Pudong skyline: tickets, hours and how to visit
Shanghai Tower observatory or a river ferry for a tenth of the price.
Pudong skyline at a glance
Shanghai Tower observatory or a river ferry for a tenth of the price. Plan on 90 minutes for the tower here, plus half an hour either side for entry, security and parking.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tickets | Shanghai Tower observatory CNY 180 (118th floor). Oriental Pearl CNY 220. River ferry CNY 2. Free viewing from the Bund side. |
| Opening hours | Shanghai Tower 09:00–22:00, last lift 21:00. Ferries 05:00–23:00. |
| Time needed | 90 minutes for the tower; 30 minutes for the ferry and riverside walk. |
| City | Shanghai, China |
What to see
Three things carry this sight. If you are short on time, do them in this order.
- Shanghai Tower 118th floor546 m, the fastest lift in China at 20.5 m/s
- The free alternativeLujiazui riverside promenade, same view, no ticket
- Dongchang Road ferry5 minutes across, the cheapest skyline shot in the city
Tickets and booking
How the ticket works, and what foreigners usually get wrong.
Before you buy
- Price. Shanghai Tower observatory CNY 180 (118th floor). Oriental Pearl CNY 220. River ferry CNY 2. Free viewing from the Bund side.
- Booking. The tower observatory costs CNY 180 and on any day with low cloud you see grey. Check the visibility on the 118th floor live camera at the ticket desk before you buy — they will not tell you it is fogged in, and refunds are not offered.
- Payment. Most Chinese sights take WeChat Pay or Alipay only. Cash works at staffed windows but not at self-service machines; a licensed guide can pay on your behalf and settle with you at the end of the day.
Getting there and when to go
Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui for the tower and promenade. For the ferry, Line 2 to East Nanjing Road then walk to the Bund ferry terminal.
Shanghai Tower 09:00–22:00, last lift 21:00. Ferries 05:00–23:00.. The first hour after opening is the quietest — tour groups arrive around 09:30. Late afternoon gives better light but the main viewpoints start clearing people out, so shoot early if that is your priority.
Public transport reaches Pudong skyline, but connections and waiting times add up. With luggage, older travellers, or two sights in one day, a car and driver removes the guesswork.
The one thing that goes wrong
Shanghai local note
- The tower observatory costs CNY 180 and on any day with low cloud you see grey. Check the visibility on the 118th floor live camera at the ticket desk before you buy — they will not tell you it is fogged in, and refunds are not offered.
Pairing Pudong skyline with
These are usually on the same day or the same trip.
Pudong skyline: questions travellers ask
Tower or ferry?
Which tower if I only do one?
How booking works — three steps, itinerary before price
No deposit to get a plan, and nothing is locked in before you agree.
Send the brief
Dates, party size, how you arrive and what you want to see around Pudong skyline.
Get a route and a price
We order the stops by location and traffic, then quote per car per day with fuel, tolls and the driver included.
Confirm and travel
Only after you accept the route and the price do we assign the car and guide.
