Chobe Extended Day Trip from Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

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Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

15 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Maximize your chances of viewing wildlife in Chobe National Park on this full-day excursion from Victoria Falls. Take a safari through the park and cruise down the Chobe River with a guide for the opportunity to see native wildlife like big cats and tropical birds in their natural habitat.

Drive through Zambezi National Park at sunrise to see nocturnal animals in their natural environment
Learn more about the local wildlife on a morning game safari drive
3-hour cruise down the Chobe River
Breakfast, lunch, and hotel pickup and drop-off in Zambia or Zimbabwe included

What's Included

National Park fees
Breakfast and lunch
Professional guide
Transport by air-conditioned minivan

Visas where applicable
Gratuities
Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We pick from all hotels, lodges and campsites in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe and Kasane - Botswana.

Operating hours
.5:00 am

Itinerary

Begin your day trip to Chobe National Park with pickup from your Victoria Falls hotel in Zambia or Zimbabwe prior to 5 a.m. The early morning departure ensures the best opportunities for viewing big cats and other nocturnal animals during the hourlong drive to the border through Zambezi National Park.

Upon arrival at Chobe National Park at roughly 6:30 a.m., embark on a game drive through the park. Your guide will help you spot native wildlife, including game cats, in their natural environment.

Eat lunch at the Chobe Safari Lodge around noon, and then enjoy free time relaxing in the shade before a 3-hour boat cruise on the Chobe River. Look out for birds and other wildlife throughout the cruise, which ends with a view of the sunset over the river.

Return to your Victoria Falls hotel in Zambia or Zimbabwe by about 8 p.m.

Please note: A minimum of four people per booking is required.

Chobe National Park

15 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
Wheelchair accessible

Stroller accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Michelle_M

Excellent experience on this extended safari day it is definitely worth choosing this one as a longer day means you get to the park earlier and have more chance of seeing all the animals before the day gets too hot! The drivers and guides were super and the lunch included was at a 5star resort it was amazing!

Reviews

4.5

based on 54 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

This tour was amazing! We...

Charlotta_T, Oct 2025

This tour was amazing! We saw a few moms and baby lions, so many giraffe & elephant down by the water. I highly recommend!

Great day out

Clancy_C, May 2025

Great day out. Our transfer driver Enock was great, it was like we started the game drive when we got picked up. Saw 3 different animals before the border. Cobra the Game driver guide is a Legend for finding the animals! Saw so much. Lunch was lovely, afternoon cruise was great.

Must do Chobe - this tour could be better.

Craig_H, Nov 2024

Chobe national park is a must do. Very different scenery from other parks but animals and birds are plentiful. This tour was a mixed bag. Transport from Victoria falls to border was comfortable in a mini van including a bagged breakfast. Tick Entering Botswana we were collected in an open safari jeep to travel 20 minutes to the park entrance. The jeep was old and lacked suspension and definitely not appropriate for open road travel. Very uncomfortable. On entering the park our guide at times was excellent, at other times poor. He did prioritise and found a leopard. Tick. At other times he raced passed photo opportunities of animals and lookouts over the river for no apparent reason (often passing other jeeps that had stopped). Occasionally we were able to get his attentuon but it was hard to communicate in the style of jeep. Disappointing. (Other jeeps in the park were different design and newer). Lunch was a buffet - good was fine without being exceptional. River safari (not a cruise) in a small boat was the highlight. Large was a great guide and captain. He menouved the boat understanding the best position and light for photos (including a very nice sunset where he positioned with three trees in the foreground). Big tick. In summary - the jeep needs retiring, the guide needs more understanding of his clients requirements. Chobe us a must but maybe there are better tour options.

Incredibly overpriced and the experience is sub par to other competitors!!

Tad_C, Sep 2024

This was a painful experience. Bottom line up front, there are cheaper alternatives to this company. It felt like paying for champagne and receiving water. Pickup time at our hotel was scheduled for 5:00am. We had to message them at 5:30am and ask when they would be there. Showed up significantly late. The transport from there involved picking up multiple additional parties. We were offloaded at the Botswana border to an open air truck and traveled 20 minutes in freezing cold exposed temps and wind chill to Chobe. There should have been a fully enclosed vehicle between sites to prevent the exposure. The open air truck company they subcontract to is sub-par. They clearly found the cheapest contractor. The truck is 1980's old and not up to par with other vehicles in the park. At the lunch buffet you are intermingled with dozens of other tour companies at a golf course. The lunch buffet is OK slash good. Not great...but OK. Then all the other tour companies will depart the lunch area to go back on safari. We did not. We waited for 2 hours after lunch. Sitting..doing nothing, waiting. There is nothing to do at this location as it is a hotel. Remote and not near anything. There are 2 hours wasted doing nothing. Completely voids the point of getting up at 4am for this excursion. Other tours are out touring/safari during this time frame and then they do a boat trip. The trip we were on makes us wait doing nothing for hours after lunch. They eventually picked us up and took us miles away to a boat dock. The boat that they booked was broken. The transmission in the boat was broken so the top speed was around 4-5 mph up and down the river. Other boats sped past. Ours was limited to barely moving. Again, it appears that they work with the cheapest available subcontractors and pocket the maximum that they possibly can. Additionally we were added to other groups in the boat so they maximize the total seats in the broken boat. It was not a great experience for us. We felt that it was vastly overpriced and were left severely disappointed at the end. If it had cost half the price that we paid, we felt that it would have been too much for what we received.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we sincerely apologize that your experience did not meet the high standards we aim to provide. We truly regret the issues you encountered and appreciate the opportunity to address them. Firstly, we are deeply sorry for the delayed pickup. Punctuality is crucial to our service, and I assure you this was an isolated incident. We’ve already taken steps to ensure that such delays are avoided in the future, as it is not reflective of our usual standard. Regarding the vehicles, we use open-air safari trucks for all our tours, as this is the standard in Chobe National Park. These vehicles are designed to provide an immersive game-viewing experience, allowing guests to fully appreciate the wildlife and surroundings. We understand the cold morning made this uncomfortable for you, and we apologize for not preparing you better for the weather. While the trucks are in line with local safari standards, we will review our fleet and partnerships to ensure we provide the highest quality experience possible. The extended break after lunch is designed to help our guests avoid the intense afternoon heat before continuing with the safari. However, we understand that this could feel like wasted time if not properly communicated. We’re actively working on improving this part of the day, possibly by offering more engaging activities or better explaining the purpose of the break upfront. Regarding the boat ride, we sincerely apologize for the mechanical issue you experienced. This was an unfortunate and rare incident. That said, we want to explain that boats on the Chobe River are generally not meant to speed, as maintaining a slower pace helps prevent disturbance to the wildlife and ensures a more relaxed, peaceful experience for all guests. We understand how this could have been misunderstood given the issues with the boat, and we regret the frustration it caused. Rest assured, we’re working closely with our boat operators to ensure that such issues do not happen again. Finally, we acknowledge that our tours are group-based, and we believe traveling with others enhances the experience, allowing guests to share moments and meet fellow travelers. However, we apologize if this was not clearly communicated during the booking process. We are truly sorry that your trip did not meet expectations, and we take full responsibility for the shortcomings. This is not reflective of the quality we aim to deliver, and we are treating your feedback seriously to ensure such issues do not recur. We hope you’ll consider giving us another opportunity to provide you with the exceptional experience we’re known for. If you decide to visit again, please reach out directly, and we will do everything in our power to make your next experience truly memorable.

Excellent Day Trip

Michelle_M, Jul 2024

Amazing!

Ted_L, Feb 2024

Chobe National Park was great, seen a lot of animals. Tour guide was great, both on land and on the river. The only major disappointment was in the middle of the day, when they drop you off for lunch, after the land part and before the river part, there is a three hour break. They advertise it as a 15 hour excursion but you only are getting 12 hours realistically. That is kind of misleading. Other than that, it was a great excursion.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful review of your Chobe National Park safari experience with us! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed the diverse animal sightings, our knowledgeable guide, and the unique combination of land and river exploration. We understand your concern about the extended lunch break. Our tours indeed have a scheduled 3-hour pause around midday. However, this timeframe isn't just about enjoying a meal; it's strategically chosen with your comfort and wildlife observation in mind. Midday in Chobe National Park can be incredibly hot. During this time, most animals seek shade and shelter, making sightings less frequent and the overall experience less enjoyable. By taking a break during this period, we ensure you avoid the harshest heat and can resume your safari refreshed and ready for more encounters. The lunch location itself offers a unique opportunity to relax and observe the park from a different perspective. You can enjoy a delicious meal on the deck overlooking the Chobe River, a breathtaking scene in itself. This chance to unwind, refuel, and witness the river's activity can be a very rewarding part of the tour. While we strive to be accurate in our advertising, we appreciate your feedback and will consider including a clearer explanation about the purpose of the midday break in future descriptions. Ultimately, we aim to provide an unforgettable safari experience, and part of that is ensuring your comfort and maximizing your chances of seeing remarkable wildlife. Thank you once again for choosing our tour and for your valuable feedback. We hope to welcome you back for another incredible adventure in the future!

One of a kind experience

Nicolas_H, Aug 2023

We saw a lion and a bunch of other animals. Getting very close to some of them from the boat this felt like an amazing magical experience. Highly recommend. Also, the staff is excellent and very kind

An ok experience

Joyce_B, Mar 2023

Smooth pick up from hotel at 5am and transfer at border Ranger could have been a little more engaging but seemed knowledgable and managed to locate a number of species on the game drive An acceptable lunch in nice surroundings River tour commenced from a run down area and boat was old it serviceable. Seen some animals from different viewpoint but overly long Not as professionally presented as some other similar experiences

Response from Host, Mar 2023

On behalf of the team here at DK Tours and Safaris, I would like to apologize for the below-par experience you had with us sincerely. As shown in our other reviews, we always strive to put our all into making our guests` holidays memorable. Please also accept my apologies for the run-down jetty that we are now starting from. Owing to the high rainfall we have received this year, river levels are very high and most boat jetties have been moved to temporary locations due to safety concerns. Be that as it may, your trip should have been better and we sincerely apologize for that.

This trip exceeded our...

Dianne_S, Jan 2023

This trip exceeded our wildest expectations. We hit a bit of bad weather BUT we saw much more than expected and our guides were committed to our having the best time ever . They seemed to enjoy the day as much as we did. This was a memorable day from beginning to end.

Perfect day!

TxJasmine, Aug 2019

The tour couldn't have been any better. We were a family of 4 including 2 young adult children, and we were the only ones. So it was really nice having a private tour. Webster picked us up very early and we drove to the border where we transferred to the safari jeep. Border crossing easy since we had the Kaza visa as we were staying in Zimbabwe. Then drove to the park and had a wonderful morning seeing lots of different animals including some antelope that are rarely seen. We even had a nice breakfast stop in the park at a picnic area with more food than we could eat. After the long morning game drive, we went to town for a buffet lunch. Afterwards, we had the boat cruise where we saw many animals, including elephants crossing the river. We stayed on the boat and watched the sunset. Then the drive back to the border where Webster met us to take us back to the hotel. It was a very long day, but so incredibly worth it. Highly recommend the extended day tour which gives you a lot more time to see the different types of wildlife.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Thanks a billion times for the review, no one could have said it better. Thanks again

Well worth it

James_G, Jul 2018

The experience was completely worth it. The drivers and guides were all very nice and knowledgeable. The safari guide was very accommodating to requests enabling us to see a lot of game. The River Guide was also very helpful with spotting animals and positioning us for good photos.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Great words, thank you. We look forward to seeing some of your friends at Victoria Falls

Our Safari

Elizabeth_D, Jul 2018

We had a fantastic time! It’s a very full day- guides are fabulous and we saw SO many animals! It was absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone!

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Thank you so much for recommending this tour. We are really happy to note that you did enjoy the extended day tour experience

This is a wonderful tour that...

Mary P, May 2018

This is a wonderful tour that combines a land portion and a boat portion. Both guides were excellent and maneuvered the jeep and boat so that we could get a better view of the animals. Definitely TAKE THIS TOUR!

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Thank you, I am sure all will definitely take this tour per your advice. Thanks again

Recommend this tour to anyone. Half...

Jeanette P, Oct 2017

Recommend this tour to anyone. Half a day in a safari truck after a transfer from Zambia thru Botswana border. Easy as! Great setting with all the water if the Chobe River. Saw the main wildlife including Lions. Great buffet lunch at Chobe Lodge and then a boat trip to view the wildlife from water!

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Thank you for this great review, see you soon at the falls

First let me say that the tour...

Michael B, Sep 2017

First let me say that the tour operators were great - Webster with DK Tours in Victoria Falls was very helpful and because of our experience on this trip we booked another activity with him, and Maobi was a good guide in Chobe. My rating is more related to the activities on the trip - they were okay, but not awe inspiring like other locations we visited. The game drive was done nicely, with a tea/coffee break in the middle, and our guide Maobi was quite knowledgeable. Unfortunately we were not very impressed by the animal viewing, although we kinda cheated on this trip by going to Kenya before Victoria Falls. If we had not seen vast numbers of animals at Amboseli and Maasai Mara just before this day trip we probably would have been much more impressed. If you haven't been on another safari recently you would probably like Chobe just fine. In Chobe we saw lots of elephants including quite a few family herds with cute little babies, lots of impalas, lots of hippos, lots of cape buffalo, giraffes, zebras, water bucks, and crocodiles and I'm sure I'm missing a few other animals. There were also a lot of guinea fowl, several fish eagles, and lots of other birds. The river cruise was not really a cruise, but more a short jaunt from one grounding to the next to look at animals on the island or mainland. I was quite surprised how close we got to the animals - within 2 meters of a couple of crocodiles, about 1 meter from a water monitor, and 3-4 meters from some elephants and buffaloes. We prefer to observe the animals in their natural habitat as much as possible, so practically running into animals just felt wrong to us. The boat motor kept dying - partly because it seemed to be poorly maintained and mostly because we kept running in very shallow mud. We would sit at one location for quite a while after everyone was done viewing or taking pictures of whatever animal/bird we pulled up to. Our impression is that the guide had to waste time because the actual area covered on the cruise is quite small - at times this got a little annoying. Also, there were about 30 boats all doing the same thing, and we were often touching or being pushed by other boats. Then we made a mad dash along the Zambia side of the river so we could get back around the island to watch the sunset, which was the best part of the trip.

The trip itself was absolutely...

Daniel K, Sep 2017

The trip itself was absolutely amazing! The organisation was fine, but not perfect: The trip includes hotel pickup, but I was never asked to provide which hotel we were staying at. Two days before the trip, I wrote an email to DK Tours and Safaris to ask if all is fine and tell them which hotel, but never got a reply in addition, it was very hard to find an actual email address for them on their partly broken and outdated website. Finally, the receptionist in my hotel managed to contact the operator and confirm the pickup, so all went well. Also, it was a bit annoying that visa fees may apply in addition, which are quite expensive for Zimbabwe - so this has to be taken into account beforehand. But this is mentioned in the description of the trip, so no hidden surprise.

Chobe Game Reserve itself is worth...

Michael W, Aug 2017

Chobe Game Reserve itself is worth visiting, it has a varied terrain from low bush, savannah plains, and the Chobe river with an amazing number of animals on an island in the river. We spent the morning driving and saw lots of elephants, buffalo, fantastic bird life, and some zebra. We also saw a six foot black mamba. In the afternoon we went on a small boat on the Chobe river which pulled up close to the island in the river, where we had a close up view of elephants, including a group with a small calf swimming across the river. We saw many crocs, several buffalo, and lechwe on the island too. Lunch at the Chobe Game Lodge was a plentiful buffet, but it was surprising to see the dresert crawling with bees. The trip back to Zimbabwe was a bit hair raising because we were delayed at the border which was filthy, poorly maintained, and we felt gouged as Canadians, as we were charged 75.00 cash for single entry visas, and other folk with us on the trip were not charged at all. We would recommend that visitors stay in Botswana and enjoy Chobe, and not go from Zimbabwe. It was a tiring trip lasting 16 hours, but our guides were friendly and professional.

This was an amazing trip. We saw a...

stokkerman, Jul 2017

This was an amazing trip. We saw a hyena at night on the way there and a southern African wildcat on the way back. In the park we saw lions, giraffes, zebras, crocodiles, monitor lizards, hippos, water buck, sable, kudu, impala, and many beautiful bird species. The most amazing experience was a large herd of elephants that came into the water in the evening to play and drink, with lots of baby elephants as well.

Early trip, 5 am pick up at hotel...

doug.kelley, Jun 2017

Early trip, 5 am pick up at hotel. This allowed for more time in Chobe for animal viewing. Very worthwhile! This was June, winter, so dress warm for open jeep trip in to park and early viewing as temperatures can be cool! Vehicle by operator not as nice as others we saw in park, but adequate. Lunch stop good, but too long a wait prior to the boat trip. However, boat trip was spectacular! Lots of hippo and elephant and ending with sunset views from the river. Worth the price for sure.

This was the most unprofessional...

Julie G, Jun 2017

This was the most unprofessional tour I have ever taken. I usually trust Viator with all my foreign tours and for the past 3 years things have been great. However, it seems Viator did not investigate this tour operator as he subcontracted our day trip with a cut-rate operator and the transfers were risky and not at all what the tour described- Air-conditioned mini van- This company picked us up at 5 am as stated and then took us the long way around to Chobe through the border waiting in a long line and instead of having a boat take us across the water he made us run and literally jump on a truck transport ferry. My daughter almost fell because the ferry is slick with oil and my nephew had to jump on because it just up and was pulling away from the dock. Once we got across to Botswana, we had to wait about 15' in the cold waiting for the van to take us to the Chobe park. When the transport finally came, the van was too small for our group 8 and we had to crame in the back seats. Once in the van we drove to the operators ouse and waited in his yard in the middle of a neighborhood for about 20-30 minutes until he backed out his safari vehicle which we then went to the park in. The ranger was a very nice man and we were able to see the animals but when it came time for our extended time on the river boat he had to cut it short because he said we had to get to the border before 6. At that point, I refused to return to the border via that truck ferry and was arguing with the DK tour agent on the phone-- the stated local representative in the Viator voucher---for over 20' until he finally said he could get us a boat to take us back over the river to the border post. All in all - this tour operator should be investigated because I spoke at length with the concierge at our Hotel- Marriott Protea in Livingston- and she said she never heard of such a thing and we should have never been taken on that ferry as it is quite dangerous. and should have had a boat transfer from the start. You can call the hotel is you wish to verify my story. In addition, we didnt even get breakfast as the tour stated. Thank you for letting me help other travelers by warning them about the poor management of this tour.

Tutto sommato esperienza...

Mattia_G, Dec 2024

Tutto sommato esperienza positiva. Anche se ci sono state alcune cose meno buone. Esempio la macchina utilizzata molto vecchia rispetto le altre. Percorso già definitivo e non ci si comunicava con gli altri eventuali animali. Tempo di attesa dopo il pranzo infinito. Mentre altro partivano subito noi siamo rimasti quasi 3 ore totali. La barca della crociera molto fatiscente. Per il resto tutto bene.

Toller Ausflug in den Chobe Park

Marc_S, Oct 2018

Wir wurden pünktlich um 5 Uhr von unserem Hotel abgeholt. An der Grenze zu Botswana wartete bereits der Safari-Jeep, so dass wir kurz nach 6 im Park waren. Viele Tiere waren zu sehen, besonders Elefanten, aber auch Hippos, Impalas, Zebras und und und ...Nach dem Mittagessen in der Safari Lodge ging es in einem kleinen Boot auf den Chobe, auch ein tolles Erlebnis. Mit das beste war, dass wir mit den Guides ganz allein unterwegs waren und die Tiere aus nächster Nähe sehen konnten.