Chobe National Park Safaris
Taking its name from the Chobe River, Chobe is most famous for its vast elephant herds, with numbers as high as 80,000 in the dry season.
When to go to Chobe National Park
Best Time to Go
Home to huge concentrations of game
Huge buffalo herds & lion prides
Famous for its vast elephant herds
Some of the best boating safaris in Africa
Botswana’s Most Popular Park
Chobe National Park is located just one hour’s drive from Victoria Falls and sprawls adjacent to Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and the Chobe River itself. The park is absolutely immense, containing a number of different habitats, as well as an elephant population of 80,000. This is classic big game country, with Chobe most famous for its vast herds of elephant and buffalo as well as its uncommonly large lion prides.
Game driving and boating are the most popular safari activities in Chobe and the park offers some of the finest river safaris in Africa. The riverfront to the north of the park boasts the majority of big hotels – here the river safaris are busiest, but also at their best. Due to the fact that Chobe is a National Park, no night safaris or walking safaris are permitted. The sheer size of Chobe allows for areas containing very few tourists, such as the dry areas of the Savuti marshes and the remote south-west. Nevertheless, the region as a whole is one of Botswana’s liveliest destinations.
So many safari experts reckon that Chobe is too busy and not worth the visit. However, we think this is completely missing the point. Yes, Chobe is popular – in fact, it’s one of the busiest parks in Botswana – yet it’s also one of the most exciting parks in the entire country. We believe the only argument for missing out on Chobe is if you can afford to spend all your time in Botswana’s private reserves. If that’s the case, opting not to visit Chobe is understandable. But the value for money you get here, and the volume and diversity of game you see, make this our favourite park in the country. For a first-timer to Africa, or for someone who loves the idea of getting up close to game from a boat, this park ranks very highly.
Chobe National Park Trips
Activities & Wildlife
Home to Botswana’s highest elephant population, with thousands more arriving at the Chobe River in the dry season, this park has plenty of big game and legendary boating.
Game drives
Boating safaris
Tiger fishing
Other activities
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There are plenty of different landscapes to explore with your guide on game drives. Travelling along the river’s edge and surrounding plains, you can see large lion prides, cheetah, leopard, and spotted hyena. Big buffalo herds roam the plains, alongside kudu, zebra, giraffe, waterbuck, and impala. This region is also a stronghold for the rare African wild dog.
Chobe National Park is located in northern Botswana and is easily accessible, just over an hour-long drive from Victoria Falls. For this reason, the park can get quite busy, especially in the popular months. In the dry season (May to October) more than 120,000 elephants take up residence here, travelling from the parched Kalahari to the life-giving waters of the Chobe River.
Chobe Riverfront is famous for its exceptional elephant viewing. With hundreds of thousands arriving in herds in the dry season, they are quite a sight to behold. River cruises give you a front-row seat to their activities, as they feed and bathe in the river. This can all be seen at sunset with a glass in your hand, too – the perfect end to your safari day! Although Chobe Riverfront in peak season can be busy, this is still a fantastic experience, with elephant numbers so high. The Chobe River attracts wildlife from miles around as one of the few permanent water sources. The birdlife along its banks is also sensational, and its waters are packed with crocodiles and hippos.
For those who like to put a line in the water, the Chobe River is a great place for catching tiger fish. This is high-intensity angling, as the tiger fish’s name suggests! The species can be fierce battlers and reach up to two metres in length in adulthood. This is a ‘safari on water’, as you’re surrounded by crocodiles, hippos, and elephants. It’s certainly rare to have such an amazing view whilst fishing.
The fishing is excellent year-round, apart from January to March when it is prohibited, for the spawning season. Activity peaks between August and October, and most lodges can provide the necessary fishing equipment, with your guide able to offer assistance and advice. With conservation in mind, all lodges abide by a strict catch-and-release policy.
With its glorious river sunsets and abundance of wildlife, Chobe delivers excellent opportunities for photography. You can snap tuskers on their hind legs, tearing branches off trees, and all manner of birdlife dwells in the riverine forests. Birding is very good here as there are over 450 recorded species, found especially along the river and in the Linyanti. Cultural visits are also possible in the nearby Kasane area, where schools and villages are welcoming. Discuss with your Botswana expert where best to experience some local culture on your trip.
Talk to someone who’s been there
Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.Good to Know
01.Which is better, Chobe or Okavango Delta?
Both are great safari destinations with the Delta standing out at one of Africa’s most exclusive safari destinations, home to incredibly pristine wilderness areas. If you have the chance, we recommend visiting both! Start in Chobe and save the Okavango until last. Chobe is on the way to the Okavango from Victoria Falls, so stopping off here for a couple of nights is logistically easy and also very good value. And remember – there is nowhere in the Okavango that will guarantee seeing as much big game from the water!
02.When is the best time to travel to Chobe National Park?
Chobe is a classic dry-season reserve with the game getting progressively better, the later in the year you travel. June through to October is superb, especially due to the huge elephant migration that happens in the park throughout this period. However we would also argue that it is one of the best year-round safari destinations – travelling at any time of year gets surprisingly good results.
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