Huangpu River cruise, Shanghai

Huangpu River cruise tickets and prices

A standard sightseeing cruise from Shiliupu Pier costs about ¥120 by day and ¥150 at night in high season, sometimes less in the quieter weeks. Two travel guides agree on these figures, but we couldn't find the operator's own price list, so treat them as unofficial. The 30-minute express from Jinling East Road is cheaper; dinner cruises start around ¥250.

Children under 1.3 m ride free but still need a boarding pass from the counter; children 1.3–1.5 m pay half, bought at the pier. Over-70s pay half with ID. Sources disagree on how many free children one adult can bring — one or three.

You can buy at the pier, through the operator's WeChat mini program (浦江游览官方票务平台), or on Trip.com and Klook. Tickets are tied to one pier — a Shiliupu ticket won't get you on a boat at the Oriental Pearl.

Paying as a foreigner: booking online on Trip.com or Klook with a Visa or Mastercard is the easiest route. At the pier, expect Alipay or WeChat Pay (both take linked foreign cards) or cash yuan — unofficial; don't count on a foreign card at the counter.

Is a Huangpu River cruise worth it?

Yes, on your first evening in Shanghai. In an hour you see both banks — the Bund's 1920s banks and hotels on one side, Shanghai Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower on the other — without walking a step. It's the easiest way to take in the whole skyline lit up.

It's less worth it if you've already walked the Bund at night and you're on a budget: a ¥2 public ferry gives you most of the same view from the water. And in heavy rain or fog the lights blur — move it to another evening if you can.

Day or night cruise?

Night, almost always. Evening sailings start around 18:00, and the best window is from sunset to about 21:00, when the Bund and Lujiazui are fully lit. Sunset is around 17:00 in winter and 19:00 in summer, so the right boat shifts through the year.

A day cruise shows the Bund's architecture in detail and is quieter, but the glass towers look flat in daylight, especially on hazy days. Around the May Day and National Day holidays, evening sailings sell out — book ahead.

Which pier: Shiliupu, Jinling East Road or Oriental Pearl?

Shiliupu (十六铺码头), at the south end of the Bund on Zhongshan East 2nd Road, is the main pier with the most choice, from standard cruises to longer routes past the Nanpu and Yangpu bridges and dinner boats. Check your ticket for the boarding area: day, night and dinner boats leave from different docks.

Jinling East Road (金陵东路码头), closer to Nanjing Road, runs the short 30-minute express — handy with young kids or little time. The Oriental Pearl pier on Binjiang Avenue in Pudong suits you if you're staying in Lujiazui.

What you see from the boat

• The Bund — the row of early 20th-century banks, the Custom House and the Peace Hotel on the west bank; see the Bund.
• Lujiazui — twisting Shanghai Tower, the pagoda-like Jin Mao Tower and the "bottle opener", the Shanghai World Financial Center.
• The Oriental Pearl Tower — the pink-sphered TV tower right on the water.
• Waibaidu Bridge — the old steel bridge where Suzhou Creek meets the Huangpu.
• Yangpu and Nanpu bridges — the big cable-stayed bridges at either end of longer routes.
• The Pudong riverside — the promenade along Binjiang Avenue on the east bank.

The budget option: the public ferry

Shanghai's public ferries cross the Huangpu in a few minutes for ¥2 — the official foot-passenger fare on all 17 lines. It isn't a tour, just a crossing, but you get the same close-up of Lujiazui from the water.

From the Bund, take the Jinling East Road – Dongchang Road line; the Bund-side pier is at 141 East Zhongshan No. 2 Road. It runs in daytime only, 7:15–18:30 (until 18:15 from Pudong). After dark, use East Fuxing Road – Dongchang Road, 7:00–21:00 — the Fuxing pier is just south of Shiliupu.

Pay with a Shanghai transport card or an Alipay QR code; the city advises checking current times on the "上海轮渡" WeChat account. From Dongchang Road it's a walk along the river, or a short bus ride, to the Lujiazui towers.

Cruise vs public ferry

First evening in Shanghai — take the cruise. Already walked the Bund and just want to cross with a view — take the ferry.

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel or a boat?

The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel runs under the river between the Bund and Lujiazui in small cars with light effects. It's a novelty ride, not a view: you don't see the river or the skyline.

Metro line 2 is the quick way under the river — one stop from East Nanjing Road to Lujiazui. If the point is the view, take a boat.

Shanghai by the water, compared

Shanghai's waterside places rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Nearby and on your route

40

Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

Shanghai, China

20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return · 3 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

49

Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai, China

1 h 30 min · ¥199 — two spheres · 7 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Oriental Pearl Tower

59

The Bund

Shanghai, China

1 h · Free · 9 min walk

Yes — add to my route: The Bund

48

Lujiazui

Shanghai, China

45 min · Free · 12 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Lujiazui

How to do it right

• Heading north, sit on the right-hand side for Pudong; swap sides on the way back.
• The open top deck fills first — be at the pier half an hour early.
• Rain is less of a problem on the river than on an observation deck, but fog blurs the lights.
• On a budget: the Jinling–Dongchang ferry by day, Fuxing–Dongchang until 21:00, both ¥2.
• After a Shiliupu cruise, Yu Garden is close by and its streets are lit up at night.
• Avoid sailings after 21:00 — some lights may go off by 22:00.

Questions