From Livingstone to Chobe National Park is about 75 to 80 km by road: west along the Kazungula Road, over the Kazungula Bridge into Botswana, and a few kilometres to Kasane, where the park begins. Most people do it as a full-day trip with a boat cruise and a game drive, leaving around 07:00 and returning by early evening. If you have time, a night or two in Kasane gives you the wildlife at its best hours.
How the day trip usually runs
Organised Chobe day trips from Livingstone follow a similar pattern. Times vary by operator and season.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| About 07:00 | Pick-up from your accommodation in Livingstone |
| About 08:00 | Kazungula border: exit Zambia, enter Botswana |
| About 09:00 | Boat cruise on the Chobe River |
| Midday | Lunch at a lodge or restaurant in Kasane |
| Afternoon | Game drive along the Chobe riverfront in an open vehicle |
| About 16:00 | Back to the border, into Zambia |
| About 17:30 | Drop-off in Livingstone |
The boat cruise is usually the highlight: elephants swimming or drinking at close range, hippos, crocodiles and a great many birds. The game drive covers the riverfront section of the park, where buffalo, giraffe and lions are possible as well.
Changing vehicles at the border
Zambian transfer vehicles usually stop at the Kazungula border. You walk through the one-stop border post and are met on the Botswana side by the Botswana operator who runs the boat and game drive. On the way back it works in reverse. It is normal, but keep your daypack with you and do not leave valuables in either vehicle.
Paperwork
Visas
Check two things: whether you need a visa for Botswana, and whether you can get back into Zambia.
- Visa-free for Zambia (British passports at the time of writing, among others): you leave and re-enter Zambia without a visa.
- Zambian single-entry visa: ends when you leave for Botswana. You will need another visa to return.
- Double-entry visa or KAZA UniVisa: both cover a day trip to Botswana and back. The UniVisa only covers a day trip; sleep in Botswana and it ends. See the KAZA UniVisa guide.
Have your passport with at least three blank pages. A day trip adds four stamps.
Botswana park and visitor fees
Chobe National Park charges daily entry fees for non-residents, usually included in the price of an organised day trip. Botswana planned to raise its park and tourism fees from April 2026, then postponed the increase; check what is included when you book. Botswana has also debated a tourism levy for visitors from outside southern Africa, which has been announced and cancelled before.
Day trip or overnight?
A day trip suits you if you have only three or four days in the area, want to see Chobe but are not on a dedicated safari, or are travelling with someone who would rather not change rooms again.
An overnight in Kasane is better if you care most about the animals. Wildlife is most active early and late. A day trip spends the cool hours of morning on the road and at the border, and is back in Livingstone before the best of the evening light. With one night, you can do an afternoon cruise into sunset and a dawn game drive the next day.
A one-way transfer makes sense if Chobe is the next stop on your trip rather than a detour. You go to Kasane, stay a few nights, and fly out from Kasane or carry on into Botswana. The Kasane to Livingstone guide covers the crossing in both directions.
Seasons
- June to October: the dry season. Water elsewhere dries up and elephants gather on the Chobe River in large numbers. The busiest and best time for wildlife; book early.
- November to March: rains bring green landscape, fewer visitors and newborn animals, but animals disperse inland and some park roads get muddy. Boat cruises still run.
- April and May: in between, quieter, with the river high.
The heat builds in October and November, so bring a hat and plenty of water.
Booking
Most operators in Livingstone sell Chobe day trips, and lodges arrange them for guests. Zambezi Dusk, for example, arranges a Chobe day trip on request through its partners. Check:
- Whether park fees, lunch and drinks are included.
- Whether the boat is shared and how many people it takes.
- What happens if the border is slow and the boat leaves without you.
- The cut-off for cancellation.
For a full trip that links the falls and Chobe, see the Victoria Falls and Chobe 5-day itinerary.
