How to Beat the Crowds at the Oriental Pearl Tower
By the BeatTheCrowd team · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read
Quick answer
The Oriental Pearl Tower has several ticket levels, with the higher decks and the glass-floor walkway costing more. Book online with your passport. Go in the morning on a weekday for short queues, or after dark for the Bund lights, and avoid Chinese holidays, when queues are very long.
At a glance
- Tickets
- Several levels. Check the official site
- Must see
- Glass-floor walkway, Bund views
- Booking
- Online, with passport
- Best time
- Weekday morning, or after dark
- Busiest
- Chinese holidays and weekends
- Time to allow
- 1.5-2 hours
How busy is the Oriental Pearl Tower?
The tower is one of Shanghai's most visited sights, and lift queues on holidays can take over an hour. Weekday mornings are calm.
🔑 The free skip-the-line hack
Before you go, check how busy the Oriental Pearl Tower is likely to be. BeatTheCrowd shows the live crowd level and an hourly forecast for any date, adjusted for Chinese holidays, school breaks and weather.
Check today’s crowds at Oriental Pearl TV Tower →Best (and worst) times to go
- Weekday mornings: short lifts.
- After dark: the Bund lit up.
- Worst: Golden Week and weekend evenings.
🔑 The free skip-the-line hack
Our hourly forecast for the Oriental Pearl Tower shows how busy each hour is expected to be on your date.
Check today’s crowds at Oriental Pearl TV Tower →Insider tips that actually save time
- See the Shanghai History Museum in the base.