Chobe National Park is reached via the town of Kasane in far northern Botswana, which sits at the meeting point of four countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe). Getting there is straightforward once you know the options — most international visitors fly to Kasane Airport, while Southern African road travellers drive up from Johannesburg, Windhoek or Harare. This guide covers every realistic route in.
The Fastest Route: Fly to Kasane
Kasane Airport (BBK)
Kasane International Airport sits about 5 km from Kasane town centre and roughly 10 km from the Sedudu Gate entrance to Chobe National Park. It is the nearest commercial airport to the park.
Kasane has daily flights from:
- Johannesburg (JNB) — Airlink operates 1-2 daily flights, typically 1h 45min. Most common international connection point.
- Maun (MUB) — Mack Air and Airlink operate daily seasonal flights, 50 min. Used by travellers connecting from the Okavango Delta.
- Gaborone (GBE) — Air Botswana, 1h 30min direct.
- Cape Town (CPT) — Airlink seasonal direct, 2h 40min.
- Victoria Falls (VFA) — only 70 km by road; not usually flown commercially, but light-aircraft charter is common.
The airport is small but has immigration, a basic café and car hire (Avis, Europcar). Transfers to Kasane town and riverfront lodges take 10-20 minutes. Most lodges include airport pickup in their rate — confirm at booking.
Connecting Through Victoria Falls (VFA)
A popular alternative is to fly into Victoria Falls International in Zimbabwe, which has far more international direct flight options (including daily from Addis Ababa, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi and seasonal European connections), then transfer 70 km by road to Kasane. Road transfer takes roughly 90 minutes including the Kazungula border crossing, and costs USD 80-120 per person in a shared shuttle (Wild Horizons, Bushtracks) or USD 200+ for a private transfer.
See the Victoria Falls day tour page for details of the border crossing.
Driving to Chobe
From Johannesburg, South Africa (1,400 km, 2 days)
The classic overland route. Johannesburg → Pretoria → N1 → Beitbridge border → Zimbabwe → Bulawayo → Victoria Falls → Kazungula Bridge → Kasane. Most drivers overnight at Polokwane or Louis Trichardt before the border, then again at Bulawayo or Vic Falls. The Zimbabwe leg has fuel and accommodation every few hundred kilometres but check security updates before travelling.
Alternative via Botswana: Johannesburg → Martin's Drift border → Francistown → Nata → Kazungula → Kasane. Longer (1,650 km) but entirely on sealed roads through Botswana, avoiding Zimbabwe. Popular with self-drive safari-goers continuing to Maun or Savuti.
From Windhoek, Namibia (1,200 km, 2 days)
Windhoek → Grootfontein → Rundu → Caprivi Strip (Zambezi Region) → Ngoma Bridge border → Chobe. Almost entirely tarred, straightforward driving. Excellent route for self-drivers who want to combine Etosha with Chobe. Ngoma Gate leads directly into the western end of the Chobe Riverfront.
From Maun, Botswana
Maun is the base for Okavango Delta and Moremi safaris. Two routes to Chobe:
- Via Nata (tar road): 610 km, 8 hours. Standard sedan doable.
- Via Savuti (bush route): 4+ hours, deep sand, 4×4 required. The classic self-drive safari circuit described in our Chobe self-drive guide.
From Harare, Zimbabwe (820 km, 1 long day)
Harare → Bulawayo → Hwange → Victoria Falls → Kazungula → Kasane. Tar roads throughout, but long. Many travellers break the drive at Hwange National Park for a night. Adds a third safari destination to the itinerary.
The Kazungula Border Crossings
The Kazungula area is where Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia meet at the Zambezi-Chobe confluence. Since 2021, a bridge has replaced the historic pontoon ferry between Botswana and Zambia.
Kazungula Bridge (Botswana ↔ Zambia)
Open 06h00 to 22h00 daily. Vehicle and passport processing on both sides takes 30-60 minutes at quiet times, 2-3 hours during peak. The Zambian side charges carbon tax, third-party insurance and a council levy for foreign-registered vehicles (estimate USD 40-60).
Kazungula Road Bridge (Botswana ↔ Zimbabwe, via Victoria Falls)
For visitors combining Chobe with Vic Falls. The Zimbabwe side levies road tolls and carbon tax (estimate USD 30-45 for foreign vehicles). Border hours 06h00 – 18h00. Allow 60-90 minutes for crossing including both sides.
Ngoma Bridge (Botswana ↔ Namibia)
On the western end of the Chobe Riverfront. Less busy than Kazungula. Hours 06h00 – 18h00. Standard vehicle and passport processing, minimal queues typically.
See our interactive map for the locations of all three bridges and the gateway towns on each side.
Transfers Inside Botswana
Once you're in Kasane, getting to your lodge or the park gate is easy:
- Lodge pickups from Kasane Airport are available.
- Shared shuttles between Kasane and Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Maun or Windhoek are operated by Wild Horizons, Bushtracks, and various smaller operators. Estimate USD 80-120 per person (one way) depending on distance.
- Taxis in Kasane town are available at an estimate cost of BWP 30-60 per person within town, BWP 100-200 to the airport.
- Car hire is available at Kasane Airport (Avis, Europcar, Budget). International driving permit required for most nationalities.
Getting to Savuti and Linyanti
- Fly-in: Almost all Savuti and Linyanti luxury safari lodges operate daily fly-in transfers from Maun or Kasane to the Savuti Airstrip. Typical 25-45 minute flights.
- Self-drive (sand route): Kasane → Ngoma → Linyanti transfer road → Ghoha Gate → Savuti. 220 km, full day of 4×4 sand driving. See the Chobe self-drive guide for details.
Linyanti is nestled at the furthest corner of the Chobe National Park. Access to this camp is by 4x4 vehicle only. The road between Savuti and Linyanti is quite different from other roads in the park – the sand is very heavy. Linyanti is situated 39km’s away from Savuti (also located in the Chobe National Park). It is about a 2 hour drive between these two camps. From Kasane to Linyanti is about 150 km’s (about a 2 hour and 40 minute drive). Savuti is about a 5 hour drive from Maun, and a 4+ hour drive from Kasane. From Savuti to Khwai is about a 100 km (3 hour drive). From Khwai to Maun is about a 3 hour drive.
Plan Your Arrival
Once you're in Kasane, the park is essentially next door. Check our Chobe accommodation page for lodges near the Sedudu Gate, boat cruise tours for the famous river experience, and the interactive map for visualising how Kasane, the airport, the border crossings and the park gates fit together.
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