is.
💰 Budget: Around US$2–3 for a short ride, depending on route and promotions
📱 App: PonyPilot and supported mobility platforms
Important: Robotaxi coverage is limited to specific operating zones, so don’t expect to be able to request one everywhere in Shenzhen.
Learn how to book driverless taxi in Shenzhen here
2. Order a Drink and Delivered by Drone
And now we’re getting into the really futuristic part of Shenzhen.
Imagine sitting in a park, ordering a drink on your phone, and instead of a delivery rider arriving on a scooter…
a drone flies over and delivers it.
This is actually a real service in Shenzhen.
Meituan operates drone food-delivery routes across parts of the city, including Shenzhen Bay Park, Lianhua Hill Park and other locations.
At Shenzhen Bay Park, for example, drone delivery can bring food and drinks to designated pickup points in as little as around 10 minutes.
The cost is also surprisingly affordable.
A drink can cost around ¥20–25 (roughly US$3), depending on what you order, with the delivery fee varying by route and promotion.
Once the order arrives, you simply go to the designated drone pickup station and collect it.
This is definitely one of those experiences where the technology itself is more interesting than the drink.
💰 Budget: Around US$3 for a drink, depending on the item and delivery fee
📱 App: Meituan
📍 Availability: Selected parks and designated drone-delivery zones
Pro tip: Shenzhen Bay Park and Lianhua Hill Park are two places where drone delivery has been officially operated. Availability can change, so check the Meituan app when you’re there.
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Is Shenzhen Expensive to Visit?
Honestly, it doesn’t have to be.
Of course, Shenzhen has plenty of luxury hotels, expensive restaurants, and high-end shopping malls. But if you’re traveling on a budget, there are actually a lot of free things to do in Shenzhen.
You can visit beautiful bookstores, futuristic malls, museums, public parks, art spaces, waterfronts, and even one of the most impressive metro stations in the city without paying an entrance fee.
And when you do want to try something unique, experiences like a driverless taxi or drone food delivery can cost only a few dollars.
That’s what makes Shenzhen so interesting to us.
You can spend a lot of money here if you want to…
but you really don’t have to.
Where to Stay in Shenzhen
1. Raffles Shenzhen
We stayed at Raffles Shenzhen, and it truly delivers ultra-luxury living with exceptional service. Expect panoramic skyline and bay views, elegant rooms, a world-class spa, and Michelin-style dining.
2. Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen
One of the best hotels we have ever stayed at. Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen truly takes luxury hospitality to the next level. From the elegantly designed rooms with panoramic views of the Shenzhen skyline to the most beautiful indoor swimming pool, every detail is exceptional. A true luxury experience in Shenzhen.
Final Thoughts
Shenzhen is one of those cities where you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a good time.
From futuristic architecture and beautiful bookstores to waterfront parks and high-tech experiences, there are plenty of free and affordable things to do in Shenzhen.
If you’re visiting for the first time, I would definitely save this list because many of these places are easy to reach by Shenzhen’s metro system.
And honestly, one of my favorite things about Shenzhen is that sometimes the best attraction isn’t an attraction at all.
It might just be a metro station, a shopping mall, a bookstore…
or a driverless taxi picking you up with no driver inside.
Check out our Shenzhen Attractions vlog here
Planning a trip to Shenzhen? Download our free 6-day Shenzhen itinerary to help you plan your trip, including where to go, what to do, and how to make the most of your time in this incredible city.
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If you’re planning a longer trip, check out our other China travel blogs featuring Zhangjiajie, Shanghai, and Guangzhou — each offering its own unique blend of nature and culture.
For detailed routes and insider travel tips, download our China Travel eBook, which includes itineraries, hidden attractions, and local experiences curated from our own journeys.
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