Entry to Chobe National Park is paid per person, per day — including your departure day — with international adults at BWP 120 (about US$11) under the long-standing rates, though a 2026 increase to BWP 270 was gazetted and then postponed, so confirm at the gate. Gates open 06:00–18:30 from April to September and 05:30–19:00 from October to March, with no driving allowed after sunset.
Chobe National Park opens every day of the year, with gate hours set by season rather than the calendar. From April to September, gates run 06:00–18:30; from October to March, they open earlier and close later, 05:30–19:00. There are no weekly closures and no holiday closures — but driving after sunset is banned, so those closing times are firm.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday (April–September) | 06:00–18:30 | No night drives allowed anywhere in the park; campers must exit by 11:00 on departure day. |
| Monday–Sunday (October–March) | 05:30–19:00 | Earlier opening catches predator activity at dawn; arrive at 05:30 for the best sightings. |
The park doesn't close for Botswanan public holidays or religious observances — seasonal daylight hours are the only thing that shifts the schedule, so Christmas Day runs 05:30–19:00 like any other day in the October–March window. What does close is access: the four main gates (Sedudu near Kasane, Ngoma on the Namibian border, Ghoha for Linyanti, and Mababe from Maun) shut at the times above, and rangers enforce the no-driving-after-sunset rule with on-the-spot fines of BWP 500–5,000. If you're overnighting, your campsite reservation (Ihaha, Savuti, or Linyanti) is checked at the gate, so have it in hand before you arrive.
Entry to Chobe National Park costs BWP 120 (~US$11) per day for international adults, with children aged 8–17 paying BWP 60 and under-8s free. Fees are charged per person per day — including your departure day — and are paid at Sedudu Gate (8 km west of Kasane) or at the Department of Wildlife and National Parks offices in Maun. A revised 2026 schedule (international adult BWP 270) was gazetted for 1 April 2026 but its rollout was postponed on 31 March 2026, so confirm the applicable rate at the gate before you pay.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| International adult | BWP 120 (~US$11) per day | Long-standing rate; the gazetted 2026 schedule would raise this to BWP 270 (~US$20), but its rollout was postponed on 31 March 2026 — confirm at Sedudu Gate |
| International child (8–17) | BWP 60 per day | Would rise to BWP 135 under the postponed 2026 schedule |
| Child under 8 | Free | |
| Botswana resident | BWP 30 per day | SADC rate under the postponed 2026 schedule would be BWP 205 |
| Botswana citizen | BWP 10 per day | Would rise to BWP 30 under the postponed 2026 schedule |
| Vehicle (Botswana-registered) | BWP 10 per day | Private vehicles under 3,500 kg; caravans/trailers BWP 15 under the postponed 2026 schedule |
| Vehicle (foreign-registered) | BWP 50 per day | Private vehicles under 3,500 kg; would rise to BWP 115 under the postponed 2026 schedule |
| Group tour (30 or fewer people) | BWP 75 per person per day | Per gov.bw; groups of 30–50 pay BWP 100 per person per day |
No regular free entry days — under-8s enter free, but every visitor pays the daily fee on arrival and again on their departure day, and re-entry requires a new ticket, so keep your receipt for the whole stay.
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View All ToursMay to October, the dry season, is the best time to visit Chobe — and August to October is the sweet spot, when elephants, buffalo, lions and giraffe crowd the Chobe River and the Linyanti and Savuti waterholes. That window is also peak season, so book lodges and campsites months ahead. Birders should take the trade-off and come December–March instead, when migrants from Europe and Asia swell the park's 450+ species list.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Gate opening to 09:00 (06:00 April–September, 05:30 October–March) | Low | Predators are most active and vehicles are few — best for photographers and anyone on the 06:00 game drive out of Kasane. |
| Midday (10:00–14:00) | Moderate | Animals retreat to shade and riverfront sightings thin out, so this suits a boat cruise or downtime at your lodge before the afternoon circuit. |
| Late afternoon (15:00–18:00) | High | The 15:00 game drives roll out and dry-season elephant herds converge on the river to drink — the park's best show, if you don't mind company. |
| Final hour before gates close (18:00–18:30 / 19:00) | High | Sunset cruises run along the river boundary now, but driving after sunset is banned, so self-drivers should leave their last sighting early enough to reach the gate. |
Plan on one to two nights in the Kasane area to cover the highlights, and three to four days if you want to add Savuti — the drive from Kasane alone runs about 195 km and takes five to six hours in the dry season. Guided visitors can compress everything into a day: a three-hour river cruise plus a game drive, from a quick three-hour run (BWP 498/person, departing 06:00 or 15:00) to a full 10-hour day. Savuti itself rewards two to three full days of game driving, so self-drivers should budget accordingly.
Enter at opening — 05:30 October–March, 06:00 April–September — for your best shot at predators. Then save the afternoon for a river cruise or Riverfront drive, when dry-season elephant herds converge on the Chobe to drink. That morning-drive, afternoon-boat pairing covers the park's two strongest viewing angles in one day.
Card machines at Sedudu Gate and the DWNP offices fail regularly, and there are no ATMs inside the park. Pull cash from the Standard Chartered, ABSA or FNB machines in Kasane before heading in, and budget for both your arrival and departure days — fees are charged per person per day, including the day you leave. Keep the receipt for your whole stay, since re-entry on one ticket isn't allowed.
A 2026 fee hike — international adults rising from BWP 120 to BWP 270 — was gazetted for 1 April 2026 but postponed on 31 March, and nobody has cancelled it. Ask at Sedudu Gate or the DWNP office in Maun which schedule applies on the day you visit, and carry extra cash in case the new rates kick in without warning. Lodge-based tours usually fold park fees into the package price; check before you pay twice.
The unfenced sites at Ihaha, Savuti and Linyanti fill months out — travellers report needing to book 4–5 months ahead and still finding slim pickings. Reserve through DWNP or SKL Camps before you lock in dates, and remember that campers must exit the park by 11:00 on departure day. Ihaha runs USD 50 a night for international visitors, with elephant herds passing between the ablution block and the water.
June–August mornings on open vehicles drop to 6–8 °C before afternoons climb to around 27 °C, so bring a beanie and fleece for the early drive and shed layers as the sun rises. October afternoons push 35 °C. Year-round you'll want neutral-coloured long sleeves for dawn and dusk — that's when the mosquitoes bite hardest — plus a dust scarf for the sandy tracks.
Under the long-standing rates, international adults pay BWP 120 (about US$11) per person per day, children 8–17 pay BWP 60, and under-8s are free; a foreign-registered vehicle adds BWP 50 per day. A revised 2026 schedule raising international adult fees to BWP 270 was gazetted for 1 April 2026 but postponed on 31 March, so confirm the current rate at Sedudu Gate before paying. Botswana citizens pay just BWP 10 and residents BWP 30.
Gates run 06:00–18:30 from April to September and 05:30–19:00 from October to March. Driving after sunset is prohibited and there are no night drives inside the park. Campers must also clear out by 11:00 on departure day.
Yes — fees are charged per person per day, including the day you leave, and re-entry isn't allowed on an old ticket. Keep your receipt for the whole stay, since it's checked. A couple on a day trip should budget roughly BWP 240–540 in entry fees plus vehicle fees, depending on which schedule is in force.
Card payments are accepted at Sedudu Gate and the DWNP offices in Maun, but the machines are unreliable and there are no ATMs anywhere in the park. Withdraw pula in Kasane before heading in — Standard Chartered, ABSA and FNB ATMs there take international cards. Lodge-based tours usually fold park fees into the package price, so check before you double-pay.
May to October is the sweet spot, with August–October the strongest months as elephants, buffalo and lions crowd the Chobe Riverfront and the Linyanti and Savuti waterholes. July–October is also peak season, so book lodges and campsites well ahead. If birds are your priority, come December–March, when migrants from Europe and Asia swell the park's 450+ species list.
One to two nights based in Kasane covers the Riverfront highlights — most visitors pair a 3-hour game drive (BWP 498 per person, departing 06:00 or 15:00) with a 3-hour river cruise. To add Savuti, allow 3–4 days; the Kasane–Savuti drive alone is about 195 km of deep sand and takes 5–6 hours in the dry season. Savuti itself rewards 2–3 full days of game driving.
You can, but you'll need a proper 4×4 and full self-sufficiency — park roads are deep Kalahari sand and the Linyanti transfer road to Savuti is the toughest stretch. Overnight stays require a pre-booked campsite reservation (Ihaha on the riverfront is USD 50 a night for internationals), checked at the gate, and wild camping is banned. If you lack 4×4 experience, a guided day trip from Kasane at roughly US$130–180 per person, including cruise, drive, lunch and park fees, is the better call.
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