Botswana is one of Africa’s leading safari destinations, recognized for strong conservation policies, extensive protected areas, and a tourism model that emphasizes low-impact travel. This approach has helped preserve large wilderness zones and maintain high-quality wildlife viewing, often with fewer visitors than in more heavily trafficked safari regions. The country’s landscapes range from the seasonal waterways of the Okavango Delta to the open plains and desert environments of the Kalahari.
Travel in Botswana is shaped by distance, access, and careful planning. Many of the best wildlife areas are remote and may require light aircraft transfers or long drives, and overall costs are often higher than in neighboring countries. In return, travelers benefit from well-managed camps, experienced guides, limited vehicle numbers at sightings, and a sense of space that remains rare in modern safari tourism. Botswana suits travelers who value quality, conservation, and unspoiled wilderness over speed or budget travel.
Best Cities in Botswana
Gaborone
Gaborone is Botswana’s capital and a practical start point for overland travel because it concentrates airports, banks, major supermarkets, and vehicle services in one area. Many travelers use it for one “setup day” and a few low-effort stops: the National Museum for a compact overview of Botswana’s modern history and cultural themes, craft browsing at markets and small curio areas, and an evening food plan in central districts rather than chasing landmarks. If you want a simple outdoor break without leaving the city, the Gaborone Game Reserve is a quick nature stop for short drives and birdlife, and Kgale Hill is the most common city hike for a wide view over the urban spread and the surrounding hills.
Logistics are straightforward. Sir Seretse Khama International Airport is roughly 15 to 20 km from the center and usually 20 to 40 minutes by road depending on traffic. The South Africa border at Ramatlabama (near Lobatse) is commonly around 70 to 80 km and about 1 to 1.5 hours by car, which makes Gaborone an easy “first or last night” on a regional route. For a short warm-up day trip, Mokolodi Nature Reserve is roughly 10 to 20 km from central areas and often 20 to 40 minutes by road, while Lobatse is around 70 km and often about 1 hour.
Maun
Maun is Botswana’s main logistics hub for the Okavango Delta, because it concentrates flights, transfers, fuel, repairs, and safari suppliers in one town. The typical “things to do” are functional but still worth planning: book a Delta scenic flight (most flights run 30 to 60 minutes and give you a clear read of channels, floodplains, and wildlife routes), arrange mokoro and motorboat activities via operators who run into the Delta fringes, and use the Thamalakane River area for a short walk and sunset time without committing to a full safari day. If you are heading to Moremi or deeper Delta camps, Maun is also where you finalize park entry details, confirm pickup points, and sort food and water quantities for self-drive or mobile camping.
For access, Maun Airport is the key node for light-aircraft links into Delta airstrips, and this is where baggage rules matter: many camps require soft bags and keep checked luggage to about 15 to 20 kg per person, sometimes less once you include camera gear. By road, Maun is often reached from Gaborone in roughly 850 to 950 km, commonly 10 to 14 hours depending on stops, while Francistown is roughly 550 to 650 km, often 6 to 9 hours. From Kasane, plan about 600 to 700 km and roughly 7 to 10 hours. Because the next stage is usually remote, use Maun to withdraw enough cash, buy insect repellent and basic medicines, confirm fuel range, and stock water and groceries, since availability and pricing become less predictable once you move toward Delta-side camps and park gates.
Kasane
Kasane is Botswana’s main base for Chobe National Park logistics, set close to the Chobe River and within short driving distance of the park’s riverfront sector, where game drives often focus on elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, and large birdlife. The core activities are simple to plan: a Chobe river cruise (many operators run 2 to 3 hours) for water-level viewing, then a park game drive in the early morning or late afternoon for land-based sightings along the riverfront tracks. If you want one non-safari stop, Kasane also works for short visits to nearby viewpoints and a quick resupply day, since it has fuel, groceries, and tour desks that can arrange park entry, guides, and transfers. For a short safari segment without flying, 2 nights is the minimum that usually feels complete, and 3 nights gives you time to do both cruise and drives without compressing everything into one day.
Getting there is straightforward by air or road. Kasane Airport is close to town, typically a 10 to 20 minute transfer, and it connects to Botswana’s internal network and some regional routes depending on season. By road, Kasane to Victoria Falls is roughly 80 to 90 km and often 1.5 to 2.5 hours with border time, and Kasane to Livingstone is commonly around 70 to 80 km with similar timing once formalities are included. From Nata it is roughly 300 km and often 3.5 to 5 hours; from Francistown around 500 to 550 km and often 6 to 8 hours; from Maun roughly 600 to 700 km and often 7 to 10 hours, depending on stops and road conditions.
Best Natural Wonders Sites
Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is an inland floodplain that spreads across a flat basin into channels, islands, and lagoons, creating a water-based safari that feels different from savannah parks. Most visitors experience it through three core formats: mokoro trips that move quietly through reeds and open lagoons, motorboat transfers and short cruises in deeper channels, and game drives on larger islands and dry-season floodplain edges where predators and herbivores concentrate. The “Delta effect” is often the point: long periods of quiet movement, reflections at sunrise and late afternoon, and close-range birdlife in papyrus and along banks. Wildlife varies by zone and season, but many trips deliver a mix of elephants at water crossings, hippos and crocodiles in channels, and strong predator potential on the land-drive concessions.
Planning is mainly about choosing the right area and not overpacking your days. If water activities are your priority, target camps in permanently wet or channel-rich sections where mokoro and boating are reliable; if you want more driving time and more consistent big-game patterns, choose a drier island or edge zone where vehicles can cover ground. A strong first-time approach is to split the stay into two bases, typically 3 nights in a water-focused zone and 3 nights in a land-focused zone, because it changes the daily rhythm and the type of sightings you get.
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve covers about 4,800 km² on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and is one of the best places in Botswana to combine floodplain wildlife with woodland driving in the same circuit. Typical sightings include elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, red lechwe and other antelope, plus strong predator potential with lion, leopard, cheetah, and African wild dog depending on season and luck. The core “to do” list is game drives on the main sand tracks, slow waterhole and channel-edge scanning, and (in the Xakanaxa area) boat-based outings that add a water perspective without leaving the reserve system. If you stay inside, camps such as Third Bridge and Xakanaxa position you for early and late drives, which matters because midday heat reduces movement and because distances between loops can be longer than they look on a map.
Access is usually via Maun, then the South Gate (Maqwee) approach: although the distance is often only around 100 to 120 km from Maun to the gate, the drive commonly takes 2.5 to 4.5 hours because of deep sand, corrugations, and slow sections. From Kasane, many travelers route via Nata and Maun, typically a full-day transfer of roughly 600 to 700 km and often 8 to 11 hours before you even start the slower reserve tracks, which is why an overnight in Maun is common.
Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park covers about 11,700 km² in northern Botswana and is best known for elephant concentrations along the Chobe River, especially in the dry season when animals cluster near permanent water. The classic plan is to combine a river cruise with a game drive because the viewpoints are different: from the water you often get close-range looks at hippos and crocodiles, plus elephants and buffalo coming to drink, while drives add predators, antelope, and wider movement across floodplains and woodland. The most visited zone is the Riverfront between the Sedudu Gate and Ihaha, where sightings can be frequent in a short distance; a typical boat cruise runs about 2 to 3 hours, and a standard game drive is often 3 to 4 hours, with the best activity windows early morning and late afternoon.
Chobe’s sections differ in both crowd levels and logistics. From Kasane to Sedudu Gate is usually a short transfer of roughly 10 to 15 km, often 15 to 30 minutes by road, which is why the Riverfront can feel busy around peak hours. If you want fewer vehicles, shift your timing to sunrise drives or focus on longer-day routes toward less-visited areas: the Savuti region is commonly around 160 to 200 km from Kasane and can take about 4 to 6+ hours depending on sand and conditions, while Linyanti routes are similarly remote and better suited to longer stays.
Savuti Channel
Savuti is the inland, more remote side of the Chobe system, where wildlife viewing is built around open plains, mopane woodland, and the Savuti Channel, a watercourse known for switching between long dry periods and phases of flow. The atmosphere is different from the Chobe Riverfront: fewer boats, fewer short-stop crowds, and more time spent scanning wide spaces for movement. Drives here tend to focus on predator territory and the edges of the marsh and channel line, where prey concentrates when water and grazing are available. The “Savuti feel” comes from repetition: you work the same key tracks at first light and late afternoon, stop for long scans at open pans and channel bends, and let sightings develop rather than chasing distance.
Savuti is also a planning exercise because access is slower and surfaces are demanding. From Kasane to the Savuti region is commonly around 160 to 200 km, but travel time is often 4 to 6+ hours depending on sand, corrugations, and seasonal conditions, which is why it rarely works well as a day trip. Many itineraries treat it as a minimum 2 to 3 night base, and 4 nights can feel ideal if predators are a priority, because it gives you enough drive cycles to learn which areas are active and to catch movement at the right times.
Makgadikgadi Pans
Makgadikgadi Pans are a salt-pan system in central Botswana that includes major basins such as Sua Pan and Ntwetwe Pan. The experience is built around distance and light: long, flat sightlines, mirage effects in heat, and large skies that make sunrise and late afternoon the key time blocks. In the dry season the pans feel like a hard, open surface with scattered baobabs and low islands, and many visitors focus on guided pan drives, short walks on the crust where it is safe, and night-sky viewing with minimal light pollution. In wetter months, the edges can change fast and parts become soft or flooded, but that is also when birdlife increases and you can see seasonal activity, including large numbers of waterbirds on the Sua side and movement of plains game on firmer grassland margins rather than deep on the pan itself.
Access is usually planned via Nata or Gweta, then onward to specific areas such as Khumaga on the Boteti River side or lodges positioned for pan excursions. From Maun to Nata is roughly 300 km and often 3.5 to 5 hours by road; from Kasane to Nata is also roughly 300 km and often 3.5 to 5 hours; from Francistown to Nata is about 190 km and often 2 to 3 hours; from Gaborone to Nata is roughly 600 km and commonly 7 to 9 hours, so many itineraries break the drive.
Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park is an open-country safari stop built around pans and surrounding grasslands, with long sightlines that make scanning and patience more important than slow tracking in thick bush. The park is often described as roughly 2,000 km² in size, and it tends to feel spacious, with wide skies and simple drive loops that encourage you to stop, watch, and wait. A common highlight is Baines’ Baobabs, a cluster of large baobab trees on the edge of Kudiakam Pan that works as a landmark stop for photographs and a short walk. Wildlife viewing is usually about open-plains patterns: zebra and wildebeest movements in greener months, antelope on the edges of pans and water points, and predators that can be easier to spot here than in denser habitats because visibility is high.
Nxai is usually reached by road from Maun or Nata, then by sand tracks inside the park, which is why a proper 4×4 is the standard choice. From Maun to the Nxai Pan turnoff area is commonly around 140 to 160 km and often 2 to 3 hours on the main road, then you add time once you enter the park because speeds drop on sand. From Nata, plan roughly 100 to 150 km and about 1.5 to 2.5 hours to the same general access area, then the same slower park driving. If seasonal zebra presence is a priority, treat timing as a range rather than a guarantee: in many years the strongest chance is during the wetter months when grass flushes, but exact weeks vary with rainfall.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of Botswana’s defining wilderness areas, covering roughly 52,000 km² of dunes, scrub, fossil river valleys, and open pans. The experience is driven by remoteness and scale: long stretches without facilities, low traffic, and wildlife that appears in pockets rather than as constant roadside action. Game viewing tends to concentrate around pans and valley lines, especially in the Deception Valley area, where you can spend hours scanning open ground for movement. Sightings often include oryx, springbok, kudu, and other arid-adapted species, with predator potential that can be strong in the right season, but the overall rhythm is slower and more observational than in river-and-delta systems.
Deception Valley
Deception Valley is the best-known driving zone within the Central Kalahari, built around fossil riverbeds, pans, and open grassland pockets that create long sightlines for scanning. The “valley” is not a steep-cut feature but a broad, shallow system where tracks follow old drainage lines and link a series of pans, which is why it works well for repeated dawn and late-afternoon loops. The classic experience is slow driving with long stops: you watch the edges of pans for movement, follow fresh tracks where visibility allows, and then sit at a single open area until something appears rather than trying to cover distance. Typical wildlife is desert-adapted and seasonal, often including oryx, springbok, kudu, and smaller mammals, with predator potential that can be strong when prey gathers, but it is never a guaranteed “every 10 minutes” environment.
Best Cultural and Historical Sites
Tsodilo Hills
Tsodilo Hills is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape (inscribed in 2001) in northwest Botswana, near the Okavango Panhandle. The site is formed by four main hills, and it is best known for a large concentration of rock art, with figures commonly counted in the thousands across many panels, ranging from animals to geometric symbols. Most visits are done as guided walks on marked trails that link key panels and viewpoints, often taking 2 to 4 hours depending on the route and pace. The value is in context: a guide can explain how the paintings are grouped, why certain rock faces were used, and how the hills function as a place of memory and ritual for local communities, which changes the experience from “seeing pictures” to understanding a cultural map.
Access is usually by road via Shakawe, which is the nearest service town for fuel and supplies. From Shakawe to Tsodilo is typically around 40 to 60 km, but the final section can be slow on sand or corrugations, so allow 1 to 2 hours depending on conditions and vehicle type. From Maun, the drive is commonly in the 500 to 650 km range and often 7 to 10 hours with stops, which is why many travelers break the trip with an overnight along the A35 corridor. From Gaborone, it is a long overland run of roughly 1,000 km or more and usually not practical as a direct drive without at least one overnight.
Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Khama Rhino Sanctuary, near Serowe in eastern Botswana, is a small conservation-focused reserve where the main objective is reliable rhino viewing without the long distances and logistics of the bigger parks. It is best approached as a waterhole and loop-drive experience: drive slowly between pans and water points, stop for 15 to 30 minutes at each, and scan the edges for movement. The sanctuary is known for both white and black rhino, and you can also see species such as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, kudu, and a strong range of birds, which makes it feel like a compact safari stop rather than a transit-only break. Many travelers find that 3 to 6 hours in the reserve is enough for a complete visit, while an overnight lets you add a second drive at first light.
It fits well on eastern Botswana routes because access is straightforward. From Serowe town it is typically a short drive of about 20 to 30 km, often 20 to 40 minutes by road. From Francistown, plan roughly 250 to 300 km and around 3 to 4 hours; from Gaborone, roughly 320 to 360 km and around 4 to 5 hours, depending on traffic and stops. If you are using it as a practical break on a long drive, arrive early afternoon, do a first loop before sunset, then do a short early-morning loop and continue onward.
Hidden Gems of Botswana
Linyanti Wildlife Reserve area
The Linyanti region is a remote northern Botswana wilderness on the edge of the Chobe system, defined by channels, floodplains, and dry woodland that shifts with water levels. It is often chosen for the contrast with the Chobe Riverfront: fewer vehicles, longer quiet stretches, and a safari rhythm built around water edges and open floodplain scanning. In strong seasons, this area can deliver concentrated elephant and buffalo movement, frequent predator potential, and very strong birdlife along the channel lines, with drives that feel more like “working a territory” than following a busy circuit. Many camps also offer walking and night drives in their concession areas, which changes the experience from daytime-only viewing to a fuller 24-hour wildlife pattern.
Logistics are typically more involved than Kasane-based Chobe because access is mostly via light aircraft or long, slow 4×4 transfers. From Kasane, overland routes into Linyanti commonly require several hours on sand and seasonal tracks, and in wetter periods some sections become uncertain or require detours, so day-trip expectations are usually unrealistic. This is why Linyanti fits best as a multi-night “deep wilderness” segment, often 3 to 4 nights, giving you repeated dawn and late-afternoon drives plus time for boating or walking where available.
Selinda Spillway area
The Selinda Spillway area is a seasonal corridor in northern Botswana that can carry floodwater in some years, linking the Okavango side toward the Linyanti–Kwando systems. When water is present, the landscape becomes a mix of channels, pools, reedbeds, and grassland edges, which concentrates wildlife movement along clear lines. This is why predator viewing can be strong here: lion, leopard, and wild dog sightings often come from working the same floodplain margins and crossing points on repeated drives rather than covering long distances. Even in drier phases, the spillway zone still functions as a movement route between habitat blocks, so drives often focus on tracks that follow depressions, old channel lines, and open patches where visibility is better.
Planning is mainly seasonal. In higher-water periods, some camps can offer boating, canoe-style outings, or short water transfers, while other periods are land-only with longer vehicle loops and more time at water points. Ask camps what was possible in the same months last year and what is currently expected, because “water activities” can change within a single season. Access is usually by light aircraft via Maun or Kasane, with typical flight times often around 45 to 90 minutes depending on routing, then a short vehicle transfer from the airstrip. Treat it as a multi-night stay, ideally 3 to 4 nights, so you can repeat morning and late-afternoon drives and adjust daily plans to water levels and animal movement rather than trying to force a fixed checklist.
Tuli Block
Tuli Block in eastern Botswana is defined by the Limpopo River corridor and a rocky, sandstone-and-basalt landscape that changes the safari feel from flat pans and wetlands to boulder hills, riverine trees, and open bush. The core experiences are elephant viewing along the river lines, slow drives through rugged terrain where tracks and rock formations shape where animals move, and short guided walks that make geology and spoor part of the day rather than just “driving for sightings.” It is also a strong photography area because you often get animals framed by rocks, big trees, and riverbeds, with better foreground structure than many open savannah zones.
As a stop, Tuli fits well on overland routes because it is easier to reach than the deep northern parks while still feeling quiet. Most visitors approach from the South Africa side via the Pont Drift border area or from Francistown and the eastern road network, then base in one lodge or camp for 2 to 3 nights to get a mix of drives and walking. Driving speeds can be slow on rough tracks and after rain near river sections, so plan short daily distances and use the morning and late afternoon for activities, with midday for rest and heat management.
Kubu Island
Kubu Island is a low granite outcrop rising from the flat edge of the Makgadikgadi system, known for its baobabs, exposed rock, and uninterrupted pan horizons. The experience is simple but high-impact: climb onto the rock for 360-degree views, walk among the baobabs for foreground-heavy photographs, and stay still long enough to watch light shifts across the salt surface. Sunrise and sunset are the main windows because the pan turns into a mirror-like color field, and after dark the lack of nearby light sources makes the sky feel close, which is why many travelers plan an overnight rather than a quick stop. If you camp or stay nearby, keep your setup minimal and wind-ready, because open pans can funnel gusts and dust.
Access depends heavily on season and recent rain, so timing and local advice matter more than distance. Most routes approach from the Nata or Letlhakane side and then cross sandy tracks and pan-edge sections where conditions change week to week. In dry periods, driving is usually straightforward for a capable vehicle and a cautious driver, but after rain the pan surface can turn soft and sticky and recovery can be slow and expensive.
Travel Tips for Botswana
Safety and General Advice
Botswana is one of Africa’s safest and best-managed safari destinations, known for its stability, conservation focus, and well-organized tourism infrastructure. Most travel takes place in remote areas, where distances are vast and amenities limited, so advance planning for logistics, fuel, and accommodation is essential. Safaris often involve small charter flights or long drives, making early coordination with operators or lodges the best way to ensure a seamless trip.
A yellow fever vaccination may be required depending on your travel route, particularly if you’re arriving from an endemic country. Malaria risk exists in the northern regions, including the Okavango Delta, Chobe, and the Zambezi area, so medical advice and prophylaxis are recommended. Tap water is generally safe in major towns, but in remote camps or national parks, it’s best to use bottled or filtered water. Comprehensive travel insurance with evacuation coverage is strongly advised for those heading into wilderness areas.
Car Rental and Driving
An International Driving Permit is recommended alongside your national driver’s license. Both should be carried at all times, especially at checkpoints and when renting vehicles. Police checks are routine but generally friendly and efficient when documents are in order. Driving in Botswana is on the left-hand side of the road. While main highways are paved and generally in good condition, 4×4 vehicles are essential for travel in national parks and remote areas, particularly during the wet season or when navigating sandy terrain. Night driving outside towns is not recommended, as wildlife frequently crosses the roads after dark. Travelers should carry spare tires, extra fuel, and plenty of water when driving long distances.
Published January 30, 2026 • 20m to read
