Chobe National Park Holidays

Animal spotting is the reason to visit Chobe but the variety of activities on offer will make you wish you could stay an extra day. Take dawn and dusk game drives and let your rangers introduce you to the full range of creatures in the park. Uncover Chobe’s smaller residents and fascinating fauna with a guided bush walk. Cruise down the river with a sundowner in your hand. Set your alarm for a nighttime tour. Dip your line into the Chobe River to catch Tigerfish or bream. Join a photography tour to get your shots in the best light.

Travel to a traditional tribal village by wooden canoe and uncover the cultural heritage of these incredible lands. While the animals rest in the afternoon heat, it’s time to relax with a splash in the pool, a pampering spa treatment, or a reviving nap at your luxury lodge.

You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled in every direction if you want to catch the incredible variety of wildlife in Chobe National Park - which, of course, you do! Look up to see aerial displays from a dense population of hawks, falcons, eagles, and vultures flying alongside iconic and threatened birds including the kori bustard, Pel's fishing owl, African skimmer, and Southern Carmine Bee-Eater. 

Find large populations of all Africa’s “Big Five” living among red lechwe antelope, African wild dogs, and cheetahs. Come out at night to catch a glimpse of aardvarks, bushpigs, porcupines, and other nocturnal residents. Finally, head to the Chobe River to get the best sightings of water dwellers such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, and waterbuck. Whether it flies, runs, or swims, you stand a great chance of encountering it in Chobe.

Dawn and dusk game drives in specially designed lodge vehicles are the most common way to explore any game reserve but, in Chobe, the options don’t end there. Chobe is the most accessible park to self-drive and the ranger-guided options are almost unlimited. Take a cruise down the Chobe River to get up close with hippos, crocodiles, and elephants cooling off in the water. 

Photographers and bird watchers will find exciting opportunities for the perfect glimpse of birds hovering for prey along the banks or diving in to catch a fish. Special photography tours are also available throughout the park for snappers seeking that special shot. Get out of the car and take a guided walk to discover often-missed smaller creatures and the secrets hidden in the grasses and bushland. Make sure you don’t miss a thing by adding a night safari to your itinerary.

There are two seasons in Chobe National Park, wet and dry, and each offers its own appeal. May to November is the dry season and is the perfect time for first-time safari visitors, or those hoping to see a high concentration of wildlife, as animals gather around the Chobe River for easy water access. Temperatures climb throughout this period from between 20°C and 25°C at the start of the season to 30°C and 35°C towards the end. 

December to April is the wet season and the more ample water and migratory season brings a higher variety of creatures, particularly birdlife, to the park but wider spread populations mean you, or your guide, may need to work a little harder for the best sightings. Weather is changeable throughout the year but rains tend to be short so pack layers and waterproofs and you can enjoy every activity all year round.