5-Day Zimbabwe, Zambia & Botswana Safari: Explore Victoria Falls, Livingstone & Chobe National Park

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Embark on a thrilling 5-day safari adventure in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Explore Victoria Falls, Livingstone, and Chobe National Park, and experience the beauty of the African wilderness.

Duration: 5 days

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Arrival at Victoria Falls Airport and Sunset Cruise

Victoria Falls - Upon landing at Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA), guests will be warmly welcomed and taken to their accommodation. In the afternoon, they will be picked up for a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River—pick-up is at 15:30 in winter and 16:00 in summer. Guests can unwind and enjoy the serene river flow with finger foods and an open bar, while observing birdlife and wildlife along the riverbanks. The experience is beautifully completed by a stunning Zimbabwean sunset.

Meals and drinks: Snacks served during sunset cruise; soft drinks during cruise
Transfers and activities:

Airport to hotel: ~20 minutes
Sunset cruise: 3 hours

Day 2 - Zimbabwe and Zambia: Guided Tour of the Falls from Both Sides and Livingstone Zambia City Tour

Victoria Falls - After breakfast, guests will embark on a guided tour of the magnificent Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides. This immersive experience allows them to appreciate the full splendor of one of the seven natural wonders of the world, with each side offering unique perspectives, trails, and viewpoints of the cascading falls and surrounding rainforest. Following the falls tour, they will proceed into Livingstone, Zambia, for a cultural and historical city tour. Highlights include a visit to the Livingstone Museum—the oldest and largest museum in Zambia—where they will learn about Dr. David Livingstone’s legacy and the region’s fascinating history. They will also explore the local markets, showcasing Zambian crafts, fresh produce, and traditional artistry.

Meals included: Breakfast
Activity: Guided tour of Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe and Zambia sides)
Duration: ~7 hours

Full Day Chobe Trip, Botswana from Victoria Falls

Chobe National Park - This tour departs from Victoria Falls to the Chobe National Park in Botswana. Guests will be transferred to the Kazungula border where their Botswana Guide will meet them. From there, they proceed directly to the River where they will spend the morning game viewing along the Chobe River. Tea, coffee & biscuits are provided. The morning cruise concludes at around 12.30hrs and guests are then taken to a hotel on the riverbank for lunch. After lunch, guests board safari vehicles for an afternoon game drive in the Chobe National Park where they will have the opportunity to enjoy an abundance of wildlife. After the game drive, they are taken back to the Kazungula Border where they will be met by their Zimbabwean Guide for their return transfer to Victoria Falls, arriving at approximately 17.30hrs. Please note: Due to the previous night’s sightings, the order of the activities might be changed, i.e. start with a Game drive and finish with the Boat Cruise.

Victoria Falls Cultural Village Tour and Night Game Drive with Bush Dinner

Victoria Falls - Begin the day with a cultural immersion, exploring the rhythms of daily village life in Zimbabwe. Visitors are encouraged to bring thoughtful gifts such as stationery, clothing, or sweets as tokens of goodwill for the community. At 16:00, continue the adventure at Nakavango Private Game Reserve with an afternoon game drive across breathtaking landscapes. As the sun sets, unwind with refreshments and light snacks before venturing deeper into the reserve. With the aid of a spotlight, discover the nocturnal wildlife that comes alive after dark. The evening concludes under the stars with a 3-course barbecue feast, blending authentic flavors with the magic of the African wilderness.

Meals included: Breakfast, dinner
Activities:

Village tour – 3 hours
Night game drive and bush dinner – 4 hours

Victoria Falls International Airport Drop Off

Victoria Falls - Transfers back to Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) will be provided after the wonderful adventure. Pick-up times depend on the flight details. Cuckoo Safaris typically picks up guests 2 hours before the departure time.

Meals: Breakfast
Duration for airport transfers: 20 minutes

What's Included

Lunch
Dinner
4 nights at Dzimbahwe guest Lodge
Breakfast

What's Not Included

Entrance fees
Entrance fees
Entrance fees
Admission fees

Additional Information

Embark on an extraordinary 5-day adventure spanning three incredible countries — Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. This safari perfectly combines adventure, nature, and relaxation, tailored for travelers eager to experience the untamed beauty of Southern Africa.
From the breathtaking Victoria Falls to the abundant wildlife of Chobe National Park and the…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.9

(45 Ratings)

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Amanda_h

Sep 5, 2025

Excellent, full experience with fantastic tour leader - No hassle, well planned experience. Knowledgeable tour guides and great resort. Shelton was fantastic.

Review provided by Viator

Jaydo2017

Aug 18, 2025

Couple 4 night luxury safari - WOW the four day luxury safari was such an experience for our honeymoon. The accomodation was 5 star and it’s literary perfectly crafted - we saw the big 5!! Big shoutout to our guide Shelton for the amazing service, knowledge and friendship. Truly unforgettable- highly highly recommend.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kimberly_g

Aug 6, 2025

African Experience - This experience has lots of amazing activities and wonderful guides - Shelton did a phenomenal job driving us around and explaining and sharing his country. Cuckoo Tours does a wonderful job accommodating special requests and working with us to privatize our experience.

Review provided by Viator

Kimberly

Aug 3, 2025

Amazing African Adventure - We spent an amazing few days visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. Everything was laid out and planned perfectly. Shelton was our guide and driver. He was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic throughout our time together. He worked with us to add and adjust according to our wishes - always had a smile and a special way in which to accommodate us!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

984sh

Jul 28, 2025

Amazing Experience, Great Service - We had an amazing 6 day tour with Cuckoo Safaris. The tour components in both Victoria Falls and Botswana were excellent. Accommodation in VF and Botswana were lovely and the itinerary had the right balance of activity and down time. Shelton, our guide in Victoria Falls was knowledgeable, on time and good company. The afternoon game drive and dinner in VF was a highlight. The 3 days in Botswana was also amazing. Guides for the safari drives and boat cruise were excellent and we saw an incredible amount of wildlife. Each drive had something different that made it special in its right. The whole experience was something we will never forget. Cuckoo were very good with communications. They were accommodating when we had issues with card payment and found a way to make it work. The assistance from the Cuckoo staff at the border crossing into Botswana made the things very easy.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Karem

Jul 25, 2025

Very organized - Very organized tour! Great communication via whats app! They coordinated pick up and drop off, very smoothly! Our group of 9 stayed at DZimbabwe guest lounge for 4 nights. Breakfast was included. Not much to do around the place. But is at 10 Min drive from Victoria Falls city center. First day after pick up they took us to a sunset river cruise-luxury cruise ($10) Day two we went to Victoria falls Zimbabwe side $50 entrance fee, and later to Zambia $15 fee. Have to cross border/immigration. After that we did a small visit to Livingston Zambia . Once the tour was finished On our own we booked Victoria Falls Theatre Featuring Simunye, to experience a show: The Spirit of Africa at 8 pm. Day 3: we went to Chobe national park (entrance $20) had a Game drive after that we went for Lunch and Chobe River cruise.. which were excellent. On our own we had Dinner at 3 monkeys… highly recommended Day4, was very relaxing we went to tour a small village. For 2 hours .. we decided to go back to 3 monkeys for lunch… and at 7pm we went to BOMA dinner (included) this was an excellent experience.. it’s about 2.5 hr Day 5: transfer to airport

Review provided by Tripadvisor

614hermank

Jul 17, 2025

- Perfect lodges and beautiful sightings. Chobe’s wildlife is something else. And the dinner cruise on Zambesi river is a must

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Kyleeg352

Jun 14, 2025

The Victoria Falls experience - June is a fantastic time to visit the Victoria Falls and Game Parks. The weather is mild, but fine. The Victoria Falls are absolutely beautiful and Chobe National Park was amazing. All the activities that are included in the tour give you an amazing overview of the area. Could see ourselves coming back here. The sunset river cruise and 3 course dinner was wonderful and the sunset safari and African BBQ braai was fabulous. Nicholas our guide was very informative. Our guide Simon for the Victoria Falls was also very informative. Hwange National Pk was good, but is a 3hr long drive there and back. The roads are terrible, but our driver did an amazing job getting us there and back. Highly recommend this tour if you want to experience as much as you can, but allow yourself an extra 2 days to fit in a helicopter flight and if you like adventure sports there’s lots to do.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Chelsea_p

Jul 13, 2025

Great time - We had a great time on our 5 days. We were traveling as a group of 8 with family and friends. All the activities were as described and our guides were great. The accommodation was good. Nothing fancy but the staff were excellent and the place was clean. The only downside was that on the day of the falls tour it ended up taking longer than expected and we missed the Livingston museum tour because the museum was closed by the time we got there. Our day in Botswana also was cut short because the immigration line to get in was very long due to computers being down. It’s a lot to pack into 5 days but the falls are 100% worth seeing. Beautiful place and wonderful people. The village tour was authentic and the family that we met shared their culture and home with us which we all enjoyed.

Review provided by Viator

Nnimlo

Jul 2, 2025

Great Trip - We booked the 5-day tour of Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana. The accommodation throughout was lovely, and we were met with genuinely warm hospitality from all the staff. One of the highlights was the sunset river cruise on the Zambezi River, an absolutely unforgettable experience. Visiting Victoria Falls from both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides was another major highlight. Just be warned: you will get absolutely soaked on the Zimbabwe side, but it's all part of the fun! All our drivers were friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming, we really appreciated their insight and energy. However, a few things could have been better. Having travelled extensively through Africa, we found it quite unusual not to have a consistent guide for the full tour. At times, we were simply dropped off and handed over to a new driver or guide, which made the experience feel a bit disconnected. Perhaps it was due to border crossings, but clearer communication around this would have helped. Also, having drinking water available in the vehicles would’ve been appreciated, especially in Africa. The biggest letdown was the Chobe "safari" day. Unfortunately, we found it disappointing and far from what we would consider a genuine safari experience. Having done a 12-day safari in Tanzania previously, this felt more like a theme park ride than a wildlife adventure. At one point, there were 11 vehicles lined up in a convoy. It was chaotic and, honestly, quite stressful, especially when surrounded by elephants. We witnessed a clearly agitated elephant cow trying to shield her calf from the crowding vehicles, and another elephant reacting aggressively to a car that came too close. While we understand that Cuckoo Tours are not the direct operators in the park, it's worth reconsidering this part of the itinerary. There are likely more ethical and immersive day safari options elsewhere. Lastly, travellers should be aware that park entry fees are charged at nearly every stop, often around $50 USD per person per park, something that can add up quickly over multiple days. Make sure you do your research and have a KAZA visa, which gives you unlimited access into these countries, otherwise that would be an additional cost each time your passport is stamped. In all, the trip had some memorable and special moments, but there are a few areas where the experience could be improved for future travellers.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $1,200

up to 10 guests

2 - Adult