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“It was pleasant and cooler on the river. Thankfully we did return to starting point - it was already 2 hours in and I was concerned Lovely guide but couldn’t catch all that he told us”
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.
“Magnifique ballade nous emmenant à notre prochain lieu de séjour..les paysages sont magiques et reposants, le bateau est vaste et la box suffit amplement et est delicieuse délicieuse Merci à notre guide qui nous a emmèné et à tout géré!”
Enjoy a 60-minute VIP Huangpu River cruise with door-to-door transfer in Shanghai, plus optional dinner at a local restaurant.
“We were picked up from our hotel in a luxury van and driven to the restaurant where we were greeted by Cassie. After dinner we were went on to the boat for a spectacular view of Shanghai by night from the VIP are on the top deck. Cassie was informative and lots of fun -…”
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.
“Valt ons wel een beetje tegen. De boottocht ging een half km naar rechts keer om ging vervolgende een km varen en keer weer om dat was het. Trefpunt was ook heel verwarrend, we werden van de ene trefpunt naar andere trefpunt gestuurd. We hadden gelukt dat we optijd bij waren anders hadden we het…”
Shanghai night lights on the Huangpu River with a private guide, VIP boat seating, and door-to-door hotel transfers in 3 hours.
“The tour guide was excellent and very helpful. The pickup and drop off to our hotel was very convenient for our group of 10 people.”
Panaji Mandovi River cruise with hotel transfer and a Goan buffet dinner, plus live music, dance, drinks, and scenic sunset views.
“I found the pick info confusing as it initially showed Arpora Junction at the end of my road the update showed it elsewhere. Otherwise very enjoyable with a very obliging driver.”
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.
