01
Waibaidu (Garden Bridge)
Start at the north end on the old steel truss bridge, where the Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu.
This is the best spot to photograph the whole curve of the Bund with fewer people in frame.
15 min
Best first evening · Huangpu
The Bund at Dusk
One and a half hours, timed to the light: bridges, the promenade, the clock, then two yuan for the ferry back across the river.
The Bund is one of the most photographed half-kilometres on earth, which is exactly why most people see it badly: they arrive at midday, fight the crowd on the promenade, and leave. Go at dusk instead. The buildings light up in sequence, the crowd thins, and the river turns into the reason you came.
This route runs north to south, ends on a ferry that costs about the same as a bottle of water, and lands you in Pudong with the skyline already lit. Then you look back at where you just were.
The route
7 points · schematic, not to scale
02
The Promenade
The raised walkway along the waterfront. Fifty-two buildings, most of them banks and trading houses built between 1900 and 1937.
Walk on the raised platform, not the road-level pavement. It is wider and the view is unobstructed.
30 min
03
Customs House & the clock
The big clock tower at the midpoint. Big Ben imitation, 1927.
The chimes run on the hour. If you time it, you get the sound and the lights together.
10 min
04
Peace Hotel
Art deco, 1929. The lobby is open to walk through, and the jazz band in the basement bar has been playing since the 1980s.
The lobby is free. The bar has a cover charge and a dress expectation — worth it if you want the room, not the drink.
20 min
05
Jinling Road ferry pier
Walk south to the pier and take the Dongjin line across to Dongchang Road. Locals use it to commute; visitors almost never do.
Pay with your transport QR code or cash. It is a few yuan. Sit on the lower deck, outside, on the right-hand side.
15 min
06
Dongchang Road, Pudong
You land facing the lit-up waterfront you just walked. Fifteen minutes back to Lujiazui station.
Last ferry times vary by season — verify on the day, do not assume a late return.
10 min
Getting there and back
Start at East Nanjing Road (Line 2 / 10), Exit 3. Finish: Dongchang Road ferry pier, Pudong (then Lujiazui station, Line 2).
Keep walking
Nearby routes
01
Lujiazui: The Skyline Walk
You have seen the skyline from the Bund. This is the version from underneath, plus the ferry, the riverside park and one very good museum.
Modern→
02
Suzhou Creek to M50
Follow the creek west through warehouses, a 1930s post office and a battle-scarred warehouse, ending in the city's best cluster of galleries.
Industrial & art→
03
Old City & Yu Garden
The walled city, the bazaar, the teahouse on the pond — and the five minutes past the tourist ring where the old street grid still runs.
Old Shanghai→
2
Guides who walk this route
Every route on this site can be walked on your own. If you would rather have someone explain it, these are the listed guides who cover this one.
The Bund & Huangpu — the history line
English · Mandarin
On request
Old City breakfast & the market lanes
English · Mandarin · Shanghainese
On request
FAQ
Questions about The Bund at Dusk
Everything on this site is written and re-checked on the ground. When something changes, this page changes.
What time should I start the Bund walk?
Roughly 45 minutes before sunset. That gives you the last of the daylight on the stone, then the buildings lighting up, then the crossing after dark.
How much is the Shanghai ferry across the river?
A few yuan — it is a commuter ferry, not a tourist cruise. Pay with a transport QR code or small cash. Verify the current fare on the day.
Is the Bund promenade free?
Yes, entirely. You will be approached by people selling river cruises; those are separate commercial boats, not the ferry.
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