RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 15 most popular shanghai cruises, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
A private Shanghai night plan: Huangpu River cruise with Bund-to-Pudong skyline views plus a Xinjiang halal dinner in Pudong.
Most Popular“We really loved our boat cruise. All the buildings lit up were spectacular! Our guide Caroline told us about all the build and then took us for a great meal. Definitely a must do!”
Night Huangpu River cruise plus an authentic Xinjiang halal dinner in Shanghai with private pickup, expert English guide, and skyline photo stops.
“Hi Alana Apart from the cold on the boat everything else was great Driver on time, Kelvin there to meet us by the dock. Kelvin’s English was very good and he explained well about the buildings we saw and their history. Then on to the food which was excellent. Kelvin went through the menu with…”
VIP Huangpu River cruise and Shanghai lights tour with hotel pickup, Yuyuan Old Street, Xintiandi, and VIP Bund skyline views.
“We had a fantastic evening tour with Tommy. The cruise was a highlight of our trip to Shanghai, which is a must , for every visitor. The other stops were very interesting and offered stunning photo opportunities. Tommy was an extremely good guide with extensive local knowledge and made the tour 10/10. I wish we…”
Huangpu River cruise and Bund lights walk in Shanghai with hotel pickup, Peace Hotel stop, and Nanjing Road trolley views for $79.
“The water town was nice to see but a little disappointed in the tour. It was really a tour but rather a taxi ride to the town with a paid entry into the town and ticket to a very small portion of the great wall. The driver was extremely nice, and prompt for timing.”
A private VIP Huangpu night cruise on the Huangpu River with hotel pickup, plus optional Shanghai Tower 118th-floor views and dinner.
“Great overview of the city, both in the early evening through the night. Great to see the city from such different perspectives.”
Enjoy a 60-minute VIP Huangpu River cruise with door-to-door transfer in Shanghai, plus optional dinner at a local restaurant.
“My tour guide Roy organized everything concerning tickets and smooth boarding even though it was a very busy night. The VIP seats on deck provide a really good view of the Shanghai skyline and the night was warm and pleasant. I wanted to get some good photos, and I really did. After the boat trip,…”
VIP night cruise on the Huangpu River with a 50-minute skyline show, plus an authentic Shanghai dinner in a local restaurant.
“Our guide was Kalvin , everything was amazing, we have nice dinner and our boat trip was awesome”
A private Shanghai highlights day with skyline towers, Bund views, Yuyuan Garden, Confucius Tea, and a Huangpu River cruise, all-inclusive.
“My husband and I booked a private tour with Jenny's Shanghai Tours in October 2025. Everything was great, and I highly recommend this company! Originally I was going to use Jenny for Shanghai only, but after corresponding with her a few tRead more”
Private Shanghai dinner and night Huangpu River cruise with optional rooftop bar stop, hotel pickup, and skyline views of the Bund.
“The driver arrived early and picked up us from our hotel at Qiantan (the outskirt of Shanghai). After 20 minutes’ drive into the city, we were greeted with our tour guide, Mason who spoke very good English. Mason gave us an introduction of ShRead more”
Private Shanghai half-day with hotel pickup, Yuyuan Bazaar, Shanghai Tower views, Huangpu cruise, and a great lunch or dinner.
“We had an amazing tour with our guide Alana yesterday. She is a enthusiastic and professional guide. She arrived at our hotel before picking up time and she’s knowledgeable to answer any questions we asked. We appreciated her guide. We will recommend her to our friends when they visit to Shanghai. Thanks Alana!”
Private Bund guide plus Huangpu cruise or Shanghai Tower views, with hotel pickup. Choose day or night for a smooth, scenic outing.
“Cruise was spectacular. One of the best light shows in the world. You see buildings up close. Go with VIP section which is in the front. Our guide Berlin was very knowledgeable and fun to talk to.”
Shanghai evening combo: Bund at night, Huangpu River cruise, and Fuzhou Road street food with an English guide and hotel pickup.
“My two high school students and I were on a school trip and received the nicest private tour of the downtown area. Our guide, Lee, was incredibly nice and knowledgeable. Unfortunately bad traffic caused us to arrive at the meeting spot late, Read more”
VIP Huangpu River night cruise with Bund skyline lights, plus a private hot pot dinner in Shanghai. Hotel pickup in downtown.
“We had a very good tour guide, Kelvin with us. He came to our hotel and fetched us and we went into a mini bus as there were 7 of us. Kelvin did all the necessary and we got the VIP floor . Everything was perfect. The hotpot dinner was Read more”
VIP Huangpu River cruise and a Thai set dinner in Shanghai, with hotel pickup and prime night views of the Bund skyline.
“One of the highlights of the trip, Just glad we had our passports with us you need them to get on the River Cruise. Berlin did a great job on time, dinner was very good and got us right in to the VIP area on the cruise”
Shanghai night hot pot with two options: Gokurakuyu hot springs or an Huangpu River cruise, plus hotel pickup and a private guide.
“We would like to say thank you very much for Alana for taking us on this tour to the spa and dinner. From the start of the afternoon Alana, greeted us with a very friendly smile and was very prompt to begin the excursion. Alana was very intelligRead more”
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