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.
Book hotels, flights & trains across China — all in one place
If you would rather be somewhere else, compare all before you commit.
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.
Keep reading
How many days in Lijiang? Two nights minimum, three is better
Two nights covers the old town and the snow mountain; a third buys you Shuhe, Baisha and a spare morning for when the summit clouds over. What each night actually gets you.
Where to stay in Lijiang: Dayan, Shuhe or Baisha
Shuhe for quiet nights, Dayan for the 7am lanes, Baisha only with transport. How the three UNESCO towns differ, what the 50 yuan fee covers, and why cars can't reach your door.
Lijiang Airport to the Old Town: the ¥20 Bus and Its 3 Stops
A ¥20 airport express bus leaves Lijiang Sanyi for the Old Town's south and north gates and the new town, takes 40–50 minutes, and runs until the last flight lands. Taxis cost around ¥80–120 for the 28 km.