Chobe, Hwange and Livingstone Day Trips
Which day trip suits you depends on how many hours you can spend in a vehicle and which passport stamps you are happy to collect. Here is a side-by-side look at the options from Victoria Falls Town.
| Trip | Distance from town | Border | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zambezi National Park | entrance about 5 km west | none | a short wildlife outing |
| Livingstone, Zambia | about 10 to 15 km | Zimbabwe exit and Zambian entry | the falls from the other bank |
| Chobe, Botswana | about 70 to 80 km to Kazungula | Botswana entry | elephants from a river boat |
| Hwange, Zimbabwe | about 100 km to Hwange town | none | a long day among big herds |
Zambezi National Park
The closest option has an entrance about 5 km west of town on Zambezi Drive. It suits a half day, with morning or late afternoon drives along the river road. International visitors pay US$17 for park entry. It is the easiest way to see elephants and buffalo if time is short.
Livingstone and Mosi-oa-Tunya
This trip crosses the Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia. You need a passport and valid Zambian entry, either a single-entry visa or a KAZA UniVisa, depending on your nationality. On the Zambian side, Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park has viewpoints including the Knife-Edge Bridge. The Livingstone Museum is in Livingstone town and covers the explorer and Zambian history. Devil’s Pool and Angel’s Pool are on Livingstone Island. Boats leave from the Zambian bank, and a single licensed operator runs the tours. The pools are open at set times of year, so check dates with the operator.
Chobe National Park
Chobe is the standout wildlife day. The Kazungula border lies about an hour away on a paved road. A typical day leaves around 07:00 to 07:30, spends the morning on a river boat, breaks for lunch at a riverside lodge and finishes with a game drive on the floodplain before returning to town in the early evening. The wider Chobe ecosystem holds about 120,000 elephants. You may see herds swimming, plus hippos and crocodiles close to the boat.
The KAZA UniVisa, US$50, covers a same-day Botswana visit through Kazungula. Overnight in Botswana voids it.
Hwange National Park
Zimbabwe’s largest park covers 14,651 square km and is known as the Land of the Giants. Main Camp is about 180 km from town, two to two and a half hours each way. The day starts near 06:00 and ends around 18:30 to 19:00, so most of it is spent travelling and in an open vehicle at the waterholes. Wild dogs, lions and large elephant herds live there. A night inside the park is much more relaxing.
Before you go
- Ask each operator for its current price and what the fare includes.
- Take your passport on any cross-border day.
- Bring water, a hat and layers for early starts.
Read more: Multi-Day Trips in Victoria Falls Town explains how to combine them.
Booking help
Compare day tours on GetYourGuide . For park details see Chobe National Park .