Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China and the 2nd tallest building in the whole world, only after Burj Khalifa, which contains a long spire. Like the Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower which are the two other skyscrapers that situated adjacent to it, there's an observation deck at the uppermost floors of Shanghai Tower, named Top of Shanghai, the observation deck launched a trial opening in June 2016, only opened to some groups of visitors. On April 27th 2017, it officially opened to the public.
Shanghai Tower (the tallest one on the right)
Currently, visitors can get access to the 118th floor and 119th floor, which are 546m and 552m high respectively (note: the 119th floor is not stated on admission tickets, but is accessible from 118th floor via a stairway), the 119th floor of the tower is currently the second highest observation deck in the world, only 3 meters less than the secondary observation deck of Burj Khalifa, which is 555m high. In the future, the 121st floor will also open, by then it will become the highest observation deck in the world. Although the highest viewing platform hasn't been opened, it's alright as there comes the advantage that the ticket price is lower, the normal entry price is only 180 Chinese Yuan or approximately 25 US Dollars, this price is same as the observatory on Shanghai World Financial Center, and lower than that of many other skyscrapers around the world like the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and far less than At The Top Sky on Burj Khalifa, of which a ticket could cost as much as 150 Dollars. The price will surely increase significantly once it becomes the world's highest observation deck after the 121st floor is opened.
Chinese can book the tickets on some local websites that only ailable in Chinese, for foreigners, the admission tickets can be booked by clicking here, after you booked, an e-ticket will be sent to you via email, which can be used to pick the paper tickets at a self-service kiosk near the entrance to the tower. You can also purchase the tickets in the ticket hall, but it is highly recommended to book online in advance, as a discount will be offered and you will se quite a long time for waiting in the line to just buy a ticket.
For foreigners, it's better to bring your passport to the tower, as sometimes it will be used either when purchasing the ticket or picking the ticket in case the ticket has been booked online.(Update: Now they will not check your passport, but will take a picture of you after security check.)
Don't go too late, the opening hours of Shanghai Tower is 8:30 am to 10:00 pm and last entry is at 9:30 pm, half an hour before closing time. This is much earlier compared to the observation decks in the United States, which usually close after midnight. And you'd better to visit there during the time of dusk since both the day views and night views can be seen in a single visit.
Shanghai tower has two addresses referring to the same location, one is 479 Lujiazui Ring Road, the other is 501 Yincheng Middle Road. The tower's significant height makes it standing out among all the buildings in Pudong district, anyone can easily pick it out without even knowing its address.
Shanghai Tower (the tallest one in the picture) seen from the Bund
There are many ways to get there, the most used option is by subway, take Line 2 and get off at Lujiazui station, get out the station at exit 6, then the tower will be arrived. If you are near the Bund, then take a ferry is a good option, simply buy a ticket that costs only 2 Chinese Yuan you can cross the river and enjoy the river view in the same time, after getting off the ferry just he a 10 minutes walk you will reach the tower.
If you hen't booked the ticket then head to the ticket hall, which is at the northwest corner of the base of the building, near the intersection of Yincheng Road and Huayuanshiqiao Road. You must pay in cash or by Tenpay or Alipay, which are two Chinese payment systems similar to PayPal. Credit card can't be used. If you he bought the admission ticket online, you can directly go to the entrance of the observatory to pick up the ticket on a dedicated device, which can be found at the level B1 after you get in from the main entrance by the street.
The entry ticket of Shanghai Tower Observation Deck
After entering into the inner entrance, the first place prepared for visitors is known as the preface hall of the observatory, there are some pictures and videos showing the development of Shanghai Tower, and some diagrams and models that introduce some other tallest buildings around the world.
