Nanjing Road is the long pedestrian shopping street that runs from People's Square to the Bund. It is loud, bright and busy, and the trick is to walk it in one direction at the right hour so it ends at the river with the lights on.
Prices and times here are from the sources at the bottom, checked on 15 October 2026. They move. Treat the numbers as a guide and check the official page or Trip.com on the day.
Quick answers
How long is Nanjing Road pedestrian street?
About 1.6 km of pedestrian-only street, from People's Square to the Bund. Allow an hour to walk it with stops.
Which metro station for Nanjing Road?
People's Square (Lines 1, 2, 8) for the west end, East Nanjing Road (Lines 2, 10) for the east end near the Bund.
When do the Nanjing Road lights come on?
18:00 from October to May, 19:00 from June to September, off at 22:00.
Does Nanjing Road connect to the Bund?
Yes. Walk east past Henan Road and the street ends at the Peace Hotel on the Bund, about 500 m further.
How to walk Nanjing Road
- 1
Start at People's Square
People's Square station is on Lines 1, 2 and 8. Exit 19 brings you straight into the New World City basement; come up and you are at the west end of the street.
- 2
Walk east, about 1.6 km
The pedestrian section is car free. The old department stores (No. 1 Department Store, Wing On) and the neon signs are along the middle stretch.
- 3
Time it for the neon
Signs come on at 19:00 from June to September and at 18:00 from October to May, and go off at 22:00. Evening from about 17:00 to 22:00 is the time; weekday evenings are quieter than weekends.
- 4
Keep going past Henan Road to the Bund
The last 500 m east of Henan Road was pedestrianised in 2020 and leads straight to the Peace Hotel and the river. Do this bit at the end, not the start.
- 5
If you only want the east end
East Nanjing Road station, Lines 2 and 10, exit 2 puts you on the street; exit 3 is quieter if you have luggage.
- 6
Taxis and DiDi stop at the edge
Cars cannot enter. Drop-off points are the side streets such as West Tibet Road, Henan Middle Road or Jiujiang Road.
Rules change. Everything here was checked on 2026-10-15 against the sources below. Before you fly, open the official page once more.
