which option
Choosing between the three Huangpu evenings
Three options on the river, run by three providers: what each one covers and who it suits.
Reserve a Huangpu night cruise ↗The three options
| Option | On the water | Food |
|---|---|---|
| Guided entry | 45 to 50 minutes, day or evening by option | Not included |
| After-dark dinner tour | A standard 45-minute cruise, with VIP seating optional; about 4 hours in all | Local restaurant dinner, not on the boat |
| Dragon cruise with buffet | Departs at 19:00 and returns at 21:00; 3.5 to 4 hours in all | Buffet on board |
Start with what you want from the evening
If the cruise is the point, the guided-entry ticket is the plainest route. If you want a full evening for your own group, look at the dinner tour. If you want dinner and the lights on one boat, the dragon cruise is built for that.
Guided entry: the simplest ticket
It covers the cruise for your option, an English-speaking host who walks you through validation, security and boarding, and a guide who stays on board. Food and drinks are not included.
The after-dark dinner tour: the whole evening
A guide collects you from your hotel in downtown Shanghai by taxi or Didi and brings you back at the end. You eat at a neighbourhood restaurant, take the cruise, and can add VIP seating or a Shanghai Tower or Oriental Pearl Tower visit. It is sold as a private group tour, and gratuities are not included.
The dragon cruise: dinner aboard
This is a dragon-themed boat. Tickets are redeemed between 17:00 and 18:00, the buffet is served from 17:30 to 19:30, and the boat departs at 19:00 and returns at 21:00. Nobody disembarks during the cruise, and the lit-up buildings are viewed from a distance.
Food: three different answers
Guided entry has none, the dinner tour eats ashore at a local restaurant, and the dragon cruise serves a buffet on board. Guests praise the lights on the buffet cruise and are less enthusiastic about the food.
Cancelling and paying later
All three options come with free cancellation until 24 hours before departure and a reserve now and pay later choice, so a date can be held while your party decides.