Raffles City Chongqing The Crystal (来福士水晶连廊（探索舱）)
Observation deck · Chongqing. A paid glass-floor deck 250 m up in a horizontal skyscraper over the river confluence.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/raffles-city-chongqing-sky-bridge · Data checked 2026-10-08 · Rendered for 2026-10-09 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Why go
The Exploration Deck · Cloudtop Paradise (探索舱·云端乐园) sits in the Crystal, the 250 m horizontal skyscraper that links four Raffles City towers. The base ticket gets you a fully glass-floored platform with a 270° view of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers meeting, while the Skywalk, the two-seat swing and the Sky Traveler MR coaster (new in 2025) are paid add-ons. The mall below is free; the deck is the paid attraction.
What to do
- Stand over the river confluence on the glass floor. The Sky Mirror platform has a transparent floor and a 270° view of the two rivers meeting. Staff give shoe covers before you step on.
- Arrive before sunset and stay for the lights. Late afternoon gives daylight, dusk and night in one visit; the deck looks down on Hongyadong, the Grand Theatre and Nanbin Road.
- Add the Skywalk for a harnessed walk outside. The Skywalk loops about 380 m along the outside of the Crystal with photo stops; you wear a harness and leave bags in a locker.
- Walk out to Chaotianmen Square afterward. Gate 8 of the mall opens onto Chaotianmen Square, where the rivers meet at ground level.
- Don't miss: The ticket hall is inside the mall on L1, not at the office towers; follow the signs for 探索舱·云端乐园.
- Best time: About an hour before sunset
- Skip if: You have a fear of heights, or you only want a free skyline view; Eling Park offers a free 360° view.
Practical details
- Hours: 10:00–22:00 daily; deck entry to 21:15
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 10:00–22:00, last entry 21:15
- Ticket sales close at 21:00 and entry at 21:15; the Skywalk and swing have a last entry of 21:00.
- One Qunar snapshot listed a 23:00 close from mid-July to the end of August and a blog describes 23:00 in July 2026; the current Qunar and Ctrip listings show 22:00 except in the National Day period. An agency guide says same-day tickets were still on sale online until 21:55 in September 2026, later than the 21:00 cut-off on the listings.
- The operator publishes no hours page; hours come from OTA listings and two blog posts.
- Admission: Ticketed · deck ¥128 online; Skywalk package ¥198
- Deck ticket, adult: ¥128 (Online price, with an exhibition ticket)
- Deck + Skywalk (云中漫步): ¥198
- Deck + Sky Traveler MR coaster (天空旅行者): ¥178
- Concession: Children 6–14 (or under 150 cm), students, people 60+, military, disabled ¥110 (Valid ID; listed on OTA ticket pages)
- Free: Children under 6 or under 1.2 m (Valid ID or height check)
- The operator publishes no price page. Prices on OTA pages are display prices (Qunar and Ctrip, read 8 Oct 2026) and can include a mark-up; the operator's 2020 notice listed ¥180 and a 2024 local-media page ¥120 against that ¥180 list price.
- Children under 6 or under 1.2 m are free; children 6–14 (or under 150 cm), students, people 60 and over, military personnel and disabled people pay the ¥110 concession rate.
- A separate adult ticket for non-mainland-resident visitors is sold on the same OTA pages at the same ¥128.
- The two-seat swing (云中飞跃) was sold as ¥180 alone or ¥248 with the Skywalk in August 2024; neither package is on the current OTA ticket list, so ask at the counter for today's swing price.
- No separate holiday price is listed; check the mini-program for your date.
- Booking: No time slot needed; buy online or at L1
- Exploration Deck mini-program (探索舱云端乐园（微信小程序）) — WeChat → search 探索舱云端乐园
- L1 counter and ticket machine, Raffles City mall (来福士购物中心L1层人工窗口与自助机) · passport: yes
- Ctrip, Meituan, Klook and similar (携程、美团、Klook等) · passport: yes
- Passport accepted: yes — Foreign visitors can buy the non-mainland-resident adult ticket online or take the passport to the staffed counter on L1. The operator's own pages do not state a passport rule; this rests on the OTA ticket type and the 2020 notice.
- Online tickets are for a date, not a time slot; the 2020 opening notice used timed real-name tickets, which a 2026 blog says no longer apply.
- The product is named 探索舱·云端乐园 (Exploration Deck · Cloudtop Paradise); search for that name rather than the building name Crystal.
- Tickets are bought by real name: the operator's 2020 notice asks for an ID (foreign visitors a passport) and a 2024 local-media page says on-site purchase uses your own ID.
- Last admission: Entry to 21:15; Skywalk and swing 21:00
- Time to allow: 1–2 hr; longer with Skywalk
- Getting there: Line 1 Chaotianmen exit 2; Line 6 Xiaoshizi exit 8
- Metro Line 1 to Chaotianmen (朝天门), Exit 2, about 6 min walk
- Metro Line 6 to Xiaoshizi (小什字), Exit 8, about 12 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 重庆来福士购物中心L1层 探索舱·云端乐园入口，渝中区接圣街8号
- A passage between Chaotianmen Exits 2 and 3 leads into the mall; take the Jialing River Atrium lift to L1.
- A May 2026 Dushi Remen report says Chaotianmen station Exit 2 comes out right at Raffles City.
- Foreign visitors: Passport works at the L1 counter or on Ctrip
Not found yet
- foreignVisitors.foreignPhone: No source states whether the mini-program accepts an overseas phone number or a foreign card. (searched: operator mini-program (WeChat app only), Chinese OTA listings, English guide sites)
Traveler tips
- Entrance is inside the mall, on L1. The ticket hall is inside the Raffles City shopping mall, not at the office towers or the hotel. From Chaotianmen metro station take the passage between Exits 2 and 3 straight into the mall, follow the main corridor, then take the lift in the Jialing River Atrium (嘉陵江中庭) to L1 and follow the signs for 探索舱·云端乐园. A dedicated lift then takes you to the deck level in under a minute. Caveat: Directions come from two 2026 blog posts (Becksplore carries affiliate links) and an agency guide; mall corridors and signage can be rearranged. 重庆旅游百宝箱 (Aug 2024) describes entering by mall Gate 7, walking 50 m straight and finding an orange-and-black passage on the right with a staff ticket check, then a lift up. Gate numbers may have changed. (2 travelers) source
- Buy online or at the L1 counter. Tickets are sold on the operator's WeChat mini-program 探索舱云端乐园, on Ctrip or Meituan, at the staffed counter at the L1 entrance and at a ticket machine nearby. Online tickets are for a day, not a time slot, so you can go up when you arrive. Weekends and holidays can mean a queue at the counter. Caveat: Channel names are from a 2024 Bendibao page and a 2026 blog that carries affiliate links; the blog bought through a travel platform and was not asked for a time slot. source
- Foreign visitors: a non-mainland ticket online, or your passport at the counter. Ctrip and Qunar list a separate adult ticket marked 非中国大陆居民游客 (non-mainland-resident visitors) at ¥128, the same price as the standard adult ticket. Pick it if you hold a foreign passport, then take the passport to the entrance on L1 for entry. The operator's opening notice also said foreign visitors could take their passport to the staffed counter on L1, and a 2026 agency guide gives the same advice for today. Caveat: Single source, an OTA product list read on 8 Oct 2026; the operator's own pages do not describe this ticket type, and what ID the entrance checks for it is not stated. The counter advice rests on the operator's May 2020 notice and an agency guide (commercial); the mini-program's passport and overseas-phone rules are not documented. source
- Prices: deck ticket about ¥128 online; Skywalk and MR packages cost more. On Ctrip and Qunar the adult deck ticket is ¥128 and comes bundled with a ticket to an animation exhibition in the mall; the concession ticket is ¥110, and non-mainland-resident visitors have their own adult ticket at ¥128. Add the Skywalk for ¥198 in total, or the Sky Traveler MR coaster for ¥178 in total. The deck ticket covers only the platform, and a blogger says adding the Skywalk costs little on top of the deck ticket you need anyway, so choose the package when you buy rather than at the gate. Caveat: Prices are OTA display prices read on 8 Oct 2026 and can include a mark-up; the operator publishes no price page. A 2024 local-media page and an agency guide still show ¥120, and ¥138 is one visitor's summer peak receipt. Qunar is a commercial source. 雪花花花儿 (9 Apr 2026) says the animation exhibition (上美影) is on level 5 right by the deck exit; exhibitions change. An anonymous reply (Jun 2026) complains that the base ticket only allows the viewing terrace at one end and that the swing and Skywalk cost more. The little-extra judgment is from Becksplore, which carries affiliate links; both Becksplore and Qunar are commercial. (2 travelers) source
- Go up an hour before sunset. The deck faces the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers. Both 2026 bloggers recommend arriving in the late afternoon and staying until the lights come on, so you see Hongyadong, the Grand Theatre and Nanbin Road by day and again lit. If you only want clear photos, mornings give softer light and less glare. Caveat: Timing is the bloggers' preference (Becksplore carries affiliate links); the operator publishes no crowd data and the deck is small, so early arrivals have limited places to sit. Other visitors give the same timing: 土土木木在西安 (Apr 2024) arrived 40 minutes before sunset and expected a swing queue; 小头哥儿 (Mar 2025) gives 18:50 for the glass platform and 19:00-20:00 for the Skywalk; 子一多多 (Aug 2025) waited for the 19:30 sunset on the swing; 一只小懒 (Aug 2025) queued from dusk into the night; 雪花花花儿 (Apr 2026) went up at 19:30 when the city lights come on; 爱吃炸春卷 (Aug 2025) calls 18:30-20:00 the blue hour. (7 travelers) source
- Skywalk and swing close earlier. The deck itself sells tickets until about 21:00 and lets people in until 21:15, but the Skywalk and swing have a last entry of 21:00 and every attraction queues in the evening peak, so aim to be there before 21:00. Entry can stop early when the deck is full. Caveat: The 21:00 and 21:15 times and the early-stop wording are on the Qunar and Ctrip listings (commercial) and match the blog's advice to arrive before 21:00; the operator publishes no hours page of its own. Posts give 10:00-22:00 with last entry at 21:00 (一只小懒, Aug 2025) or 21:15 (鱼老蓓, Apr 2025; 重庆旅游百宝箱, Aug 2024); 子一多多 (Aug 2025) writes 10:00-23:00 with ticket sales stopping at 22:00. Check the time at the counter. (4 travelers) source
- Skywalk: harness on, bag in a locker. Before the Skywalk you are fitted with a full safety harness and clipped to a cable the whole way. Bags go in a locker, and only your phone goes in a transparent pouch attached to the harness. The route runs along the outside of the Crystal for about 380 m in a loop with three photo stops, and staff move you in groups. Minimum height is 1 m, minimum age 5, and the weight limit is under 100 kg; under-18s need a parent's written consent. Caveat: The harness and locker details are from a July 2026 blog that carries affiliate links; the 380 m length is from Raffles City's 2023 announcement, the photo stops from a 2025 Chongqing Daily report and the restrictions from a 2024 Bendibao page. source
- Shoe covers for the glass floor. The Sky Mirror is a fully transparent glass platform with a 270° view of the rivers, and staff hand out protective shoe covers before you step on it. It is the main photo spot, so expect to wait for a clear shot at busy times. Caveat: Both sources carry affiliate links: shoe covers are from a July 2026 blog and the 270° view from a tourism portal; the size of the platform is the writers' impression. source
- Line 1 Chaotianmen or Line 6 Xiaoshizi. Chaotianmen station on Line 1 is the closest stop, and Exit 2 leads to the mall. On Line 6, a tourism portal lists Xiaoshizi Exit 8. A walk of about a kilometre along Jiabin Road on the flat leads to Hongyadong, so the deck pairs well with a night walk. Caveat: Exit numbers and the Hongyadong distance are from a tourism portal and an agency guide (both commercial) plus Meet Chongqing; the walk time is our estimate. 鱼老蓓 (Apr 2025) also gives Line 1 Chaotianmen Exit 2. 重庆旅游百宝箱 (Aug 2024) wrote Line 6 Xiaoshizi Exit 4B; an anonymous reply (Nov 2024) says that exit comes out at a hotel about 700 m away, so ignore it. (2 travelers) source
- Skywalk takes 30 to 50 minutes. Allow 30 minutes for the Skywalk at a normal pace and up to 50 with photos. The path is one-way with harnesses, so if the person ahead freezes or stops for pictures, you wait. On a busy weekend evening it can take well over an hour. Caveat: 玖里娴烟 (25 Feb 2026) says 30 minutes at pace and about 50 with photos, and that no one can overtake; HZ (17 Aug 2024) took about an hour and a half on a weekend. An anonymous reply (Oct 2025) says foreign visitors ahead stopped and the walk took almost 30 minutes. (2 travelers) source
- Swing and Skywalk limits. The swing (云中飞跃) is for adults and heavier children only: one guide lists 40 kg to 100 kg. For the Skywalk, children must be at least five years old because of the insurance. Mixed groups can use the viewing deck, the glass platform and the MR coaster. Caveat: 重庆旅游百宝箱 (21 Aug 2024) writes 80 to 200 jin for the swing; HZ (17 Aug 2024) writes children five and over for the Skywalk. Both posts are from 2024 and limits may have changed. 一只小懒 (Aug 2025) adds that the MR coaster is open to children. (2 travelers) source
- Saturday drone shows from the deck. On Saturday nights and public holidays the city sends up a drone show at 20:30, and the Skywalk and deck are among the highest places to watch it. Check the date first; some shows are cancelled. Caveat: 鱼老蓓 (19 Apr 2025) gives every Saturday and holidays at 20:30. The drone-show headquarters' notice of 28 September 2026 lists the October dates, including one cancellation; times and dates change. source
Sources
- 凯德集团 (published 2020-05-23)
- CapitaLand (published 2020-06-05)
- 重庆日报 (published 2025-11-19)
- 人民网重庆 (published 2023-12-27)
- 重庆本地宝 (published 2024-08-14)
- 重庆本地宝 (published 2024-08-13)
- 携程
- 去哪儿
- 去哪儿
- WelcomeCQ (published 2025-04-16)
- Meet Chongqing (published 2026-07-28)
- Becksplore (published 2026-07-26)
- Anjia Travel
- Klook
- 人民网重庆（上游新闻转载） (published 2026-09-29)
- 重庆本地宝 (published 2026-09-24)
- 网易号 都市热报 (published 2026-05-14)
- 土土木木在西安 (published 2024-04-01)
- 小头哥儿 (published 2025-03-27)
- 子一多多 (published 2025-08-15)
- 一只小懒 (published 2025-08-23)
- 雪花花花儿 (published 2026-04-09)
- 爱吃炸春卷 (published 2025-08-01)
- 鱼老蓓 (published 2025-04-19)
- 重庆旅游百宝箱 (published 2024-08-21)
- 玖里娴烟 (published 2026-02-25)
- HZ (published 2024-08-17)
More places
- Pair with: Chaotianmen, Hongyadong, Yangtze River Cableway
- More in The peninsula tip: Chaotianmen, Jiefangbei