Safari park · Northern Botswana, along the Chobe River

Chobe National Park

Northern Botswana, along the Chobe River

Best season: May–October (dry; elephants river-bound Jun–Sep)

Chobe’s riverfront strip (Riverfront & Serondela, near Kasane) is Botswana’s most accessible big-game country: a paved-and-dirt road along the river where game concentrates all dry season. The sunset cruise — hippos, crocodiles, elephants swimming nose-up — is the marquee activity and genuinely world-class. The park’s other zones (Nogatsaa savanna, the remote Linyanti) are near-empty wilderness for those with 4×4s and patience.

Country: Botswana
Region: Northern Botswana, along the Chobe River
Best season: May–October (dry; elephants river-bound Jun–Sep)
Status: Standard listing

Wildlife highlights

The riverfront sunset cruise — 120,000 elephants’ dry-season home
Chobe’s famously large buffalo herds
Lion prides hunting at the Sedudu (Kasikili) channel
Puku (Botswana’s only population) and lechwe on the floodplain
Riverbird spectacles: carmine bee-eaters (Sep–Oct), fish eagles

What to pack

Light layers for boat breeze, sun kit, and telephoto glass — the cruise gets close but animals are river-bank distant on drives. Kasane has shops, ATMs and fuel for restocking.

Park fees

Entry ≈ Pula 120 (~US$9)/day foreign adults (riverfront zone), cruise ≈ US$35–50, game drives from Kasane ≈ US$30–60. Rates change — verify with Parks Botswana.

Wildlife safety

Elephants cross the Kasane roads at will — vehicles wait, always. On the cruise, keep arms inside; crocodiles bask within metres.

Photos

Every image is license-verified for commercial reuse; photographers are credited where the license requires it.

Chobe National Park — photograph 2 — Clive Kim, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 3 — Rino Adamo, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 4 — Roger Brown, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 5 — Rino Adamo, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 6 — Roger Brown, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 7 — Clive Kim, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 8 — Nicola Toscan, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 9 — Rino Adamo, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 10 — Frans van Heerden, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 11 — Nicola Toscan, via Pexels

Chobe National Park — photograph 12 — Rino Adamo, via Pexels

Book this experience

Curated partners for this park — stays, activities and tour operators matched to the budget tiers used across this guide.

Activity

EXAMPLE — Chobe River Cruise Partner

Mid-range Booking link coming soon

Listings are curated independently. Where booking links are present we may earn a commission — never at a higher price to you.