Chobe or Hwange from Victoria Falls: Which Safari Should You Choose?
Two good safaris, two different trips
Most travellers who add a safari to Victoria Falls choose between two parks: Chobe National Park in Botswana and Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Both are known for elephants, and both are reachable from Victoria Falls. The real differences are in how you get there, how much time you need and what kind of safari you want.
Chobe and Hwange at a glance
| Topic | Chobe (Botswana) | Hwange (Zimbabwe) |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Road transfer from Victoria Falls with a border crossing into Botswana | A few hours by road from Victoria Falls, with no border crossing |
| Usual format | Day trip, or a night or two nearby | Best with at least two nights |
| What you do | Usually a boat cruise on the Chobe River and a game drive | Game drives around waterholes; some camps offer guided walks |
| Paperwork | Passport needed; check Botswana entry rules for your nationality | No extra border formalities beyond your Zimbabwe entry |
| Best for | Short stays, river wildlife and a full safari day from the Falls | More time in the bush, a quieter pace and a classic safari feel |
Sightings are never guaranteed in either park.
Chobe: a full safari in a day
Chobe’s river frontage is the reason it works so well as a day trip. A typical day combines time on the Chobe River, where animals come down to drink and hippos and crocodiles are common, with a game drive in the park.
The trade-off is the border. You leave Zimbabwe and enter Botswana, then return the same day, so carry your passport and check the entry requirements for your nationality before you travel.
Hwange: room to slow down
Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, and it rewards time. The drive from Victoria Falls takes a few hours, so a day trip leaves little time in the park. Two or three nights lets you settle into early-morning and late-afternoon game drives, when animals are most active around the waterholes.
Because you stay in Zimbabwe, there is no border to cross, and lodges and camps in and around the park let you choose between comfort and a simpler, closer-to-nature stay.
Costs to ask about
- Chobe: The trip price, park fees, any border or visa costs for your nationality, and whether meals are included.
- Hwange: Accommodation for each night, park fees, transfers from Victoria Falls, and which activities are included.
- Both: Whether the trip is private or shared, and the cancellation terms.
Which should you choose?
- Only a day or two to spare: Chobe, as a day trip from Victoria Falls.
- Prefer not to cross a border: Hwange.
- Want a slower, more immersive safari: Hwange, for two nights or more.
- Most excited about river wildlife and a boat cruise: Chobe.
- Have a week or more: do both, with Chobe as a day trip and a few nights in Hwange.
Both are worth it
There is no wrong choice between Chobe and Hwange, only a better fit for your time and your style of travel. If you have the days, combining a Chobe day trip with nights in Hwange gives you both sides of a Zimbabwe safari.