A Review of the Huang Pu River Cruise in Shanghai

We've been here in Shanghai for four years now and we still love the Huang Pu tour as do our guests, as does our pre-schooler son. So, it's great for everyone, provided you go on a warm day or make sure you have your layers on!

The Huang Pu River is a tributary of the Yangtze and there is plenty of traffic on it to prove its importance. You'll see the magnificent building skylines on both the historic west side (the Bund), and the modern east side (Pudong) as well as the working area of coal boats filling barges and sending them downriver. It's fun to see such lively river life as well as Shanghai's amazing skyline.

Touring the Bund can be hard work - if you really want to see it, you start walking on the west side of the Huang Pu River, the historic Bund, and peek into the buildings, remark on the architecture and have a coffee at one of the stunning restaurants that are beginning to be housed in these classic buildings. Then, you cross the street and view the Pudong skyline from the Bund promenade. If you're really ambitious, then you'll cross the Huang Pu River using the Bund Sight-Seeing Tunnel to view the Bund skyline from the east side of the river. Exhausting!

Another way to take in all this scenery is from the deck of one of Shanghai's Huang Pu River sight-seeing cruises. It's easy to buy tickets and there's no reservation needed, boats leave throughout the day for the 1-1.5 hour cruise until about 4:30pm. You'll either board directly from the Bund Promenade or be taken by bus to another boarding spot nearby (north of the Bund). The cruise boats have open air decks above and closed decks below and also sell a number of refreshments.

Some cruises, like the one operated by Shanghai Scenery give a tour in English and mandarin over the loudspeakers, so if you can hear it, you'll know what you're viewing. In general, tours depart from the Bund, head south so you'll have views of the historic west-side buildings down to the more industrial part of the river, then head north to view Pudong and the bend in the Huang Pu.

Buying Tickets: Find a ticket booth on the Bund Promenade. The promenade is on the opposite side of the street from the Bund historic architecture and serves as a river walk. Ticket offices are on the southern end of this promenade and are labeled in English, for example "Ticket Office, Scenery Sight-Seeing on Huang Pu River". The vendor will speak a little English but you don't usually have to wait long for the cruise to start.