Shanghai River Cruises: the 6 to Book First

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, passing the Bund, Lujiazui towers, Oriental Pearl Tower, and historic waterfront buildings. Choose a daytime or evening departure, then use the indoor, semi-open, or open-air deck. Tickets require in-person collection, and the correct code comes by email or chat, not the GetYourGuide QR code.

“My husband and I had a wonderful time. We had to pay an extra ¥100 if you want to sit on the 3rd/4th floor and you’ll get a free Cashmere scarf.”

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2.Shanghai Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 324 reviews · from $155Top rated

Spend about three hours seeing Shanghai by private car, Huangpu River boat, and local Xinjiang restaurant. Your guide, such as Caroline, Queena, or Kalvin, handles transport, menu translation, and landmark commentary. The cruise and dinner are separate, with pickup and return included.

“Our experience in Shanghai was absolutely incredible, thanks to our fantastic guide, Queena. From the moment we met, she was friendly, organized, and full of fascinating knowledge about the city’s history, culture, and hidden gems. We went to the River Cruise and to a very nice and delicious dinner. She introduced us to delicious local food we never would’ve found on our own. I would recommend this guide if you want a truly memorable and personalized experience in Shanghai!”

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3.Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 210 reviews · 3 hours · from $153

Spend three evening hours with a private guide such as Caroline, Queena, or Snow, cruising the Huangpu River past the Bund and Pudong towers before a Xinjiang halal dinner. Private pickup, menu help, bottled water, and a soft drink or beer are included.

“We had a wonderful cruise and dinner. Even though the weather was wet and windy we had a great cruise and could see all the city lights perfectly. Our guide Xin was absolutely wonderful and took us to a delicious restaurant with lots of vegetarian options. Would definitely recommend doing this activity while in Shanghai. The only difficulty with our evening was the larger number of steps to get to the boat as my husband is on crutches and it was slippery in the rain but both the guide and the coordinator were very good at communicating regarding our needs and updating the accessibility for this activity.”

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

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

Start around 7 PM with private hotel pickup and a guide such as Tom, Mary, Autumn, or Linda. Walk Yuyuan Old Street, cruise the Huangpu River from the VIP deck, then see Lujiazui and Xintiandi. Your guide can tailor the evening, help with photos, and return you to your hotel.

“We highly recommend this tour. Our guide, Mary, was excellent and gave us wonderful insight into the area and the culture. Her English was excellent and she's a very well traveled guide. The river cruise was truly spectacular and afterwards we were taken, by a luxury van to other locations including Yu Garden, French Concession and walked through these areas to see them beautifully lit. It is definitely worth taking this evening tour as the city really lights up! Also the seeing Shanghai from the river cruise is spectacular!”

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5.Shanghai Night River Cruise VIP Seat with Authentic Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · 3 hours · from $168

Spend three hours seeing Shanghai after dark with an English-speaking guide such as Michael, Cassie, Lucy, or Sunny. Ride 50 minutes on the Huangpu River in an upgraded VIP area, hear the stories behind the skyline, then eat local dishes at a downtown restaurant.

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A seamless, premium experience with Sunny Tour. Pick-up was in a large luxury electric car — quiet, spotless, and very comfortable. Our guide, Ms. Shirley, was warm, professional, and knowledgeable, sharing insights about Shanghai while giving us space to enjoy the evening. Dinner featured hygienic and delicious Chinese local cuisine at a well-chosen restaurant — every dish was flavourful and authentic. The highlight was the river cruise, where we had our own private seating area offering stunning views of the Bund and Pudong skyline. Peaceful, crowd-free, and beautifully lit — it felt truly special. This tour was a perfect blend of comfort, culture, and thoughtful touches. Highly...”

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6.After Dark Dinner and Huangpu River Night Cruise

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

Spend four hours seeing Shanghai after dark with a private English-speaking guide such as Jenny or Jessi. Eat at a local restaurant, cruise the Huangpu River for about 45 minutes, and add Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl access if you want city views from above.

“A great introduction to Shanghai with a wonderful guide. Our guide, Jenny, was originally from Shanghai but had also traveled internationally so was ideal to take us around and explain everything to us. She made us feel very welcome and taken care of and we learnt a lot about the city. We had a short walk to see the major buildings of Shanghai followed by a delicious restaurant dinner. We walked along the river promenade for about 15 minutes before getting on the river cruise which ran for about 45 minutes. The sights of Shanghai at night from the river are impressive. The whole tour was very well organised with…”

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