15 Boat Trips in Shanghai, Priced, Timed and Compared

1.Shanghai Private Tour: Zhujiajiao Water Town and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 661 reviews · from $148Our pick

Leave Shanghai by private air-conditioned vehicle for Zhujiajiao, a 1,700-year-old water town. Your guide, such as Snow, Kalvin, Caroline, or Xin, leads you through old streets, gardens, markets, historic bridges, and canals. A boat ride, entrance fees, hotel transfers, and optional lunch or dinner are included.

“We had a very pleasant half-day trip with an excellent guide, a cozy boat ride and a delicious local lunch. Highly recommended to everyone, thank you Xin!”

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 1 day · from $21Best value

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 sailing, then watch Shanghai glow from indoor, semi-open, or open-air decks. Tickets must be exchanged in person, and the correct code comes by email or chat.

“Beautiful night View of the city skyline from the water going at a very peaceful pace on the boat”

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3.Zhujiajiao Private Tour w/ Boat Ride & Garden

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 460 reviews · 5 hours · from $139

Travel from your Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide such as Michael, Cassie, Robert, or Sunny. Walk old markets, visit Qing-era Kezhi Garden, sample local snacks, and ride a private boat through the canals. The five-hour tour suits families, couples, and short layovers.

“Our tour with Clair was fantastic. The transportation to the water village was smooth and very comfortable. We walked through the various shops, toured the private garden, and took a boat ride. Clair shared so much information with us about history and culture, she was an excellent guide.”

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4.Private Zhujiajiao Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 334 reviews · 5 hours · from $171

Travel from your central Shanghai hotel to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking guide such as Snow, Kalvin, or Caroline. Walk old lanes and markets, see Ming-Qing bridges, visit traditional gardens, try local food, and take a calm canal boat ride before returning to Shanghai.

“My tour guide Snow was the best! Very friendly, knowledgeable and in good spirits all thru the 5 hour tour. She even thought me a little Chinese. And the Tour itself was fantastic. Highly recommended!”

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

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

Spend about three hours seeing Shanghai by private car, riverboat, and restaurant table. Your guide, often Caroline, Queena, Kalvin, Kiki, or Xin, handles transport, cruise tickets, menu translation, and dinner ordering. The boat passes the Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, World Financial Center, and Shanghai Tower before a halal Xinjiang meal in Pudong.

“I had an absolutely wonderful time on this river cruise! The scenery was breathtaking, but what made the experience truly special was our guide, Caroline. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and had a great sense of humor that made the entire tour enjoyable from start to finish. Caroline shared great insights along the way, answered every question with patience, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and included. Thanks to her, the trip felt both relaxing and enriching. Highly recommend this tour—and if you’re lucky enough to get Caroline as your guide, you’re in for a treat!”

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6.Night River Cruise Tour with Xinjiang Style Dining

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

Spend three hours seeing Shanghai by private car, night cruise, and Xinjiang-style dinner. Your English-speaking guide, such as Caroline, Queena, Snow, or Kelvin, handles transport, explains the Bund and Pudong skyline, helps choose halal dishes, and returns you to your hotel or another city location.

“Queena was a fantastic tour guide. She is very knowledgeable and energetic. Very friendly and accommodating. I recommend her to anyone. I will book her again. The boat trip was fantastic. Shanghai is a very beautiful city. The night scene is a must see, with VIP style transport. The restaurant had a beautiful view of Shanghai. The food was fresh and tasty. Queena is a delightful person to have dinner with.”

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7.Zhujiajiao Water Town Private Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 173 reviews · from $139

You’ll travel from downtown Shanghai to Zhujiajiao in a private air-conditioned van, then walk old lanes, visit Kezhi Garden and a traditional temple, and ride a wooden boat through the canals. Guides such as Robert, Jun, Lucy, Shirley, and Michael tailor the pace and explain local life. Lunch or dinner is optional.

“We had a fantastic tour of the water town with our guide Cassie. She spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable about Chinese history. She took very nice photos of my wife and I during our tour, and knew all of the best locations and angles. Highly recommend this service if you’re looking for an English speaking tour guide.”

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

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

Start with a private pickup, then walk Yuyuan Old Street, cruise the Huangpu River from the VIP upper deck, see Lujiazui’s skyscrapers, and finish in Xintiandi. Guides including Autumn, Tom, Mary, Linda, and Roy tailor the evening to your interests. The tour lasts about three to four hours and includes private transport, bottled water, and return drop-off.

“What a beautiful way to capture the city. This night tour is a must. The ever colour changing of the buildings is magnificent! Linda was our guide, and what a great one she was. Her knowledge in the culture ,history and traditions of China haves of a clear understanding about the country and city”

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9.Half-Day Private Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour with Boat Ride from Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 144 reviews · from $160

Travel from Shanghai with a private guide and driver to Zhujiajiao, a 600-year-old water town. Walk its lanes, cross Fangsheng Bridge, visit Kezhi Garden and the old post office, and ride a canal boat. Guides such as Tom, Vicky, David, and Jamie are praised for clear English, local insight, and flexible pacing.

“Vicky was excellent. Driver performed safe handling of vehicle with care. Went with 2 kids 5yrs and 9yrs that enjoyed it much treating through the village. I do however recommend upgrading the boat ride to a longer one.”

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10.Private Shanghai Evening Street Food Walking and Cruise Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 123 reviews · from $133

Meet a private English-speaking guide such as Annie, Shirley, Roy, or Linda for a 3 to 4-hour evening of Shanghai snacks, old-town streets, and a one-hour Huangpu River cruise. Expect soup dumplings, lamb skewers, scallion pancakes, local sweets, and enough food for dinner.

“Annie our guide was great and really made it a memorable experience for us! She listened to what we each liked and chose places that catered to our tastes. Even helped us find MSG in a local grocery store we walked by when we said were struggling to find it.”

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

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

This 2.5-hour evening tour pairs a one-hour Huangpu River cruise with a Bund walk, a short visit to the Fairmont Peace Hotel, and a trolley ride along Nanjing Road. An English-speaking guide such as Tom or Frank handles city-center hotel pickup and return. It is a simple way to see Shanghai’s lights, though traffic, crowds, and weather can affect the pace.

“The boat cruise is very enjoyable it is a great way to see the glittering lights of Shangai city at night time. Unfortunately, we happened to take this tour during the Dragaon boat festival, we were not able to stop by to visit the Peace Hotel at night, due to the massive crowds in the Bund area in that evening. Nonetheless, we still enjoy the tour and recommend it to especially first time visitor to Shanghai.”

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12.Private Night Tour-VIP River Cruise and Shanghai Tower Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 104 reviews · from $143

Meet guides such as Cassie, Lucy, Lea, or Roy at your Shanghai hotel for a private evening outing. Ride in a comfortable vehicle to the Bund, board the Huangpu River cruise in the VIP seating area, and add dinner and the Shanghai Tower’s 118th-floor deck if you wish. Expect about three to four hours, with striking night views and helpful photo stops.

“We had the most incredible Shanghai night tour with our guide, Cassie. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organized, and she made the evening truly unforgettable. The night began with a relaxing Huangpu River cruise, where we were able to take in the dazzling skyline of Shanghai lit up against the night sky. Cassie knew all the best spots on the boat for photos and explained the history and significance of the buildings we were seeing, which made the experience so much more meaningful. After the cruise, we visited the Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China and the second tallest in the world. Cassie timed everything perfectly so…”

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13.Shanghai Night River Cruise VIP Seating with Private Transfer and Dinner Option

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · from $139

Ride from your downtown Shanghai hotel to a 60-minute Huangpu River cruise with VIP seating and a private guide. See the Bund, Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Jinmao Tower, and Pudong skyline at night. Add dinner at a classy local restaurant before or after the boat trip. Guides may include Cassie, Sunny, Michael, or Annie.

“What an enjoyable tour of Shanghai’s spectacular and iconic river views! We learned a lot about Shanghai’s history and Chinese culture in general from our excellent tour guide Michael, who was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The dinRead more”

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14.Zoo and Zhujiajiao Water Town Tour with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · 7 hours · from $190

Spend seven hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver, visiting Shanghai Zoo and Zhujiajiao Water Town. Expect pandas, traditional architecture, stone lanes, local shops, street food, and a private boat ride through the old canals. Guides including Robert, Annie, Shirley, and Lea are praised for clear English and helpful local tips.

“Everything was very well. Our guide was very kind and patient with us. Thank you”

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15.Shanghai Night River Cruise VIP Seat with Authentic Dinner

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

Spend three hours with an English-speaking guide such as Cassie, Michael, Lucy, or Sunny, combining a 50-minute Huangpu River cruise in the VIP area with a local restaurant dinner. Private downtown pickup and drop-off, drinks, and help choosing dishes are included. Dinner is on land, not on the boat.

“Sammi was outstanding. We had excellent time. Great guide and representation of China and your company.”

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