National park

Chobe National Park

Botswana's first national park, famous for huge elephant herds on the Chobe River, boat cruises and the predator country of Savuti.

10,512 km² · 4 gates · 21 campsites · Run by Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Botswana

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About the park

Chobe covers about 11,700 km² of northern Botswana, from the Chobe River floodplains near Kasane through dry woodland and the Ngwezumba pans to the Savuti Marsh and the Linyanti swamps in the west. On the riverfront in the dry season an afternoon drive can turn up hundreds of elephants coming down to drink, with buffalo, puku, red lechwe and waterbuck on the floodplain and hippo and crocodile in the channels. Savuti is drier and wilder, known for lion and hyena, while Linyanti has lagoons, wild dog and leopard. You can self-drive in a 4x4, join a game drive or boat cruise from Kasane, or fly into lodges further south. The riverfront is an easy add-on from Victoria Falls and suits first-timers; Savuti and Linyanti suit self-sufficient 4x4 campers. The catch is that the riverfront near Kasane gets busy, and the sand on the routes to Savuti is very heavy in the dry season.

Highlights

Late-afternoon elephant herds crossing the Chobe riverfront road
A sunrise or sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River
Savuti Marsh and its lion and hyena
Linyanti's lagoons and riverine woodland in the park's northwest
Birding on the floodplains, with more than 460 species recorded

Good to know

About 11,700 km²; established 1968; Botswana's first national park
Four areas: Chobe Riverfront, Ngwezumba pans, Savuti and Linyanti
Main gate is Sedudu near Kasane; Mababe Gate serves Savuti from the south
Unpaved roads: 4x4 needed, sandy when dry and muddy when wet; no off-road driving
Camping at Ihaha, Savuti and Linyanti, plus lodges and tented camps

Wildlife you may see

Elephant (some of the largest herds in Africa)
Cape buffalo
Puku (in Botswana only on the Chobe floodplain)
Lion
Leopard
Spotted hyena
African wild dog
Hippo
Nile crocodile
Red lechwe
African fish eagle
Carmine bee-eater

Sightings are never guaranteed.

When to go

Open: 1 Apr–30 Sep 06:00–18:30; 1 Oct–31 Mar 05:30–19:00 (the Sedudu–Ngoma transit road is open 24 hours from 1 Apr 2025)

Best time: April to October, best on the riverfront late in the dry season

Gates

Ghoha GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Show a paid campsite booking (Savuti and Linyanti are run by SKL). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Northern gate for Savuti. Tar ends at Kachikau; then about 40 km of soft sand along a firebreak to the gate, so 4x4 with lowered tyre pressure. After heavy rain some routes to Savuti and the Ghoha–Linyanti boundary road can close; ask the gate staff which way to go.
Mababe GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Show a paid campsite booking (Savuti and Linyanti are run by SKL). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Southern Chobe gate on the Maun–Khwai–Savuti route. Two tracks run north to Savuti: the Sand Ridge road (deep sand) and the Marsh road, which can close after heavy rain, as it did in January 2026. Ask at the gate which is passable.
Ngoma GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Overnight visitors must show a paid campsite booking. Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Western gate of the Chobe riverfront, on the tar road between Kasane and Kachikau. Motorists on the Sedudu–Ngoma transit road may enter until 21:00, or until 23:00 with a late-entry permit (2024 rule). Off-road driving is not allowed in the park.
Sedudu GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Day visitors pay here; campers also show a paid booking (Ihaha: Kwalate Safaris). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.The busiest Chobe gate, just west of Kasane, for riverfront game drives. Riverfront tracks are deep sand when dry and mud when wet: 4x4 only, and a one-way system runs near Kasane, so read the signs at the gate. Stock up in Kasane: nothing is sold inside the park.

Gate times change with the seasons: check with Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Botswana before you travel.

Campsites

BOGA CNP21
Campsite4.4
Boga leopard rock
Campsite4.4
BOGA Leopard Rock
Campsite4.4
BOGA Rhino Vlei
Campsite4.4
Boga Site
Campsite4.4
BOGA SV1
Campsite4.4
BOGA SV2
Campsite4.4
BOGA SV3
Campsite4.4
CNP 19
Campsite4.4
Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
Campsite
Hatab 22
Campsite4.4
hatab 8A
Campsite4.5
Hatab A site
Campsite4.4
Hatab B site
Campsite4.4
HATAB Camp
Campsite4.5
Hatab Campsite 9A
Campsite4.5
HATAB CNP 5
Campsite4.5
Ihaha Camp
Campsite4.4
Linyanti Campsite
Campsite4.9
Savuti Campsite
Campsite4.1
Zwei Zwei
Bush camp3.6

Park fees

citizen	P30 per person day
resident	P205 per person day
regional	P205 per person day
international	P270 per person day

DWNP Category A park fee per person per day (SADC nationals pay the resident rate); vehicle fee per day extra; Ihaha, Savuti and Linyanti camping booked with their private operators.

Places to see

Savuti Rock Paintings (Gubatsa Hills)rock artSan paintings on a small rocky outcrop in Savuti, an easy break from game driving in the heart of Chobe.
Bushbuck Drive stretch pointpicnic spotLeg-stretch stop on Bushbuck Drive, between Sedudu Gate and Serondela on the Chobe riverfront.
Chobe riverfront stretch point (Ihaha–Ngoma)picnic spotSignposted stretch point on the western riverfront road between Ihaha and Ngoma, where you may get out of the car.
Chobe riverfront stretch point 5 (east of Ihaha)picnic spotNumbered stretch point on the Chobe riverfront east of Ihaha, a legal place to get out between Serondela and Ihaha.
Ngoma stretch pointpicnic spotStretch stop where you may leave the car on the Kasane–Ngoma road through Chobe, near Ngoma Bridge.
Sedudu Valley stretch pointpicnic spotDesignated leg-stretch stop on the Chobe riverfront drives, a short way in from Sedudu Gate.
Serondela picnic sitepicnic spotRiverside picnic spot at the old Serondela camp, at the far end of the Chobe riverfront drive.

About the park

Highlights

Late-afternoon elephant herds crossing the Chobe riverfront road

A sunrise or sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River

Savuti Marsh and its lion and hyena

Linyanti's lagoons and riverine woodland in the park's northwest

Birding on the floodplains, with more than 460 species recorded

Good to know

About 11,700 km²; established 1968; Botswana's first national park

Four areas: Chobe Riverfront, Ngwezumba pans, Savuti and Linyanti

Main gate is Sedudu near Kasane; Mababe Gate serves Savuti from the south

Unpaved roads: 4x4 needed, sandy when dry and muddy when wet; no off-road driving

Camping at Ihaha, Savuti and Linyanti, plus lodges and tented camps

Gates

Ghoha GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Show a paid campsite booking (Savuti and Linyanti are run by SKL). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Northern gate for Savuti. Tar ends at Kachikau; then about 40 km of soft sand along a firebreak to the gate, so 4x4 with lowered tyre pressure. After heavy rain some routes to Savuti and the Ghoha–Linyanti boundary road can close; ask the gate staff which way to go.

Mababe GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Show a paid campsite booking (Savuti and Linyanti are run by SKL). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Southern Chobe gate on the Maun–Khwai–Savuti route. Two tracks run north to Savuti: the Sand Ridge road (deep sand) and the Marsh road, which can close after heavy rain, as it did in January 2026. Ask at the gate which is passable.

Ngoma GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Overnight visitors must show a paid campsite booking. Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.Western gate of the Chobe riverfront, on the tar road between Kasane and Kachikau. Motorists on the Sedudu–Ngoma transit road may enter until 21:00, or until 23:00 with a late-entry permit (2024 rule). Off-road driving is not allowed in the park.

Sedudu GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Per adult per day (2022 tariff, still charged in 2026): non-residents P270, Botswana residents and SADC nationals P205, citizens P30; children half, under-8s free; plus a daily vehicle fee, higher for foreign plates. Day visitors pay here; campers also show a paid booking (Ihaha: Kwalate Safaris). Pay in pula cash here or in advance at a wildlife department office; card machines are unreliable.The busiest Chobe gate, just west of Kasane, for riverfront game drives. Riverfront tracks are deep sand when dry and mud when wet: 4x4 only, and a one-way system runs near Kasane, so read the signs at the gate. Stock up in Kasane: nothing is sold inside the park.

Gate times change with the seasons: check with Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), Botswana before you travel.

Places to see

Savuti Rock Paintings (Gubatsa Hills)rock artSan paintings on a small rocky outcrop in Savuti, an easy break from game driving in the heart of Chobe.

Bushbuck Drive stretch pointpicnic spotLeg-stretch stop on Bushbuck Drive, between Sedudu Gate and Serondela on the Chobe riverfront.

Chobe riverfront stretch point (Ihaha–Ngoma)picnic spotSignposted stretch point on the western riverfront road between Ihaha and Ngoma, where you may get out of the car.

Chobe riverfront stretch point 5 (east of Ihaha)picnic spotNumbered stretch point on the Chobe riverfront east of Ihaha, a legal place to get out between Serondela and Ihaha.

Ngoma stretch pointpicnic spotStretch stop where you may leave the car on the Kasane–Ngoma road through Chobe, near Ngoma Bridge.

Sedudu Valley stretch pointpicnic spotDesignated leg-stretch stop on the Chobe riverfront drives, a short way in from Sedudu Gate.

Serondela picnic sitepicnic spotRiverside picnic spot at the old Serondela camp, at the far end of the Chobe riverfront drive.