Rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other body of water. Usually it is done on whitewater of different degrees of difficulty, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid 1980's.

The type of raft used nowadays for recreational rafting is almost exclusively an inflatable boat. It consists of very durable, multi-layered rubberized fabrics with several independent air chambers. Its length varies between 3.5 m (11 ft) and 6 m (20 ft), the width between 1.8 m (6 ft) and 2.5 m (8 ft). Rafts come in a few different forms. In Europe the most common is the symmetrical raft steered with a paddle at the stern. Other types are the asymmetrical, rudder-controlled raft and the symmetrical raft with central helm (oars). Rafts are usually propelled with ordinary paddles and typically hold 4 to 12 persons.