The 15 Best Zambezi River Cruises

1.Dinner Cruise on the Zambezi River

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 925 reviews · 3 hours · from $110Our pick

Spend three hours aboard the Zambezi Breeze from Pure Africa Waterfront, pairing a sunset cruise with a freshly prepared four-course or six-course dinner. Expect assigned seating, included alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, English-speaking service, and chances to see hippos, elephants, crocodiles, birds, and other wildlife. Hotel pickup is included within 5 kilometers of Victoria Falls Town.

“Wonderful food and drink. Lovely boat and attentive staff. Pick ups on time and admin and transfers seamless. Some wildlife to spot. A fabulous night out - felt really special. Highly recommend”

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2.Dinner Cruise on the Zambezi River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 518 reviews · from $92Top rated

Cruise the upper Zambezi River from Victoria Falls at about 5:00 pm for a three-hour dinner outing. Watch the sunset, spot hippos, crocodiles, and possibly elephants, and enjoy a four-course meal with an open bar. Hotel pickup is included from Zimbabwe-side lodges, but Zambian-side transport is not.

“Overall worth the price. Unlimited drinks, though all were rather cheap. We saw hippos and crocodiles during the cruise while hors d'oeuvres were being served, with the main course being served after sunset.”

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3.2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 303 reviews · 2 hours · from $69

Spend two hours cruising upstream on the Zambezi from Victoria Falls, with hotel pickup, drinks, canapés, and sunset views. Watch for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, birds, and other wildlife. Choose the refurbished Luxury Deck or upgrade to the Signature Deck for quieter seating, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and a dedicated mixologist.

“It’s as good as the reviews say. The Zambezi is beautiful with the sun slowly setting. Signature deck highly recommended!”

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4.Zambezi River Class IV-V White-Water Rafting from Victoria Falls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 243 reviews · from $140

Start with hotel pickup and a safety briefing, then raft 14 miles through the Zambezi Gorge under guides such as JB, Terence, Steve, or Lawrence. Choose an oar, stern-mount, or paddle raft based on ability and water levels. Expect steep gorge hikes, powerful rapids, river swims, a barbecue lunch, and an open bar.

“The whitewater rafting was great. JB and his crew were amazing (special shoutout to Liberty)… very safe, friendly and informative. Also incredibly patient. The climb down the gorge to put in and back up at the end is no joke. It’s a lot of climbing over rocks, steps made of branches and loose gravel. I’m in good shape and I do some hiking, but I found this very challenging, especially in water shoes. But the team was very encouraging and helpful and didn’t rush us, literally holding my hand through portions. The barbecue chicken and beer at the end of the climb were a nice payoff.”

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5.Dinner Cruise on the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 162 reviews · from $90

Set out at 4:30 pm from Victoria Falls for a small-group dinner cruise on the Zambezi. You will cruise above Victoria Falls, watch the sunset, and enjoy a four-course meal with wine, beer, soft drinks, water, and coffee. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included from Zimbabwe-side hotels. Wildlife sightings may include hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and birds.

“We had a huge problem with South African airways strike. Our flight was canceled and re-scheduled several times. It was a very difficult situation. The operator was extremely understanding and appreciated their effort to accommodate our neeRead more”

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6.Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 151 reviews · from $92

Spend about two hours on the upper Zambezi River near Victoria Falls, watching the sunset from a comfortable boat while enjoying drinks and freshly prepared canapés. Keep your eyes on the shore for elephants, hippos, crocodiles, kudus, and birds. Hotel pickup is included from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, but park fees are extra.

“After Chobe safari and visiting Vic Falls, this was a good way to end my time at Vic Falls, crusing the Zambezi river. Although this is a cruise, we did see elephants, hippos crocodiles and the boat got as close as possible for a big boat. Nice boat. The crew did a choir act at the end which was a good move”

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7.Zambezi River Relaxing Sunset Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 124 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $70

Spend 2.5 hours on the upper Zambezi aboard the one-deck Wanuka Queen. From Victoria Falls, you’ll watch the sunset near the mist of the Falls, look for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, and birds, and enjoy snacks plus beer, wine, spirits, and soft drinks. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“excellent river cruise, great wildlife shots, refreshments, great staff”

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8.Sunset Cruises on the Zambezi River from Victoria Falls

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 95 reviews · from $49

Cruise the Zambezi River for about three hours from Victoria Falls. After a traditional Ndebele welcome, choose an upper or lower deck seat, enjoy unlimited drinks and snacks, and watch for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, birds, and a glowing sunset. Hotel pickup and return are included within Victoria Falls town.

“Pickup was prompt. Cruise was good. Choice of drinks could have been better. Snacks on board could have been better”

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9.Zambezi River Sunset Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 71 reviews · 2 hours · from $75

You’ll cruise upstream from Victoria Falls aboard the African Queen or African Princess for two hours. Expect sunset views, nature reserves, drinks, snacks, and English-speaking service. John has handled punctual pickups, while Alice has served warmly on board. Transfers from Livingstone hotels are included.

“Pick up was on time and John was very kind. The cruise itself was lovely we even saw hippos. Alice our waitress was very sweet, drinks and snacks were a very nice addition. It was all seamless.”

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10.Sundowner Cruise on Zambezi River (Zimbabwe)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 58 reviews · from $55

Join Wild Horizons for a two-hour sunset cruise on the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls. You will receive hotel pickup, finger snacks, local drinks, and a chance to spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and birds. The boat does not visit Victoria Falls, but it offers an easy evening on the river with sunset views and a group size of up to 40 people.

“This was a relaxing cruise and we got the chance to see some animals and enjoy a beautiful sunset. However, it wasn’t clear when booking that you don’t actually see Victoria Falls during the cruise. Additionally, I would be careful booking thrRead more”

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11.Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 57 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $59

Spend two hours on the Zambezi River near Victoria Falls, where guides point out hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and birds as sunset colors the water. Hotel pickup, drinks, wine, beer, spirits, soft drinks, and light snacks are included. Guide Noaba has earned special praise for his stories and wildlife spotting.

“Our guide Noaba was excellent, really insightful and helpful. The food and service was also good and the views were amazing”

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12.Zambezi River Sunset Cruise, from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · from $66

Cruise the Zambezi River for about two hours aboard the Zambezi Explorer, with hotel pickup, an open bar, bottled water, and passing plates of snacks. Choose the standard boat or pay more for the upper deck. Expect sunset views, attentive service, and possible sightings of hippos, elephants, crocodiles, zebras, or monkeys, but not Victoria Falls itself.

“This was an amazing cruise for the money! They give you excellent drinks the whole time, service is remarkable, the decor of the cruise furniture fits Africa well. This is not a basic cruise, it is really a luxury cruise. You will not see the Falls, but you likely will see (we did) many hippos and elephants along the shore. This was the perfect start to our three-day trip to Victoria Falls.”

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13.Whitewater Rafting Adventure on the Zambezi River, Victoria Falls Zimbabwe

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $140

Start at 7:30 am for a full day on the Zambezi below Victoria Falls. You’ll tackle class III to V rapids with calm pools between runs, then enjoy lunch, snacks, and bottled water. Guides including Elvis and Kate have earned warm praise, but the steep gorge climb means you need moderate fitness and proper sports shoes.

“Elvis is the guy who made it fun for us... actually all the stuff were great. We really enjoyed and they were very professional...”

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14.Sunset Cruise Wildlife Watching Experience at Zambezi River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 21 reviews · from $45Best value

Set out from Victoria Falls at 4:00 pm for a two-hour Zambezi River cruise. Sip beer, wine, spirits, soft drinks, or water while snacking on canapes and watching for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, baboons, and birds. Hotel pickup is offered, and the cruise returns to its starting point.

“Really enjoyable tour overall. I chose this option as it is by far the best value for money as I didn’t want to waste money on dinner…then was pleasantly surprised that we got a great variety of snacks anyways. We saw hippos, crocodiles, an eagle Read more”

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15.Birdwatching Cruise in Zambezi River with Breakfast

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · from $85

Meet at 6:30 am for a small-group cruise on the Zambezi with an experienced captain and bird guide. Watch for African pitta, Narina Trogon, and other species while marking sightings in a birding booklet. A continental breakfast of fruit, pastries, cheese, and biscuits is served onboard, with pickup from select hotels.

“Shuttle service, nice small group, great food! The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. We saw a variety of birds and wild life as indicated in description. Highly recommended for solo travelers, couples or friends.”

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