The 15 Best Cruises & Boat Tours in Beijing

1.Water-Great Wall Odyssey: Hike & Cruise One Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 94 reviews · 9 hours · from $52Our pick

Ride a bus from central Beijing to Huanghuacheng, where the Great Wall meets a lake. Your $52 fare includes entry, an English-speaking guide and a round-trip boat ride. You get five hours to hike and explore, with optional activities such as a glass-slide rafting ride for an extra 140 RMB. Guides have included Cici, Shannon, Joy and Rachel; your guide may vary.

“Out tour guide Shannon was amazing...she came with us and guide us through and it felt like we had a private guide. She took nice photos and she made our day a pleasant experience. she was quick responding when we asked her anything on WhatsApp and very efficient. We really enjoy our day! plus, this part of the Great Wall offers breathtaking scenery. I highly recommend this tour...it makes all the money and more. Thank you for this wonderful experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Water-Great Wall Odyssey: Scenic Bus & Cruise Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · from $50

Travel from central Beijing to Huanghuacheng with an English-speaking guide on the bus, then spend five hours exploring independently. Admission and a round-trip boat ride are included. Cici has guided departures with friendly help and a history introduction en route. Optional rafting costs 140 RMB.

“Very peaceful and beautiful. Would definitely recommend if you want to escape the crowds. Lots of activities to do also like kayaking and a water slide. Cici was a great guide also.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Longqingxia Gorge Cruise and Guyaju Cave Dwellings Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · from $216

Spend about nine hours outside Beijing with a private English-speaking guide and driver. Cruise Longqing Gorge past wooded peaks, temples, and karst formations, then visit Guyaju’s more than 170 rock-cut rooms. Lunch and hotel transfers are included. Guide names associated with the tour include Linda, May, Daisy, Jeffery, and Coco, though assignments can vary.

“We had a fantastic day and were overwelmed by the landscape and nature. The gorge was amazing and the dwellingsb was fabtastic to see.. Our tourguide Linda was fantastic wiht her knowledge and stoytelling she shared,”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Din Tai Fung Dinner and VIP Class River Cruise Experience in Shanghai

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 31 reviews · from $173

A private guide and driver take you from a central Shanghai hotel to the Bund, then to a 60-minute Huangpu River cruise with VIP seating and dinner at Din Tai Fung. The tour lasts about four hours. Sunny and Mason are among the guides praised for friendly, attentive service. Confirm your hotel’s location and choose an early start if you want an unhurried meal.

“The overall experience was excellent. The guide (Mason) was polite, friendly and takes care of us during the whole tour. Would highly recommend him as the guide to my family and friends if they are to visit Shanghai.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Beijing Private Tour to Badaling Great Wall and Longqing Gorge with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 26 reviews · from $236

Travel by private car from your central Beijing hotel to Badaling and Longqing Gorge, with an English-speaking guide, round-trip Great Wall cable car, gorge boat ride, entrance fees, and lunch included. Plan on 8 to 9 hours. Guides have included Tony, Edward, Allen, Lucy, Sophie, and others, though your guide may differ.

“A great day spent with a very knowledgeable guide. The tour was very informative and the guide a lot of fun”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Private Day Tour to Longqing Gorge and Dingling at the Ming Tombs with Lunch and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · from $214

Spend about nine hours outside central Beijing with a private English-speaking guide and driver. Explore Dingling, the only excavated Ming imperial tomb, then cruise Longqing Gorge beneath steep cliffs and peaks. Lunch, admission, boat fare, and hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Guides named in past trips include Jack, Leo, Ranee, Christine, Susan, and Albert, though your guide will depend on the day.

“The tour was nice and Christine was a great guide ! She provided many historical information and anecdotes which made the tour as interesting as pleasant. She even adapted the itinerary upon my request to go to the Sacred Way. I recommend !”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Transfer to Tianjin Xingang Cruise Port-Every Group Size

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $108

Travel privately from a Beijing hotel, Capital Airport, or Daxing Airport to Tianjin Xingang cruise port. A driver meets your group and takes you in an air-conditioned vehicle, with options ranging from a sedan to a bus. The ride is listed at about two and a half hours, though reported trips have taken from 90 minutes to three hours.

“We were treated to tea and water. Also, some bananas. I would highly recommend this! Although the driver did Nike speak English, he was able to use his translator with ease.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Private Day Tour to Longqing Gorge with Boat Ride and Cable Car from Beijing

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $208

Travel from your Beijing hotel with an English-speaking guide and private driver to Longqing Gorge in Yanqing District. Ride the dragon-shaped elevator, cruise between steep cliffs, then take a cable car to the Immortal Taoist Temple. Lunch, entry, transport, boat and cable car tickets are included. Jimmy is one guide associated with the tour, though assignments can vary.

“We were picked up from our hotel by Jimmy our guide who took us to Longqing Gorge. During our time we cruised up the river and back. Climbed to a few temples which had awesome views with the help of the cable car. We finished with Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Private Great Wall Tour from Tianjin Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $248

Ride a first-class bullet train from Tianjin to Beijing, then visit Mutianyu Great Wall by private car with an English-speaking guide. The roughly 10-hour tour includes port or central hotel pickup, admission, and a cable car ride. Guides Aaron and Kriss have led this tour; expect a long, active day, with 10,000 to 20,000 steps.

“It was very nice experience. Everything was organised perfectly and on time. Ms Kriss was excellent guide, helpful, gave us insight in China and answered all our questions. She adopted well to our requests and dumplings at railway station were just the right experience we were looking for. We can highly recommend Ms Kriss and Sunflower agency”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Imperial Waterway Boat+Summer Palace SelfGuidedTour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 6 reviews · 4 hours · from $40Best value

Start near Zizhuyuan Park, take a 28-minute one-way boat ride toward the Summer Palace, then explore the UNESCO-listed grounds on your own. The $40 tour includes park access, the cruise, palace entry and a guidebook, but no live guide or audio guide. Expect some flexibility, and confirm the pier and time allowance before setting out.

“Gewone boottocht. Tuin van zomerpaleis héél groot. Wel vele gebouwen niet toegankelijk.”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.2-Day Private Beijing Excursion with Great Wall from Tianjin Cruise Terminal

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $506

This private two-day Beijing trip pairs the quieter Mutianyu Great Wall with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. You travel from Tianjin cruise port by private vehicle, stay overnight in a hotel, and use round-trip cable cars at the wall. Guides associated with the tour include Linda and Jerry, praised for patience, courtesy, and helpfulness.

“We spent two wonderful days in Beijing and visited the Great Wall, old Beijing and the Forbidden City. Our guide Linda was professional, friendly and courteous, and also provided us with wonderful meals.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.2 Days Beijing Group Tour from Tianjin Cruise Port without Shop Stops

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $245

Travel from Tianjin Cruise Port to Beijing for two busy days: climb the Mutianyu Great Wall, stay overnight in a Beijing hotel, then visit the Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City. Transport, an English-speaking guide, sightseeing admission, breakfast, and two lunches are included. Shop stops are not part of the program.

“Excellent experience from pre-tour communications to post tour service. Ren our tour guide did a good job showing us all the sights stated in the itinerary. Our only complain was the hotel. We went with a '5' star hotel (Crown Plaza). Our room was old with wall paper peeling off! On the whole we had a great time. Excellent value for the money!”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Private Transfer: Beijing hotel to Tianjin Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $108

A private, one-way ride from your Beijing hotel to Tianjin International Cruise Home Port takes about three hours. Your driver handles the long trip in an air-conditioned vehicle. Give the provider your hotel details, cruise name, pickup time, and phone number, and request a free baby seat at least three days ahead.

“After a 14 hour flight it was so refreshing to have someone waiting with a sign showing my name clearly visible. The driver was excellent and his vehicle was extremely clean and comfortable. We were able to communicate with his limited Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Transit Tours & Transfers from Tianjin Cruise Port

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $129

Start at Tianjin cruise port at 8:30 am and travel by private vehicle toward Mutianyu Great Wall, where you get about two hours to explore. The tour is described as customizable, with an English-speaking guide, entrance, and chair lift or toboggan included only on selected options. Tony is named in connection with the company’s layover tours, but confirm who will guide your booking.

“I highly recommend visiting the Great Wall and the forbidden city if you have a long layover through Beijing! This was the best layover that I have ever had. Tony and crew organized a stellar individualized tour that met every one of our needs. The directions to obtain visas and Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Private Longqing Gorge & Guyaju Cave Day Tour w/ Cruise Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · from $198

Spend a day outside Beijing with a private driver and English-speaking guide, visiting Longqing Gorge for mountain views and a cruise, then Guyaju’s cliffside cave dwellings. The tour includes hotel pickup, transport, entrance tickets and the boat ride. Guide Kim is named in one account, though guide assignments may vary.

“The gorge is half buried in water behind a high dam, still spectacular. The boat ride is mandatory -- the only way to actually see the gorge. (But you can climb to the ridgetop from the top of a gondola next to the dam, or from the village Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review