Walking from an East Nanjing Road Hotel to the Bund

If you stay near East Nanjing Road, you walk to see the Bund night view.

You don't need a taxi or the metro.

I've been to Shanghai twice too, and I took phone photos of the Oriental Pearl Tower across the river from the Bund.

It's a spot where anyone's photos turn out well, so there's nothing special to prepare.

Instead, it helps to decide in advance when to head out, which way to walk, and where to turn back.

The end of the pedestrian street is the Bund

Keep walking east along East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and you reach the Bund riverside.

The Shanghai official tourism site says the east end of the pedestrian street was redone to connect East Nanjing Road directly with the Bund.

The eastern section of the pedestrian street is lit at night too.

So you hardly need to find your way.

Once you're on the pedestrian street, just keep walking toward the river.

The City Walk route the Shanghai Municipal Government recommends to international students follows the same order.

You start at People's Square, pass the shops on East Nanjing Road, go by the Peace Hotel, and come out on the Bund.

The Peace Hotel is the green-roofed building you see from the Bund.

Today it's the Fairmont Peace Hotel, and many people go in to see the lobby dome.

The Shanghai official tourism site says the Bund riverside is open all day.

The old buildings lining the riverside

When you reach the Bund, across the road on the side away from the river, old Western-style buildings stand in a long row.

The official tourism site says 52 buildings in styles like Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque are gathered here.

The historic buildings around the Bund have QR codes so you can read each building's story.

If it feels like a shame to just snap night photos and move on, scan the QR code in front of a building you like.

See the Oriental Pearl Tower side across the river at night and the old buildings by day, and you'll see both properly.

Walking distance depends on where your hotel is

Even among East Nanjing Road hotels, the walk differs quite a bit between the west and east ends of the pedestrian street.

At hotels in the middle of the pedestrian street, you step out the door right onto it.

At Atour Hotel Shanghai Bund Land Plaza, stepping outside puts you right on East Nanjing Road, so it's easy to walk anywhere.

This hotel's front desk is on the 8th floor of the building, so when you first arrive with your luggage you have to go up to the 8th floor.

Hanting Hotel Shanghai Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station is on the 7th floor of its building, and it's an easy walk to both the Bund and People's Square.

Yitel Premium Shanghai People's Square is about a 4-minute walk to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street.

If you want to be closer to the Bund, look at hotels in the side streets toward the river.

JI Hotel Shanghai The Bund Sichuan Zhong Road is 3 to 4 hundred meters from the Bund.

Puyan Hotel Shanghai The Bund is about a 5-minute walk to East Nanjing Road Station, and you can see Suzhou Creek and the Oriental Pearl Tower outside the window.

From hotels on the People's Square side, the walk gets longer.

Shanghai Marriott Marquis City Centre is about a 7-minute walk to People's Square Station, and it's an easy walk to East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and the Bund too.

If you walk slowly while browsing the pedestrian street, the distance doesn't feel long.

But if you're with parents or kids, a hotel close to the pedestrian street is easier once you factor in the walk back.

More on choosing an area is in First trip to Shanghai? Why to stay near East Nanjing Road Station.

Choosing by schedule and companions

For just 1 night, a hotel closer to the Bund is better.

You go once at night and leave the next day, so it's better to cut down on walking time.

For that kind of schedule, hotels in the riverside side streets like Puyan Hotel or JI Hotel Sichuan Zhong Road are the right fit.

Note that Puyan Hotel's check-in is after 16:00, so if you arrive early in the afternoon you'll need to drop off your bags before heading out.

For 3 nights or more, the middle of the pedestrian street or the People's Square side is fine too.

You'll see the night view a day or two, and spend the other days at museums or in other areas.

Marriott Marquis is close to People's Square Station, so it's easy to take the metro to other areas.

If you're with kids, a hotel with things to do in the room is easier.

Puyan Hotel has kids' rooms with a slide or a tent.

Kids start playing on the slide the moment they walk into the room.

Even after coming back from the night view, the kids won't get bored.

If you're traveling solo, a hotel right above the pedestrian street is convenient.

Hanting Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station is in the middle of the busy district, yet the rooms are quieter than you'd expect.

The rooms are on the small side, though.

When to head out

I recommend leaving your hotel before sunset.

Set your departure time to include time for strolling past the shops on the pedestrian street.

It's better to get a spot on the riverside first and watch the building lights come on as the sky gets dark.

Roughly what time the lights go on and off is summarized in When do the Bund lights turn on?.

During holidays, the Shanghai Municipal Government announces that the lights stay on longer than usual.

There may be that many more people out sightseeing, so allow plenty of walking time.

It also helps to decide in advance whether to eat dinner first or after the night view.

Around Grand Central Hotel Shanghai, there are really lots of places to eat.

Atour Hotel Shanghai Bund Land Plaza serves late-night snacks at 9:30 p.m., which is nice when you're peckish after the night view.

Which way to walk on the riverside

When you reach the Bund riverside, pick a direction.

Walk south and you pass through the middle of the Bund, lined with old buildings.

The official tourism site says the Bund Finance Center (BFC), south of the Bund, has the 360-meter-long Fengjing Road night market.

Heading south after the night view to buy something to eat at the night market is another option.

Walk north and you cross Suzhou Creek and continue to the North Bund.

The official tourism site says a Bund Origin weekend market is held on Yuanmingyuan Road on weekends.

For seeing the Oriental Pearl Tower, I prefer the North Bund side.

The Oriental Pearl Tower faces you head-on across the river, so your photos come out wide.

If you're staying on the North Bund side, you walk in the opposite direction.

Hyatt On The Bund is about an 8-minute walk to the Bund, and about a 10-minute walk from the hotel takes you to the North Bund riverside.

Which side suits you, the North Bund or Lujiazui, is compared in Oriental Pearl Tower head-on from the North Bund, up close from Lujiazui.

The way back

After the night view, just go back along the pedestrian street you came by.

The pedestrian street is a busy district, so there are people around until late at night.

At Radisson Collection Hyland Shanghai, stepping out on the 1st floor puts you right on East Nanjing Road, and being a busy district, it's good for walking around late.

If walking is too much, call a taxi.

Grand Central Hotel Shanghai has an entrance that's easy for getting in and out of a DiDi.

At Yitel Premium, it's easy to catch a taxi right in front of the hotel.

Walk it once more in the morning

If it feels like a shame to stop at the night view, walk the same route again the next morning.

The pedestrian street, packed with people and lights at night, is quiet in the morning.

Head out from the Yitel Premium side around 8 to 9 in the morning and you'll see a calm, different East Nanjing Road.

In the morning, the Bund shows the old buildings as they are, without the lights.

Walk it both by night and by day, and the same route feels quite different.

If you plan to eat breakfast before heading out, check the breakfast hours too.

At Radisson Collection Hyland, breakfast is 06:30~10:30 on weekdays and 06:30~11:00 on weekends, and you can see East Nanjing Road from the breakfast seats.

At Puyan Hotel, breakfast is 07:00~09:30, so it ends a bit early.