# Huangpu River cruise, Shanghai > A Huangpu River cruise is about an hour on the water between the old Bund and Lujiazui's skyscrapers. From Shiliupu Pier, expect roughly ¥120 by day and ¥150 at night; boats sail daily, roughly 11:00–21:30. Go just after sunset for the lights. On a budget, the public ferry across the river costs ¥2. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise - City: [Shanghai](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai), China - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Entry: ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2 - Opening hours: Daily: Shiliupu cruises ≈ 11:00–21:30, Oriental Pearl pier ≈ 10:00–21:00 (unofficial); Jinling–Dongchang ferry 7:15–18:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - Standard cruise, Shiliupu: ≈ ¥120 day, ≈ ¥150 night; about 45–60 minutes - Express cruise, Jinling East Road: ≈ 30 minutes; sellers list ¥80–100 - Oriental Pearl pier: 2852 Binjiang Avenue, Pudong; day sailings from 10:00, night from 18:00 - Children: Under 1.3 m free with a boarding pass; 1.3–1.5 m half price at the pier - Seniors: 70+ half price with ID - Dinner cruises: Separate boats, ≈ 2 hours, from about ¥250 - Public ferry: ¥2 per foot passenger on all 17 lines - Ferry Jinling East Road – Dongchang Road: Daytime only: 7:15–18:30 from the Bund side, 7:15–18:15 from Pudong - Ferry after dark: East Fuxing Road – Dongchang Road: 7:00–21:00 - ID: Original passport to collect the boarding pass - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour on board plus 20–30 minutes for boarding - Coordinates: 31.24050, 121.49050 - Facts checked: 03.11.2026 ## Key facts - **≈ 1 hour** — a standard sightseeing cruise from the Bund to the bridges and back (source: chinatravel.com; trip.com) - **3 piers** — Shiliupu and Jinling East Road on the Bund, the Oriental Pearl pier in Pudong (source: trip.com; chinatravel.com; dahepiao.com) - **¥2** — public ferry fare across the Huangpu for foot passengers (source: Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn)) - **17 lines** — of public ferries serving about 34 piers on both banks (source: Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn)) - **≈ 400 m** — average width of the river in the city, about 9 m deep (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **黄浦江** — the river's Chinese name; once romanised as Whangpoo (source: English Wikipedia) - **Puxi and Pudong** — the river splits the city into the old west bank and the new east bank (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Yangtze** — the Huangpu flows north into the Yangtze estuary (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Suzhou Creek** — the Huangpu's main tributary, joining it in the city centre (source: English Wikipedia; chinatravel.com (route past Waibaidu Bridge)) ## 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. > **Time it for the lights** Pick a sailing 15–30 minutes after sunset to catch dusk and the lights coming on. Unofficially, the riverfront lighting usually goes off around 22:00 (an hour later on public holidays), so late boats see dark towers. Bring your **original passport** — it's needed to collect the boarding pass. ## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/shanghai-tower) and the [Oriental Pearl Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/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. ## How to get to Shiliupu Pier 1. From **East Nanjing Road** metro (lines 2 and 10), walk about 10 minutes along pedestrian Nanjing Road to the Bund. 2. Turn right (south) along the riverfront. After a few minutes you pass **Jinling East Road** pier — express cruises and the public ferry leave here. 3. Keep walking south, roughly 15–20 minutes, to **Shiliupu Pier** on Zhongshan East 2nd Road. 4. Direct by metro: lines 10 or 14 to **Yuyuan Garden**, then about 10 minutes east to the river; or line 9 to **Xiaonanmen**. 5. For the Oriental Pearl pier in Pudong: line 2 to **Lujiazui**, Exit 1 or 2, then walk to the river. 6. By taxi or DiDi, show the driver 十六铺码头 (Shiliupu) or 金陵东路码头 (Jinling East Road). ## 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund). - **Lujiazui** — twisting Shanghai Tower, the pagoda-like [Jin Mao Tower](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/jin-mao-tower) and the "bottle opener", the [Shanghai World Financial Center](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/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 | | Sightseeing cruise | Ferry Jinling–Dongchang | Ferry Fuxing–Dongchang | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price | ≈ ¥120–150 | ¥2 | ¥2 | | Time on the water | ≈ 45–60 minutes | A few minutes | A few minutes | | Hours | Day and evening | 7:15–18:30 | 7:00–21:00 | | Best for | Both banks, bridges, night lights | Daytime Lujiazui views | Night lights for almost nothing | 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/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. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Original passport - [ ] Ticket for the right pier — Shiliupu, Jinling or Oriental Pearl - [ ] Sailing 15–30 minutes after sunset - [ ] Alipay / WeChat Pay or cash if buying at the pier - [ ] At the pier 30 minutes before departure - [ ] A light jacket — it's windy on the open deck ## Shanghai by the water, compared Shanghai's waterside places rated by YesGo. - [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free - [Lujiazui](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/lujiazui) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Bund Sightseeing Tunnel](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/bund-sightseeing-tunnel) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · ≈ ¥50 one way, ¥70 return - [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2 - [Suzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/suzhou) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Train ≈ ¥30–45, garden ¥70–80 - [Zhujiajiao](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/zhujiajiao) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free entry; three sights ¥60 - [Xitang](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/xitang) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ≈ ¥95 by day, free in the evening ## An evening by the river Nanjing Road, sunset on the Bund, Yu Garden near the pier, then a cruise under the lights. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Nanjing Road](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/nanjing-road) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 2. [The Bund](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/the-bund) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free 3. [Yu Garden](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/yu-garden) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30–40 by season 4. [Huangpu River cruise](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/huangpu-river-cruise) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥120–150; ferry ¥2 ## Don't mix them up Huangpu is both the river and Shanghai's central district (黄浦区), home to the Bund and People's Square. The cruise is on the river. And a sightseeing cruise isn't the public ferry: the ferry only crosses, the cruise runs along both banks. ## Tips - 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](https://yesgo.io/china/shanghai/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 ### How much is a Huangpu River cruise? About ¥120 by day and ¥150 at night from Shiliupu Pier; the 30-minute express from Jinling East Road is cheaper and dinner cruises start around ¥250. These are unofficial prices. ### How long is the Huangpu River cruise? A standard cruise is about 45–60 minutes, the express 30 minutes, a dinner cruise about 2 hours. ### What time do Huangpu River cruises run? Unofficially, Shiliupu sails roughly 11:00–21:30, with night cruises from about 18:00; the Oriental Pearl pier runs about 10:00–21:00. ### Which pier is best? Shiliupu for the most choice, Jinling East Road for a short trip, the Oriental Pearl pier if you're staying in Pudong. Board only at the pier on your ticket. ### Is the day or night cruise better? Night — the Bund and Lujiazui are lit up from sunset to about 22:00. A day cruise shows the architecture but the towers look flat. ### Is a Huangpu River cruise worth it? Yes for a first evening in Shanghai. If you're on a budget and have already seen the Bund at night, the ¥2 ferry gives a similar view. ### Can I take a cheap ferry across the Huangpu? Yes, ¥2: Jinling East Road – Dongchang Road in the daytime, East Fuxing Road – Dongchang Road until 21:00. ### Do I need my passport? Yes, the original — it's needed to collect your boarding pass. Photos and copies aren't accepted. ### Is it good for kids? Yes. Children under 1.3 m ride free with a boarding pass, 1.3–1.5 m pay half at the pier. ## How we checked The English core comes from search results and related searches. Ferry fares, lines and hours are from the Shanghai government website (10.09.2025), so they're marked official. We couldn't find the cruise operator's own site: ¥120/150 at Shiliupu match on chinatravel.com and eastchinatrip.com, but prices dip off-season and resellers sell for less, so all cruise prices are marked checking. Pier hours differ between sources (Shiliupu 11:00–21:30 or 11:00–22:00), and Shiliupu's street number is given as 481, 531 or 551 Zhongshan East 2nd Road, so we leave it out. Sources disagree on free children per adult (one or three). The usual lights-off time (≈ 22:00) is inferred from city holiday notices that extend it by an hour to 23:00. Walking times along the Bund are our estimate. ## Sources - Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn), Exploring Shanghai by boat, 10.09.2025 — ferry lines, piers, hours, fare - Shanghai government (english.shanghai.gov.cn), 30.04.2025 — holiday lighting hours on the Bund and in Lujiazui - chinatravel.com, 18.04.2025 — prices by pier, piers, route, duration - eastchinatrip.com — Shiliupu prices, child rules, WeChat mini program - trip.com Huangpu River cruise guide, 10.08.2026 — piers, durations, children, passport - dahepiao.com, 2022 and 2025 — Oriental Pearl pier, hours, children and seniors - English and Russian Wikipedia: Huangpu River; Wikidata Q99785 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.