How to Cross the River
Choose whether crossing the Huangpu is transport, entertainment or the evening’s main event. The ferry, sightseeing tunnel and cruise solve different problems, so do not pay cruise prices for what should be a simple crossing.
The short answer
The ferry: coins or a transport card at the turnstile, no ticket, no booking, ten minutes with the Bund behind you. Skip the tunnel; keep the cruise for a night when the water view is the point, bought at the window at 131 Zhongshan East 2nd Road.
Bund on foot, ferry across at 127 Zhongshan East 1st Road, the Pudong promenade from Dongchang Road pier, then metro Line 2 back from Lujiazui to East Nanjing Road — one stop, ¥4. The tunnel and the cruise add money, not time well spent.
The ferry has no guaranteed seat and rush hours are scooters and commuters, so ride it between 10:00 and 16:00. On the cruise, children under 1.3 m are free (collect the free ticket at the window) and 1.3-1.5 m and over-70s pay half. The tunnel's platform concessions are children under 1 m free and 1-1.4 m half — and the ride is 2.5 to 5 minutes of strobe lights.
Nothing here needs a booking: the ferry is a turnstile, the tunnel sells on site, and the cruise sells at the window — daytime sailings rarely need a wait, night sailings 18:00-21:00 and light-show evenings mean long exchange queues.
Ferry between 10:00 and 16:00; the Bund from sunrise to about 9:00; the Pudong promenade south of the Dongchang Road pier, not the stretch between the museum and the Convention Centre in the hour after the lights come on; a daytime cruise rather than a night one.
The lights come on 19:00-23:00 May-Sep and 18:00-22:00 Oct-Apr (weekday lighting is partial). The Dongjin ferry stops at 18:30, so either the Dongfu line from Fuxing East Road pier (to 22:00 until 31 Oct — seasons differ) or a night cruise from Pier 2 (¥150). Not the tunnel: there is no river in it.
Expect the Dongjin ferry to suspend from 12:00 (New Year, Spring Festival, May Day, National Day — check the 上海轮渡 notices), the cruise to charge ¥150 at any hour with long exchange queues, and the Bund to be crowd-managed one way; metro Line 2 is the crossing that always runs.
It is a ¥50 crossing dressed as a ride — 2.5 to 5 minutes, no river, platform prices only, and a city plan to renovate it with no dates; our own entry says so. The ferry crosses the same water on the surface for ¥2.
Side by sideEach cell ends with the date of the notice it was checked against
Swipe sideways; the first column stays put
Public ferry (Dongjin line)
浦江轮渡（东金线）Open the place →- Where you board
- Puxi: Jinling East Road ferry pier, 127 Zhongshan East 1st Road, at the south end of the Bund just north of Shiliupu — not the excursion-boat pier next to it at 142 Zhongshan East 2nd Road. Pudong: Dongchang Road pier on Binjiang Avenue, a 15-minute walk south of the Oriental Pearl. Pay at the turnstile; there is no ticket window · 2023-05-01
- Fare (current season)
- ¥2 per person (¥2.8 with a bicycle, but the Dongjin line carries foot passengers only) · 2022-03-03
- How to pay / book
- No ticket: tap a Shanghai transport card, scan a phone payment QR or Suishen code, or pay cash at the turnstile — unstaffed since March 2022, cash reconfirmed at Dongchang Road in June 2026. Whether change is given is not stated, so carry 1- or 2-yuan coins. Foreign cards: not checked — we have nothing on them · 2022-03-03
- How long
- Ten minutes on the water; the electric boats run about every 15 minutes on weekdays 12:00-18:30 (other times: not checked) · 2026-06-21
- What you see
- The real river: the whole Bund facade behind you and the towers ahead, then you are on the Pudong riverside. It is public transport — plain cabins, no commentary, no guaranteed seat · 2026-09-10
- When to go (hours, dark)
- Dongjin line about 7:00-18:30 (2026 press report; the city's 2023 pier page still says 22:00, but go by the 上海轮渡 WeChat official account). After dark use the Dongfu line from Fuxing East Road pier, 10 minutes east of Yu Garden, to 22:00 from 1 May to 31 Oct; seasons differ, no winter timetable found. For the view, ride 10:00-16:00 or take the first crossing after dark. On New Year, Spring Festival, May Day and National Day the Dongjin line usually suspends from 12:00 — check the notices first · 2026-06-21
- Best for
- Everyone crossing for the first time; anyone who wants the river for ¥2 and no app
Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
外滩观光隧道- Where you board
- Bund entrance at 300 Zhongshan East 1st Road, north of Chen Yi Square (a platform page gives No. 349 — the two numbers disagree); Pudong entrance at 2789 Binjiang Avenue, south of the Oriental Pearl · 2026-09-10
- Fare (current season)
- Three bundled tiers ¥50 / 90 / 130 (platform, from Nov 2023); Ctrip lists one-way 45, return 60, plus-museum bundles 80 / 85; historic list price 50 one-way / 70 return — no official tariff exists. Buy the cheapest one-way if at all. Concessions (platform): one child under 1 m or under 3 free per adult, 1-1.4 m or ages 3-7 half price, over-70s concession with ID · 2023-11-02
- How to pay / book
- On site, the official mini-program, Meituan or Ctrip (platform). Payment methods at the window — cash, transport card, foreign cards: not checked · 2023-11-02
- How long
- 2.5 to 5 minutes through a 646.7 m tunnel · 2026-09-10
- What you see
- No river at all: a glass capsule under the Huangpu with strobe lights, inflatable figures and a voice-over about 'the abyss' — a ¥50 crossing dressed as a ride · 2026-09-10
- When to go (hours, dark)
- Daily 9:00-22:30 (platform, from Dec 2023; no official text) and almost never a queue. The city's August 2026 five-year plan says 'promote the renovation of the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel' with no dates — not a closure notice, but hoardings would not be a surprise · 2023-12-25
- Best for
- People who want a five-minute retro fairground ride and know that is what they are buying; nobody choosing on value
Shiliupu cruise (classic 45-min loop)
十六铺游船（经典 45 分钟环线）Open the place →- Where you board
- Shiliupu Pier 1 at 481 Zhongshan East 2nd Road (day sailings from 11:00) and Pier 2 at No. 551 (night sailings from 18:00); the ticket office is at No. 131, then walk south. Pier 3 at 99 Waima Road is the dinner cruise from ¥320. It is a loop — you come back to the same pier, so it is not a crossing · 2025-05-26
- Fare (current season)
- Peak season 26 Feb-25 Nov: day ¥120 / night ¥150, standard cabin; public holidays ¥150 — seasons differ (low season 100 / 120 from 26 Nov). Children under 1.3 m free; 1.3-1.5 m and over-70s half price with ID. This is the Transport Commission's January 2023 tariff, the latest published · 2023-01-16
- How to pay / book
- Online: buy in the Suishenxing app, then redeem in the '黄浦江旅游官方票务平台' WeChat mini-program and board with the QR code (Transport Commission FAQ, Feb 2025); also the operator's own mini-program, cruise companies' WeChat official accounts and OTAs, which are exchanged at the pier window with an ID. In person: the ticket office at No. 131. Online expects a Chinese phone number or WeChat real-name; the window is the route on a foreign passport, though whether a passport counts is not stated officially. Foreign cards or cash at the window: not checked. The Shanghai Pass (Alipay mini-program, foreign passports, May 2025) bundles a cruise · 2025-02-07
- How long
- About 45 minutes for the classic loop; the Jinling East Road pier next door runs a separate 60-70 minute express product with no published fare. Exchange closes 10 minutes before departure and boarding is 30 minutes early (Yangpu district page, not confirmed elsewhere) · 2023-01-16
- What you see
- The whole Bund facade twice and the Pudong skyline from the water, north to Yangpu Bridge and south to the Expo waterfront; on hazy nights the skyline is a smear · 2026-09-10
- When to go (hours, dark)
- Night sailings between 18:00 and 21:00 are the crush, and holiday or light-show evenings mean long exchange queues; daytime sailings rarely need a wait. No fixed last sailing is published — call 021-53089007 (10:30-21:30) about tonight's boats. If sailings stop for weather after you have exchanged, refund on the spot with the ticket in hand; afterwards it cannot be refunded · 2023-01-16
- Best for
- People who want the lit-up Bund from the water and have 45 minutes and ¥150; not a way across
| Compare | Public ferry (Dongjin line) | Bund Sightseeing Tunnel | Shiliupu cruise (classic 45-min loop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where you board | Puxi: Jinling East Road ferry pier, 127 Zhongshan East 1st Road, at the south end of the Bund just north of Shiliupu — not the excursion-boat pier next to it at 142 Zhongshan East 2nd Road. Pudong: Dongchang Road pier on Binjiang Avenue, a 15-minute walk south of the Oriental Pearl. Pay at the turnstile; there is no ticket window · 2023-05-01 | Bund entrance at 300 Zhongshan East 1st Road, north of Chen Yi Square (a platform page gives No. 349 — the two numbers disagree); Pudong entrance at 2789 Binjiang Avenue, south of the Oriental Pearl · 2026-09-10 | Shiliupu Pier 1 at 481 Zhongshan East 2nd Road (day sailings from 11:00) and Pier 2 at No. 551 (night sailings from 18:00); the ticket office is at No. 131, then walk south. Pier 3 at 99 Waima Road is the dinner cruise from ¥320. It is a loop — you come back to the same pier, so it is not a crossing · 2025-05-26 |
| Fare (current season) | ¥2 per person (¥2.8 with a bicycle, but the Dongjin line carries foot passengers only) · 2022-03-03 | Three bundled tiers ¥50 / 90 / 130 (platform, from Nov 2023); Ctrip lists one-way 45, return 60, plus-museum bundles 80 / 85; historic list price 50 one-way / 70 return — no official tariff exists. Buy the cheapest one-way if at all. Concessions (platform): one child under 1 m or under 3 free per adult, 1-1.4 m or ages 3-7 half price, over-70s concession with ID · 2023-11-02 | Peak season 26 Feb-25 Nov: day ¥120 / night ¥150, standard cabin; public holidays ¥150 — seasons differ (low season 100 / 120 from 26 Nov). Children under 1.3 m free; 1.3-1.5 m and over-70s half price with ID. This is the Transport Commission's January 2023 tariff, the latest published · 2023-01-16 |
| How to pay / book | No ticket: tap a Shanghai transport card, scan a phone payment QR or Suishen code, or pay cash at the turnstile — unstaffed since March 2022, cash reconfirmed at Dongchang Road in June 2026. Whether change is given is not stated, so carry 1- or 2-yuan coins. Foreign cards: not checked — we have nothing on them · 2022-03-03 | On site, the official mini-program, Meituan or Ctrip (platform). Payment methods at the window — cash, transport card, foreign cards: not checked · 2023-11-02 | Online: buy in the Suishenxing app, then redeem in the '黄浦江旅游官方票务平台' WeChat mini-program and board with the QR code (Transport Commission FAQ, Feb 2025); also the operator's own mini-program, cruise companies' WeChat official accounts and OTAs, which are exchanged at the pier window with an ID. In person: the ticket office at No. 131. Online expects a Chinese phone number or WeChat real-name; the window is the route on a foreign passport, though whether a passport counts is not stated officially. Foreign cards or cash at the window: not checked. The Shanghai Pass (Alipay mini-program, foreign passports, May 2025) bundles a cruise · 2025-02-07 |
| How long | Ten minutes on the water; the electric boats run about every 15 minutes on weekdays 12:00-18:30 (other times: not checked) · 2026-06-21 | 2.5 to 5 minutes through a 646.7 m tunnel · 2026-09-10 | About 45 minutes for the classic loop; the Jinling East Road pier next door runs a separate 60-70 minute express product with no published fare. Exchange closes 10 minutes before departure and boarding is 30 minutes early (Yangpu district page, not confirmed elsewhere) · 2023-01-16 |
| What you see | The real river: the whole Bund facade behind you and the towers ahead, then you are on the Pudong riverside. It is public transport — plain cabins, no commentary, no guaranteed seat · 2026-09-10 | No river at all: a glass capsule under the Huangpu with strobe lights, inflatable figures and a voice-over about 'the abyss' — a ¥50 crossing dressed as a ride · 2026-09-10 | The whole Bund facade twice and the Pudong skyline from the water, north to Yangpu Bridge and south to the Expo waterfront; on hazy nights the skyline is a smear · 2026-09-10 |
| When to go (hours, dark) | Dongjin line about 7:00-18:30 (2026 press report; the city's 2023 pier page still says 22:00, but go by the 上海轮渡 WeChat official account). After dark use the Dongfu line from Fuxing East Road pier, 10 minutes east of Yu Garden, to 22:00 from 1 May to 31 Oct; seasons differ, no winter timetable found. For the view, ride 10:00-16:00 or take the first crossing after dark. On New Year, Spring Festival, May Day and National Day the Dongjin line usually suspends from 12:00 — check the notices first · 2026-06-21 | Daily 9:00-22:30 (platform, from Dec 2023; no official text) and almost never a queue. The city's August 2026 five-year plan says 'promote the renovation of the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel' with no dates — not a closure notice, but hoardings would not be a surprise · 2023-12-25 | Night sailings between 18:00 and 21:00 are the crush, and holiday or light-show evenings mean long exchange queues; daytime sailings rarely need a wait. No fixed last sailing is published — call 021-53089007 (10:30-21:30) about tonight's boats. If sailings stop for weather after you have exchanged, refund on the spot with the ticket in hand; afterwards it cannot be refunded · 2023-01-16 |
| Best for | Everyone crossing for the first time; anyone who wants the river for ¥2 and no app | People who want a five-minute retro fairground ride and know that is what they are buying; nobody choosing on value | People who want the lit-up Bund from the water and have 45 minutes and ¥150; not a way across |
Binjiang Avenue (Lujiazui riverside)：Where the ferry lands: the free Pudong promenade from the Museum of Art Pudong past the Dongchang Road pier, and the place to see the whole Bund facade lit in one sweep with the towers at your back. the other half of a ferry crossing — cross by day, walk the promenade at lights-on, and know that the hour after the lights is the crush between the museum and the Convention Centre while south of the ferry pier it thins out.
Waibaidu Bridge：Not a river crossing: the 1908 steel bridge spans Suzhou Creek where it meets the Huangpu, at the north end of the Bund — free, open around the clock, and the mid-bridge view is the Lujiazui skyline. two photos on the way from the Bund to the North Bund, at dawn if you want it empty; do not build a stop around it.
North Bund riverside：Hongkou's free waterfront east of Waibaidu Bridge, facing the three towers head-on with the Bund line to the west — usually calmer than the Bund, and its own ¥2 ferry, the Taigong line (06:00-21:50), crosses from here. a second, quieter crossing from the Cruise Terminal side (Metro Line 12), or the sunset from the Taigong boat; not the Bund → Lujiazui route.
The Bund (the lights you are crossing for)：The lights-on baseline (city greening bureau, 12 April 2023): 19:00-23:00 May-September, 18:00-22:00 October-April, extended on weekends and major holidays with fuller displays; weekday lighting is partial. anyone timing a crossing to the lights — in November sunset is about 17:00 and the lights come on an hour after dark, so aim for 18:00-21:00; the best photo of the Bund's own facades is from the Pudong riverside opposite, not from the Bund.
One by one
Public ferry (Dongjin line)
浦江轮渡（东金线）The locals' crossing: ¥2 at a turnstile that takes coins, ten minutes with the Bund behind you and the towers ahead, and you step off onto the Pudong promenade. Do not expect a cruise — plain cabins, no seat, no commentary — and do not turn up at 19:00 on the Dongjin line: it stops at 18:30, and after dark you walk to the Fuxing East Road pier for the Dongfu line. The traps: the excursion pier at No. 142 next door is not this pier; on the big public holidays the line suspends from noon, which catches more people than the hours do; and there is nothing on foreign cards, so have coins or a transport card. Against the tunnel, it shows you the river; against the cruise, it actually gets you across. For first-timers with coins and no Chinese phone; anyone going Bund → Lujiazui promenade between 10:00 and 16:00; summer evenings on the Dongfu line.
Open the place →Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
外滩观光隧道The one crossing with no river in it: a glass capsule, strobe lights and an 'abyss' voice-over for ¥50 and up — ten metro fares — over 2.5 to 5 minutes. Our entry for it lists the three better ways: metro Line 2 for ¥4, the ferry for ¥2 with a real view, or riding nothing and seeing each bank from the other. Do not be led into the 'plus art museum' / 'plus magic museum' bundles, and do not plan around it in 2026-27: the city's five-year plan calls for its renovation, undated. Every price and hour here is a platform figure; the last dated official notice is the 2022 reopening. For only people who want the ride for its own sake, with the cheapest one-way ticket.
Shiliupu cruise (classic 45-min loop)
十六铺游船（经典 45 分钟环线）The one to pay for if the water view is the point: 45 minutes past the whole Bund facade twice, with the night sailings the reason people come. Do not treat it as a crossing — it is a loop back to Shiliupu — and do not go on a hazy night, when the skyline is a smear. The traps: three piers and two 'Jinling East Road' facilities within a few hundred metres (the ¥2 ferry at No. 127, the express pier at No. 142, Pier 1 at No. 481); online booking expects a Chinese phone, so the window at No. 131 is your route on a passport; the published tariff is from 2023 and the Transport Commission itself says to check the operator's WeChat official account for sailing times. Weather refunds only on the spot, before you leave the pier. For anyone whose trip needs the lit Bund from the water; families with under-1.3 m children who ride free (collect the free ticket at the window).
Open the place →