How to Visit Chobe National Park on a Day Trip from Livingstone

One of my recent travel resolutions has been to avoid day trips whenever possible. These days, I see a lot of value in staying longer, travelling slower, and experiencing the rhythm of a destination through its sunrises, sunsets, and moments in between.

That said, when the opportunity arose to visit Chobe National Park, one of Africa’s most iconic safari destinations, while I was in Livingstone, I found myself facing a choice: save Botswana for a longer trip in the future or take advantage of the popular day trip and experience a glimpse of it now. I chose the latter.

As it turns out, a visit to Chobe National Park is one of the best day trips you can take from Livingstone, Zambia, or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and this article will cover how mine went.

Chobe Day Trip from Livingstone

I typically prefer to DIY my trips, but when planning this one, I quickly realised that booking a tour was the easiest option. The itinerary involved a one-and-a-half-hour drive to the border, border crossings on both the Zambian and Botswana sides, another drive to the park, and then the entire journey in reverse. With so many moving parts to coordinate for a single-day trip, booking a tour from Livingstone was a no-brainer.

While most visitors simply book activities directly through their hotel, that wasn’t an option for me as a solo traveller since no one else had signed up for the day I wanted to visit. Fortunately, I came across Sitalis Travel and Tours on Booking.com, and I couldn’t have chosen a better tour operator for this experience.

I was especially fortunate to be guided by Sitali himself, who was more than willing to accommodate me as a solo traveller. From my initial inquiry through to the day of the tour, he was organised, responsive, and genuinely helpful. He handled all the logistics seamlessly, allowing me to show up, relax, and simply enjoy the experience.

Getting to the Zambia – Botswana (Kasane) Border

The drive from Livingstone to Kasane, the gateway town to Chobe National Park, typically takes between 1.5 and 2 hours. The route was straightforward, passing through quiet stretches of southern Zambia before reaching the border.

At the border post, we had to get out of the car three times. The first stop was for shoe sanitisation, where we were asked to dip the soles of our shoes into a container filled with a disinfectant solution. Next was a health screening, where our temperatures were checked. I had my Yellow Fever vaccination certificate with me, although I don’t recall being asked to present it.

The final stop was the immigration checkpoint, where we were stamped out of Zambia and into Botswana. Conveniently, both processes were handled in the same building, making the crossing relatively straightforward.

Do I Need a Visa for Chobe National Park, Botswana?

This is one of the most common questions I have seen about this trip, and the answer depends on your passport.

I applied for my Botswana e-Visa before leaving Kenya, and the process was straightforward. I have a full breakdown of the process in a separate article (link here), so I will not repeat all of it, but the short version is: apply online, upload your documents, pay the fee, and wait for the approval. It takes a few days and removes all the guesswork on the day of travel.

I have heard that Nigerian passport holders can get a visa on arrival at the Kazungula border, and from what I understand, that is still the case. However, I would strongly recommend applying for the e-Visa in advance if you can. Border crossings are unpredictable, especially for Nigerians, and policies change frequently. Having your visa sorted before you arrive just takes one variable off the table and gives you a cleaner, less stressful start to what should be a great day.

After the border crossing, Sitali handed me over to the guide on the Botswana side. This time, I wasn’t travelling alone. I joined a group of fellow travellers arriving from Livingstone and picked up from Kasane, and together we headed to Chobe National Park for the first part of our safari adventure.

Chobe National Park Land and River Safaris…

One of the things that makes a safari in Chobe so special is that it combines both a land safari and a river safari, which I think is incredibly unique. Depending on the tour operator and schedule, you may start with either experience, break for lunch, and then continue with the other.

Our group began with the land safari, spending the morning exploring the park in search of wildlife. Afterwards, we stopped for lunch at Mowana Cresta Resort before returning for the river safari later in the day.

What is the Best Month to Visit Chobe National Park?

I visited in early May, which sits right at the tail end of Botswana’s green season. The rains typically run from November through April, and by May, the landscape is still lush and deeply green.

The trade-off with visiting at this time of year is that the dense vegetation makes wildlife spotting harder. Animals have more cover, more water sources to choose from, and less reason to congregate in predictable spots.

The dry season, from June through October, is generally considered peak wildlife viewing time in Chobe National Park because animals gravitate toward the Chobe River as other water sources dry up. If you want maximum game density and easier sightings, plan for those months. But if May is when your trip allows it, you will still have a worthwhile experience.

Wildlife to spot in Chobe National Park…

We saw elephants in tremendous numbers throughout the day, which, honestly, was enough for me. Chobe National Park is widely considered to have one of the largest elephant populations on the continent, and that reputation is well-earned. Herds of them, moving through the bush, coming down to the river, crossing in front of our vehicle. It never got old.

We did not see any big cats during the game drive, with one exception. At one point, our guide joined other vehicles in trying to spot a lion tucked deep into the bushes. It was barely visible, but it counted :). That is safari for you, although now, I am craving a proper safari with excellent sightings.

The Chobe River Cruise

For our river cruise, which was the highlight of this day trip for me, we boarded a flat-bottomed boat and spent a few hours on the river, drifting past hippos lounging in the shallows, crocodiles stretched out on the banks, and elephants wading in to drink and bathe.

Overall, I am genuinely glad I did not skip this day trip from Livingstone. Chobe National Park delivered exactly what a great safari should. Could I spend more time here? Absolutely. I am already thinking about returning for a longer stay, ideally during the dry season when the game viewing reaches its peak.

But if Livingstone or Victoria Falls is on your itinerary and a full Botswana trip is not possible right now, the Chobe National Park day trip is a worthy addition. It is well-organised, manageable in a single full day, and memorable in all the right ways.

Have you been to Chobe National Park? I would love to read about your experience. Please leave a comment below! If you haven’t been, is it on your radar? Let me know and see you on the next adventure!