Zambezi.
A team paddling through a rapid on the Zambezi

Livingstone · Zambia — Batoka Gorge, below Victoria Falls

Big water.Local hands.

The wildest one-day whitewater on Earth — owned and guided by the people who grew up on this river.

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  • 25 numbered rapids
  • Class IV–V big water
  • Ages 13+ · no experience needed
  • 30% deposit · balance on the river
  • ✦№4 Morning Glory
  • ✦№5 Stairway to Heaven
  • ✦№6 Devil's Toilet Bowl
  • ✦№7 Gulliver's Travels
  • ✦№9 Commercial Suicide
  • ✦№10 Gnashing Jaws of Death
  • ✦№11 Overland Truck Eater
  • ✦№12 Three Ugly Sisters
  • ✦№13 The Mother
  • ✦№15 Washing Machine
  • ✦№16 Terminator
  • ✦№18 Oblivion

Book your trip

Pick your water.

Six trips, one river. Book online in about two minutes.

  • Instant online confirmation
  • Lodge pickup & return included
  • 30% deposit now — balance on arrival
Best 7 Rapids
01

Best 7 Rapids

$80 pp

Rapids 1 to 7 of the mighty Zambezi in about two hours — the perfect first taste of white water.

2 hrs Max 35
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Swim Below Victoria Falls
02Seasonal

Swim Below Victoria Falls

$80 pp

Trek the gorge, scramble the rocks, leap from the cliffs and swim in the pools right beneath the Falls.

5 hrs Max 35
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Half-Day Rafting
03

Half-Day Rafting

$140 pp

Four to five hours in the Batoka Gorge — big rapids, big scenery, half a day on the water.

~4.5 hrs Max 35
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Full-Day Rafting
04

Full-Day Rafting

$160 pp

All 25 rapids, a seven-to-eight hour expedition through the Batoka Gorge, with a hike-out and lunch. Starts 8am.

8 hrs Max 35
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Sunset Mokoro Cruise
05

Sunset Mokoro Cruise

From $90

Glide the upper Zambezi in a traditional dugout mokoro as the sun goes down — drinks and snacks aboard.

~2.5 hrs Max 35
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2-Day Rafting
06

2-Day Rafting

$360 pp

An overnight expedition to rapid 25 — bush-camp in the gorge, all meals included. Maximum 6 guests.

2 days Max 35
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Booking for a group of 16 or more? Message us and we will arrange it.

A happy group raising their paddles in the Batoka Gorge

Our story

The river belongs to the people who live on it.

Zambezi River Company is run from Katambora and Maluka Village, on the Zambian bank of the Zambezi near Livingstone. We are community-owned, which means the income from every trip stays here — with the guides, the boatmen and the families who have lived alongside these rapids for generations.

Our guides did not learn the Zambezi from a manual. They grew up on it. That local knowledge is what keeps you safe through the Batoka Gorge, and what turns a rafting trip into something you will talk about for the rest of your life.

100%
Community-owned
100%
Local guides
25
Rapids in the gorge

When to come

The river sets the calendar.

The Zambezi's water level decides which trips run. Low water (roughly August to December) is the full long season. High water shortens the run, and at peak flood rafting is usually suspended for safety. The Swim Below the Falls only runs mid-August to December.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Full long season (low water)Shortened (high water)Rafting usually suspended (flood)

Safety first

Big water, handled by professionals.

Safety kayakers on every trip

An experienced river safety crew shadows each raft through the rapids.

Full briefing & equipment

Helmets, life jackets and paddles provided, with a thorough briefing before you launch.

Guides who know every line

Local guides scout and brief the bigger rapids before you run them.

Sensible limits

Minimum age 13 and a moderate fitness level keep every trip safe and fun.

Rafters splashing through a Zambezi rapid

Relive every rapid.

Professional photos and video of your trip are available to take home — just ask when you book.

The river is waiting.

Book online in minutes — pickup from your Livingstone lodge is included on every trip.

Book your tripor message us on WhatsApp