A Day Canoeing the Upper Zambezi: What to Expect from Pickup to Lunch

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By Victoria Falls Canoeing Company · Published 30 October 2026 · 4 min read

The day, hour by hour

Here is how the Upper Zambezi day trip runs, from pickup to drop-off.

• 07:00 to 07:45: pickup from where you are staying in Victoria Falls, followed by a short briefing.
• Park gate: a stop at the Zambezi National Park gate to pay park fees.
• About 1.5 hours: a game drive to the launch site. Waterbuck, buffalo, elephant and giraffe are often seen on the way in, and the drive takes as long as the animals make it.
• Launch site: tea, coffee and a light breakfast while the canoes are set up, then a safety talk and a paddling lesson on dry land.
• On the water: we paddle through channels and small rapids, stopping when there is something to see.
• 13:30 to 14:00: lunch on the riverbank, then we drive you back to town.

What the paddling is like

You sit two to an inflatable canoe, with a guide alongside, through channels, islands and small rapids. Elephants come down to drink, hippos surface nearby and the birdlife is constant.

No canoeing experience is needed. You do need reasonable fitness and a sense of adventure. The minimum age is 9, and there is no maximum age, which is left to the guide’s judgement on the day.

What is included

Zambezi National Park fees are not included. They are paid at the park gate on the way in.

• Pickup and drop-off in Victoria Falls
• Game drive to the launch site
• Two-person canoes and paddles
• Life jackets and safety equipment
• Breakfast and lunch
• A river guide, accompanied by a trainee

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

• What to bring on a Zambezi canoe safari
• Is canoeing above Victoria Falls safe?
• See all our trips