Botswana
Botswana built its tourism on high prices and low visitor numbers, and it shows: the Okavango Delta's papyrus channels, Chobe's riverfront elephant herds and the Makgadikgadi's salt pans feel unhurried and wild. Most trips mix fly-in camps with a self-drive or mobile safari, and dry-season lodges and campsites fill up to a year ahead.
Overview
Botswana is a country of wilderness rather than sights. The Okavango, one of the world's largest inland deltas, spreads Angolan rainwater across the Kalahari, the flood arriving in the dry winter months and pulling wildlife into a maze of channels and islands. A classic first trip runs from Maun into the delta and Moremi Game Reserve, then north through Savuti and Linyanti to Chobe National Park and Kasane, often with a side trip to Victoria Falls across the border. The Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari add stark, empty contrast.
It is not a cheap destination. Government policy favours small, high-end camps, many reachable only by light aircraft, so a few nights in the delta can cost more than a week elsewhere in southern Africa. Budget travellers manage with self-drive 4x4s and public campsites booked well ahead, or mokoro trips from Maun. Game drives are uncrowded, private concessions allow night drives and walking safaris, and roads beyond the tar are deep sand. It suits wildlife lovers, photographers and confident off-road drivers far more than anyone after beaches or city life.
Map of Botswana
Top 5 highlights
- 1Wildlife
Okavango Delta
Glide through papyrus channels by mokoro (dugout canoe), walk on palm islands and track lion, leopard and wild dog from remote camps. UNESCO-listed since 2014, the delta's floodwaters usually peak between June and August.
- 2Wildlife
Chobe Riverfront
Botswana has Africa's largest elephant population, and in the dry season hundreds gather along the Chobe River near Kasane. Sunset boat cruises get you close to elephants, hippos and buffalo; Savuti's predators lie further south in the park.
- 3Nature
Makgadikgadi Pans
Among the world's largest salt flats: blinding white and silent in the dry season, when you can sleep out on the crust and meet habituated meerkats. After the rains, flamingos arrive and zebra herds migrate across the surrounding grasslands.
- 4Nature
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
One of Africa's largest reserves, at its best after the rains, when springbok and gemsbok gather in Deception Valley and black-maned Kalahari lions follow. Facilities are minimal, so go on a mobile safari or a well-equipped self-drive.
- 5History
Tsodilo Hills
A cluster of quartzite hills rising from the Kalahari in the far north-west, sacred to the San and Hambukushu and UNESCO-listed for over 4,500 rock paintings. Local guides lead walks to the main panels, sometimes called the 'Louvre of the Desert'.
Biggest cities
Gaborone
A young, low-rise capital planned around independence in 1966. Most safari-goers only pass through, but Mokolodi Nature Reserve and the Three Dikgosi Monument fill a pleasant day.
Francistown
Botswana's second city grew from a 19th-century gold rush near the Zimbabwe border. It is a practical stop for fuel and supplies on the road north to Nata and Kasane.
Maun
The dusty, sprawling gateway to the Okavango Delta, where light aircraft shuttle guests to camps; also the base for mokoro trips, scenic flights and stocking up before Moremi.
Gaborone's figure covers its urban area, including Mogoditshane and Tlokweng, which the census counts separately; the city proper had about 246,000 people in 2022. Francistown and Maun figures are 2022 census counts.
When to go to Botswana
Best time: May–Sep.
Average climate in Gaborone
Festivals & events
- AugKuru Dance Festival
San groups from across southern Africa gather at D'Kar, near Ghanzi, for traditional dance, music and storytelling. It is usually held in August but not every year, so confirm dates first.
- SepBotswana Day
Independence from Britain in 1966 is celebrated on 30 September with parades, choirs and traditional dance; the long weekend also fills campsites and lodges across the country.
How much does Botswana cost?
Estimates per person per day, excluding flights. Prices vary by season and city.
Food to try
Seswaa
Beef or goat boiled for hours with little more than salt, then pounded into shreds; served at weddings and national celebrations with pap (maize porridge).
Bogobe jwa lerotse
Sorghum porridge cooked with lerotse, a local melon, giving a soft, faintly sweet side dish to stews and grilled meat.
Phane
Mopane worms, the caterpillars of the mopane emperor moth, dried and fried with tomato and onion; a crunchy, protein-rich snack sold at markets.
Getting around
Public transport doesn't reach the parks, so visitors join a mobile safari, fly between camps on light aircraft from Maun and Kasane, or hire a fully equipped 4x4 with rooftop tents. Tar roads link Gaborone, Francistown, Nata, Maun and Kasane, but park tracks are deep sand. Cheap long-distance buses connect the towns, and Air Botswana flies from Gaborone to Maun, Kasane and Francistown.
Practical information
- Plugs & voltage
- DG230V — UK plugs fit
- Emergency numbers
Source: FCDO “Getting help”
- Dialling code
- +267
- Time zone
- UTC+2 (standard time)
- Tap water
- Varies — bottled or filtered is safer
- Driving
- On the left
- Tipping
- Tip safari guides around US$10–20 per guest per day and use the camp's communal box for other staff; about 10% in restaurants.
- Etiquette
- Greet people before asking anything: 'Dumela, rra' to a man or 'Dumela, mma' to a woman. Receive things with both hands or your right hand, and ask before photographing anyone.
- Main airports
- Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE), Gaborone; Maun Airport (MUB), Maun; Kasane Airport (BBK), Kasane
Visas & entry for Botswana
Shown for a British passport.
No visa needed
You can visit Botswana for up to 90 days without a visa.
If you want to work, study or volunteer in Botswana, see the requirements for business, study and employment visas.
From the UK government's FCDO entry requirements for British passport holders — read the full page for passport validity, permits and exceptions.
Health & vaccinations
- Recommended for most travellers
- Hepatitis ATetanusTyphoid
- Sometimes advised — depends on your trip, activities and health
- Hepatitis BMeaslesRabiesTuberculosis
- Yellow fever certificate
- A yellow fever certificate is only required if you arrive from (or transit through) a country with yellow fever risk — not if you fly direct from the UK.
- Malaria
- High risk of malaria
- There is a high risk of malaria, from October to May, in the northern half of Botswana, including the Okavango Delta area: antimalarial tablets recommended.
- There is a low risk of malaria in the northern half of Botswana, including the Okavango Delta area during the rest of the year: awareness of risk and bite avoidance recommended.
Source: TravelHealthPro (National Travel Health Network and Centre), checked 21 October 2026. This is a summary, not medical advice.
Public holidays in Botswana
The next 12 months. Banks, offices and some sights may close, and transport and hotels get busy around these dates.
| Fri 25 Dec 2026 | Christmas Day |
| Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day |
| Mon 28 Dec 2026 | Boxing Day Holiday |
| Fri 1 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day |
| Sat 2 Jan 2027 | New Year's Day Holiday |
| Fri 26 Mar 2027 | Good Friday |
| Sat 27 Mar 2027 | Holy Saturday |
| Mon 29 Mar 2027 | Easter Monday |
| Sat 1 May 2027 | Labour Day |
| Mon 3 May 2027 | Labour Day Holiday |
| Thu 6 May 2027 | Ascension Day |
| Thu 1 Jul 2027 | Sir Seretse Khama Day |
| Mon 19 Jul 2027 | President's Day |
| Tue 20 Jul 2027 | President's Day Holiday |
| Thu 30 Sep 2027 | Botswana Day |
| Fri 1 Oct 2027 | Botswana Day Holiday |
National holidays only. Dates based on lunar calendars can move by a day or two depending on official announcements.
Useful phrases in Setswana
| English | Setswana | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Dumela | doo-MEH-lah |
| Thank you | Ke a leboga | keh ah leh-BOH-ha |
| Please | Tsweetswee | TSWEH-tsweh |
| Excuse me | Intshwarele | in-tshwa-REH-leh |
| How much is this? | Ke bokae? | keh boh-KAH-eh |
Know before you go
- Book dry-season camps and the national park campsites in Moremi, Chobe and the Central Kalahari up to a year ahead; many are run by private operators who need payment in advance.
- Light-aircraft transfers to delta camps usually limit luggage to about 20 kg in soft-sided bags, so pack light and leave extras at your hotel in Maun or Kasane.
- Self-drivers need a high-clearance 4x4, recovery gear and confidence in deep sand; carry spare fuel and water, and avoid driving after dark, when cattle and wildlife wander onto roads.
Botswana travel FAQs
When is the best time to visit Botswana?
The best time to visit Botswana is generally May–Sep. Peak months are May, June, July, August and September. Average highs in Gaborone range from 22°C to 33°C across the year.
How much does a trip to Botswana cost per day?
Roughly £70 a day on a tight budget, £300 mid-range and £1,100+ for comfortable travel, per person including accommodation, food and local transport. Flights are extra.
What currency is used in Botswana?
Botswana pula (BWP).
What plug type does Botswana use?
Type D and G sockets at 230V. UK visitors need a travel adapter.
Which side of the road do they drive on in Botswana?
Traffic drives on the left in Botswana — the same as in the UK.
Is tap water safe to drink in Botswana?
Varies — bottled or filtered is safer.
Do I need a visa for Botswana?
For British passport holders, the FCDO says: You can visit Botswana for up to 90 days without a visa. Entry rules change, so check the official FCDO entry requirements for Botswana before you travel: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana/entry-requirements
What vaccinations do I need for Botswana?
TravelHealthPro recommends Hepatitis A, Tetanus and Typhoid for most travellers, with Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies and Tuberculosis sometimes advised depending on your trip. Make sure routine UK vaccinations are up to date and see a travel health professional 6–8 weeks before you go.
