The 12 Best Huangpu River Cruises in Shanghai

1.Huangpu Night Cruise: Cozy Vibe & Modern Shanghai Glow

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 1 day · from $21Our pick

Cruise the Huangpu River for about 45 minutes, with the historic Bund on one side and Lujiazui’s towers on the other. Choose a daytime or evening departure, then collect your paper ticket at the pier with your passport and 8-digit code. Indoor, semi-open, and open-air areas are available, though the best seats may cost extra.

“It was a beautiful journey down the river to see the sights of the river. I recommend paying the additional 100CNY on board to get seating and a better view.”

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2.Private Evening Tour: VIP Huangpu River Cruise and Shanghai Lights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 150 reviews · from $128Top rated

Start with a 7 PM hotel pickup and explore Yuyuan Old Street, the Huangpu River, Lujiazui, and Xintiandi with a private guide and driver. The VIP cruise deck gives you an open view of the Bund lights. Guides including Tom, Mary, Autumn, Linda, and Roy are praised for clear English, local insight, and help with photos.

“Tom was a great tour guide with vast knowledge of Shanghai history and provided a meaningful tour. We both enjoyed this cruise and private tour and recommend it to anyone wanting to see Shanghai!”

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3.Huangpu River Cruise and Bund City Lights Evening Tour of Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 115 reviews · from $79

Spend about 2.5 hours seeing Shanghai after dark with an English-speaking guide. Cruise the Huangpu River, walk the Bund, visit the Fairmont Peace Hotel, and ride a trolley along Nanjing Road. Hotel pickup and drop-off from central Shanghai are included. Guides such as Tom and Frank have been assigned to some departures, though staffing can vary.

“Awesome sights and private guide picked up at Hotel and was very courteous and friendly. Highly recommend if traveling alone!!”

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4.Shanghai Huangpu River Night Cruise with Buffet Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 28 reviews · from $129

Board a two-hour evening cruise from the Bund and watch Shanghai’s colonial waterfront and futuristic Pudong towers light up. Your package includes a buffet dinner, soft drinks, river cruise, and downtown hotel pickup and drop-off. Add a private guide such as Shirley, Sunny, Cassie, Roy, or Jun for history, photos, and help aboard.

“Was amazing! Cassie was super kind and friendly with us, she took us a lot of pics! She explained us everything about shanghai, we recommend this tour a lot, you can see more about Shanghai! Having Cassie was such a blessing!”

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5.After Dark Dinner and Huangpu River Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 4 hours · from $126

Spend four hours with an English-speaking guide such as Jenny, enjoying a local Shanghai dinner, a 45-minute Huangpu River cruise, and skyline views. Hotel pickup and drop-off by taxi or Didi are included downtown. Choose standard or VIP boat seating, or add Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl Tower access.

“We had a wonderful and truly magical evening with our private guide, Jenny! She first took us to a great restaurant in the Shanghai Tower, then on a night cruise along the Huangpu River to admire the magnificent Shanghai skyline. The views were absolutely stunning! Jenny was very friendly, always smiling, and shared so many interesting facts about the city’s history and culture. Everything was perfectly organized — we really enjoyed every moment. Highly recommended!”

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6.HuangPu River Ferry Boat & Highlights Bike Tour With Local Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $68

You’ll cycle with a professional guide, possibly Mayfer, through Shanghai’s Japanese Concession area, local shopping streets, Duolun Road, Luxun Park, the Bund, and Nanjing Road. A ferry carries you to Lujiazui for skyline views. Bike, helmet, bottled water, and lunch are included.

“Thoroughly enjoyed our cycle with Mayfer through the streets of Shanghai stopping along the way to see & learn about the life of local people. Riding through the hustle & the bustle of the city was fun & following a guide made it an easy activity. Enjoyed the yummy lunch. We are a couple nearly 60 years old. If we can do it so can you.”

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7.Shanghai Private Night Tour with Huangpu River Cruise, the Bund and Xintiandi

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $96

Spend 3 to 4 hours seeing Shanghai after dark with a private guide, Huangpu River cruise, Bund walk, Nanjing Road visit, and Xintiandi stop. Guides such as Kathy, Pan, and Andrés have helped with short layovers, metro tickets, photos, and flexible timing. The tour ends near restaurants and bars, but dinner is not included.

“My guide Kathy was very skilled and kind. They took my last minute booking and adjusted accordingly. I’m happy I still got to see the main sights of Shanghai while being here for a layover and not having to think or decide where to go or how myself haha.”

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8.Shanghai Night River Cruise on Huangpu River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $90

Meet guide Jenny or Jessie at your downtown Shanghai hotel, then ride to the wharf for a 45-minute Huangpu River cruise. See the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, and Bund landmarks lit at night. Add dinner at a local restaurant, or upgrade seating for RMB100 per person. Hotel drop-off follows.

“Jenny was an amazing guide. Her English is on point and her wealth of knowledge was so interesting. We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel and after the 45 minute boat ride to see the amazing lights Jenny took us to the Shanghai Tower for a delicious dinner. I highly recommend this tour and if you can ask for Jenny!”

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9.Private Shanghai Day Tour: Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Bund, Huangpu Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $219

Spend 8 to 9 hours with a private English-speaking guide and chauffeur, visiting Shanghai Museum, Yu Garden, Yuyuan Old Street, the Bund, Nanjing Road, and the Huangpu River. Guides such as Sophie, Chloe, and Ryan have helped shape flexible days, including food stops and extra sights when time allows.

“We had a fantastic day with Chloe our guide. Despite the typhoon weather, we were able to have a good day seeing the sights and making the most of our time in Shanghai. Chloe was able to tailor the day to fit our interests and was a pleasure to spend time with. We enjoyed trying the different Shanghai speciality’s and the museum was a highlight.”

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10.Shanghai Afternoon Sightseeing Tour including Huangpu River Cruise & OTV Tower

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 6 reviews · from $137

Spend an afternoon seeing Shanghai from above, from the river, and at street level. Your English-speaking guide collects you from a central city hotel, takes you up the Oriental Pearl Tower, leads a Huangpu River cruise, and stops at People’s Square, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall, and Nanjing Road. Expect a busy, highly scheduled city overview with transport and admission included.

“A well organized and very interesting and informative tour, the tv tower was amazing and river cruise great fun.”

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11.Shanghai Evening Tour: VIP Huangpu River Cruise&City lights

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $171

PatrickTours Shanghai combines a private hotel pickup, a one-hour VIP Huangpu River cruise, and an evening walk through Yu Garden Bazaar. You’ll see the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, and Shanghai Tower from the water, then browse shops and food stalls under traditional Chinese roofs. Guide Patrick is noted for useful city stories and thoughtful photo help.

“Our guide Patrick was fantastic! Spent some time in the Bazaar where he gave us lots of history and information on the area. The cruise was great- we had a seat right outside in the front of the boat with an amazing view. Patrick told us lots of interesting facts and stories about the different buildings and areas we passed and Shanghai in general. He was an extraordinary guide and we highly recommend Patrick and this tour!”

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12.Shanghai Huangpu River Charter Yacht Experience with Champagne or Beer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $500

Spend about 90 to 100 minutes on a private evening yacht cruise along Shanghai’s Huangpu River. You’ll see the Bund, Lujiazui, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Oriental Pearl Tower, with hotel pickup, drinks, and optional guide Caroline or another professional guide if selected.

“Organized in all the details as requested for the occasion (propose to my gf) . Simply perfect experience. Very kind and helpful staff!”

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