Huangpu River cruise
Shanghai, China
Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai
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Photo: Anagoria, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Hours
- Daily ≈ 9:00–22:30; some guides say 21:30 in winter
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 20 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- One way
- ≈ ¥50
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Return
- ≈ ¥70
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Concession
- ≈ ¥25 one way, ¥35 return
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Children
- Under 1 m or under 3 free, one per adult; 1–1.4 m or ages 3–7 half price
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Seniors
- 70+ half price with ID
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Ride
- 3–5 minutes each way
- Bund entrance
- 300 Zhongshan East 1st Road, by Chen Yi Square where Nanjing Road meets the Bund
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Pudong exit
- 2789 Binjiang Avenue, beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Payment
- Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash at the booth; online via booking platforms
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time needed
- ≈ 20 minutes including the ticket booth and wait
Key facts
647 munder the Huangpu (646.7 m)
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English and Chinese WikipediaTravel China Guidedahepiao.com3–5 minfrom bank to bank
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English WikipediaTravel China Guidetravelofchina.comBund → Pudongstations by Chen Yi Square and beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower
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English WikipediaTravel China Guide2000–2001trial runs from October 2000, opened on 2 January 2001
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English and Chinese Wikipedia (Travel China Guide says October 2001)Driverlesscable-hauled cabins on the French SK people-mover system
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English and Chinese WikipediaThe Beauty of TransportTurntableat each terminus swings the cabin round for the return trip
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English and Chinese WikipediaThe Beauty of TransportLight and soundflashing lights, wall projections and music along the tunnel
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English Wikipediachinatripedia.comtravelofchina.com2 stationsPuxi on the west bank, Pudong on the east
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English and Chinese Wikipedia上海外滩观光隧道the Chinese name — show this to a taxi driver
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Chinese WikipediaWikidata Q10867792Bund Sightseeing Tunnel tickets and prices
A one-way ticket is about ¥50 and a return about ¥70. Travel China Guide, a Chinese ticketing site and EastChinaTrip all agree on these fares, but we couldn't find the operator's own price list, so treat them as unofficial. Concession tickets for children and seniors run at roughly half: ¥25 one way, ¥35 return.
Children under 1 m or under 3 ride free (one per paying adult); 1–1.4 m or ages 3–7 pay half. Over-70s pay half with ID.
Paying: there are ticket booths at both ends, and Trip.com, Klook and similar platforms sell tickets online. At the booth, expect Alipay, WeChat Pay (both accept linked foreign Visa or Mastercard) or cash yuan — unofficial, so carry a little cash as backup. Booking online with your own card is the least hassle.
One way or return? One way, almost always. Ride the tunnel for the show, then come back by ferry or metro and actually see the river.
Opening hours and how long it takes
The tunnel runs daily, roughly 9:00–22:30 according to a Chinese ticketing site and most travel guides. Travel China Guide lists a 9:30 start and a 21:30 close in winter, and times shift on public holidays and during big city events. If you're going late, aim to arrive before 21:30.
The ride itself takes 3–5 minutes. Allow about 20 minutes with the ticket booth, the walk down to the platform and waiting for a cabin. Expect queues on weekend evenings and during the early-May and early-October holiday weeks, when the Bund is packed.
What is the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel?
It's a short people-mover under the Huangpu River. You board a small glass cabin on the Bund and step out 647 m later on the Pudong side, right at the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower.
The cabins have no driver: they grip a moving cable, and a turntable at each end swings them round for the trip back. The French-built system started trial runs in autumn 2000 and opened to the public in early 2001.
Inside is the famous light show — strobing tubes, pulsing dots, projections on the walls and a soundtrack with spoken effects. It's dated and very kitsch — and that's the whole point.
What the ride is like
- Down an underground entrance by the Bund promenade, through the ticket booth and gate.
- Into a small see-through cabin that seats a handful of people — no driver.
- Through the light show: coloured light tubes, flashing dots, wall projections and music.
- Out at the Pudong station after 3–5 minutes, surfacing beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower.
- From there, walk to the Pudong riverside or into the towers of Lujiazui.
How to get to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Huangpu River cruise is about 1 min away on foot.
- Oriental Pearl Tower is about 15 min away on foot.
More tips
- Take the metro to East Nanjing Road (Lines 2 and 10).
- Walk about 10 minutes east along pedestrianised Nanjing Road to the Bund.
- Where the street meets the riverfront is Chen Yi Square, with its statue. The tunnel entrance is nearby, in an underground pavilion off Zhongshan East 1st Road — look for the 外滩观光隧道 / Bund Sightseeing Tunnel sign.
- Buy your ticket at the booth and go down to the platform.
- You come up on Binjiang Avenue, right under the TV tower. The nearest metro on that side is Lujiazui (Line 2).
- By taxi or DiDi, show the driver 外滩观光隧道.
Is the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel worth it?
Yes, if you have kids, love a bit of camp, or are heading from the Bund to the Oriental Pearl Tower anyway and don't mind paying for five minutes of fun. It drops you right at the tower's door.
No, if you're watching your budget or want to see the river. The metro crosses for a few yuan and the ferry for ¥2 — with both the Bund and the Pudong skyline in view. And don't expect a high-tech show: it's simple and looks its age.
Our take: ride it once, one way, Bund to Pudong in daylight. Come back at sunset by ferry, or stroll the Pudong riverside first and watch the Bund light up.
Tunnel vs metro vs ferry vs cruise
| Tunnelyou are here | ≈ ¥50 one way | 3–5 min | No — light show | Bund, by Chen Yi Square | ≈ 9:00–22:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro Line 2 | From ¥3 | One stop | No | East Nanjing Road → Lujiazui | All day |
| Ferry | ¥2 | A few minutes | Yes | Jinling East Road or East Fuxing Road piers | Jinling until 18:30, Fuxing until 21:00 |
| Cruise | ≈ ¥120–150 | ≈ 45–60 min | Yes, both banks | Shiliupu Pier | Day and evening |
Tunnel, metro and cruise fares are unofficial; ferry fare and hours are from the Shanghai government. For the view take the ferry, for speed the metro, for the novelty the tunnel.
Before you go: checklist
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Shanghai by the water, compared
Every riverside and on-the-water spot in Shanghai rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.
| The Bund | 59 | 1 h | Free | 8 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lujiazui | 48 | 45 min | Free | 14 min walk |
| Bund Sightseeing Tunnelyou are here | 40 | 20 min | ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return | — |
| Huangpu River cruise | 39 | 1 h | ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2 | 3 min walk |
| Suzhou | 36 | 4 h | Train ≈ ¥30–45, garden ¥70–80 | 82.4 km |
| Zhujiajiao | 24 | 3 h | Free | 44.0 km |
| Xitang | 16 | 4 h | ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening | 66.3 km |
Bund to Pudong in half a day
The Bund waterfront, the tunnel under the river, the TV tower at its exit, a Lujiazui walk and sunset from Shanghai Tower. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- The Bund1 h · Free
- 8 min walk from the previous stopBund Sightseeing Tunnelyou are here20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
- 9 min walk from the previous stopOriental Pearl Tower1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres
- 7 min walk from the previous stopLujiazui45 min · Free
- 9 min walk from the previous stopShanghai Tower1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120
5 places · about 5 h 38 min with walks · 33 min on foot in total
Nearby and on your route
How to do it right
- Go one way, Bund to Pudong, and return by the ¥2 ferry — you'll get the river view the tunnel doesn't have.
- The exit is right by the Oriental Pearl Tower entrance, so pair the two.
- Check that Alipay or WeChat Pay works with your card before you go, and carry some cash as backup.
- Daytime is usually calmer at the booth than the evening, when crowds come to the Bund for the lights.
- Late in the evening, don't count on the booth after 21:30 — winter hours can be shorter.
- With small kids it's a good five-minute break from the crowds on the promenade.
Questions
How much is the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel?
About ¥50 one way and ¥70 return; children and seniors pay roughly half. These are unofficial fares — we found no price list from the operator.
What are the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel opening hours?
Daily, roughly 9:00–22:30. Some guides give a 21:30 close in winter, and hours change on holidays.
Where is the entrance to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel?
On the Bund by Chen Yi Square, where Nanjing Road meets the river (Zhongshan East 1st Road). On the Pudong side it's on Binjiang Avenue beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower.
How long is the ride?
3–5 minutes each way, about 20 minutes with the ticket booth and wait.
Is the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel worth it?
Once, for the novelty — especially with kids or if you're heading to the Oriental Pearl Tower anyway. For crossing the river or seeing the view, the metro and ferry are cheaper and better.
Should I buy a one-way or return ticket?
One way. Ride the tunnel for the show, then come back by ferry or metro.
Can you see the river from the tunnel?
No. It's underground — lights and music only. Take the ferry or a cruise for the view.
Is there a cheaper way to cross the Huangpu?
Yes: metro Line 2 from East Nanjing Road to Lujiazui is one stop, and the public ferry is ¥2 (Jinling East Road pier until 18:30, East Fuxing Road until 21:00).
Is it good for kids?
Yes. Children under 1 m or under 3 ride free (one per adult); under 1.4 m or ages 3–7 pay half.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia: Bund Sightseeing Tunnel — length, opening, system, stations and addresses
- Chinese Wikipedia: 上海外滩观光隧道; Wikidata Q10867792
- Travel China Guide: Bund Sightseeing Tunnel — fares, hours, transport (updated February 2026)
- dahepiao.com ticketing site — fares, concessions and hours (June 2025)
- EastChinaTrip — fare, child and senior concessions
- Chinatripedia, Travel of China, The Beauty of Transport — the light show and entrances
- Shanghai Municipal Government (english.shanghai.gov.cn) — Huangpu ferries: fare and hours
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