A seven-day trip covering Victoria Falls, Chobe and the Okavango Delta works best as two nights in Livingstone, two nights in Kasane on the Chobe River, and three nights in the Delta, flying out from Maun. It is a well-worn route because the geography suits it: the falls and Chobe are 80 km apart by road, and Kasane has an airstrip with light-aircraft links into the Delta. What makes or breaks it is the transfers, so they are set out in detail below.
If you do not need the Delta, the five-day Victoria Falls and Chobe itinerary covers the first two legs with more time at each.
The route at a glance
| Nights | Where | Main activity |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Livingstone, Zambia | The falls, the upper Zambezi |
| 3–4 | Kasane, Botswana | Chobe River boat trips and game drives |
| 5–7 | Okavango Delta | Mokoro, walking, game drives |
| Day 8 | Fly out of Maun |
Day 1: arrive in Livingstone
Most international travellers connect through Johannesburg to Livingstone or to Victoria Falls airport in Zimbabwe. Livingstone suits this route because the road west to Kazungula avoids a second border. See how to get to Livingstone for current routes. If you land by early afternoon, take a sunset boat on the upper Zambezi.
Sleep: Livingstone. A lodge upstream on the Kazungula Road puts you on the river and slightly closer to the Botswana border for day three.
Day 2: the falls
Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park at opening, the Knife-Edge Bridge and the walk to the Victoria Falls Bridge. From about mid-August, Livingstone Island and Devil's Pool are the main event for the late morning; from February to July, a helicopter flight is the better use of money. Rest through midday. A second boat trip at dusk.
You will not have time for the Zimbabwe side as well unless you start very early. On a seven-day trip with two other destinations, Zambia alone is a fair compromise.
Sleep: Livingstone.
Day 3: Livingstone to Kasane
Leave after breakfast. The drive west to Kazungula is about 65 to 70 km, roughly an hour. Cross the Kazungula Bridge, clear both sets of formalities at the one-stop border post, and you are about 10 km from Kasane. Allow two to three hours door to door. Transfers are usually arranged by your Kasane lodge or by an operator in Livingstone; details are in our Livingstone to Chobe transfer guide.
Afternoon: your first Chobe River boat cruise. In the dry season, from about July to October, elephants come down to the river in large numbers in the afternoon, and the boats sit among them at the water's edge.
Sleep: Kasane, or in or near Chobe National Park.
Day 4: Chobe
Early game drive along the riverfront, back for brunch, rest, and a boat trip in the afternoon. Two activities a day is the standard rhythm. Lions, buffalo, sable and a lot of birds are possible; elephants are almost certain in the dry season.
Sleep: Kasane.
Day 5: Kasane to the Delta
Fly from Kasane by light aircraft. Scheduled shared flights and charters both operate; your Delta camp will normally arrange the seat. Flight time depends on the airstrip, but expect about an hour to an hour and a half. Luggage limits are strict, usually around 20 kg in a soft bag, including camera gear. Check the exact limit with your camp.
Sleep: Okavango Delta camp.
Days 6 and 7: the Delta
This is a different safari. Depending on the camp and the water levels, you will move by mokoro (dug-out canoe, now often fibreglass), on foot with a guide, by motorboat or in a vehicle. The annual flood arrives from Angola and usually peaks in the Delta from about June to August, months after the rains have stopped. Water-based activities depend on where the water reaches that year, so ask your camp what it expects for your dates.
Sleep: the same camp both nights. Splitting three nights between two camps is common, but on a seven-day trip it adds another flight.
Day 8: out via Maun
Fly from the camp airstrip to Maun, then on to Johannesburg. Leave at least three hours between landing in Maun and your onward flight, more if you can.
Flight connections to check
At the time of writing, late 2026:
- Johannesburg to Livingstone and to Victoria Falls has several daily flights on more than one airline.
- Maun to Johannesburg has daily flights.
- Direct flights between the Victoria Falls area and Maun have come and gone. A seasonal Lusaka–Livingstone–Maun service was announced for May to October 2026; check whether it runs for your dates. If it does, you could reverse the trip or skip Kasane.
- Kasane has short flights to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and light-aircraft links into the Delta.
Schedules change every season. Build the trip around the long-haul flights, then fit the regional ones in.
Visas and borders
Many nationalities, including UK, EU and US passport holders, can enter Botswana without a visa. For Zambia, see the KAZA UniVisa guide. Botswana has strict rules for children travelling across its borders, so carry full birth certificates if you are travelling with under-18s.
Book ahead
- Delta camps first. They are small and fill 9 to 12 months ahead for June to October.
- Light-aircraft seats are usually booked with the camp.
- Livingstone Island slots and helicopter flights for day two.
The Livingstone nights
Two nights is the minimum at the falls on this route. If you have one spare day, add it here rather than in Kasane: the falls and the upper Zambezi reward a slower pace, and some river lodges include daily boat safaris, so the extra night costs little in organisation. Upstream of the falls, lodges with chalets, tents or a villa on the riverbank make a good contrast to the Delta camps that end the trip.
