Safari experts & storytellers. Since 1991
Botswana offers Africa's premier luxury safaris
Safaris to Botswana offer some of the best wildlife encounters in Africa. This sparsely populated country offers a range of exclusive luxury lodges to cater for all tastes.
Your Botswana tour package could include a complex web of wildlife habitats to satisfy even the most demanding safari traveller – from the verdant floodplains of the Okavango Delta to the vast arid Central Kalahari desert, the parched Makgadikgadi salt pans and the wide Chobe River.
Botswana has adopted a low-volume, high-value approach to wildlife tourism, so safaris here are exclusive, and your spectacular wildlife viewing is undisturbed and unrushed.
5 Reasons We Love Botswana
Spectacular wildlife. The Big 5 (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard) can be seen if you include several destinations in your safari, as are wild dog, brown hyena, serval and more. Highlights include Okavango's leopards, Chobe's colossal elephant herds, Makgadikgadi's zebra migrations and Savuti's predator action.
Exclusivity. Botswana leads the way in offering enormous concessions with low lodge and vehicle densities, guaranteeing unhurried sightings.
Mokoro safaris. The traditional dugout canoe experience is one of Botswana's most iconic and distinctive activities.
Some of Africa's finest luxury lodges. Features such as private plunge pools, spas, gyms and outdoor bathtubs are commonplace, with helicopter transfers and private game drives part of the mix. Ultimately, though, privacy and exclusivity are the most sought-after luxury on offer.
Easy logistics. Botswana has an excellent network of aircraft connecting all major towns with remote camps and lodges, with scenic flights over stunning landscapes part of the journey.
Our favourite Botswana safari ideas
All you need to know about Botswana safaris
About Botswana
Botswana is one of Africa’s most exceptional safari destinations, offering luxury and adventure in some of the world's remotest locations.
What sets Botswana apart from most African destinations is its “high-value, low-impact” tourism approach. With small, intimate camps and limited visitor numbers, the experience feels exclusive and unhurried. Game viewing is quieter, more personal, and deeply immersive, often without the crowds found elsewhere.
Landlocked in Southern Africa, Botswana borders Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, and offers a range of landscapes, from the lush Okavango Delta to the elephant-rich Chobe Riverfront and the stark expanses of the Kalahari Desert.
The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the country’s highlight. Seasonal floodwaters create a thriving oasis teeming with wildlife, best explored by mokoro canoe or on guided walks. In contrast, Chobe National Park offers dramatic river safaris with large herds of elephants and diverse wildlife along its banks. Beyond these, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari reveal Botswana’s raw, remote beauty.
Where to go in Botswana
Okavango Delta | Moremi: an enormous watery oasis and safari paradise with exclusive lodges and epic wildlife encounters
Chobe | Savute: imagine drifting silently along the Chobe River as elephants – hundreds of them – come down to drink, bathe, and play just meters away. Or enjoying ringside seats in Savute as a pride of lions hunts elephants or clashes with a clan of hyenas
Khwai: excellent lion, leopard, hyena and wild dog sightings, whilst cheetahs are seen regularly in the open plains, as are serval at night
Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans: exciting safaris that include wildlife game drives, meeting habituated meerkats, quad biking, spending time with bushmen and glamping under the stars
Central Kalahari: a vast arid landscape that teems with desert-adapted wildlife, including black-maned lions and cheetahs. Experience solitude like few places on Earth
Mashatu | Tuli: an arid wilderness where giant baobabs dominate the landscape, herds of elephants and eland roam, and sightings of big cats are a common safari occurrence
What wildlife will I see in Botswana?
Big Five and predators: Botswana hosts all five species (rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant), but due to the scarcity of rhinos, you will need to visit several destinations to see all of them during your safari. Leopards, lions, hyenas and wild dogs are commonly encountered in suitable habitats, with cheetahs, servals, wildcats and caracals regularly seen.
Water-dependent species: The many waterways of the Okavango Delta, Chobe and Khwai host species such as hippopotamus, Nile crocodile, sitatunga, lechwe and a multitude of terrapins, frogs, fish and birds.
Plains wildlife: Expect to see large numbers of zebras, giraffes, waterbuck, and impala, and hope for sightings of rarer species such as roan and sable antelope.
Arid-adapted species: Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, and you will find desert-adapted species such as brown hyena, oryx, springbok, bat-eared fox and aardwolf in areas without permanent water.
Nocturnal species. Night drives with spotlights will reveal nocturnal specialists such as genets, bushbabies, civets, porcupines, aardvarks, honey badgers, and, with much luck, pangolins.
Botswana safari lodges and camps
Botswana hosts some of the finest luxury lodges and safari camps in Africa, courtesy of its low-volume, high-value tourism strategy. Most Botswana lodges inside protected areas are tented, to abide by strict eco-footprint requirements, but the definition of 'tented' has been stretched to include a mix of canvas, glass, aluminium, stone and wood structures. Expect more traditional thatched brick-and-mortar structures outside protected areas.
Every property we select for your handcrafted journey meets our exacting standards for comfort, character, and service. Just as importantly, each option is deeply committed to our quest to empower you to make a difference for wildlife conservation, local community upliftment, and the preservation of the extraordinary ecosystems that make your safari possible.
Check out our Botswana safari ideas above to see some of the hotels, lodges and camps with proven track records that we regularly send our guests to.
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Why choose Africa Geographic to plan your safari?
AG arranged the perfect trip to Botswana for my family. The consultant really listened to our brief and arranged an awesome itinerary within our budget. We had a good variety of accommodation, activities and locations. All transports were on time - we did not have a single hiccup or moment of stress. Organising the trip was also easy with good communication and support. I have travelled a lot, and this would be one of my greatest travel experiences. Thanks Africa Geographic for organising it!
Africa Geographic delivers dreams. We spent just over 3 weeks in Namibia, Botswana and Vic Falls this summer. Delivering the holiday of a lifetime starts with imagination and expert planning by someone who really knows where you are going and thoughtfully adds in all the little extras to make it more than just an ‘off the shelf’ holiday.... Africa Geographic, Christian, Joram and the many other people involved in making our dreams come true ticked all the boxes.
First time travelling with AG, we (father and adult son) travelled to Chobe and Vic Falls and had a fantastic and well-organised experience. All pre-trip organisation with AG (Nadia) was fantastic, and communication was smooth and aligned with our needs/expectations. All activities at Chobe (boat safari and game drives) were very enjoyable with very professional guides. All lodges were very nice with very competent and professional teams always ready to help.
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Frequently asked questions
The best time to visit Botswana is when the weather is cool and dry, and when groundwater is scarce, which draws wildlife to water sources (making them easier to see).
The dry, cooler months are from June to September, but the traditional popular travel season is June to August, making September (and October) excellent options with fewer other travellers.
The summer rains fall from November to April, when temperatures are high. November offers excellent wildlife viewing before the first rains begin. The presence of more groundwater (which disperses wildlife) and the thicker vegetation from January to April make wildlife harder to find during those months.
Botswana is home to the Big 5 (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino), although you are unlikely to see them all in one location. Other species, such as cheetahs, wild dogs, giraffes, hyenas, wildebeest, and zebras, are found across diverse ecosystems.
You will also find rare and seldom-seen species such as pangolins, aardvarks and servals and watch out for desert-adaptedd species such as brown hyena, oryx and bat-eared foxes in arid regions..
Botswana operates a deliberate "low-volume, high-value" tourism policy, which means the government limits the number of beds inside protected areas and charges high concession fees to safari operators.
By law, lodges in the Okavango Delta cannot use permanent construction materials – everything must be reversible. The result is small, exclusive camps with limited occupancy, exceptional wildlife encounters without vehicle congestion, and some of the highest accommodation standards in Africa.
The higher cost reflects both the exclusivity and the conservation model: a significant portion of what you pay funds the protection of the wilderness you are visiting.
Despite these higher costs, most Botswana lodges are booked out 12–18 months in advance, due to the superior luxury safari experience.
Botswana's remote lodges – particularly those in the Okavango Delta – tend to have higher minimum age requirements than camps elsewhere in Africa, with many accepting children from 12 years and some from 16.
This reflects the remote locations, limited medical facilities, and the nature of water-based and walking activities. That said, some areas of Botswana, including certain Chobe and Khwai camps, are more family-friendly and accept younger children.
We will always advise on age-appropriate options and match families to lodges that genuinely welcome children.
Read more about family safaris.
Please get in touch with your local GP or travel clinic well before your trip to obtain professional medical advice and discuss up-to-date vaccination requirements for the areas you will visit.
Yellow fever
Botswana is not a yellow fever country, so a yellow fever vaccine is not mandatory. However, if you are entering Botswana from a yellow fever country (such as Rwanda), you will need to present your vaccination certificate upon entry.
Malaria
Malaria is prevalent across Botswana, and we advise you to consult your GP before you depart about taking prophylaxis. It’s also essential to cover up in the evenings when the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquito usually feeds. The malaria incubation period is 1-3 weeks, so if you experience any flu-like symptoms, headaches, aching joints and back or nausea and diarrhoea, it is recommended that you get tested at the earliest opportunity and let the medical people know you’ve recently travelled to Africa.
Our safaris typically cost from US$700 per person, per night, depending on the accommodation comfort level, time of year and activities. This price usually includes accommodation, all meals, game drives, experienced guides, airport transfers, and 24/7 support from our team.
You only make your first payment when you book your holiday. Your second (last) payment is about 105 days before you travel.
Peak season bookings require 12–18 months of advance planning. Trips outside of peak season can be arranged 6–9 months ahead, with better rates and availability.
Botswana is a landlocked country in southern Africa and one of the continent's premier safari destinations, covering an area roughly the size of France but home to fewer than 2.5 million people.
The country operates a deliberate low-volume, high-value tourism policy: strict limits on lodge capacity inside protected areas, high concession fees, and a legal prohibition on permanent construction in the Okavango Delta have created a safari experience defined by exclusivity, pristine wilderness, and minimal vehicle congestion.
Botswana's main safari destinations – the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Savuti, Khwai, Linyanti, Makgadikgadi Pans, and the Central Kalahari – span a remarkable range of ecosystems, from the world's largest inland delta to the arid Kalahari desert.
The country is home to large elephant populations, has one of the world's largest concentrations of African wild dogs, the Big Five (rhino sightings require visiting multiple areas), and over 500 bird species.
The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, floods during the dry season (June to August) from rainfall in the Angolan highlands, making water-based safaris, such as mokoro canoe trips and boat game drives, possible alongside traditional game drives.
Most lodges are accessible only by light aircraft, with Maun and Kasane the two main gateway towns.
Africa Geographic has planned handcrafted Botswana safaris since 1991, with expert knowledge across all major regions and concessions.
Click here to schedule a no-obligation call with one of our Safari Experts or fill in our 2-minute form with your questions. Our team of experts are here to help! Whether you’re curious about the best time to travel, want to hear first-hand about an experience or need help planning your safari.
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