One bus, many Shanghai icons. This hop on hop off pass ties together major sights from Nanjing Road to the Bund, with 24 or 48 hour ticket flexibility and multilingual audio guides that help you understand what you are seeing as you ride.

I especially like the convenience of hopping on and off at stops you choose, instead of committing to a fixed, timed tour. You also get a practical way to reach far apart areas, including museum blocks, river docks, and the skyline zone, without guessing bus routes or lining up cabs all day.

The main drawback is logistics around the voucher, because you need to exchange for your ticket and then have staff scan the QR code from your booking voucher. If your QR access is slow or confusing, give yourself extra time at the start.

Key highlights before you ride

• Five route options with one pass, so you can stitch together the day you actually want
• Major landmarks across Shanghai, from Shanghai Museum to the Bund and river docks
• Audio guides in eight languages, including English, German, French, Russian, Spanish, plus more
• Clean, air-conditioned buses with an evening-friendly feel
• Easy hopping at any stop, which is gold when crowds slow you down
• Attractions admission is not included, so plan for separate ticket lines at museums and sites

How the 24 or 48 hour pass keeps your plan flexible

You buy one ticket and then you can use it for 24 or 48 hours from your first ride. That matters because Shanghai is a city where plans often change. Rain happens. Lines stretch. Your feet start talking back. With this pass, you are not stuck finishing a rigid loop in one sitting.

The ride time per route is about 1 hour, so think of each loop as a moving overview. You get the city in big chunks, then you hop off where you want to slow down and spend real time.

This is also the kind of tour that pairs well with a more hands-on day. For example, you can do a museum stop, hop back on, and then later chase views from the Bund or the skyline area without turning your day into a transportation puzzle.

Five route options that cover the city in smart chunks

This pass includes five unique Shanghai sightseeing routes. The exact stop order varies by route, but across the different loops you repeatedly hit the areas that most first-timers care about:

• The museum district and learning stops (Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shanghai Historical Museum)
• The classic shopping and central streets (Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, Huaihai Road Commercial Street)
• The Bund waterfront and its historic edges (The Bund, Garden Bridge, Custom House, 外滩金融广场)
• The river getting-around points (黄浦江游览码头, Dongchang Road Ferry, Jinling East Road Ferry, Shiliupu Marina)
• The skyline and icons (Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower, Jin Mao Tower)
• A line of heritage and memorial stops for anyone who wants history alongside photos (May 30th movement monument, CPC congress sites, People’s Heroes memorial tower, Shanghai General Postal Office, Astor House Hotel)

If you want a simple strategy, start with the routes that cover the widest mix of central Shanghai plus the Bund and skyline. One review specifically recommended line 1 and 2 as the best first choice for seeing what matters.

Museum morning: Shanghai Museum plus city planning context

One of the best parts of using this bus is that it turns Shanghai’s big museum zone into a practical half-day plan. On the routes that include Shanghai Museum, you are dropped into an area that makes it easy to pair learning stops together.

You can also expect stops at:

• Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, which is ideal when you want to get your bearings fast and understand how the city is laid out
• Shanghai Historical Museum, a useful add-on if you want a deeper sense of how Shanghai got to where it is now
• Shanghai Museum again on other route loops, which is handy if you want to return later after doing shopping or the river

Practical tip: since admission tickets are not included, you should treat these as museum errands, not a guaranteed quick walk-through. Use the bus ride to position yourself, then plan your entry time separately.

Central Shanghai streets: Nanjing Road and Huaihai Road stops

When you hop off at Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, you are stepping into Shanghai’s big, easy-to-navigate shopping artery. It is a strong option for your first day because it is straightforward: you can walk, snack, and get oriented around a main artery without needing a map of every side street.

Another route includes Huaihai Road Commercial Street. That stop is valuable because it shifts you from the most famous shopping zone into a slightly different commercial feel, which can help break up the day so it does not become wall-to-wall crowds and storefronts.

Two other useful central-area waypoints show up on the route set:

• Century Square Parking Lot, which can be a convenient mid-ride boarding choice if you want to break the loop
• Shanghai Baiyulan Plaza, which is another practical stop for rejoining the bus later without backtracking

If you are planning around shopping and streets, plan to hop on the bus after your main walking time. You’ll save energy and still keep your sightseeing momentum.

The Bund and Garden Bridge: where your photos start making sense

The Bund stops are the headline on multiple routes. You’ll see:

• The Bund (including stops at Garden Bridge, The Bund)
• Custom House, Shanghai
• 外滩金融广场 (often described as a financial plaza stop along the Bund area)

This is where the bus earns its keep. The Bund waterfront is a classic Shanghai scene, but walking between the best segments can take longer than you think once you factor in crowds, crossings, and snack breaks. The hop on hop off format lets you photograph one portion well, then move to the next without burning your whole day on pacing.

For the best flow, use the bus to do Bund positioning. Hop off, walk a stretch, return to the nearest stop, then keep going. Since the ride itself takes about 1 hour per loop, you can also string together Bund time plus a later stop near the river docks.

River docks and ferry points: Huangpu stops that change the view

Shanghai is a river city, and this pass gives you multiple ways to reach the water. Depending on which route you choose that day, you can hit these river-related stops:

• 黄浦江游览码头 (Huangpu River sightseeing dock)
• Dongchang Road Ferry
• Jinling East Road Ferry
• Shiliupu Marina

Even if you do not take a ferry ride, these stops are still useful because they place you along the waterfront and give you a visual break from street-level sightseeing. You also get flexible access. If one dock area looks more interesting than another on the day you ride, you can adjust without changing tickets.

One more practical note: because admission tickets to attractions are not included, plan on separate tickets only if you choose to do paid experiences at the docks or nearby sights.

Skyline loop: Oriental Pearl and Jin Mao for big views

If your goal is to see Shanghai’s modern icons in one day, you will want the routes that include:

• Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower
• Jin Mao Tower
• Shanghai Baiyulan Plaza (often used as a reboarding anchor in this skyline zone)
• The Bund financial area on the same route pattern, so you can connect the skyline and waterfront themes

The skyline stops are great because they turn your hop on hop off ride from just transportation into a photo route. The bus positions you quickly, and the sightseeing audio helps you place the landmarks in context while you are moving.

A practical rhythm that works well in real life: do the skyline area first to get your orientation, then shift to the Bund for the street-level perspective. This way you see Shanghai from two angles without crisscrossing the city multiple times on your own.

History stops beyond the postcard: memorials and congress sites

Not every hop on hop off bus includes serious history. This one does. If you care about Shanghai’s political and cultural past, multiple routes feature a cluster of memorial and historical sites, including:

• 五卅运动纪念碑 (May 30th Movement Monument)
• Site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
• 中国共产党第二次全国代表大会会址 (Second National Congress site)
• 中国共产党第二次全国代表大会会址 also appears as a key stop on routes focused on the congress history theme
• 上海 Mao Zedong Former Residence
• 上海市人民英雄纪念塔 (Shanghai People’s Heroes Memorial Tower)
• 中共四大纪念馆 (Fourth CPC National Congress Museum)
• Zhonggong San Dahou Zhongyang Bureau History Memorial Hall
• 大韩民国临时政府旧址 (Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea site)
• Zhonggong San Dahou Zhongyang Bureau History Memorial Hall as part of a route that strings together memorial institutions

It is smart to know what these stops do for your day. They give you a break from the usual photo run. They also create a natural pace change. You hop off, you read, you take photos, you hop back on before your energy drains.

Drawback to keep in mind: because admission is not included, some of these historical sites may require extra ticket time. Plan for that, especially if you are trying to see multiple sites in one day.

Old Shanghai touches: Astor House Hotel and postal office stops

On another loop you can reach older landmarks that feel grounded in Shanghai’s older layers. Stops on these routes include:

• Shanghai General Postal Office
• Astor House Hotel
• 古城公园南门 (South Gate of Ancient City Park)
• Shiliupu Marina
• 外滩金融广场 and 上海市人民英雄纪念塔 also show up as part of routes that link older landmarks to the Bund district

These stops help you create variety. You can do your modern skyline, your waterfront views, and then a more old-school Shanghai vibe without switching tour plans or changing tickets. The hop on hop off structure keeps it simple.

If you want the most value, use the bus to connect the clusters. Walk around one area for 30 to 60 minutes, then use the bus to move to the next anchor.

Price and value: why $17.68 can work in Shanghai

At $17.68 per person, this ticket is best judged by how much city walking and taxi riding it replaces. Shanghai is huge, and the sights are spread out enough that moving around costs time and money.

Here is what you actually get for the price:

• Unlimited hop on and off within the validity window (24 or 48 hours from first ride)
• A one-hour loop style tour, which is a fast way to position yourself around major sights
• Audio guides in multiple languages, so you are not stuck guessing
• Access to five route sets, so you can tailor what you see instead of committing to one narrow circuit

What you do not get:

• Admission into attractions, since tickets are not included

So the value depends on your style. If you like planning light, walking some, and adjusting based on energy, this can be a strong deal. If you want only museums and you plan to spend all day inside paid ticket sites, you might end up paying for the bus plus more tickets. Still, the bus can reduce the transportation headache.

Comfort, audio, and smart ways to ride without wasting time

One big win from the feedback is the bus comfort. You should expect clean, air-conditioned buses, which makes a difference in Shanghai heat or humidity. The same advice that calls out evening rides is also useful. If you want a day that works for photos plus skyline and river views, an evening loop can feel like the right tempo.

Use the audio guides to guide your priorities. The guides are available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, German, French, Russian, Spanish. Listening on the bus helps you decide where to hop off next, because you already know what the stop is.

A few practical habits that make the ride smoother:

• Start your first ride early enough that you still have time to use the second day, if you choose 48 hours
• When you arrive, confirm the vehicle logo “都市观光” before boarding
• Keep your booking voucher QR ready for scanning, and exchange your ticket at the designated location first
• Since you get around in loops, aim to hop off where you want a longer walk, then rejoin quickly rather than zigzagging across the city

Should you book this Shanghai hop on hop off bus pass?

Book it if you want a simple framework for first-time Shanghai sightseeing, especially if you like the idea of covering major areas and then deciding where to slow down. It is also a good fit if you care about both modern icons and history, because the route set includes Bund viewpoints, skyline stops, and multiple memorial and congress-related sites.

Skip it or reconsider if you only want a small number of attractions and you are already confident with Shanghai transit. Also, if QR access might be an issue for you, plan extra time at the start so the voucher exchange and scanning do not derail your day.

Overall, this is a practical value play. You pay once, then use the day to create your own route, hopping between museums, shopping streets, the Bund, and river areas at a pace that makes sense.

FAQ

How long is the Shanghai City Sightseeing Bus experience?

The duration is about 1 hour.

Is the ticket valid for 24 hours or 48 hours?

Yes. Your ticket is valid for 24 or 48 hours from your first ride, depending on which option you choose.

Are admission tickets to attractions included?

No. Admission tickets to attractions are not included.

What languages are available for the audio guides?

Audio guides are available in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, German, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Where do I get the bus ticket and how do I board?

You go to the designated location to exchange your ticket. The bus staff scan the QR code on the voucher sent after booking. Have your booking voucher ready.

Can I hop on and off at any stop?

Yes. You can hop on and off at your convenience from any stop along the route.

How many routes are included in the pass?

The pass includes 5 unique Shanghai sightseeing routes. You can choose to hop on and off any route.

Can children ride for free?

Children under 130 cm can ride for free when sitting on a lap of a parent or guardian. If they need a seat, they should purchase a ticket.

What is the cancellation policy?

Free cancellation is available. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience starts, the amount paid is not refunded.