13 Night River Cruises in China to Build a Day Around

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

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 520 reviews · 1 day · from $21Our pick

Cruise the Huangpu River for about 45 minutes, passing the Bund, Lujiazui towers, Oriental Pearl Tower, and historic bridges. Choose a daytime or evening sailing, then select indoor, semi-open, or open-air viewing areas. Tickets cost about $21, but outdoor and seated areas may require an extra RMB100. Collect paper tickets at the pier with your passport and booking code.

“It was an amazing experience from start to end. Really enjoyed the beautiful buildings on both sides of Huangpu River at night. Just a smooth ride.”

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2.Chongqing: Two Rivers Night Cruise- Yangtze & Jialing Rivers

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 64 reviews · 1 day · from $38

Board near Hongyadong pier for a 45-minute evening cruise on Chongqing’s Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. You’ll pass modern buildings, riverbank scenery, and the Grand Theatre while the city lights come alive. The boat usually runs between 19:00 and 21:00. Bring your passport, arrive early, and consider the optional 80-yuan VIP seating if you want a better view.

“The cruise was very nice and I would recommend to buy the vip package for 80 Yuan on board.”

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3.Guangzhou: Pearl River 1-hour Night Cruise (Optional Piers)

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 39 reviews · 1 day · from $15Best value

Take a Pearl River night cruise for about 40 minutes, or up to 70 minutes from Xidi Pier. Choose among six piers, including Tianzi, Haixinsha West District, and Canton Tower Fortune Pier. Your ticket includes an open-air seat, but you must check your email for the exact sailing time and ticket collection instructions.

“magnifique moment même s'il faisait très froid. Un peu compliqué à trouver le point de départ.”

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5.After Dark Dinner and Huangpu River Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 4 hours · from $126

Spend four hours seeing Shanghai after dark with a private English-speaking guide such as Jenny or Jessi. Enjoy a local restaurant dinner, a 45-minute Huangpu River cruise, hotel pickup and drop-off, and optional VIP boat seating or a Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl Tower visit.

“A great introduction to Shanghai with a wonderful guide. Our guide, Jenny, was originally from Shanghai but had also traveled internationally so was ideal to take us around and explain everything to us. She made us feel very welcome and taken care of and we learnt a lot about the city. We had a short walk to see the major buildings of Shanghai followed by a delicious restaurant dinner. We walked along the river promenade for about 15 minutes before getting on the river cruise which ran for about 45 minutes. The sights of Shanghai at night from the river are impressive. The whole tour was very well organised with…”

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6.Shanghai By Night: Amazing River Cruise and Hot Pot Dinning

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Spend three hours with a private English-speaking guide, cruising the Huangpu River in a VIP seating area before enjoying hot pot at a local restaurant. Your guide can help with the menu and dietary requests. Downtown pickup, drop-off, transport, dinner, and drinks are included. Guides may include Lucy Ye, Roy, Sunny, or Erich.

“We really enjoyed the tour. The guide told us interesting facts during the cruise and then taught us how to eat hot pot.”

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7.Pearl River Night Cruise & Eveing Tour in Guangzhou with Private Transport

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 6 reviews · from $137

You’ll join a private English-speaking guide, such as Jack or Maggie Ho, for a 1.5-hour Pearl River night cruise from Guangzhou. Private city-center hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, cruise tickets, and a 30-minute Dashatou Road waterfront walk are included. Expect illuminated city views, modest walking, and food available to buy onboard or nearby.

“Our tour guide met us at our hotel lobby. He notified the front desk to relay a message to us upon checking in as to his name, Jack, and when he will be by to pick us up and to have our passports with us. Jack was on time and he had a driveRead more”

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8.Night Cruise on Two Rivers & Four Lakes with Lights

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $92

You’ll ride an air-conditioned sightseeing boat through Guilin’s Li River, Peach Blossom River, and four city lakes for about 1.5 hours. Large panoramic windows frame the Twin Pagodas and musical fountains, while an English-speaking driver handles hotel pickup and return. Evening departures vary, so confirm your exact time the day before.

“We had a great night experience ! On the fist boat, we can be outside most of the time to let us the best view possible 👍👍 The guide was reliable, sympathetic with useful information!”

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9.Guangzhou Pearl River Night Cruise and Canton Tower Night Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 5 reviews · from $199

Spend about three hours seeing Guangzhou after dark with private transport, an English-speaking guide, and a Pearl River night cruise with VIP-area viewing. The route includes Huacheng Square, Haixinsha Asian Games Park, and Canton Tower. Albert is one guide named in the tour feedback, though guide assignment is not guaranteed. Tower admission costs extra.

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10.Nanjing: Night Cruise on Outer Qinhuai River for Adults

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · 1 day · from $21

Take a 40-minute round-trip night cruise from Sweeper Alley Dock near Bao’en Temple, outside Zhonghua Gate. The boat passes Yuhua Bridge and Fengtai Bridge before returning. Cruises run Friday through Sunday and public holidays, with departures every 30 minutes. Bring your passport for voucher redemption and passport ID checks.

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11.Private Guangzhou Evening Food Tour with Pearl River Night Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $140

Spend 2 to 4 hours exploring Guangzhou after sunset with a private English-speaking guide. Choose a Pearl River night cruise, Canton Tower visit, or both, then enjoy Cantonese dim sum or local snacks. Pickup is offered at select hotels, while smaller groups may meet at a metro station and use Uber or public transport.

“My husband and I had a wonderful experience in this private tour with Guangzhou Local Tours, the Cantonese dim sum dinner at a traditional local restaurant(tea house was what they called) was a highlight, we had the most delicious authentic dim sum ever! We were tRead more”

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12.Cantonese Dim Sum Dinner with Pearl River Night Cruise in Guangzhou

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · from $199

Meet your private guide at your downtown Guangzhou hotel at 6:00 pm, then ride to Diandoude for Cantonese dim sum, including shrimp dumplings, shaomai, steamed ribs, and walnut buns. Finish with a Pearl River night cruise and views of Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House before returning to your hotel.

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13.Chengdu: JinJiang River Night Cruise Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 2 reviews · 2 hours · from $38

You’ll meet at Dongmen Wharf for a 30-minute night cruise on Chengdu’s JinJiang River. A Chinese-speaking greeter helps with boarding, while a glass-enclosed boat, heated seats, lantern-lit banks, Anshun Covered Bridge, and the Wedding of Two Rivers provide the main sights. Allow up to two hours for ticket exchange and boarding.

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