Sunset Cruise on the Zambezi River
Description
A visit to Victoria Falls isn’t complete without a mesmerising Sunset Cruise and The Zambezi Explorer, Pure Africa’s flagship sunset cruiser, brings a welcome level of sophistication to the river. A recent upgrade saw newly crafted furniture, hand-woven Ndebele-patterned chairs and mood-enhancing light fittings all adding to the contemporary design elements. There are three decks on board, the 'Signature Deck' on the uppermost level is pure extravagance with gourmet hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and premium beverages served by a dedicated mixologist. The two lower ‘Luxury Decks’ offer inviting lounge seating and a range of beverages, as well as delicious snacks to savour while relaxing into the setting and service
Tour Options
Itinerary
As you cruise on the upper Zambezi River, you will also see the mist rising up from the magical Victoria Falls. The Zambezi River is the fourth-longest river in Africa, the longest east-flowing river in Africa and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The 2,574-kilometre-long river (1,599 mi) arises in Zambia and flows through eastern Angola, along the north-eastern border of Namibia and the northern border of Botswana, then along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, where it crosses the country to empty into the Indian Ocean. The Zambezi's most noted feature is Victoria Falls.
This park consists of 40km of the Zambezi River frontage and a spread of wildlife, rich inland mopane forest and savanna. Zambezi National Park is conjoined with Victoria Falls National Park and both parks cover an area of 56 000 hectares. A wide variety of larger mammals may be found within the park. If you are lucky you might come across animals such as hippos, elephant, crocodiles, kudus as you cruise on the Zambezi River.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Complimentary pick up is only offered for guests staying in Victoria Falls Town’s Lodges/Hotels Zimbabwe within 5km radius. We do not pick guests staying in Livingstone Hotels Zambia.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Hotel pickup and drop-off is included from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe based hotels only
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Reviews(174)
The tour was relaxing, hassle free pickup, good snacks and drinks and nice views. We spotted some hippos, watched sunset. Only difficulty was the chairs, which were quite uncomfortable.
Thank you for the review! We're thrilled that you loved the views, the smooth pickup, and the wildlife spotting. We also really appreciate your honest feedback about the chairs. We want every part of our tour to be relaxing, so we are passing this note along to our operations team to review our seating options immediately. Thank you again, and we hope to see you on board again soon
We had a wonderful time cruising on the Zambezi with Pure Africa! We chose the luxury experience which included drinks and canapes. While we didn't book a dinner cruise, the delicious food we were served filled us up so that we ultimately skipped dinner that night. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were also included in the price. There is some narration during the cruise to provide a safety orientation and help passengers understand some of the local geography. However, guests are mostly left alone to relax and just enjoy the water, the scenery, hunting for animals, and the sunset. It was very relaxing! We saw hippos, crocodiles, birds, and even elephants. We were picked up from our hotel just before 4pm, and returned by about 6:30 by a very helpful driver. This was a perfect ending to a day that included a walking tour of Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwe side. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed and wonderful review! We are thrilled to hear that our luxury cruise was the perfect finale to your day exploring Victoria Falls. It's fantastic that the canapés kept you full and that you got to experience the best of the Zambezi’s wildlife—elephants, hippos, and crocodiles are always a magical sight at sunset. Our team (including our drivers!) prides itself on making the experience seamless and relaxing, so your kind words mean the world to us. We hope to welcome you back to the river again someday!
The beauty of the Zambeze River combines with the luxury of the tour and the welcoming crew.
Thank you so much for the lovely review! We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the breathtaking beauty of the Zambezi River and felt well taken care of by our team. Providing a luxurious and welcoming experience is exactly what we strive for. We hope to welcome you back on board again soon!
Beautiful cruise and friendly staff. The seating was comfortable and canapés were tasty. Amazing views and sunset.
Thank you for the great review, Neeta, we are glad you had a beautiful cruise with us.
A wonderful sunset cruise. The highlight was two male Elephants play fighting.
Thank you for the review and recommendation. We are glad to hear that you had a splendid time with us and there is nothing quite like the energy of the sunset but getting to witness two male elephants play-fighting is a truly special front-row seat to nature. We’re so glad you were there to see it.
This was a fantastic experience! The boat was very nice with comfy couches and chairs and great views from the top deck. On this sunset cruise alone we saw 2 sets of Wart Hogs, bloats of hippos, birds, and elephants on the way back to our hotel. Food was good and service was fantastic.
Thank you so much for the kind review and recommendation Sylvia! We are thrilled that you enjoyed the comfort of the boat and the views from the top deck. It sounds like the wildlife truly put on a show for you—seeing warthogs, hippos, and elephants all in one trip is a memory to cherish! We’ll be sure to share your compliments with our team.
We had a really great experience overall and thoroughly enjoyed our time. The staff were absolutely excellent. Friendly, attentive, and professional throughout. The boat itself was beautiful and clearly very well maintained, which made the whole experience feel special and memorable. The only downside was the food. Unfortunately, it was quite average, very plain and not quite up to the same standard as the rest of the experience. Portions were also on the smaller side, and it definitely felt like this is an area that needs improvement. Especially for the price! That said, we still had a wonderful time and would recommend it, especially for the service and the stunning boat. With some upgrades to the catering, it would be a five-star experience!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed review and recommendation. We are thrilled to hear our team made you feel well looked after and that you enjoyed the beauty of the boat! We take great pride in our maintenance and service, so hearing that it felt 'special' means a lot. We also truly appreciate your honest feedback regarding the dining. We want every aspect of the journey to be five-star, and it’s clear we missed the mark on the catering for you. I have shared your comments regarding the portion sizes and flavour profiles with our culinary team as we look to refine our menus.
Very pleasant time on the Zambezi from this boat sailing peacefully in the late afternoon until sunset. Very welcome. Unlimited drinks. Quality and abundant snacks.
Thank you for the beaming review, Fabrice. We are delighted that you had such a pleasant time sailing the Zambezi with us. Our team takes great pride in ensuring our guests feel 'very welcome' from the moment they step on board.
A smooth and relaxing journey along the Zambezi with breathtaking scenery throughout. We spotted plenty of wildlife along the riverbanks, including elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and a rich variety of birdlife, all in a calm, unspoiled setting. The crew were professional and knowledgeable, adding to an already seamless experience. Highly recommended.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We are thrilled to hear you had such a relaxing journey on the Zambezi. There is truly nothing like spotting elephants and hippos from the water, and we’re glad our team could share their knowledge of the river with you. We’ll be sure to pass your compliments along to the team—they’ll be delighted to hear they made your experience seamless. We hope to welcome you back on board again
A perfect experience. The hotel was picked up on time. We had the exterior of the Signature Deck to ourselves. We saw a lot of hippos and a crocodile. The food served was fantastic. Big praise to the whole crew.
Thank you for the wonderful review and recommendation. We are glad to hear that you had a wonderful experience with us !
