Shanghai Tower

China's tallest building, with a 118th-floor deck over Lujiazui

By EvanFacts reviewed 4 October 2026

Book it with usUSD 7 per person per sight, plus the ticket at face value.

Why it's worth the trip

The lift doors close in the basement, and less than a minute later they open on the 118th floor, 546 metres up. Walk to the glass and Shanghai lies spread out below you. Skyscrapers that made you crane your neck in the street now sit beneath your feet. The Huangpu loops round the Lujiazui bend and the Bund shrinks to a line of small stone fronts on the far bank. Beyond, the city runs on in every direction as far as you can see.

Take a good look at the tower from outside before you go up. Its glass skin turns about a third of a circle from bottom to top, so the whole building seems to twist as it climbs. The twist also eases the push of strong winds on it. Chinese internet users call the three tall neighbours the kitchen set. The Jin Mao is the syringe, the World Financial Center the bottle opener, and this twisted one the egg whisk. Learn the names in the street, then find all three again from the top.

Lujiazui has four towers you can go up. Shanghai Tower is the highest, and from it the others look small. The World Financial Center's deck, on its 100th floor at 474 metres, has see-through glass strips in the floor to stand on. The Jin Mao's deck, on the 88th floor at about 340 metres, is lower still. The Oriental Pearl, the TV tower by the river, works better as something to photograph from the Bund. If you go up only one, choose by the sky. On a clear day go highest; on a murky one, skip the decks and look at the towers from the river.

Don't miss

The 55-second ride
The ride from the basement to the 118th floor takes about 55 seconds. Stand still and you feel the push as the lift speeds away, and your ears may pop on the way up.
Look down on the neighbours
Find the World Financial Center, with the open slot at its top that earned it the bottle-opener name, and the stepped spire of the Jin Mao, both well below you. Further down, by the river, are the pink spheres of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Stay from sunset into dark
Come up about an hour before sunset and find a place at the west-facing glass. The sun goes down over Puxi, the older half of the city across the river, and then the lights come on along both banks below you.

Fitting it in

Time to give it: About an hour and a half, including security, the ride up and time at the glass. Allow longer if you stay from sunset into dark.
When to go: Pick the clearest day of your stay and check the visibility that morning: in low cloud or haze you may see little but grey. To see the city by day and by night in one visit, arrive about an hour before sunset. Weekdays are calmer than weekends and public holidays.
Pair it with: Go up first, then cross to the Bund after dark, so you see Pudong from above and then from the far bank. Metro Line 2 runs one stop from Lujiazui to East Nanjing Road. Three stops the other way, at Shanghai Science and Technology Museum station, is Shanghai Museum East, so the museum by day and the tower at sunset make one easy day.
Who can skip it: If heights or packed lifts bother you, stay on the ground and look at the towers from the Bund, which costs nothing. On a hazy or rainy day, save your money, because you will see little. And if you have already been up one of Lujiazui's towers, a second brings less of a thrill.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Shanghai Tower observation deck worth it?

Yes, on a clear day. From the 118th floor, 546 metres up, even Pudong's other skyscrapers sit below you, and the river and the city spread out on every side. The lift takes about 55 seconds. On a hazy or rainy day, skip it and look at the towers from the Bund instead.

Shanghai Tower or the World Financial Center: which deck should I choose?

Choose Shanghai Tower for the highest view: its 118th-floor deck is 546 metres up and looks down on the others. Choose the World Financial Center if you want to stand on glass: its 100th-floor deck, at 474 metres, has see-through strips in the floor. They stand side by side, so one deck is enough for most visitors.

When is the best time to go up the Shanghai Tower?

On the clearest day of your stay, arriving about an hour before sunset, so you see the city in daylight and then lit up. Check the visibility that morning, because low cloud or haze can leave you looking at grey. Weekdays are calmer than weekends and public holidays.

How long do you need at the Shanghai Tower?

About an hour and a half, including security, the ride up and time at the glass, and longer if you wait from sunset into dark. The Bund is one Metro stop away on Line 2, so the tower and an evening walk there fit easily into one afternoon and evening.

Do I need to book Shanghai Tower tickets in advance?

Booking ahead is wise, especially for a sunset visit or a public holiday. Tickets are sold in each visitor's own name, so foreign visitors use their passport. The rules change from time to time, and we can check them for your date and book for you.

Sources: Shanghai Tower official site: Top of Shanghai ObservatoryShanghai government: Shanghai TowerCNR: the 118th-floor observatory opens, 55 seconds to 546 metres (2017)China News Service: Lujiazui's ‘kitchen set’ nickname (2013)China News Service: the World Financial Center's 474-metre deck (2008)

Booking at a glance

From our attraction-booking rules.

Shanghai Tower observation deck
Release times, passport use and prices are confirmed for your date when you ask, in writing before you pay.
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