7 Days Victoria Falls & Chobe Safari

The 7 Days Victoria Falls & Chobe Safari is a 7-day sample itinerary: a tailor-made waterfall safari covering Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana. The most popular pairing in southern Africa: three nights at Victoria Falls, then the elephant herds of the Chobe riverfront by boat and by game drive.

Highlights

• Both sides of Victoria Falls
• Chobe River boat cruises among elephants
• Game drives in Chobe National Park
• Optional Batoka Gorge rafting

Suggested places to stay on this route include The Royal Livingstone, Chobe Game Lodge, The Victoria Falls Hotel.

Who this safari suits

• First safaris in Africa
• Elephant lovers and photographers
• Families, as boat cruises suit all ages

Route and travel times

Livingstone, Zambia (3 nights at the falls, crossing to Zimbabwe for a day) → Kasane, Botswana by road (about 1 hour 15 minutes plus the Kazungula border) → 3 nights in Chobe → fly out from Kasane or return to Victoria Falls.

Times are typical and vary with road conditions, border queues and weather.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1

   Arrive in Livingstone

   Arrive at Livingstone Airport and transfer to your riverside hotel on the Zambezi, close to the falls. The rest of the day is free to settle in, with sundowners on the river.

   Overnight Royal LivingstoneMeals Dinner

2. Day2

   Victoria Falls, Zambian side

   With a local guide, explore the Zambian side of the falls: the Knife-Edge Bridge through the spray, the view down into the Boiling Pot, and, from about mid-August to January, Livingstone Island and the swim at Devil's Pool. The afternoon is free for the Livingstone Museum, the market or simply the river.

   Overnight Royal LivingstoneMeals Breakfast, dinner

3. Day3

   Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe side

   Cross the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zimbabwe for the rainforest path and the full sweep of Main Falls and Rainbow Falls. Move to a hotel in Victoria Falls town. In the afternoon, choose an optional helicopter flight, white-water rafting in season, or high tea on a terrace overlooking the gorge.

   Overnight Victoria Falls HotelMeals Breakfast

4. Day4

   To Chobe

   Drive about an hour and a quarter to Kasane in Botswana, crossing the border at Kazungula, and check in on the Chobe riverfront. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Chobe River, where herds of elephants come down to drink, swim and cross between the islands.

   Overnight Chobe Game LodgeMeals All meals

5. Day5

   Chobe National Park

   An early morning game drive on the riverfront looks for lions, buffaloes, sable antelope and the elephant herds moving to water. After a rest at the lodge in the heat of the day, return to the river by boat for the late-afternoon light.

   Overnight Chobe Game LodgeMeals All meals

6. Day6

   Chobe National Park

   A full day in Chobe National Park with drives and cruises. Look for puku and red lechwe, two antelopes rarely seen elsewhere in Botswana, and for the many water birds along the river. Photographic boats are available on request.

   Overnight Chobe Game LodgeMeals All meals

7. Day7

   Departure

   After breakfast, transfer to Kasane Airport for your flight, or return by road to Victoria Falls for international connections.

   Meals Breakfast

When to go

Best time for this route: May–November. At Victoria Falls: March–July for thundering water; August–December for clear views, Devil's Pool and rafting. See the month-by-month water levels.

Making this trip your own

This is a sample route, not a fixed departure. You can add nights where you want more time, swap the lodges named for others at a different budget, drop activities that do not interest you, or join this itinerary to another one. Tell us your dates, the number of travellers and what matters most to you, and we will send back a tailored version with a price.

Lodges named are examples; ask about alternatives at other budgets. Activities depend on water levels and park rules.