Shanghai Tech Discovery Tour with Driverless Car Ride

Shanghai Tower Observation Deck

The tour opens with the best view in China. Shanghai Tower in Lujiazui is 632 metres tall, the highest building in the country, and its double glass skin twists as it rises to reduce wind loads by about a quarter. Some of the fastest lifts in the world carry you to the 118th-floor observation deck, about 546 metres above the ground, in under a minute.

From the deck you look down on the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, the Jin Mao Tower and the bends of the Huangpu River, a clear lesson in how quickly Pudong was built. The deck is usually open from morning until evening, and the best time to visit Shanghai Tower is a clear day after rain or in autumn. Other options visit the 52nd-floor bookstore and cultural space instead, with a coffee or dessert.

Chinese Electric-Vehicle Showrooms

China builds more electric cars than any other country, and Shanghai is one of the centres of that industry. Your guide takes you to the showrooms of leading Chinese electric-vehicle makers, where you can sit in the latest models, test the smart cabins with their large screens and voice assistants, and see features such as battery swapping, driver-assistance systems and in-car entertainment.

Your guide explains how the industry grew, why charging and battery technology matter so much, and how electric cars have changed Chinese streets in only a few years. Business travellers often find this stop the most useful of the day; allow about 45 minutes, longer if you want to compare models.

Driverless Taxi Ride

Next comes the stop most guests remember: a real robotaxi ride. Your guide takes you to a designated autonomous-driving demonstration area, books the car on the app and rides with you as it handles junctions, lane changes, cyclists and pedestrians on public roads, with no one steering.

Along the way your guide explains how sensors, cameras, radar and AI work together, and what rules apply to driverless vehicles in Chinese cities. The ride lasts around 15 to 20 minutes depending on the route and traffic. Is a robotaxi ride in Shanghai worth it? For anyone curious about the future of transport, it is a rare chance to experience it first-hand.

Humanoid Robots and Embodied AI

At an interactive robotics and embodied-AI experience centre you meet several generations of humanoid robots: machines that walk, wave, carry objects, play games and respond to speech. You can interact with them and see how robots are being prepared for work in service, logistics, healthcare and industry.

Your guide explains the difference between factory robots and embodied AI, which learns from its surroundings, and why China is investing heavily in the field. Children aged 8 and over love this part, and adults usually leave with more questions than they arrived with. Staff demonstrate what each robot can do, and there is time for photos with them. Allow about 45 minutes.

Drone Delivery and Smart-Tech Lifestyle

With the default option you then try a real drone delivery, part of what China calls the low-altitude economy. You see how an order is loaded, flown by an autonomous drone and dropped at a collection point, and you receive one snack or soft drink delivered from the sky.

The tour ends in a curated smart-tech and lifestyle space, where you can try AI devices, small robots, smart home gadgets and innovative consumer products, many not yet sold outside China. It is a relaxed final stop to ask your guide anything about daily life with technology in Shanghai, from mobile payments to delivery apps, and a good place to pick up a small gadget as a souvenir.