Botswana Tours & Safaris

We’d recommend a minimum of 7 to 10 days to do Botswana justice — ideally combining the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, with the option to add Victoria Falls at either end.

That said, shorter 4 to 5 day itineraries focused on Chobe alone are a great introduction if time is tight. The honest answer is that Botswana rewards those who linger — the pace of a bush camp in the Delta, the afternoon light on the Chobe River, the silence of the Kalahari — these things are hard to rush.

Detour Africa offers Botswana tours ranging from 3 to 14 days to suit most schedules and budgets.

Most travellers don’t need a visa to enter Botswana. Citizens of the UK, US, EU member states, Australia, Canada, and many other nationalities receive visa-free entry for stays of up to 90 days. You will need a valid passport with at least 6 months validity beyond your travel dates and sufficient blank pages.

Visa regulations do change, so we always recommend verifying the current requirements with your nearest Botswana embassy or official government travel site before booking.

Chobe and Okavango are both world-class safari destinations, but they offer very different experiences — and honestly, the best Botswana trips include both.

Chobe National Park is about big, accessible wildlife — huge elephant herds along the Chobe Riverfront, boat safaris on the river, and some of the highest wildlife density in Africa. The Okavango Delta is something else entirely: a vast inland river delta in the middle of the Kalahari, best explored by mokoro (dugout canoe), small motorboat, or on foot with a guide through the floodplains. It’s more remote, more intimate, and one of the most unique wilderness areas on earth.

If you can only fit in time for one area, do Chobe. If you can do both, absolutely do both.

Yes — and it’s one of the most natural and popular ways to enter Botswana. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is just 80km from Kasane, the gateway town for Chobe National Park, making it an easy road transfer or short flight.

Many Detour Africa tours start or finish in Victoria Falls, combining the falls with a Chobe safari and sometimes extending further into the Okavango Delta. Maun, the gateway to the Delta, is also served by regular flights from Johannesburg (O.R Tambo) and Kasane, making it straightforward to build a multi-destination Botswana itinerary from various starting points.

The official currency of Botswana is the Botswana Pula (BWP). Major credit and debit cards are accepted at most lodges, hotels, and shops in towns. In more remote areas — particularly bush camps in the Delta — cash is advisable, and some operators prefer US dollars for payments and tips. ATMs are available in the main towns of Maun and Kasane.

It’s worth arriving with a mix of Pula for everyday use and some US dollars for tips and remote lodge payments.

You’ll realistically see four of the Big 5 in most of Botswana’s major parks — elephant, lion, leopard, and buffalo are all well represented in Chobe, Moremi Game Reserve, and the Okavango Delta. Rhino are the exception; they’re genuinely rare in Botswana’s wild areas following historical poaching pressures, and are mainly found in managed sanctuaries like the Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe.

Don’t let that put you off — Botswana’s wildlife is extraordinary, and what it may lack in rhino sightings it more than makes up for with wild dog, cheetah, massive elephant herds, and some of the best predator action in southern Africa.

Yes — Botswana is exceptional for birdwatching and genuinely one of southern Africa’s top birding destinations. Over 600 bird species have been recorded across the country. The Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve are the standout areas, with species including African fish eagle, pel’s fishing owl, wattled crane, slaty egret, and a dazzling variety of kingfishers, bee-eaters, and herons. The green season (November to April) is peak time for birding, when migratory species arrive from the north and breeding activity peaks. Even if you’re not a dedicated birder, the birdlife in the Delta is impossible to ignore — it’s part of what makes the experience so immersive.

Absolutely — and multi-country itineraries are one of the best ways to experience southern Africa. Botswana combines beautifully with Namibia (Chobe to the Okavango to Etosha and Sossusvlei), South Africa (Johannesburg or Cape Town as a gateway, with Kruger as a safari complement), and Zimbabwe or Zambia via Victoria Falls.

Detour Africa offers a range of overland and small group tours that link these destinations in a single itinerary — typically 10 to 21 days. Our travel consultants can also build a bespoke multi-country route around your specific interests, timeframe, and budget.

Most game drives in Botswana’s national parks and reserves are conducted in open 4×4 safari vehicles — typically Toyota Land Cruisers or similar — which allow excellent visibility and wildlife photography from elevated, open-sided seats.

On longer overland tours, purpose-built expedition trucks are used for travel between destinations, fitted with comfortable seating and ample storage.

In the Okavango Delta, water-based exploration is done by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) and small motorboat — two of the most atmospheric ways to experience African wilderness anywhere on the continent. Walking safaris with a licensed guide are also available in certain areas of the Delta.

Yes — Botswana is a great destination for solo travellers, and Detour Africa’s small group tours are specifically well-suited for those exploring alone. You’ll travel with a group of typically 2 to 12 like-minded people from around the world, with all logistics, accommodation, and game activities handled by an experienced guide. It’s sociable, safe, and often more cost-effective than travelling privately.

Yes — Botswana is very well suited to senior travellers, and many of our guests exploring the country are in their 60s, and beyond. The key requirement is reasonable fitness and general good health rather than any particular athleticism.

Detour Africa offers a range of comfort levels from lodge-based safaris with hot showers and comfortable beds to more adventurous camping options. For seniors who prefer a gentler pace, lodge tours with private vehicles and flexible scheduling are ideal. If you have any specific mobility or health considerations, just mention them when you enquire and we’ll match you to the right itinerary.

In most cases, yes — but it varies depending on where you’re staying. Lodges and guesthouses in towns like Maun and Kasane have standard mains electricity. Many bush lodges and tented camps run on solar power, which is reliable enough for charging devices but may be limited during overcast periods.

In very remote Delta camps, electricity may be restricted to certain hours or solar-only. It’s always worth bringing a portable power bank for long days out on game drives, and a universal travel adaptor as Botswana uses plug types D, G, and M. Overland tour trucks typically have onboard charging points for phones and cameras.