# Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, Shanghai

> The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a 647 m ride under the Huangpu in small driverless cabins, through flashing lights and music, from the Bund to the foot of the Oriental Pearl Tower. It takes 3–5 minutes, costs about ¥50 one way or ¥70 return, and runs daily, roughly 9:00–22:30. Fun and kitsch — not essential.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel

- City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China
- YesGo score: 40/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 20 min
- Entry: ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
- With kids: Fine with kids
- One way: ≈ ¥50
- Return: ≈ ¥70
- Concession: ≈ ¥25 one way, ¥35 return
- Children: Under 1 m or under 3 free, one per adult; 1–1.4 m or ages 3–7 half price
- Seniors: 70+ half price with ID
- Hours: Daily ≈ 9:00–22:30; some guides say 21:30 in winter
- Ride: 3–5 minutes each way
- Bund entrance: 300 Zhongshan East 1st Road, by Chen Yi Square where Nanjing Road meets the Bund
- Pudong exit: 2789 Binjiang Avenue, beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower
- Payment: Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash at the booth; online via booking platforms
- Time needed: ≈ 20 minutes including the ticket booth and wait
- Coordinates: 31.24104, 121.48914
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **647 m** — under the Huangpu (646.7 m) (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; Travel China Guide; dahepiao.com)
- **3–5 min** — from bank to bank (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide; travelofchina.com)
- **Bund → Pudong** — stations by Chen Yi Square and beneath the Oriental Pearl Tower (source: English Wikipedia; Travel China Guide)
- **2000–2001** — trial runs from October 2000, opened on 2 January 2001 (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia (Travel China Guide says October 2001))
- **Driverless** — cable-hauled cabins on the French SK people-mover system (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; The Beauty of Transport)
- **Turntable** — at each terminus swings the cabin round for the return trip (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia; The Beauty of Transport)
- **Light and sound** — flashing lights, wall projections and music along the tunnel (source: English Wikipedia; chinatripedia.com; travelofchina.com)
- **2 stations** — Puxi on the west bank, Pudong on the east (source: English and Chinese Wikipedia)
- **上海外滩观光隧道** — the Chinese name — show this to a taxi driver (source: Chinese Wikipedia; Wikidata Q10867792)

## Bund 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.

> **You won't see the river** It's an underground ride — walls, lights and music, no water and no skyline. For the view, take the ¥2 ferry or a [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise). Just need to cross? Metro Line 2 is quicker and a fraction of the price.

## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) and step out 647 m later on the Pudong side, right at the foot of the [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui).

## How to get to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

1. Take the metro to **East Nanjing Road** (Lines 2 and 10).
2. Walk about 10 minutes east along pedestrianised [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) to the Bund.
3. 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.
4. Buy your ticket at the booth and go down to the platform.
5. You come up on Binjiang Avenue, right under the TV tower. The nearest metro on that side is **Lujiazui** (Line 2).
6. 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

|  | Tunnel | Metro Line 2 | Ferry | Cruise |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Price | ≈ ¥50 one way | From ¥3 | ¥2 | ≈ ¥120–150 |
| Journey | 3–5 min | One stop | A few minutes | ≈ 45–60 min |
| River view | No — light show | No | Yes | Yes, both banks |
| From | Bund, by Chen Yi Square | East Nanjing Road → Lujiazui | Jinling East Road or East Fuxing Road piers | Shiliupu Pier |
| When | ≈ 9:00–22:30 | All day | Jinling until 18:30, Fuxing until 21:00 | 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

- [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay set up with a foreign card — or some cash yuan
- [ ] One-way ticket; back by metro or ferry
- [ ] I'll get there before the evening close
- [ ] I know there's no river view inside
- [ ] Kids measured: under 1 m rides free, under 1.4 m half price
- [ ] Next stop: the Oriental Pearl Tower or a Lujiazui walk

## Shanghai by the water, compared

Every riverside and on-the-water spot in Shanghai rated by YesGo.

- [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
- [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
- [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
- [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2
- [Suzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/suzhou) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Train ≈ ¥30–45, garden ¥70–80
- [Zhujiajiao](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/zhujiajiao) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; three sights ¥60
- [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening

## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower). Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free
2. [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return
3. [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/oriental-pearl-tower) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres
4. [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free
5. [Shanghai Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ¥180; students and 60+ ¥120

## Good to know

Several road tunnels (such as the Yan'an East Road tunnel) and metro lines also run under the Huangpu — they're ordinary transport, not this attraction. The Sightseeing Tunnel carries only passengers in its cabins, no cars. You may also see it called the Bund Tourist Tunnel.

## Tips

- 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.

## How we checked

We found no official operator website, so all fares, concessions and hours are marked “verifying”: ¥50/¥70 matches Travel China Guide, the dahepiao.com ticketing site and EastChinaTrip; concessions come from the last two. Hours differ — 9:00–22:30 (ticketing site, most guides) versus a seasonal 9:30–21:30/22:30 (Travel China Guide) — so we show the main one and flag winter. Opening date: Wikipedia gives trial runs from October 2000 and opening on 2 January 2001, Travel China Guide October 2001; we write “2000–2001”. Sources disagree on cabin speed, so we leave it out. Guides updated this year and a current fare calendar show it running; we found no closure notices. Ferry fare and hours are from the Shanghai government.

## Sources

- 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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