Chobe Day Trips

4.5/5 – 217 Chobe Reviews

Day trips to Chobe National Park are very rewarding and are easy to organize. This incredible wilderness area is one of Africa’s top wildlife destinations. The park has different areas, but the section most accessible to visitors for a 1-day visit is the Chobe riverfront. This area, famed for its massive herds of elephants in the Dry season, can be visited on a game drive or a boat trip. Both offer very different experiences and both are well worth doing. Therefore, many full-day trips to Chobe NP consist of a morning boat trip and an afternoon game drive, with a lovely lunch break in between.

1-20 of 25 one day tours and day trips to Chobe National Park

6 Questions About Chobe Day Trips

Expert

Answered by

Ariadne van Zandbergen

Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert and photographer. She and her husband form a team who write and update many Bradt guides. She also contributes to travel and environmental magazines and tourist brochures. She has visited Botswana several times and she hopes to go back sometime soon.
› More about Ariadne

How can I find a reliable tour operator for a 1-day Chobe safari?

“To find a good day-tour operator for Chobe NP, you can inquire at your hotel or lodge, or have a look on SafariBookings.com. Just use the ‘Tour Length’ filter to find available day trips to Chobe NP. Always check out the customer reviews and star-ratings of the operator. Chobe is easily visited on a day trip from Victoria Falls town (Vic Falls; Zimbabwe) or Livingstone (Zambia). You can also book a day trip from any of the lodges outside the park in and around Kasane, the small gateway town to Chobe. To avoid disappointment, it is recommended to go with a reputable company. ”

What are the options for day trips in Chobe?

“There are several options for day trips in Chobe National Park. Kasane, the gate-way to the park, is the perfect base for game drives and boat cruises on the Chobe River. Many operators offer three-hour morning and afternoon drives in the park. Although early morning and late afternoon are the best times for wildlife viewing in Chobe, consider booking a full-day trip to get further into the park away from the crowds. The riverfront is a magnet to animals throughout the day in the Dry season, especially thirsty elephants and buffalos. Also on offer are three-hour boat trips from Kasane along the Chobe riverfront. This is perhaps the most magical way to see the park. You’ll see plenty of hippos and big crocodiles, and you might see a herd of elephants crossing the water. The birdlife is phenomenal too. You can also book a full day trip to Chobe NP from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Livingstone in Zambia. These usually combine a boat safari and a game drive. ”

Which animals can I expect to see?

“Chobe NP offers exceptional wildlife viewing on a day trip, especially during the Dry season from May to October. Four of the Big Five are regularly seen, but rhino is absent. The park is most known for its elephants. Massive herds congregate around the riverfront area. Join an afternoon boat trip to get a perfect vantage point to see them drinking and bathing. Occasionally you can even see them swimming across. Although the elephants tend to steal the show, you’ll probably spot lots of other animals on a boat trip too. Hippos and crocodiles are abundant. Buffalos love to wallow in the shallows, and water-loving antelopes, such as waterbuck and red lechwe, are usually spotted too. All animals need to drink at some point, so don’t be surprised to see a pride of lions or a leopard approaching the water either. However, your chances of seeing predators, including cheetah and spotted hyena, are best on a game drive. Zebras are common on the plains, and you might also see some giraffes using their long tongues to pluck green leaves between the thorns of an acacia tree. Some areas of the park have resident herds of roan and sable antelope, and seeing either of these endangered ungulates is a rare treat.”

Where should I be based to do a 1-day Chobe safari?

“The best place to base yourself for a day trip to Chobe NP is Kasane town. The distance from the town to the northern entrance gate of the park is only 6km. Kasane is just a small settlement, but there are lots of great lodges catering to all budgets in the area. Kasane is located on the Chobe River and many lodges have river frontage. Although outside the park, these riverfront properties often have a lot of wilderness appeal, with animals regularly walking through. Kasane is also the best location for boat trips on the Chobe River. As the largest wildlife concentration of the park is found on the Chobe riverfront in the Dry season, boat trips are particularly rewarding. It is also possible to book a day trip to Chobe from Vic Falls. The drive is about 80km with a border crossing. Full-day trips from Vic Falls to Chobe usually include a boat trip and a game drive. ”

What is the border crossing like from Victoria Falls for a day trip to Chobe in Botswana?

“To get from Vic Falls in Zimbabwe to Chobe in Botswana on a day trip you need to cross the border at the Kazungula-Victoria Falls Gate. This is usually hassle free, especially when on an organized trip. You’ll be driven to the Zimbabwean side of the border in a minivan or another closed vehicle. At the border you need to disembark and you’ll be met by a representative of the operator who will take you through immigration. You will then be met on the Botswanan side by your driver-guide with a different vehicle (usually an open-sided safari vehicle). As the operators do this daily, the whole process runs very smoothly. However, if you are on a self-drive safari, the border crossing might take a bit longer. Make sure your vehicle documents are in order and arrive at the border in plenty of time (the border is open from 6am to 6pm). You might get asked for money, but a firm ‘no’ should suffice to diffuse any issues. ”

Should I consider booking a day trip to Chobe if I’m on a self-drive safari?

“Even if you have your own wheels, you might want to consider a day trip to Chobe NP. If you are staying in Vic Falls town or Livingstone and you’re not planning to journey through Botswana, a day trip to Chobe might be preferable to taking your own vehicle across and having to deal with the border formalities. With the help of your local operator, the border crossing will be much quicker. The day trip includes a boat safari and a game drive in an open-sided safari vehicle. The added bonus of an organized 1-day Chobe safari is that you can sit back and relax while your knowledgeable guide takes over the proceedings of the day. The guide knows the best spots for wildlife viewing and they also know where animals were last seen. The guides usually keep in touch with each other to report sightings. Overall, your chances of seeing lots of animals are just better on an organized trip. If you’re staying in Kasane, the gateway to the park, you don’t need to worry about border formalities, but a guided game drive might still be worthwhile. Not only do you get the expertise of an experienced guide, the open-sided vehicles with extra height make viewing animals a lot easier and the bush experience more rewarding.”

Chobe Reviews

4.5/5 217 Reviews

Expert

Mark Eveleigh –

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Spectacular landscapes, wonderful wildlife sightings and the 'gnarliest' elephants in Africa

5/5

We had been almost a month on a self-drive safari in Botswana and had had stunning wildlife sightings. The country had - once again - surpassed all expectations but we had one last aim. To see wild dogs would be the icing on the cake and we...

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Expert

Kim Wildman –

Kim is a travel writer who authored and updated over 15 guidebooks, including Lonely Planet's South Africa and Bradt's Tanzania guides.

Elephants and even more elephants!

5/5

Elephantophiles take note. If you want to get up close and personal with the lumbering giants of the African veld, then there is no better place on Earth than Chobe National Park. With an estimated 120,000 elephants roaming its bounds –...

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Chris –

Reviewed: Jul 11, 2020

Paradise on Earth

5/5

Myself and wife did a self drive in Chobe National Park beginning of May 2018. Oh my god! I've never experienced anything like it. We saw so many beautiful animals and it felt untouched. The highlight was getting stuck between a hunting...

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Doug –

Reviewed: Nov 4, 2019

Second time in Chobe, amazing

5/5

We came to Chobe three years ago, in May. Saw very little, but still enjoyed ourselves. This time, hundreds of elephants, breeding herds of buffalo, hippo, croc, sable, lechwe, puku, tsebee and more. Some lions right by the side of the...

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Daniel Seco –

Reviewed: Aug 24, 2019

5/5

The main reason is the famous one: there are more elephants here than anywhere in the world and you can see hundreds perhaps thousands at the same time. We saw a few of everything else too. our cook did good food, very private spaces to...

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denysdo –

Reviewed: Jul 18, 2019

Excellent wildlife density

5/5

Chobe National Park is one of the great natural reserves of Africa. It is a rather arid environment kept alive by the Chobe River which helps to concentrate wildlife and permits excellent viewing of large and small animals. Elephants,...

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6 Questions About Chobe Day Trips

Answered by

Ariadne van Zandbergen

6 Questions About Chobe Day Trips

How can I find a reliable tour operator for a 1-day Chobe safari?

What are the options for day trips in Chobe?

Which animals can I expect to see?

Where should I be based to do a 1-day Chobe safari?

What is the border crossing like from Victoria Falls for a day trip to Chobe in Botswana?

Should I consider booking a day trip to Chobe if I’m on a self-drive safari?

Chobe Reviews

Spectacular landscapes, wonderful wildlife sightings and the 'gnarliest' elephants in Africa

Elephants and even more elephants!

Paradise on Earth

Second time in Chobe, amazing

Excellent wildlife density