Shanghai Tower 118 Floor: Fast-Track Observation Deck Tickets

Instant confirmation

1/16

Duration1h–3h

GroupPrivate

Mobile ticketAccepted

The View From China's Tallest Building, Without the Queue

You arrive at Lujiazui Station, skip the entry queue with your pre-booked ticket, and take the fast elevator to the 118th floor observation deck of Shanghai Tower. You get unobstructed views of the Huangpu River, the city skyline, and the sprawl beyond. The 126th floor light show and 119th floor restaurant are optional and paid separately. Plan for about an hour on the deck, longer if you're photographing.

1h–3h

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Shanghai Tower observation deck

Take subway lines 2 or 14
Arrive at Lujiazui Station
Take exit 8 and follow signs
Enter Shanghai Tower
Use fast elevator to 118th floor
Enjoy panoramic city views

The Experience

The ticket collector at Lujiazui Station glanced at my phone, nodded, and pointed me toward exit 8 without a word—she'd seen the booking confirmation a thousand times. Five minutes later, I was standing in front of Shanghai Tower itself, 632 meters of glass and steel spiraling up into the haze. The building doesn't photograph well from ground level; it's too tall, too close. You have to crane your neck until your neck hurts, and even then you only see the middle part disappearing into cloud.

The fast elevator to the 118th floor observation deck takes about a minute. That's the real difference between a pre-booked ticket and showing up without one—you skip the standard queue and go straight up. The deck wraps around the entire floor, so there's no "best spot" and no fighting for position. On a clear day you can see the Huangpu River bending through the city, the older buildings of Pudong clustered below like toys, and the industrial sprawl stretching out toward the edges where Shanghai stops being Shanghai. The glass is clean enough that you forget it's there, which is both good and unsettling.

If you want to see the light show on the 126th floor, that's a separate ticket you buy on-site—it's not included, and honestly, the 118th floor is enough for most people. The same goes for dinner on the 119th floor; the restaurant is there, the view is there, but you're booking and paying for it yourself, and there's no advance reservation, so you might wait. Bring a power bank if you're planning to spend time up here taking photos. The wind at this height is constant but not dramatic. Bring a light jacket even if it's warm below.

Getting down is as straightforward as getting up. The subway station is right there, and if you're staying in Puxi or heading to Jing'an, you're back in the flow of the city in minutes. The whole visit—entry, elevator, observation deck, photos—takes about an hour if you're unhurried, less if you're not.

What’s included

Your ticket includes fast-track entry to the 118th floor observation deck and access to the high-speed elevator.
The observation deck wraps around the entire floor with unobstructed views of Shanghai's skyline and the Huangpu River.
Subway access is nearby; the building is fully wheelchair accessible.
The 126th floor light show and 119th floor restaurant require separate payment and separate tickets.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by China Pleasure Tour Co,. Ltd.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want the main Shanghai Tower experience—the view from the second-tallest building in the world—without arranging transport or waiting in an entry queue. The pre-booked ticket is what makes the fast elevator possible, turning a potential hour-long queue into a straight shot up.