Things to do in Chobe

Overview

Chobe National Park runs along the Chobe River in Botswana's far north, and its northern entrance is on the edge of Kasane, a small town with its own airport. The park is home to tens of thousands of elephants, and in the dry months large breeding herds come down to the river to drink and swim. Numbers on any given day depend on how much water is left inland. Victoria Falls is only a short drive away, so Chobe fits neatly at the start or end of a longer trip through Botswana.

On the river and in the park

Most days pair a morning game drive with an afternoon on the water. Boat safaris leave from jetties in Kasane and drift along the floodplain, where hippos wallow in the shallows and elephant herds come down to the banks in the late afternoon. The riverfront drive heads west from town through the park, and by October the bush is bare and the animals stay close to the river. Savuti, in the drier west of the park, is open grassland and marsh fed by a channel that flows in some years and not others. Kasane and nearby Kazungula are the main settlements in Chobe district, and most lodges sit along the river.

Getting there and how long to stay

Kasane has its own airport with flights from Johannesburg, and many travellers fly into Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and transfer about 80 km by road. The Kazungula bridge, a few minutes from Kasane, crosses into Zambia, and the Zimbabwe border post is close by. From Maun it's roughly 600 km on tar via Nata, or you can take the 4x4 route through Moremi and Savuti. Two or three nights is enough for several boat trips and drives. Combine it with the Okavango Delta to the southwest, or head south towards the Makgadikgadi pans.

Booking on adventuro

Afternoon boat safaris are the most popular outing here, so it's worth securing those first. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices from local centres.

FAQs

The dry season, from about May to October, is best for elephants on the riverfront, because pools inland dry up and the herds come to the river to drink. September and October are hot and often the busiest months at the water. From November to April the rains bring green bush and migrant birds, and the elephants spread out, so river sightings become less predictable.

Kasane has the widest choice of lodges, many with their own jetties and river views, and it's handy for the airport and the border. A lodge inside the park puts you closer to the wildlife at dawn but takes longer to reach. For a short first visit Kasane works well, and a second stay at Savuti suits a longer trip.

Yes. Victoria Falls is about 80 km from Kasane, and the drive usually takes about an hour and a half each way, depending on the queue at the Kazungula border. Bring your passport and check the visa rules for Zimbabwe or Zambia, depending on which side you visit. The falls carry the most water from about March to May, after the rains upstream.

They show you different things, so most people do both. A boat gets you low on the water, close to bathing elephants and wading birds, and it's a gentle outing for families. A game drive covers more ground and gives you a better chance of finding predators on the floodplain. What you see on either depends on the season and the time of day.

Overview

On the river and in the park

Getting there and how long to stay

Booking on adventuro

Afternoon boat safaris are the most popular outing here, so it's worth securing those first. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices from local centres.

FAQs