Shanghai in Three Days: The Classic Night-View Walking Route
Day one is the classic night-view line, a long photography-heavy walk from Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street to the Bund's foreign architecture, best started in the afternoon and finished before 10pm, when the Bund lights go out.
Stay near the Bund or Nanjing East Road and the whole route is downstairs.
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Stop 1: Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street
Called China's No.1 commercial street. Walk the length of it first — it is the start of the route, not a destination you need to plan around. Metro gets you to the next stop in about 13 minutes.
Stop 2: Oriental Pearl Tower
The observation deck inside the sphere looks out over the whole city. Go up at dusk so you get both the daylight spread and the lights coming on.
Stop 3: Lujiazui
The financial district everyone photographs — the "three-piece set" of towers is the shot. Stand at the base and look straight up; that is the picture.
Stop 4: Guomao Center
An 11-minute walk from Lujiazui. It is a high-end shopping complex, but the reason to go is the free observation deck on the upper floors.
Stop 5: Dongchang Road ferry to the Bund
Walk down to Dongchang Road dock and pay ¥2 for the crossing instead of ¥100-plus for a commercial river cruise. The scenery on the water is the same, and you get to sit down for the ride. From the dock, the Bund is a 5-minute walk.
Stop 6: Bund Wharf and the Bund
The waterfront promenade and its "exhibition of world architecture" — the name refers to the row of buildings along it. Do not leave this too late: the Bund's lights are normally switched off around 22:00-22:30, with slight seasonal variation. Turn up at 11pm and it is just a dark river.
Two things to skip or adjust. The Bund sightseeing tunnel is cramped, damp and poor value. And if the promenade is too crowded to photograph, head to the North Bund or Gongping Road ferry dock instead — the same framing of Oriental Pearl Tower against the old buildings with far fewer people.
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