Shanghai: Night River Cruise & Tower Option Private Tour
Hands gripping the VIP deck railing as Shanghai lights up below
You're picked up from your hotel and taken to the Bund, where you board a VIP-level river cruise down the Huangpu with views of Shanghai's lit skyline. If you've chosen the tower option, you ride the high-speed elevator to the 118th floor for a 360-degree night view from above. Optional dinner at a local restaurant with soup dumplings and regional dishes rounds out the evening. Everything (transport, guide, entry fees if booked, and timing) is arranged in advance.
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Step-by-step itinerary
- The Bund1h · entry included
- Shanghai Tower1h 30m · entry included
Night tour with river cruise and tower visit
- Pick up from Shanghai hotel
- Visit the Bund landmark
- Board VIP floor on river cruise
- Enjoy illuminated city views on cruise
- Visit Shanghai Tower (optional)
- Take fast lift to 118th floor
- View panoramic night skyline
The experience
A driver arrives at your hotel and you're moving through Shanghai's night streets within minutes. The Bund appears first (those colonial buildings glowing against the Pudong skyline), and your guide walks you straight to the cruise terminal. You board a sightseeing ship, climb to the VIP floor, and the river opens up. The boat moves slowly enough that you can actually see the detail in the light displays: the old architecture on one bank, the new towers on the other, all of it reflected in the water. This is a private tour, so it's just your group up there, no crowds fighting for the railing.
If you've added the Shanghai Tower option, the second half takes you to the building itself: the world's second-tallest structure, and it looks different at night. The elevator climbs at 55 meters per second to the 118th-floor observation deck, and the view shifts from the river's perspective to a full 360-degree panorama of the city lit up. You're standing inside the tower looking down at the same lights you were watching from the boat. The contrast is worth the upgrade if you want to see Shanghai from both angles in one night.
Dinner, if you've booked it, happens at a local restaurant, not on the boat, not on top of the tower, but somewhere in the city where you can eat properly. The menu includes soup dumplings and other Shanghai specialties. Your guide handles the timing so everything flows without you checking your watch. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, and your driver knows the route, so you're not navigating or negotiating fares at the end of the night.
What’s included
- Your day includes hotel pickup in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide, VIP-level seating on the Huangpu River cruise with views of the Bund and Pudong skyline, and optional entry to the 118th-floor observation deck at Shanghai Tower if you choose that upgrade.
- If you book the dinner option, a meal at a local Shanghai restaurant with soup dumplings and regional specialties is included.
- Drop-off back at your hotel closes out the evening.
Options for this experience
4 optionsYou pick the guide language when booking.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 7 days ago
Operated by Sunny Private Tours
Is this one for you?Choose this if you want Shanghai's main night sights (the river and the skyline) without arranging your own transport, timing the stops, or figuring out where to eat. The private format and hotel pickup mean you're not coordinating with other groups or waiting for a scheduled departure.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Chinese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (under 3).
Is the dinner included in the base price?
No. Dinner is an optional add-on. If you book it, the cost is separate and the meal happens at a local restaurant, not on the boat or tower.
Can I do just the river cruise without the tower?
Yes. The tower is optional. You can book the tour with just the VIP river cruise along the Huangpu, or add the Shanghai Tower 118th-floor observation deck as an upgrade.
What's included in the base price?
Hotel pickup and drop-off, a private driver and air-conditioned vehicle, a local guide, and a VIP-level ticket on the river cruise with reserved seating on the upper deck.
Do I need to arrange my own transportation to the Bund?
No. Your driver picks you up from your hotel and takes you directly to the cruise terminal at the Bund.
Is the observation deck at Shanghai Tower worth the extra cost?
That depends on whether you want to see Shanghai from above as well as from the river. The tower adds roughly 1–1.5 hours and a separate entry fee, but gives you a different perspective of the same nighttime skyline.
Shanghai: Night River Cruise & Tower Option Private Tour
3h–4h · EN +1 · at your hotel
from US$ 143.60 per person
4.94130 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider