Chobe National Park 3-Night Camping Safari from Victoria Falls

A day trip gives you a taste of Chobe. Three nights gives you the whole thing. This is what the park looks like when the day-trippers leave, when the dust settles, the fire comes up, and the only sounds are hippos grunting in the dark and lions calling across the floodplain. It's a different Africa entirely.

This 4-day, 3-night camping safari departs from Victoria Falls and takes you deep into Chobe National Park, one of the finest wildlife destinations on earth, for daily game drives, a river cruise, an optional walking safari, and nights sleeping under a sky full of stars with the sounds of the bush all around you.

Your Safari at a Glance

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1, Victoria Falls to Chobe

Your adventure begins with hotel pickup in Victoria Falls and a 70km drive to the Kasungula border crossing into Botswana. After border formalities (your guide handles everything), you continue into Chobe National Park and start your safari with a boat cruise along the Chobe River from around 9am to 12pm. Chobe River is on of the most wildlife-rich stretches of water in Africa. Elephants swim across midstream, hippos surface and bellow, crocodiles sun themselves on sandbanks, and the birdlife is extraordinary..

The boat will dock at Cresta Mowana where you will have your buffet lunch. After lunch, you will do a 2pm to 6pm safari game drive. As the sun drops, you will be taken to the already setup campsite for a bush dinner cooked over an open fire.

Day 2, Full Day in Chobe

This is a full day dedicated entirely to Chobe National Park. Two game drives, morning and afternoon, take you through the park's varied terrain: riverine forest, open floodplain, mopane woodland, and savanna. This is when Chobe reveals its depth. Beyond the elephants that dominate the river, the interior holds lion prides, leopard, wild dog, hyena, sable antelope, roan, and giraffe. A picnic lunch is served in a scenic spot inside the park, with the sounds of the bush as your soundtrack.

Day 3, Walking Safari or Game Drive

Day three gives you a choice of experiences. The guided walking safari is a chance to experience Chobe at a completely different scale, on foot, with an armed professional guide, tracking animals through the bush and learning about the smaller creatures, plants, and ecological details that pass by unnoticed from a vehicle. For those who prefer wheels, a morning game drive is equally available.

The afternoon is yours, relax at camp, take an optional village tour of a local Kasane community, or simply sit by the river and watch the wildlife pass. The evening closes with a traditional African braai (barbecue) dinner around the campfire, with the sounds of nocturnal Chobe coming alive around you.

Day 4, Final Drive and Return

One last early morning game drive before the drive back to Victoria Falls. Predators are often most active at this hour, this is when you're most likely to find lions and leopard. After the drive, you clear camp, cross back through Kasungula, and return to your Victoria Falls hotel by midday.

What's Included

✅ Return transfers from Victoria Falls to Chobe (and back)
✅ All border crossing formalities handled by your guide
✅ 3 nights camping accommodation inside Chobe National Park
✅ Sleeping bags and toileries
✅ All meals, breakfast, lunch, dinner, throughout the 4 days
✅ Soft drinks and water throughout
✅ River cruise and game drive plus buffet lunch(Day 1)
✅ Full-day game drive (Day 2)
✅ Morning game drive or walking safari (Day 3)
✅ Final morning game drive (Day 4)
✅ Professional licensed guide throughout
✅ National Park entry fees (Chobe, Botswana)
✅ Camping equipment, tents, sleeping mats

❌ Botswana visa fees if applicable to your nationality
❌ Alcoholic drinks
❌ Tips for guides (optional)
❌ Personal travel insurance

Camping in Chobe, What to Expect

The campsites are situated inside Chobe National Park, which means wildlife moves freely around them, including elephants, hippos, and hyena. Your guide briefs you on safety protocols, and the campsites have ablution facilities. This is comfortable bush camping, not glamping, expect basic but functional amenities, excellent food cooked over the fire, and an atmosphere that no lodge can replicate.

What to pack:

• Neutral-coloured clothing (khaki, olive, beige)
• Warm layer for early mornings and evenings, Chobe nights are cool June–August
• Comfortable walking shoes for the optional walking safari
• Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses
• Insect repellent
• Camera with zoom lens and extra batteries
• Sleeping bag (if not hiring from us)
• Headtorch/torch for navigating camp at night

Frequently Asked Questions

Is camping inside Chobe National Park safe?
Yes, you camp at established, fenced sites with ablution facilities. Wildlife does move around the camps, particularly at night. Your guide gives you a full safety briefing on arrival. You should never walk alone outside the camp perimeter at night. This is not a risk to be alarmed by, it's part of the experience, but it requires common sense and following your guide's instructions.

Is the 3-night camping trip suitable for beginners?
Yes, no prior camping or safari experience is required. Your guide manages all logistics, cooking, and safety. All you need to do is show up with an adventurous spirit. This trip is ideal for travellers who want more than a day trip but don't need the comforts of a lodge.

How is this different from the Chobe 1-night camping trip?
The 1-night trip (also available) gives you one overnight inside the park with one game drive. The 3-night trip gives you 3 full days of game drives, a river cruise, a walking safari option, and the chance to really settle into the rhythm of the bush. Wildlife encounters compound over 4 days, you see patterns, revisit areas, and go deeper into the park.

Can I combine this with Victoria Falls activities?
Yes, most guests spend 1–2 days in Victoria Falls before or after this trip doing the falls tour, helicopter flight, or sunset cruise. We can help you plan a complete Victoria Falls + Chobe itinerary.