RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 10 most popular private drivers cruises, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
Mae Ping River long-tail cruise from Chiang Mai with optional hotel pickup, herbal drinks, ice cream, and farmhouse lunch.
Most Popular“Very relaxed and nice! Good icecream and herbal tea!”
Private Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with guide, onboard Chinese buffet lunch, countryside tour, and West Street time.
“The river cruise was a fantastic way to see the famous Guilin karsts, and the visit to Yangshuo and the charming surrounding countryside was wonderful. Tony was a great guide, patiently answering our questions and giving us plenty of time to enjoy our walk after the cruise. Highly recommended!”
Hotel pickup in Guilin, a 4-hour Li River cruise to Yangshuo, and time on West Street, with AC transfer and lunch included.
“Great pick up from hotel. Good communication via WhatsApp. English speaking, good humoured organiser. The boat trip itself was very comfortable. Great seats. The food was a bit overpriced. Note a lot of the people on the boat took their own food and drink The scenery is sooooo beautiful. Really really beautiful Boat staff great…”
Enjoy a 60-minute VIP Huangpu River cruise with door-to-door transfer in Shanghai, plus optional dinner at a local restaurant.
“Michael was wonderful. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed his knowledge of Shanghai and attentiveness. Seeing the city at night was spectacular and learning about its history from Michael brought the old and new into perspective. The dinner at a local restaurant was outstanding!”
Alanya to Manavgat by boat with hotel transfer, river falls, optional waterfall visit, lunch onboard, and quick bazaar time.
“Didn't turn up to pick us up from the hotel despite the driver telling the office he had and phoned us. No pick up and no phone call so we had waited around for over 1.5 hour's for nothing. Refund has not been applied yet total of £115 but it was only a day ago.…”
A short Prague Vltava cruise with bus transfer that shows Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and Petřín Tower for about $18.
“It was OK for the price.”
Shanghai night lights on the Huangpu River with a private guide, VIP boat seating, and door-to-door hotel transfers in 3 hours.
“Our guide Lea was extremely knowledgeable about the buildings and history behind each building.. her narration during the cruise made the cruise very enjoyable. The seamless pickup and transfer from the hotel was an added bonus. 🥰”
Panaji Mandovi River cruise with hotel transfer and a Goan buffet dinner, plus live music, dance, drinks, and scenic sunset views.
“Very poorly organized trip. Do not recommend for tourists.”
Sarawak sunset river cruise in Kuching with round-trip hotel transfer. 90 minutes on the water plus easy logistics for $53.
“We had initially booked this trip for a Sunday, but we got an email upon arrival at our hotel cancelling the booking because apparently the shipping company decided to book a private cruise instead. Although Viator had no control over Read more”
VIP seating on Guangzhou’s Pearl River night cruise with a private transfer, guided city-light views, and Canton Tower scenery for about 70 minutes.
“Night scenery was beautiful especially the Canton tower. But the communication and planning with the local guide was very bad. They ask my passport information the day before but they kept asking despite the passports sent to them via WeChat and email several times.”
Pick a canal city, a famous river, or the kind of cruise you want to be on.
