5-day Ultimate Triple Country Safari: Zimbabwe, Zambia & Botswana

​Our 4-night, 5-day trip across Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana with cukoo Safaris was absolutely flawless from start to finish. If you are planning a trip to the region, book with them without hesitation—they are professional, reliable, and deeply honest. ​From the moment Blessing picked us up at the airport to our final departure drop-off, the coordination was seamless. With an ambitious itinerary involving multiple border crossings, transfers, and activities—a Zambezi River sunset cruise, guided tour of Victoria Falls, helicopter flight, a full-day safari in Chobe National Park (Botswana), and a final evening game drive with a bush dinner—every single pickup was prompt to the minute. Every driver and tour partner already had our names on hand, making a complex schedule feel effortless. ​The guides were outstanding, passionate, and incredibly skilled at spotting wildlife. Across our game drives, we saw rhinos, lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and plenty of hippos. The aerial views from the helicopter flight over Victoria Falls were unforgettable. ​Cukoo Safaris delivers top-tier service, transparent communication, and authentic hospitality. I would blindly recommend them to anyone visiting Southern Africa!

Fantastic 5 Day adventure with Cuckoo Safari’s. Everything went extremely smoothly right from pick up from Airport to drop off at airport. A very well thought out itinerary showing all the highlights of the Victoria Falls area. Special mentions to excellent guides to. Chilo who showed us the Zimbabwe side of the falls - great informative guide and full of fun. Blessing for driving us around and great information at every step. Simon who showed us the cultural village full of good local knowledge and a pleasure to hear all about the village and customs. Niko who was our guide on the night game drive - a highlight of our tour. Also Julius and Lucky. Cuckoo is blessed with wonderful staff.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Cuckoo Safaris. The itinerary, guides, and vendors selected were all great. My one bit of feedback (and why I knocked off a star - it would have been half a star if I could have) is that the front office could do a better job of communicating must-know details ahead of time (like start and end times; payment process; what visa to purchase; what exactly is included in each experience). If you are proactive and ask, then they are communicative and reliable, but some of this information could be better communicated on the front end.

Amazing organisation, always willing to do the extra mile to help us ! We enjoyed all our excursions: Victoria Falls, day and night safari, boat rides on the Zambezi, bush dinner and so much more, and our stay at the pioneers lodge. Tatenda, my contact in the agency, and Simon, our guide, were so helpful, professional and always with a smile !

Well organized tour, courteous staff, careful, experienced drivers drivers. The only downsize was the visa process was not synchronized and our tour of Zambia on the 2nd day was unsuccessful. We were told visas could be arranged upon arrival, it wasn't for a family member with an Ethiopian passport.

No hassle, well planned experience. Knowledgeable tour guides and great resort. Shelton was fantastic.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Fantastic tour. The tour company provided excellent service from the start to the end. Hope to have halal food options in the future and more activities on the last day.

The overall tour was fantastic and we really enjoyed it. Last day of the tour should have more activities. We hope the restaurant in Livingstone should be better. We have to wait very long for the food to arrive. Victoria Falls should have halal food options.

A unique experience. We toured Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe and Zambian side. The visit to Livingstone museum and town was important to learn about the area. Chobe National Park was spectacular. Our guides Figo and Felix were patient enough to show us more than expected from lions to hippos.Finally the visit to Monde village was so different, seeing how people live with limited resources, no electricity or running water. Our guides Shelton, Mike and Simon among other did a fantastic job to make this an unforgettable experience.

We did the 5 day Vic Falls and Chobe NP safari booked thru Viator and operated by Cuckoo Safari. The tour was well organised, Simon was always punctual and helpful and knowledgeable about history of places we visited in.

Everything ran very smooth and we enjoyed every activity. It was nice to see vic falls from both the Zimbabwean side and the Zambia side. Botswana and Chobe national park were very nice lots of animals and a very pleasant day. We loved our guide Simon he was very knowledgeable and helpful with all we did. Would highly recommend. A very good value for the money. Accommodations were also very nice

The trip was amazing. The first night we did a river cruise and had a fantastic time, super relaxing. Our guide, Simon, was excellent he was very kind and knowledgeable. Victoria Falls was wonderful. Took lots of pictures. The Chobe National park was a great time. We saw lots of animals, luckily we even got to see lions up close! Over all it was a great trip. Highly, highly recommend!!

This was such a perfect trip! My top 5 moments- the river cruise, the drive into Chobe park- got to see lions!, eating at the lookout cafe’, the Boma dinner- the drumming was fantastic and fun!, and our hotel was also such a fun, clean, safe, place to stay. I would rate higher if I could! A great mix of adventure and relaxation. They really showed us a lot about the culture. In particular Simon was an amazing guide.

It was an absolute pleasure getting to work with Simon of Cuckoo Safaris. Not only was he informative before every adventure he also made sure I get the best out of my trip. Always on time and ready to share what Victoria Falls has to offer. I loved the coordination between staff on connecting activities which was seamless and everyone performed to the best of their ability. Overall an awesome experience and will definitely be doing it again, till next time!

We booked this trip not knowing what to expect. We had never been to any one of these three countries. After booking the tour, Cuckoo Safaris responded to our questions promptly. Simon picked us up from the airport in a clean and comfortable vehicle. Took us to our hotel and updated us on the activities planned for our time in the region. He told us exactly what to expect at each point and place. This tour involves several border crossings and we were always prepared ahead of time on what to expect. The guide from Zimbabwe would always make sure to introduce us to the guide in Zambia or Botswana. We were never left to fend for ourselves anywhere! Mosi au Tunya (Victoria Falls) involves a lot of walking. The path is paved well enough that you could push a stroller or wheelchair if needed. Big shoutout to (Del) the young lady tour guide Victoria Falls - Zambia side and the young man on the Zimbabwe side. Very articulate and attentive to us. Slowed down to our pace (we stopped a lot to take photos of the falls) but they also came prepared with rain coats because the mist from the falls is like rain! Simon is very knowledgeable about his country, the history, culture and customs plus, he is a great communicator! He recommended the Lookout Restaurant and we went there for lunch one day: Amazing view of the falls! Would highly recommend this trip!!

The itinerary was awesome, giving us a comprehensive and wonderful experience exploring the Victoria Falls, the wildlife in Chobe and getting a peek into the local way of life in a rural Zimbabwean village. The coordination was seamless though we had to cross Zambian and Botswana borders. Very safe countries. A special callout to Simon for doing a great job with the coordination. The guides and rangers assigned to us helped in making everything awesome too. Thanks!

The itinerary was awesome, giving us a comprehensive and wonderful experience exploring the Victoria Falls, the wildlife in Chobe and getting a peek into the local way of life in a rural Zimbabwean village. The coordination was seamless though we had to cross Zambian and Botswana borders. Very safe countries. A special callout to Simon for doing a great job with the coordination. The guides and rangers assigned to us helped in making everything awesome too. Thanks!

Great trip from start to finish. Our driver, Luwis, was amazing. He went out of his way to make sure our trip was enjoyable. The tour guides in Victoria Falls and Zambia, Sheldon, and Martha were very informative and friendly. The safari in Chobi National Park was great, seeing the wildlife up close and the river safari also great. Accommodation was comfortable with very friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Cuckoo Safaris were fantastic from the time we landed until the time we departed. We were delayed in arrivals for more than 2 hours and worried our driver might not wait, but head office replied immediately and changed our program to ensure we arrived on time for our river cruise. We were so happy to see our driver Lewis waiting for us. For our entire stay Lewis was wonderful and couldn’t do enough to make our time in Victoria Falls special. Gift was our driver in Chobe and showed us some great sights. Sheldon took us through Victoria falls and was fun and very interesting and informative. Martha took us on the Zambia side, and was great, very friendly with us. Simon drove us to Boma for dinner and he was very entertaining and friendly. I highly recommend this company and all of their staff.

From the time we touched down at the airport we were treated professionally. Our driver - Luwis was absolutely amazing and he could not do enough to ensure our trip was special. His car was spotlessly clean and he was always on time. Luwis provided us with amazing information about his country and the experiences we were having. The trip to Chobe was fantastic with us seeing many of the big 5- being up close with the lions was incredible and the river Safari did not disappoint. Our trip the Victoria falls with Sheldon was spectacular with Sheldon providing us with information to educate us about both the flora and fauna and the history of the falls. Martha then took over our tour on the Zambia side of the falls and was equally amazing. The visit to the local village and the drum and dance night was brilliant. It was so wonderful to have Luwis as our driver for the whole trip. He was truly amazing - his driving skills were excellent and he constantly tried to make our trip special. Our accommodation at Dzimbabwe lodge was perfect with wonderful staff and facilities.

Very well organized tour, which gives you the chance to see and enjoy the main highlights of the region! Special mention for my driver Simon, who was arranging everything perfectly!

The tour is very well organised and give the opportunity to see the highlights of the region. Special mention to the driver Simon who was coordinating everything perfectly!

We had an amazing time with Cuckoo Safaris The itinerary devised and sent to us ahead of the trip was fantastic and very well thought of We did everything - Victoria Falls/ helicopter ride / Chobe national park / Boma and even a visit to the local village and school The manager Tarzan is a wonderful person and he was always helpful and replied patiently to our questions before the trip The guides were very very professional and explained everything very well All in all it was a great trip and we thoroughly recommend Cuckoo Safaris for an incredible experience

Great tour, all the team was really nice with us. I recommend this tour and Cuckoo for your trip to Zimbabue. Thank you Cuckoo

This is a lovely experience. The places we so nice and we loved the amazing culture. The service was tremendous with a very well planned itinerary.

We booked a tour with Cuckoo Safaris, visiting the falls, Hwange, and Chobe. I highly recommend Cuckoo Safaris for their excellent service. I was primarily in contact with Tatenda, who was very accessible and extremely helpful. The tours were well-organized and executed flawlessly. In summary, I strongly endorse Cuckoo Safaris.

Tatenda and his team were beyond amazing. They were extremely responsive, organised the best experiences for me based on my needs and what I wanted to see across Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, and ensured my safety and comfort at all times. No matter what time of day, they were available to answer my questions and make sure I fully enjoyed my trip. I would also like to thank Martha from Zambia, Prudence from Zimbabwe and Figo from Botswana for giving me an incredible experience! Strongly recommend booking with Cuckoo Safaris... ASAP!

My driver, Manda, was waiting as soon as I stepped off the plane & the adventure began! Light snacks on the Zambezi River to see warthogs, crocodiles, hippos, exotic birds, an amazing sunset & to be on a river that connects 4 countries was incredible! The next morning after breakfast, we were off to see Mosi oa Tunya (The Falls). We saw the Zambia & Zimbabwean side. Our tour guides Martha & Prudence walked us through the rainforest, we saw gorges, baboons, beautiful trees & the sound of the falls was amazing! There were rainbows & incredible photo-ops. We had lunch at Lookout Cafe, what a beautiful restaurant with delicious food & top notch service. We took a helicopter ride over the falls, which was breathtaking. We also made a quick stop at Big Tree. The next day was Chobe, Botswana. We started with a boat ride on the river. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable about the animals! I learned a lot. After a fabulous buffet, at an all you can eat lunch, we were off to the land safari. Our guide, Mr.O, got us very close to the animals (which is what we wanted). What an extraordinary day! The next day we got to sleep in a little. Pick up time was 10am. We stopped at a local store to buy food & school supplies for the visit to the cultural village. It wasn’t mandatory, but I love to help people. The village chief & his wife were so hospitable & thankful for the items. The chief gave us an in-depth tour & explained how life works. My highlight was visiting the school they opened & meeting the lovely teachers & adorable children. After the village tour, we stopped in town for lunch, coffee & shopping. We then went to the hotel to relax a little & at 7pm we were off to Boma to have fun, dance, eat, play the drums & just enjoy! The next morning was time to say goodbye to beautiful Africa, but we enjoyed every minute. Believe it or not, I left out some details. There was so much to see & do! The only thing I would change would be to upgrade my room at the hotel. But the staff was so welcoming & helpful & the grounds were tropical & well maintained. If you can’t tell yet, you should book this trip!

I found this tour online and coming from New Zealand was worried it was a scam, but really liked the look of it. However it was not. It was incredible. Absolutely everything went to plan. Exceeded all our expectations. Result amazing care and service from everyone we were with. Highly recommend and would not hesitate to book with them again.

This 5 day trip was absolutely amazing. Everything we saw in the 3 countries were wonderful. The staff at Cuckoo Safari were great and all were very polite and knowledgeable. They even helped us get our lost luggage back from the airport. They arrange everything so you don’t have to worry. I would definitely recommend them.

If there were 100 stars, both Leslie Garber at Cadence Travel and Piper and Heath would receive them for the Africa trip they planned for my friend and I. We had a complicated wish list and they fulfilled it so our dream trip turned into a reality. We had 10 commercial flights and over 20 transfers which all went seamlessly. The places we stayed at were the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, Tintswalo at Siankaba in Zambia, and the Chobe Game Lodge and Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. We saw towers of giraffes, gorgeous cheetahs, jackals, elephants, lions!, impala, water buffalo, fish eagles, crocodiles and much more. Every place we stayed at the staff were incredible, the food was delectable and the scenery incredible. When we go again to Africa, we will be thrilled to have Leslie and Piper and Heath plan our trip again #namibia #cheetah #africa #cheetahconservationfund #ccf #photography #wildlife #travel #bigcat #nature #travelphotography #botswana #chobegamelodge #safari #chobe #chobenationalpark #moremi #wildlife #moremigamereserve #okavangodelta #tintswalosiankaba #cadencetravel #piperandheath

Cuckoo safaris were excellent, we loved the fact that they were always reachable and ready to solve any issue. I would definitely recommend them. As for the trips, we've enjoyed the village tour, I wish we could have brought some used clothes for the people. We went to the supermarket instead and bought some groceries. The sunset cruise was very relaxing with some stunning scenery along the way. The safari in Chobe was good although probably too short. I would rather have stayed in Chobe for a couple of nights. We ended up going to Hwange instead, would write a separate review on that. Out of all activities, I would have personally skipped Boma dinner, as I don't eat meat, so I couldn't enjoy it as much as the meat lovers did.

Just returned back home from a once in a life time and memorable trip to Zimbabwe and Botswana courtesy of Cuckoo Safaris. During the booking I corresponded with Tatenda who arranged the 7 day trip with detail and diligence. The trip was tailored to our requirements and after many back and forth emails with many changes, i found him to be very patient. He did give his thoughts and ideas which we ended up going with and it definitely ended up be beyond amazing. He advised on the high end hotels he felt would suit us and again he was spot on where the rooms and service was impeccible. We spent 3 days in Zimbabwe at the Victoria Falls. Here our guide, Simon, accompanied us on the Victoria Falls. He had great knowledge of the falls, the history and the local area. He was our contact during the trip and also accompanied us on our day trip to Hwange National Park, taking a tour of Hwange Town and Coal Mining Colliery which was very informative and interesting. Simon was very attentive and our contact during the trip and always ensured we were comfortable and if we needed anything in particular. Cuckoo arranged both the Zambez sunset i river cruise and the night Safari at a local game reserve. Both of these were spectacular. After the Zimbabwe leg we went to Botswana where the a sister company accompanied us on a 4 day Safari. The safari was deep in the huge and spectacular Chobe National Park. Both our guides, Figo and Gift were fantastic and had deep knowledge of the park and it's terrain and took us to the best areas where we would have the most opportunity to see the big game. This part of the holiday was equally amazing and a very big thank you to Tatenda, Simon and everyone at Cuckoo Safari making this a holiday we won't forget. We are looking to booking the next one already and going deeper to Sevuti and Okavango Delta

The entire tour was excellent. Would highly recommend Viator & Cuckoo Safaris. The guides were polite, informative & knowledgeable. The sites we saw were amazing; so much beauty in these 3 countries. Marnie & Bob

Cuckoo Safaris & Simon, our tour Director, were exceptional! We were able to customize our own 5 day itinerary with tons of activities from the Victoria Falls area & not worry about a thing. They arranged the transportation to & from the airport, to our hotel, to our activities & across borders visiting Chobe in Botswana for a day trip and the Zambia side for the Livingston area. Everything was included in the price & we were able to add on activities last minute. We had an amazing time & the Falls were the highlight... from the ground & the air. Highly recommend!

My family and I had an amazing trip with Cuckoo Safaris in June! Tarzan was super helpful with arranging the tour and options on the frontend. Simon was a fantastic guide and was super accommodating when we asked to add in a brewery, or another stop to our itinerary. Lewis was a great driver and helped us during our time in Vic Falls. Overall, a great tour, great people, and a great company to work with for an amazing safari!

Amazing package if you don t too much time to spend there. Full of activities. My guide from Cuckoo Safaris, Simon, was amazing.

I had a great time visiting Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. Simon and Lewis were amazing, very helpful and made sure I was always having a good time. I got to see beautiful places and learn a lot about the local culture. Super recommended.

The team was very professional and ensured our pickup every day was on time. The personal tour through Victoria Falls was incredible. They made the passage through Botswana customs easy for us. Every recommendation made was a great one. Chobe Park was very affected by the drought but we saw so many animals. The whole experience was just amazing. We can’t wait to go back to Africa.

I was picked up at Livingstone airport and from then onwards I knew I was in trustworthy hands. The guides were knowledgeable and always available. I loved every minute and had such a fantastic time. It was a great experience in a wonderful little town. Thank you so much