Northern Botswana & Victoria Falls

Africa's top safari region of the Okavango Delta, Chobe River and Makgadikgadi salt pans, leading east to Victoria Falls and often combined with Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Northern Botswana is southern Africa's premier wildlife region. It includes the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park (with the Chobe riverfront, Savuti and Linyanti), the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans in the center, and the Okavango Panhandle and the rock art of Tsodilo Hills in the northwest. Kasane, on the lower Chobe River, is only 1 hour from Victoria Falls, so this page includes the falls in the region. Highlights: gliding through the Delta's channels in a traditional mokoro dugout canoe and viewing the floodplains from a light aircraft; river cruises on the Chobe to see herds of elephants and hippos; the stars, meerkats and rainy-season zebra migration at Makgadikgadi; and Victoria Falls' "Smoke That Thunders," Devil's Pool and helicopter flights over the falls. Botswana is known for high-value, low-volume ecotourism, and most Delta camps are reached by light aircraft. A classic 7–10-day itinerary is: arrive in Maun → 3 nights at a Delta camp → 2–3 nights at Chobe/Savuti → Kasane → 2 nights at Victoria Falls; a self-drive camping route suits those with off-road experience. The gateways are Maun, Kasane and Victoria Falls airports, and connecting via Johannesburg is the most convenient. The KAZA Univisa lets you travel back and forth between Zambia and Zimbabwe; most camps are unfenced, so never walk alone at night.

Destinations

• Okavango Delta (Maun)
• Victoria Falls
• Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pan
• Okavango Panhandle & Tsodilo Hills

Itineraries

• Windhoek to Victoria Falls Overland Loop – Cross from Namibia along the Okavango River to the Delta and Chobe, ending at Victoria Falls.
• Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Overland – An overland journey from Victoria Falls through Chobe and the salt pans to Maun, connecting rivers and the delta
• Victoria Falls & Chobe Delta Fly-In Safari – Cross from Victoria Falls into Chobe, then fly by light aircraft into the Okavango Delta, departing from Maun.
• Nxai Pan & Kubu Island Salt Pan Loop – Head east from Maun to see baobabs and meerkats, and cross the salt pans to camp on Kubu Island.
• Okavango Panhandle & Tsodilo Hills – Head north along the A35 for lagoon mokoro trips, Tsodilo rock art, river fishing, and houseboats.
• Victoria Falls Both Sides & Chobe – Based in Victoria Falls town, see the falls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia, then cross the border to Chobe in Botswana f…
• Victoria Falls & Hwange Safari – Two nights at the Falls plus three nights in Hwange, walking from the main camp waterholes to the southeastern private…
• Maun to Kasane 4WD Expedition – A self-drive expedition through Moremi, Khwai, Savuti, and the Chobe Riverfront, camping along deep sand tracks.
• Zimbabwe Heritage & Wildlife Grand Loop – Head south from Harare to Great Zimbabwe and Matobo, fly to Victoria Falls, and enter Hwange to see elephant herds.
• Victoria Falls, South Luangwa & Likoma Island – See Victoria Falls in Zambia, go walking safaris in South Luangwa, and end on an island in Lake Malawi