At 474 metres high, the observation deck on the Shanghai World Financial Center is one of the tallest in the city. It’s also difficult to overlook, located between Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower, the tower itself have a rectangular hole cut into its roof (that’s where the observation deck is). Its main attraction is the 100th-floor Sky Walk, a glass-floored walkway that pass through the tower’s distinctive hole.
To get here: the three supertall towers is clustered in the financial district of Lujiazui in Pudong. The experience begin well before your visit to the observation deck, as the ground-floor exhibits and plaza set the tone for what’s to come above.
How to Visit the Sky Walk
Shanghai World Financial Center
At night, the tower’s base plaza have a fountain that changes colour. The pool below it reflect the towers above when it’s dropped. It’s a favourite spot for photos before going indoors at night.
This is when Lujiazui shines. As soon as it’s dark out, the entire complex light up and the World Financial Center stand next to the twisting Shanghai Tower. Couples and tour groups arrives in droves here to take pictures on the plaza.
Once inside, you’ll see the walkway that lead to the lifts and ticket area. From here, head upstairs and follow the signs which will point you in the direction of the observation deck levels. There’s more than one floor to explore up top!
Tickets cost about 180 yuan per adult (prices fluctuate based off when you book your tickets and what time of day it is).
The lower floors features a giant lit-up model of Shanghai that take up one whole room. Before you go up, you can look down at it to get a feel for how the city lay out, follow the curve of the river, and spot the Lujiazui towers. And it really helps you get your bearings.
Right next door, a panorama show play videos of various scenes of the city (historic sights, sunsets over the skyline). Overall, the downstairs section has the feeling of being a warm-up act for what comes upstairs.
The express elevator whisks you up to the observation decks in just seconds. Your ears will pop. Though the lift car itself is unexpectedly big and sleek, it do fill up fast during busy periods.
Then step out on the 94th floor and take in the view: Floor-to-ceiling windows open up with the city spread out beneath you. The observation deck encircles the building, so you can turn around and see in all directions. By night, the light stretch off into the distance.
Almost straight underneath is the Oriental Pearl Tower whose spheres lights up across the river from the Bund. Following the curve of the Huangpu River, you can see specific buildings along the riverside. Get a good look at the detail of Jin Mao Tower which is so near it looks like you could touch it.
It’s best viewed on dry days. Shanghai’s humidity can be hazy, particulary in summer.
But it’s all about the 100th floor. You get off the lift and step into the Sky Walk itself, the glass-floored corridor that extends across the rectangular gap in the middle of the building, 474 metres over the street below. Some people simply walk right across.
Others sit down and gaze out through the glass; others edge their way along the edges. Visitors has hung small charms on the railings.
You can see all the way down through the glass floor, the cars appears as slow moving dots, while the street lights shine brightly from far below. Now you’re above the Pearl Tower and the Bund snakes along the other side of the river. It’s a narrow corridor and if there are any tour groups passing through, it can get pretty crowded.
Weekday evenings tend to be quieter.
From here, you can see the street grid of Pudong and the river bend to either side framed by the windows. Bridges cut across the water in a neat line, and the roads below is marked out in orange lights. As you walk along the corridor, you see the same scene from different angles.
From up here, you can see some of the most striking things about Jin Mao, its pagoda-inspired crown. From up high, you’re almost looking straight down on it; the setbacks is clear to make out. And the whole tower gleam in the darkness.
At the far end of the corridor, a cheery message lights up in an illuminated window to mark the 474-metre height. This is one of the designated photo spots, and there’s often a small queue for it. If you go at a leisurely pace, the entire visit will take about an hour.
It’ll take even longer if it’s crowded! Fortunately, the observation deck closes at ten most nights, allowing you plenty of time to explore the city after dark (without feeling rushed). Weekend/holidays are busiest days, so buying tickets in advance online will help you avoid standing in line at the door.
Have you ever visited one of the tall tower in Shanghai? Would this be your first? Tell us in the comments what observation deck you’d pick.
