Shanghai Tower

The lift ride sets the tone: about 55 seconds from the basement ticket hall to floor 118, in cabins that were the fastest on Earth when they debuted, climbing at up to 20.5 metres per second. Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China and, as of 2026, the third tallest in the world at 632 metres, behind only the Burj Khalifa and Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka 118. Its glass skin twists about 120 degrees on the way up, a shape chosen to shed typhoon wind loads rather than for looks. Together with the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center beside it, it completes the supertall trio facing the Bund across the Huangpu River.

What each ticket tier covers

The standard ticket is the Top of Shanghai observatory on floor 118: a 360-degree indoor deck at 546 metres, plus the exhibition hall down at B1 that walks through the engineering before you board the lift. A pricier tier adds floors 125 and 126, where the 1,000-tonne tuned mass damper that steadies the tower in high wind sits behind glass. The gold sculpture wrapped around it is nicknamed the Shanghai Eye and gets its own light show; along with Taipei 101, this is one of the few supertalls where the damper is part of the visit. Fast-track and combo packages exist too. Prices shift and tiers get renamed, so check current rates when you book rather than trusting an older guide.

Where the entrance is

Not at street level. Ticket counters and security are on B1, the basement of the tower, reached through the Lujiazui underground walkways. Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui station and follow the Shanghai Tower signs through the pedestrian network; the Oriental Pearl Tower and Jin Mao sit on the same loop, so the Lujiazui giants stack into a single outing.

Hours and booking

The deck normally opens at 8:30 in the morning and runs into the evening, with last admission roughly an hour before closing; exact times move with season and holidays, so confirm on the day. Entry is sold in timed slots, and the sunset window is the first to sell out on holidays. You can hold a slot in English through Klook, or chance the B1 counter on a quiet weekday.

Which Lujiazui deck to pick

Older guides still send people to the "bottle opener" next door, but the Shanghai World Financial Center's observatory has been closed since early 2023 and had not reopened as of mid-2026. That leaves three working choices: Shanghai Tower for the highest view, Jin Mao's 88th-floor Skywalk for a cheaper, quieter deck inside a 1990s classic, and the Oriental Pearl for glass floors and retro charm. If you only go up once and the sky is clear, this tower wins.

Reading the weather

Height punishes haze: on a murky day the ground fades out from 546 metres and the ticket is wasted. Check visibility, not just rain, before committing. Late afternoon catches daylight, sunset and the lit-up Bund in one slot, which is why it is the busiest. If the day turns hazy, go after dark instead; the city lights punch through in a way the daytime view cannot.