Current visitor details
Check the date beside each practical detail when planning, and consult the official links for short-notice changes. Information awaiting verification is omitted.
Foreign passport
Checked 2026-08-27Passport is accepted for real-name ticketing and entry. Use an official or authorized channel and bring the original passport used for the booking. Payment and mobile-number requirements can still vary by channel.
Opening and last entry
Checked 2026-08-27Daily 08:30-22:00; last ticket/entry at 21:30. Open year-round including Mondays (no weekly closure day). Hours may be extended or adjusted during holidays.
Visit planning
Allow: 60-90 minutes
Physical load: light
Enter from B1/F of Shanghai Tower (near the shopping mall), go through security and ticketing, take the high-speed elevator to 118F, view the observatory, optionally visit 119F and the 125/126F add-on, and descend.
Getting there
Metro: Lujiazui Station (陆家嘴站) Line 2, Exit 4 or 6. Walk approximately 5-10 minutes through the Lujiazui pedestrian network to Shanghai Tower (look for the tallest twisting building). Shanghai Tower is connected via underground mall to Lujiazui station.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: Elevator access to the observatory. The observatory floor is flat and accessible.
- Restrooms: Available on the observatory level.
Why this place matters
Shanghai Tower was completed in 2015 and opened its observatory in 2017. At 632 meters with 128 floors, it is the tallest building in China and the third-tallest in the world (as of 2026). Designed by Gensler, its twisting cylindrical form reduces wind loads by 24%. The 118th-floor observatory sits at 546 meters. The building's tuned mass damper ('Shanghai Eye' on 125/126F) is a 1,000-ton eddy-current damper that reduces building sway.
What to notice
- The elevator ride — high-speed elevators reach 118F in approximately 55 seconds (ear-popping is normal).
- 360-degree views from 546 meters — on clear days you can see the Bund (west), the rest of Lujiazui, and far out across Pudong.
- The mass damper on 125/126F (with add-on ticket) — a rare chance to see a skyscraper's tuned mass damper up close, displayed as an art installation called 'Tian Shi 632'.
- Visibility is highly variable — check air quality/visibility before going. On hazy days, the view may be only a few hundred meters.
- The Bund skyline view is best from the west side of the observatory; sunset (late afternoon) and evening (after lights turn on) are the most popular times.
- The observatory is indoors and climate-controlled; there is no outdoor observation deck.