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Safari in Chobe National Park

  • Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, Central African Republic (CAR)

Last updated: 07 July, 2024

One of Africa’s most spectacular wilderness areas, Botswana’s Chobe National Park is an easy day-trip from Victoria Falls. Guided tours include a game drive in the Park, but the highlight is a game-spotting cruise on the Chobe River, with its profusion of hippo, crocodile and birdlife.

Chobe is famed for its thousands of elephants – so if you want to get up close to wild herds of elephant, this is the place to visit – as well as the prides of elephant-hunting lions that prey on them. (The kills invariably happen though at night, so you’re unlikely to see one).

The Park is home to more than 400 species of bird, making it one the top birding spots in Africa, as well as the only place in Botswana where you can spot the threatened Puku antelope.

Logistics

Price from: £120
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 8+
When: All year around
Duration: Full day

Getting there & doing it

Tours run throughout the year, departing early for the 2-hour drive to Botswana (remember your passport). Cruises on the Chobe River take place in the morning, followed by lunch at a riverside hotel and an afternoon game drive in the national park before returning to Victoria Falls at around 6.30pm.

Lunch at a riverside hotel is included with full-day tours; expect a hearty meal heavy on the meat, so vegetarians be warned! Note: half-day tours from Victoria Falls to Chobe are available, but given the long drive, it’s hardly worth it.

When to do it

Safaris are available all year round, seven days a week. Start times vary by operator, but most will leave around 5am-5.30am.

Game viewing is easiest in the dry spring months August to December, when thousands of animals converge at the river; however, game drives in the parched Park then can be disappointing.

Who to go with: organised tours

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Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

  • Victoria Falls

Chobe day trip from Victoria Falls. Experience the wild game sightings on the Chobe River by boat. Tea and coffee is served just before you commence your day activity. The drive from Victoria falls goes through the park and there is a chance of seeing the wildlife. Those traveling with the Kids 16yrs and below must have birth certificates for the kids. If the other parrent is not present an affidavit is required from the other parent not travelling allowing the kids to travell.

Price $170

Min age 1

Rating 4.66 / 5 [139 ratings]

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  • Victoria Falls

The Chobe Full Day Trip comprises of all transfers to and from Botswana’s rich Chobe National Park. Pick up time is 0730hrs to Kazungula Border (70km drive distance) from Victoria Falls. Around 0900hrs, boat cruise up the Chobe river or jeep safari into the Chobe National Park commences, where variety of flora and fauna can be witnessed until 1230hrs with Lunch and refreshments offered at Cresta Mowana Lodge (Buffet). The tour continues after lunch with either Jeep cruise or boat safari up until around 1620hrs where clients are dropped off at the border by the Chobe operations company. Clients are transferred back to Victoria Falls and around 1745hrs the trip ends at the respective clients’ hotels.

Price $178

Min age 0

Rating 4.44 / 5 [68 ratings]

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  • Victoria Falls

A Trip all day in the Chobe National Park Botswana for about 9 hours. Clients are picked up from their lodge or Hotel in Victoria Falls in the morning and transferred into Botswana via Kazungula border post. On arrival the guide will meet and greet clients and then proceed for a morning Boat Safari Cruise on the Chobe river in the National Park for 3 hours before heading back for a buffer lunch. After the lunch ,the Safari search continues for another 3 hour 30 minutes in the park on a Game drive 4 x 4 open jeep . Elephants, Buffalo, lions , Giraffe just to name a few are home to this park too. A tour that will give you all the best chances to see wildlife and enjoy the nature closer. Important Travel Note -  Always carry Birth Certificates when traveling with kids across the border for this Tour or any that has immigration processes.KAZA Visa ideal for the tour,obtainable at any entry into Zambia or Zimbabwe at $50,00 per person. It allows multi day entries within the region borders.

Price $180

Min age 0

Rating 4.57 / 5 [59 ratings]

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  • Livingstone

A fantastic full day Safari in highly regarded Chobe National Park, Botswana. Botswana is home to one third of all the African Elephants and there are wonderful opportunities to see these and many other animals such as Lions, Leopards, Wild Dogs, Buffalo, Giraffes etc on land in the open Game Drive Vehicle and then the chance to see Hippos, Crocodiles, Elephants again and a huge variety of birds on the boat cruise

Price $235

Min age 0

Rating 4.89 / 5 [55 ratings]

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  • Livingstone

The hotel pick ups commerce around 07:00am, guest are transported by road from Livingstone for about 1hr drive to Kazungula one border stop where you shall do your passport formalities for both Zambian and Botswana side just after crossing the newly constructed Kazungula bridge. The guide on Botswana side will be waiting for you, once we met the guide, you drive through to our Botswana office where you shall have a short briefing about the activity. After briefing the guides will decide either to start with a game drive, lunch then river safari cruise or the other way round. Animals available in the park African painted dog, blue wildebeest, Cape buffalo, civet, crocodile, giraffe, hippopotamus, hyena, leopard, lion, puku (a type of antelope, assessed Near Threatened), savanna elephant, tseessebe, zebra, and much more.

Price $193

Min age 0

Rating 4.68 / 5 [50 ratings]

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