AROUND THE WORLD · LUXURY RIVER CRUISES

Best Luxury River Cruises Worldwide — Our Top 15

27 tours  ·  from $27 a head

Small boats, a dozen cabins, a chef and a guide who moves with you. The 15 below explain what the higher fare buys, from suite size to the shore visits included, and where it is simply a bigger window.

Bangkok: The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Cruise - Boarding the new three-deck boat
Bangkok River Cruises, Chao Phraya River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Thailand, Thailand River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Bangkok: The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Cruise

1.The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,371 reviews · 2 hours · from $49Our pick

Choose a sunset or evening sailing on a new three-deck boat, with seafood, salmon sashimi, steak, drinks, live music, and Thai classical dance. Dinner cruises leave Asiatique at 8 PM, while sunset sailings leave Yodpiman River Walk at 4:45 PM. Reserve rooftop seating early.

“It’s a very good experience. We would recommend the sunset cruise as the views are great. Mc is very energetic, waiters are super helpful, bottomless food and brinks! Come with an empty stomach to truly immerse yourself.”

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Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Tour, Wine Tasting, Lunch & Boat - Pinhão, the Douro River, and the wooden boat
Douro River Cruises, Food & Drink, Lunch Experiences, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Porto, Luxury River Cruises in Portugal, Porto River Cruises, Portugal River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wine Tours

Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Tour, Wine Tasting, Lunch & Boat

2.Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Tour, Wine Tasting, Lunch & Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,365 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $181Top rated

Travel from Porto to the Douro Valley in a small group with guides such as Alex, Sara, Sergio, or Miguel. Visit two wine estates, taste Port, table wine, olive oil, and honey, enjoy lunch in Pinhão, and cruise the Douro River for an hour.

“There was some miscommunication about the pick up point. Otherwise our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful.”

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Luxury Felucca on the Nile with Lunch - What happens from hotel pickup to the river
Cairo River Cruises, Egypt River Cruises, Lunch Experiences, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Cairo, Luxury River Cruises in Egypt, Nile Cruises, Tour Reviews

Luxury Felucca on the Nile with Lunch

3.Luxury Felucca on the Nile with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 994 reviews · from $50

Enjoy a private two-hour felucca sail on the Nile with a meal, dessert, and soft drinks. Tarzan Egypt Tours provides hotel pickup and return from Cairo or Giza. Guides such as Mido, Mohamed, Zizo, and Nido may add local insight, photos, and thoughtful help for birthdays or anniversaries.

“Great fresh food, very nice guide! Nice original boat! Very relaxing. Great great value! Perfect family activity for bird and Nile's fauna observation.”

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Bohol: Premium Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers & River Experience - A quiet look at Bohol’s tarsiers
Dessert Tours, Luxury River Cruises, River Cruises, the Philippines River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Bohol: Premium Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers & River Experience

4.Bohol: Premium Chocolate Hills, Tarsiers & River Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 804 reviews · 7 hours · from $43

Spend seven hours exploring Bohol with an English-speaking guide such as Christine, Dexter, Mary, or Mariel. Visit the Chocolate Hills, tarsier sanctuary, Man-Made Forest, and Loboc River. Transport, tickets, and timing are handled for you, while the river buffet costs ₱950 extra.

“The best 24hour trip to beautiful Bohol. So grateful to Christine, our guide, and her team. The day ran smoothly, we experienced so much, it was great value for money. Would recommend.”

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From Porto: Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Wine Tour - A premium lunch with a touch of theater
Douro River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Porto, Luxury River Cruises in Portugal, Porto River Cruises, Portugal River Cruises, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wine Tours

From Porto: Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Wine Tour

5.Premium Douro Valley Small-Group Wine Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 533 reviews · 10 hours · from $123

Spend 10 hours in the Douro Valley with a guide such as Ivo, Ighor, Sara, or Ricardo. Travel in a van limited to eight people, visit two wine estates, taste port, table wine, and olive oil, enjoy a premium lunch, and cruise the river for one hour.

“The trip was amazing. We visited three wineries instead of two wineries plus boat trip on Douro river as the Douro river was closed due to a storm. Our group was of 8 persons plus our bubbly guide Ana. Ana was truly awesome; knowledgeable and full of enthusiasm to make our trip as wonderful as possible. We were picked up from our hotel by Ana. The guides at the wineries were good too and all the estates were beautiful. Lunch served to us in restaurant SUS was exceptional. I somehow was not expecting the valley to look so scenic in the winter but it was beautiful. Definitely worth a day…”

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Porto: Luxury Yacht Tour of the 6 Bridges and Douro Estuary - The Arrábida Bridge and Porto’s western riverfront
Douro River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Portugal, Portugal River Cruises, Sailing, Tour Reviews, Tours

Porto: Luxury Yacht Tour of the 6 Bridges and Douro Estuary

6.Luxury Yacht Tour of the 6 Bridges and Douro Estuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 521 reviews · 2 hours · from $57

Set out from Douro Marina with Nancy and Fernando or another certified crew, then cruise Porto and Gaia’s six bridges on a yacht limited to 12 people. You’ll see the riverfront, port cellars, Foz do Douro, and the estuary reserve, with sangria, music, and time for photos.

“Beautiful evening cruise along the Douro. Nancy was very friendly and shared great historical context about Porto. It’s worth noting that we were one of the few boats that were still out at sea when the sun set into the sea!!”

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Bangkok: Opulence Luxury River Dinner Cruise - Getting from ICONSIAM to the right pier
Bangkok River Cruises, Dinner Cruises, Dinner Cruises in Bangkok, Dinner Cruises in Thailand, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Thailand, River Cruises, Thailand River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Bangkok: Opulence Luxury River Dinner Cruise

7.Opulence Luxury River Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 468 reviews · 2 hours · from $57

Spend two hours aboard the Opulence on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. You’ll get a welcome drink, buffet dinner, live bands on two decks, and nighttime views of Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Asiatique. Assigned seating helps, but rooftop places are not guaranteed.

“Incredible experience! Well organized and great value for money! I would certainly do it again.”

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From Bovec: Premium Rafting on Soča River with Photo Service - From HungaroRaft to the river in 10 minutes
Bovec River Rafting, Luxury River Cruises, River Cruises, River Rafting, River Rafting in Bovec, River Rafting in Slovenia, Slovenia River Cruises, Tour Reviews

From Bovec: Premium Rafting on Soča River with Photo Service

8.Premium Rafting on Soča River with Photo Service

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 458 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $70

Raft the Soča River from Bovec with guides such as Heidar, GG, Marcel, or Fülöp. Expect a clear safety briefing, Class II to IV rapids, swimming, a raft slide, and optional jumps from Penguin Rock or the Manhattan. The 3.5-hour outing includes gear and shuttle transport.

“Absolutely fantastic and exciting way to see Soca Rivers beauty. So much fun. Our guide GG is awesome. Can't recommend enough.”

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VALE DOURO, Premium Wine Tour, Wine Lunch, Private Boat - Leaving Porto for the Douro
Douro River Cruises, Lunch Experiences, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Porto, Luxury River Cruises in Portugal, Porto River Cruises, Portugal River Cruises, Private River Charters, Private River Charters in Porto, Private River Charters in Portugal, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wine Tours

VALE DOURO, Premium Wine Tour, Wine Lunch, Private Boat

9.VALE DOURO, Premium Wine Tour, Wine Lunch, Private Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 362 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $163

Travel from Porto in a small group of up to eight with guides such as Vasco, Luis, David, or Rui. Visit two wineries, taste 10 Portuguese wines, enjoy a wine-paired farm lunch, cruise the Douro on a private boat, and stop at scenic viewpoints along the N222.

“Fun and informative thing to do in Porto. See the Douro Valley, take a great little cruise in a small charming boat with accomplished Pirate & Captain. See the wonderful vistas of the valley, stop to take a photo or two at key spots, and have a delicious local traditional wine and food experience in a choice restaurant. Our Tour Guide David P was the best, he really took care of everyone to make sure they had the best time. Take a jacket or sweater just in case.”

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1-Day Mekong Delta Deluxe Tour: My Tho & Ben Tre (Max 10) - A 40-minute cruise on the Tien River
1-Day Tours, Ho Chi Minh City River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Vietnam, Mekong Delta Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Vietnam River Cruises

1-Day Mekong Delta Deluxe Tour: My Tho & Ben Tre (Max 10)

10.1-Day Mekong Delta Deluxe Tour: My Tho & Ben Tre (Max 10)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 336 reviews · from $27Best value

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Ben Tre in a group capped at 10. Visit Vinh Trang Pagoda, cruise the Tien River, sample coconut products, glide through nipa-lined canals, eat a Vietnamese lunch, and cycle through rural Delta life. Guides include Ken, Tommy, and Linda.

“First thing, the tour was a great day out. With 4 adults and 4 kids, everyone had fun and everything was taken care of by our tour guide. While some of the places you visit are obvious tourist traps, never did we feel pushed into purchasing anyRead more”

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Bangkok: Opulence Luxury Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise - Getting to Icon Siam Pier 2
Chao Phraya River Cruises, Dinner Cruises, Dinner Cruises in Thailand, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Thailand, Thailand River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Bangkok: Opulence Luxury Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise

11.Opulence Luxury Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 324 reviews · 2 hours · from $54

Spend two hours aboard the Opulence, sailing from Icon Siam along the Chao Phraya River. You’ll get a Thai dance welcome, seafood and international buffet, dessert, live music, and views of Wat Arun, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Bangkok’s bridges. Drinks cost extra.

“The atmosphere was really good, the food as well, and the entertainment too. I wouldn’t change it but if there is one improvement maybe including one complimentary drink or including one photo by someone from the crew.”

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Victoria Falls: 2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise - Upstream first, with wildlife along the banks
2-Hour Experiences, Luxury River Cruises, River Cruises, Sunset River Cruises, Sunset River Cruises in Zimbabwe, Tour Reviews, Victoria Falls River Cruises, Zambezi River Cruises, Zimbabwe River Cruises

Victoria Falls: 2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise

12.2-Hour Luxury Zambezi River Sunset Cruise

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

Spend two hours cruising upstream from Victoria Falls on a comfortable luxury boat. Enjoy drinks and canapés, watch for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and birds, then turn back toward the distant spray of Victoria Falls as the sun goes down. Choose the Luxury or Signature Deck.

“very nice boat. crews, drinks, food, everything is awesome! and of course the sunset views too ;)”

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The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise - Choosing between the rooftop and indoor decks
Bangkok River Cruises, Chao Phraya River Cruises, Dinner Cruises, Dinner Cruises in Bangkok, Dinner Cruises in Thailand, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Thailand, Thailand River Cruises, Tour Reviews

The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise

13.The Newest Luxury 5-Star Bangkok Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 246 reviews · from $50

Board a new three-deck vessel at Asiatique for a two-hour evening cruise past Bangkok’s lit temples, palaces, bridges, and modern buildings. Choose rooftop or air-conditioned seating, enjoy Thai and international buffet dishes, and watch Thai dance, live music, and possible fireworks.

“Everyone was very friendly and had a smile on their face. I believe Cha our service provider was excellent and helpful.”

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DOURO PREMIUM - The 90-minute ride into the Douro
Douro River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Porto, Luxury River Cruises in Portugal, Porto River Cruises, Portugal River Cruises, Tour Reviews

Douro Premium

14.Douro Premium

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 192 reviews · 8 to 9 hours (approx.) · from $211

Spend 8 to 9 hours exploring the Douro Valley with guide Pedro or another local guide. From Porto, Gaia, or Vila Real, you’ll taste olive oil among the groves, stop at São Leonardo de Galafura, eat lunch at a small farm, and cruise the Douro River in a group limited to seven.

“Great trip with an excellent guide! Fantastic hospitality. The Duoro Valley is stunning and a must see.”

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Luxury Feluca on the NiLe with Food included( Romantic Trip) - Food, Dessert, and the Romantic Setup
Egypt River Cruises, Food, Food & Drink, Giza River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises, Luxury River Cruises in Egypt, Nile Cruises, Tour Reviews

Luxury Feluca on the NiLe with Food included( Romantic Trip)

15.Luxury Feluca on the NiLe with Food included( Romantic Trip)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 147 reviews · from $38

Enjoy a private two-hour felucca sail on the Nile with hotel pickup in Cairo or Giza, an Egyptian breakfast, lunch, or dinner, dessert, drinks, and return transport. Mohamed may handle your transfer, while guide Bahdri has received praise for his warm service. Decorations cost extra.

“When you come to Egypt you of course have to take a ride in the Nile River and that is what we did. We had a great breakfast (very complete with a lot of variety). Mohamed the driver picked us on time at our hotel and drove us to the FeluRead more”

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New in Luxury River Cruises

★ 4.5Private Tour, Luxury Eiffel Tower Lunch, Seine Cruise & LouvreFrom $46539 reviews
★ 5.03 Days Mekong Delta Luxury Group Tour from Ho Chi Minh CityFrom $24529 reviews
★ 4.54-Night, 5-Star Nile Cruise from Luxor to AswanFrom $74955 reviews
★ 5.07-Night Luxury Nile River Cruise & Hot Air BalloonFrom $90035 reviews
★ 5.0Luxury Cairo Nile Dinner Cruise and Show – Nile Maxim CruiseFrom $11257 reviews
★ 5.008 Days – 5 Stars Deluxe Egypt Tour ( Cairo and Nile Cruise )From $1,95027 reviews

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