From the Kapuas to the Moselle, these unheralded rivers all have something special to offer.
All over the world, rivers help connect us. Cities and civilizations first began along rivers like the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates, and even today, many of the world’s greatest cities lie along rivers. Rivers have helped bring fresh water to people and animals and kept goods moving from port to port. Water from rivers helps power all of our lights, appliances, and phone chargers, and in some parts of the world, rivers still help take waste away from the areas where people live.
This is to say that rivers are incredible and deserve far more appreciation than they often get. Hopping onboard a river cruise is a great way to visit amazing locales and become familiar with the landscape that a river has created. While many of us know the biggest river cruises—your Danubes, Rhines, Seines, and so on—there are hundreds more rivers around the world where cruises operate, all running through interesting and eye-opening parts of the world. Here’s our guide to some of Earth’s lesser-known (but amazing) rivers.