Short answer
If you are going up once, go up the Shanghai Tower. Its observatory sits on floor 118 at roughly 546 m — the highest publicly accessible view in the city — and an adult ticket is around ¥180, which is not much more than the shorter decks charge. The elevators are among the fastest in the world and the view is a full 360-degree sweep over the Bund and the river.
The World Financial Center (the "bottle opener", 492 m) is the interesting alternative: lower, but its 100th-floor deck has a suspended glass-floored corridor at 474 m, and from there you can see the Shanghai Tower in your own photographs — which you cannot do from the Shanghai Tower itself. Its decks were reported closed for renovation from early 2023, while current listings and 2026 visitor reports show them operating again at around ¥120 for the 94th floor alone or ¥180 for the combined 94/97/100 decks. The sources conflict, so verify before you count on it.
Whatever you pick, understand the trade-off: from a deck you cannot photograph the skyline you are standing in. The iconic Shanghai shot — the whole cluster across the river, is taken from the free Bund promenade. The deck gives you the reverse: the city below you.
The four decks at a glance
| Tower | Building height | Deck | Approx. adult ticket | Typical hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Tower (上海中心) | 632 m | 118F ≈ 546 m, plus 119F ≈ 552 m | ~¥180 (higher on peak days) | ~08:30–22:00, last entry an hour before |
| World Financial Center (环球金融中心) | 492 m | 94F 423 m, 97F 439 m, 100F 474 m | ~¥120 (94F only) / ~¥180 (94+97+100) | ~10:00–22:00, last entry ~21:30 |
| Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠) | 468 m | 259 m glass floor, 263 m, 351 m space capsule | ~¥160–220 depending on spheres | ~09:00–21:00, last entry ~20:00 |
| Jin Mao Tower (金茂大厦) | 421 m | 88F ≈ 340 m | ~¥120 | ~09:30–20:30 |
Prices and hours shift with season, holidays and package, and Chinese platforms often sell the same ticket for less than the counter. Treat every figure above as a starting point.
How to choose, in one decision list
- Highest view, one shot only → Shanghai Tower, floor 118.
- You want the Shanghai Tower in your photos → the World Financial Center, 100F, or the free Bund view.
- Travelling with children → the Oriental Pearl: glass-floor walkway, multimedia show and history museum inside, and the building is the icon.
- Tight budget, still want altitude → Jin Mao's 88F deck, or better, Cloud 9 on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt inside Jin Mao: same height for the price of a drink.
- You would rather not pay at all → the Bund promenade, or the Pudong riverside walkway looking back. See the Bund guide.
- Hazy or rainy day → skip all of them. The same ticket buys ten times the view on a clear day.
Shanghai Tower: the highest deck in the city
China's tallest building and the world's second-tallest, at 632 m. The observatory is branded "Top of Shanghai" and occupies floors 118 and 119, at roughly 546 m and 552 m. You reach it in under a minute on an elevator running at up to around 18–20 m/s, which is an experience in itself.
What you get is a fully enclosed, climate-controlled gallery with a 360-degree view: the Bund's historic row and the river bend to the west, the other Lujiazui towers below you to the east. Floor 118 also holds exhibition space on the tower's construction, worth half an hour if engineering interests you.
Tickets and add-ons
- Standard adult ticket, 118F, around ¥180, higher on peak dates, with cheaper concessions for children, students and seniors.
- Combined tickets, add the damper exhibition and light show on the upper technical floors (around 125F/126F), or the 119F café. These roughly double the price.
- Time slots, tickets are sold for a slot, and booking ahead pays off: pre-booked visitors typically queue 5–10 minutes, walk-ups at peak times 30 minutes or more.
- Where to book, the tower's official channel, or an English-language platform if you prefer a foreign card.
World Financial Center: lower, but the more interesting photograph
The 492 m "bottle opener" has three decks: 94F at 423 m (a large, high-ceilinged hall), 97F at 439 m (a bridge-like space with a glass roof that opens in fine weather), and 100F at 474 m, which is the one people come for, a roughly 55 m suspended corridor with three panels of transparent glass floor, so you look straight down at Century Avenue. Not one for anyone uneasy with heights.
The honest advantage over the Shanghai Tower: the taller tower is in front of you, framed in the window, rather than being the thing you are standing inside. For many photographers that is worth the lost 70 metres of altitude.
If the decks are shut, the building is not wasted: the Park Hyatt occupies floors 79–93, and its 87th-floor lobby and lounge sit at roughly the height of the Jin Mao observation deck, a comparable view for the price of a coffee. The shops, restaurants and hotel stay open regardless.
Oriental Pearl Tower: the family option
The 468 m broadcast tower with the pink spheres was Shanghai's icon long before the supertalls, and it is still the tower you can photograph with the Bund in the same frame. Its lower sphere has a glass-floor ring at 259 m, a galleria at 263 m, and a small 351 m "space capsule" sold as an add-on. Combined tickets usually include the Shanghai History Museum at the base and a multimedia show, which is why families prefer it.
Be clear-eyed about the view: it is the weakest of the four, because you are lower and the taller neighbours block part of the western sweep. Go for the building and the glass floor, not the panorama.
Jin Mao Tower and the free alternatives
Jin Mao's 88th-floor hall at about 340 m is the cheapest proper deck of the four, with shorter queues and a spectacular hotel atrium below it. But it is barely half the Shanghai Tower's height, so if you are going up once, it is hard to justify.
The stronger move in the same building is to skip the deck and go to Cloud 9, the bar on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt: about the same elevation, a seat, a drink, no ticket. Two drinks cost roughly what a deck ticket plus a coffee would. Reservations help at weekends.
| Option | Height | Cost | Best at |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bund promenade (west bank) | Ground | Free | Blue hour — the classic skyline shot, the whole cluster in one frame |
| Pudong riverside walkway (east bank) | Ground | Free | The reverse shot: the Bund's 1920s facades, lit, and fewer people |
| Cloud 9, Grand Hyatt, 87F | ~340 m | Price of a drink | Altitude without a queue or a ticket |
| Park Hyatt lobby/lounge, SWFC 87F | ~400 m | Price of a coffee | A fallback if the SWFC decks are closed |
| Shanghai Tower, 118F | ~546 m | ~¥180 | The highest view, and worth paying for |
Timing, weather and getting there
- Pick a clear day firstHaze is the biggest destroyer of the experience. If the sky is thick, save the ticket for another day.
- Enter about an hour before sunsetThat buys all three phases on one ticket: daylight, blue hour, then the lights. Midday gives you flat light, maximum haze and nothing illuminated.
- Book a time slot in advanceEspecially for the Shanghai Tower. Pre-booked entry queues are a fraction of walk-up queues at peak times, and holidays are worse.
- Metro Line 2 or Line 14 to LujiazuiAll four towers are a few minutes' walk apart in the same district, so access is the same whichever you pick.
- Carry your passport, expect screening, dress in layersTickets are tied to an ID document and bags go through a scanner. The glazed decks get hot in sun even in winter.
Frequently asked questions
Shanghai Tower or the World Financial Center, which is better?
Shanghai Tower for the highest view, roughly ¥180 for the 118th floor. The World Financial Center is lower but puts the Shanghai Tower in your photographs. If you go up once, most visitors should pick the Shanghai Tower.
Is the World Financial Center observation deck open?
Reports conflict. It was announced as closed for internal renovation from January 2023, and some guides still say so, but 2026 ticketing listings and visitor reports show the decks operating, roughly 10:00–22:00 with last entry around 21:30. Verify with the official channel on the day.
How much does the Shanghai Tower observation deck cost?
Around ¥180 for a standard adult ticket to the 118th floor, higher on peak dates, with concessions for children, students and seniors. Packages adding the damper exhibition or the 119F café cost considerably more.
Do I need to book in advance?
Tickets are sold for time slots and advance booking is recommended at peak periods. Pre-booked visitors wait a few minutes; walk-ups at busy times can queue for half an hour or more.
What is the best time of day to go up?
Arrive about an hour before sunset: daylight, the blue-hour transition and the full night lighting on one ticket. Midday is the worst choice, harsh light, maximum haze, nothing illuminated.
Can I see the Bund from the observation decks?
Yes, the 118F and the SWFC's upper decks look down on the Bund's historic row and the river bend. What no deck gives you is a photograph of the Lujiazui skyline itself, because you are inside it. That shot comes from the Bund.
Is the Oriental Pearl Tower worth it?
For families and anyone wanting the retro icon experience, yes, glass-floor walkway, multimedia show, history museum, and it is the tower you can photograph alongside the Bund. For the view alone it is the weakest of the four.
Is there a cheaper way to get a high view?
Yes. Cloud 9 on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt in Jin Mao Tower is at roughly the height of that tower's own deck, and you pay for a drink instead of a ticket. The Park Hyatt's 87th-floor lobby in the SWFC works the same way.
Related reading
Building heights and deck elevations follow the operators' published figures; ticket prices, opening hours and queue estimates are drawn from multiple independent 2026 sources and vary by season, package and platform, so treat them as approximate. The World Financial Center deck's operating status is genuinely disputed in the sources, a 2023 closure for renovation is still widely reported while 2026 listings and visitor reports show it open, and is flagged as uncertain above rather than resolved. Confirm current prices, hours and availability on the official channel for each tower before you rely on them.