I wasn’t sure what to expect from Shanghai. There was a time when it was up there on my to-do list yet all our travels to China brought us elsewhere including our recent adventures in Yunnan and Shangri-La.
In many ways Shanghai feels to have lost it’s futuristic hype through the years with other Chinese megacities, like Chongqing, Guangzhou and Chengdu, piquing the intrique of foreign tourists these days.
This may be due partly to Shanghai’s cosmopolitan facade, a global financial hub with a modern, international vibe. Whereas travellers often look for more off-the-beaten-path destinations, more Chinese-y, often chasing those cyberpunk vibes etc.
While Shanghai is no doubt a futuristic city, it has been for a while, and in parts it can feel a bit retro, kitch, and dated. The decor of the airport Maglev, the wooden interiors at our first stay in the Raddison Blu New World, even the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower was built way back in 1991.
But there is of course lots of modernity in the city, self-driving electric taxis, robot delivery bots at hotels, apps for almost everything. And of course there are plenty of sightseeing attractions to explore (Yu Gardens area (above) and Nanjing Road a couple of our highlights).
Otherwise our own intrigue (along with many tourists), like moths to light, is the illuminations on the Huangpu riverside of Shanghai and the iconic views of the Pudong Skyline from the promenades of the Bund.
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Where to Stay on the Huangpu River in Shanghai?
Short answer is North Bund. So there are two sides to the Huangpu River; the Pudong side known for its iconic highrise buildings, and the Bund side with awesome views over the iconic Pudong Skyline (aka Lujiazui Skyline).
So the Bund offers the best views and the newly developed North Bund not only has amazing views but it is much more relaxed and serene when compared to the busy stretch of the central Bund.
There are also a number of fancy modern hotels overlooking the start of the North Bund promenade including the Hyatt on the Bund which is where we stayed. Full hotel list here.
Perfect Day Tour of the Huangpu River and the Bund
The Bund and main attractions of the Huangpu River can be covered in a day or so. We actually stayed 2-night at the Hyatt on the Bund but we also travelled out to explore other tourist attractions in Shanghai.
Otherwise all the attractions below could all be covered as a day tour of the Bund and the Huangpu River following as a loop almost starting from wherever you prefer.
It is also fairly cheap with our only real expenses being in the Sightseeing Tunnel, the Bund River Cruise (bookings here), and cocktails at the Vue rooftop bar at the Hyatt on the Bund (where we stayed).
North Bund Green Land Park
One of the perks of staying in the North Bund hotels is the location next to the North Bund Park and Green Land (aka North Bund Gardens). This entire area is also fairly new as part of the North Bund redevelopment project, which aims to transform the waterfront into a vibrant, eco-friendly commercial and cultural hub.
The area itself feels more local than touristic with walking and cycling paths, open areas for leisure, exercise, and social activities. At the same time, with its modern landscaping, water features, and scenic viewpoints of the Pudong Skyline. It is also a great place for photography and selfies etc. including the Rainbow Bridge and Modu Matrix as popular photography spots.
The North Bund promenade unfortunately does not connect and it’s a good 15-minute walk from the main attractions of the North Bund Green Land Park but it’s no doubt s scenic walk.
Alternatively it is possible to take a metro from the neighbouring International Cruise Terminal station to East Nanjing Road Station although this does include a transfer and another 5-minute walk from Nanjing Road so the scenic walk is likely quicker.
The Bund Riverside Promenade
The Bund, aka “Wall Street of the East”, is found on the west bank of the Huangpu River and is famous for its unique blend of architecture including Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, and Art Deco.
It is also a great spot for panoramic views of the Pudong skyline with a scenic promenade stretching 1.5 kilometer along the Huangpu riverside. An area lined with historical buildings, luxury hotels, restaurants, and museums.
While it does not connect directly with North Bund it’s just a quick 7-minute or so walk crossing the Waibaidu Bridge to reach the beginning of the main Bund stretch.
The Bund is also central to many tourist attractions as the start for the Sightseeing Tunnel to Pudong and Huangpu River Cruises, and it also connects with the lively Nanjing Shopping Street. The East Nanjing Road Station is also the nearest metro station to the Bund.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
“A sightseeing tunnel?”, “Beneath the Huangpu River?”…. “Is it like a glass tunnel? Will we see fish or something?” Nope, the tunnel is instead illuminated by a dynamic light and sound show featuring colorful visual effects and synchronized audio. So not much sightseeing going on.
The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a bit misleading but it’s also a unique and entertaining way to travel between the Bund and the Lujiazui district in Pudong beneath the Huangpu River. It operates daily, takes roughly 3-5 minutes, and tickets are around CNY 50 (one-way) or CNY 70 (round trip). We used online booking here.
The station for the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is found roughly halfway along the promenade on the Bund side (map here) and just a short walk from the Oriental Pearl TV tower on the opposite Pudong side. We travelled one way then used DiDi ride hailing to bring us back to the Bund.
The Lujiazui District (Pudong)
On the opposite side of the Huangpu River, at ground level beneath that iconic Pudong skyline, is Lujiazui District. A good start here would be the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the one with all the big balls, found just next to the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel station.
The Pearl Tower would be an attraction in itself with observation decks, a glass-bottomed skywalk, a revolving restaurant, and the Shanghai History Museum at its base. The park at its base is also popular during Spring with lines of Sakura and cherry blossom trees.
Surrounding the town is then Pudong’s Lujiazui area, the financial heart of Shanghai, including other recognizable skyline buildings such as the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Shanghai Tower (currently China’s tallest building at 632 meters).
The Huangpu River Cruise
Departing from the Bund area, the Huangpu cruises range from 30 minutes to 3 hours catering to various interests and budgets. The shorter cruises focusing on the more iconic views of the Bund and the Lujiazui skyline while longer cruises may extend south toward the Nanpu Bridge or north to the Yangpu Bridge
There are daytime cruises, evening cruises, standard sightseeing boats, luxury dinner cruises, themed vessels, multiple lingual cruises for international visitors… plenty to choose from. It is possible to just turn up to buy tickets along the Bund or prebook as we did (booking here).
We actually booked our Huangpu River Cruise the night before only to find the better boats fully booked for our preferred sunset departure time. But our cruise was perfect in the end with no bells and whistles, just a big, empty deck to walk around and capture the sunset scenes along the Huangpu river. As the whole dining etc. seems more like a distraction.
Rooftop Restaurants and Bars
Not essential when on a budget, but a great way to finish the day with views across the skyline from above. Even if it’s only a quick cocktail or two. The best time would be around sunset (a coin toss between the river cruise maybe) although the switch-off time for most lights on the skyline is 10PM. We were always back in time to watch this from our room in the hotel.
We stayed at the Hyatt on the Bund hotel partly because it is famous for the views from the 32nd Floor Bar. We didn’t have to go far. But there are of course alternatives including Bar Rouge, the Captain Bar (Captain Hostel), POP American Brasserie (Three on the Bund), Char Bar (Hotel Indigo)… a list here.
