The Top 10 Best Safari Tours in Botswana

October 22, 2024
Botswana, Southern Africa

The Top 10 Safari Tours in Botswana: Our Selections

About 70% of Botswana is covered by the Kalahari Desert, which makes it one of the world’s least populous nations. However, this landlocked nation is home to several of Africa’s top predators, as well as large herds of buffalo and plains wildlife. The world’s largest population of Kalahari elephants may be found in the stunning Chobe National Park, while the still unspoiled Okavango Delta is a World Heritage Site and probably one of nature’s finest works of art—one of Africa’s last remaining Gardens of Eden.

Here is our selection of the top Botswana safari trips, which range from luxurious safaris to adventurous and multigenerational family getaways. All of them have been tried and tested and can be fully tailored to your travel preferences.

Thrilling Safari in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, and Kalahari (8 Days)

Duration: 8 Days | Locations: 3 | Lodging: Tented Camps

This fly-in safari offers an incredible variety of wildlife, birds, and natural sceneries throughout Botswana’s two big biomes, the desert and the delta. The trip starts on the golden grasslands of the Makgadikgadi Pans and a tented camp under thorn trees, with a flight directly into the heart of the Kalahari.

At the next lodging, which is situated on the Boteti River and offers a unique (for Botswana) elevation vista, the desert journey continues. In addition to offering great game watching and year-round wildlife importance, this location allows you to engage with traditional Kalahari people and take a boat tour of the river. The fly to the outskirts of the Okavango Delta, the biggest freshwater delta in the world, and the Khwai River, a particularly wildlife-rich area, is a stark contrast. A vast variety of animals can be found here thanks to the permanent water, open meadows, and shaded woodland; uncommon animal sightings are common here.

Safari Highlights:

A classic “desert and delta” mix with amazing biodiversity and landscapes
Heavyweight game viewing, including elephants, buffalo, big cats, hippos, and hyena
Excellent opportunities to see rare species like leopard, wild dog, and roan antelope
Comfortable en suite accommodations throughout
Family-friendly camps and activities, appropriate for older children
Game drives, boat trips, quad biking, guided walks, and community visits
The Kalahari zebra migration is secret from November to February
Outstanding bird watching throughout the year

Ideal For: Family, couples, and adventurous travelers

Romantic getaway to Moremi, Chobe, and the Okavango Delta (7 Days)

Seven days, three destinations, and opulent safari lodges for lodging

The starting point for this romantic Botswana safari is a riverbank hideaway that borders Chobe National Park. Savor cocktails on sunset boat trips on the Chobe River while observing hippos and elephants enjoying the water. You will spend two nights at an opulent and private Botswana safari lodge in the Okavango Delta’s verdant wetlands after a short-haul aircraft takes you south. Take hikes in the wilderness and wildlife drives in the morning, afternoon, and early evening under the stars. Chief’s Island, the largest island in the Delta, is accessible by another short-haul flight. Your remote thatch-roofed bush pavilion overlooks the Piajio floodplain of the Moremi Game Reserve, which is teeming with wildlife, particularly lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs.

Highlights include:

Game drives in Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park
sunset boat cruises on the Chobe River
spa treatments in a special “tree-top” treatment room
sleeping in mobile beds beneath the Milky Way
taking a candlelight bath in a copper tub; going on mokoro (traditional canoe) excursions in the Delta
Seeing rare rhinos at Chief’s Camp.

Journey to Savute, Chobe, and the Delta

7 days | 3 destinations | Accommodations: Tented Camp, Safari Lodges

This seven-day safari, which includes the renowned Okavango Delta as well as the Savute and Chobe River districts of Chobe National Park, is intended to provide a top-heavy big game experience.

Because of the abundance and variety of wildlife in these three famous parks, Botswana safaris are among the greatest. Safaris on land and in the water are common in the serene waterways of the Okavango Delta, where the journey starts. After that, it’s time to visit Chobe National Park and join the elephants. Explore the renowned Savute region, sometimes referred to as predator paradise, and take in the spectacle of nature.

Safari Highlights:

Take in world-class animal locations
Remain in first-rate, perfectly situated safari lodges
Take a sunset boat on the Chobe River
fly from resort to resort
go on professionally led game drives in open 4X4s
hunt for predators in untamed and isolated places
and marvel at Chobe’s enormous elephant and buffalo populations.

Ideal For: • Families • Couples • First-time safari visitors

All-inclusive Safari in the Okavango Delta, Moremi & Savuti (6 Days)

Six days, two destinations, and lodging at Safari Lodge & Tented Camps

On this brief but packed program, take advantage of a traditional Botswana safari itinerary. Both the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park offer fantastic animal viewing.

Start your trip to Botswana in the Chobe National Park, one of Africa’s largest reserves. In the renowned, game-rich Savute region, you will be in the center of this vast conservation area. You will go on twice-daily game drives and spend your evenings at the traditional safari camp, Savute Under Canvas.

After that, you’ll go into the Okavango Delta to Sandibe Lodge, which is located across from the Moremi Game Reserve in a private concession on the banks of a permanent canal. In addition to enjoying 4×4 game drives in the region, you may explore the aquatic habitats of the Okavango by motorboat and traditional canoe.

Highlights include:

combining two of Botswana’s top safari locations;
enjoying breathtaking game viewing all day long;
camping in luxury at Savute under Canvas;
looking for Savute’s fabled predators;
seeing elephants up close; and exploring the Okavango Delta waters by boat, canoe, and 4X4.
Every day, mark off dozens of bird species.
Enjoy night game drive
guided hikes at Sandibe.

Ideal For: Families, groups, and first-time safari visitors

The family safari: Khwai River & Linyanti Channel in Botswana (7 Days)

Seven days, two destinations, and opulent tent camps for lodging

While exploring the Delta’s smaller mammals and diverse birdlife, including saddle-billed storks, goliath herons, pygmy kingfishers, African skimmers, wattled cranes, slaty egrets, and Pel’s fishing owl, glide soundlessly through the reeds in a mokoro, a traditional canoe. The first place you stay on your trip is Khwai Leadwood, which is situated on the Khwai River amid a forest of figs and leadwood and has décor reminiscent of Hemingway’s safari days.

After that, it’s time to enjoy Linyanti Ebony’s unparalleled seclusion and sense of space, which offers families and small groups seeking seclusion and privacy one of the greatest Botswana safari experiences. Predators including as lions, leopards, wild dogs, and hyenas can be found in abundance along the Linyanti Channel, which is also an important route for elephants.

The wildlife-rich Linyanti Concession, a crucial elephant corridor; Mokoro safaris, night drives, and walking safaris in the Delta; genuine wilderness adventure; and fly-ins to all locations

Ideal For: Small groups and families with kids