Khwai, Okavango Delta, BotswanaVideo: Gregory "Slobirdr" Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Find your Bliss in Botswana
Botswana, made simple: wild water, endless salt pans and elephants by the thousand
Botswana is one of Africa's calmest, best run countries and one of its wildest. The Okavango Delta floods a desert every winter, Chobe has more elephants than anywhere on earth, and the Makgadikgadi Pans stretch white to the horizon. This guide takes the guesswork out of entry, seasons, money and getting around so you can travel with confidence.
Your trip, step by step
- Before you flyEntry rules, malaria advice, seasons and park bookings, answered
- LandingGaborone, Maun or Kasane, cash and your first evening, explained
- Your days in BotswanaDelta, river, pans and desert, planned with care
- Home againDeparture tips so the last day is calm too
Where to go, eat and stay
- Plain answersClear, honest guidance on the questions first-timers actually ask.
- Official sourcesEntry, health and safety facts point you to the official pages to confirm.
- No price surprisesWe explain why Botswana safaris cost what they do and where the cheaper options are.
- Free to useEvery guide and the trip planner are free.
Our promise
Botswana should feel like the trip of a lifetime, not a puzzle of light aircraft and park permits. We answer the worries before they start, so you arrive confident and ready to find your Bliss.
Heading home to family in Gaborone, Serowe or Francistown, or dreaming of your first mokoro trip in the Delta? This guide was written with you in mind.
How to use this guide
Four steps from first idea to a trip that feels easy.
- Choose your BotswanaDelta waterways, Chobe's river, the salt pans, the Kalahari or the capital: start with the destinations that fit you.
- Sort the essentialsEntry rules, malaria advice, cash, cards and park bookings, checked against official sources.
- Pick your placesUse our places to visit list for food, culture, nature and stays in each area.
- Plan your routeUse the free trip planner to shape your days and how you move between them.
Everything your Botswana trip needs
Free tools and guides for every stage of the journey.
Destinations
Gaborone, the Okavango Delta, Chobe, the Makgadikgadi Pans and the Central Kalahari, each explained in depth.
Explore destinationsPlaces to visit
More than a hundred restaurants, lodges, viewpoints and craft shops, from classics to hidden corners.
See places to visitFlights and stays
Search flights into Gaborone, Maun and Kasane, plus stays across the country.
Plan travelPlaces finder
Restaurants, sights and stays mapped around each base.
Find placesFree trip planner
Tell us your dates and interests and build a route that fits.
Plan your trip
The classic Botswana trip
Delta, Chobe, then the pans
Most first trips fly into Maun, spend a few nights in the Okavango Delta by mokoro and boat, head north to Kasane for Chobe's river and elephants, and finish with a night or two on the Makgadikgadi Pans. Light aircraft and good roads link them, and Victoria Falls is a short hop from Kasane.
- A silent mokoro ride through papyrus channels
- Sunset boat cruise among Chobe's elephants
- Meerkats and starry nights on the salt pans
- Baobabs and rock art far off the usual route
Start with the destinations
See how the Delta, the river, the pans and the desert fit together.
Botswana destinationsPlan with confidence
Your route, without the worry
Botswana rewards early planning: lodges are small, park campsites must be booked ahead and the best season fills fast. Our free planner helps you choose a realistic route, pace and budget level.
- Realistic travel times
- The right season for water or desert
- Where to base yourself
Where to go in Botswana
From a relaxed capital to a desert delta, a river of elephants and salt pans as big as a small country.
South East Botswana
Gaborone
Botswana's calm, compact capital, a gateway to craft villages, rock art and a rhino reserve.
Read the guidePhoto: Oratile Leipego, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Northern Botswana
Okavango Delta
A river that drowns a desert, with mokoro channels, palm islands and some of Africa's finest wildlife.
Read the guidePhoto: Hp.Baumeler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Northern Botswana
Chobe National Park
The elephant capital of the world, with sunset river cruises and wild Savuti in the south.
Read the guidePhoto: Joachim Huber from Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Central Botswana
Makgadikgadi Pans
Vast white salt pans with meerkats, ancient baobabs, sleep outs and a wet season zebra migration.
Read the guidePhoto: Ana Isabel Alia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Central Botswana
Central Kalahari
A vast desert reserve of fossil valleys, black maned lions and deep, starlit silence.
Read the guidePhoto: Benjamin Hollis from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A note from our founder
A note from our founder
My first time visiting Kenya, I was genuinely surprised with how fast it began feeling like home. The people are so friendly, the food is delicious and familiar, and the accommodations are modern and upscale.
During my travels throughout the continent, I commonly hear tourists share stories about being scammed or taken advantage of, which is both frustrating and disheartening.
Living in Kenya for the last 2 years, I have had the great fortune to meet a network of wonderful Kenyans who have continuously help guide my family's journey. Their shared knowledge has not only greatly enhanced our overall experience here, but it has also saved us tons of time, energy, and resources.
With BlissPoint Travel, my hope is to build a global community that is willing to share useful, uncommon knowledge so that we can all blissfully enjoy the wonders our world has to offer.
Questions we hear most
Is Botswana safe to visit?
Botswana is one of the safest and most stable countries in Africa. Petty crime and occasional break-ins happen in Gaborone, Francistown and Maun, so lock doors and keep valuables out of sight. Wildlife is the bigger risk in the north: follow your guide and never walk around camps alone at night.
Do I need a visa for Botswana?
Citizens of many countries, including the UK, US and most of the EU, can usually visit for tourism without a visa for a limited stay, but rules depend on your passport. Confirm on the Botswana government's official immigration pages before you book.
Is Botswana expensive?
The famous Delta lodges are among the most expensive in Africa because the country deliberately limits visitor numbers. Self-drive camping, Maun and Kasane guesthouses and day trips into Chobe make Botswana far more affordable than its reputation.
What is the capital of Botswana?
Gaborone, a small, orderly city near the South African border. It has the main international airport, the national museum, the Three Dikgosi Monument and nearby Mokolodi Nature Reserve, but most safari travellers fly straight to Maun or Kasane.
When is the best time to visit Botswana?
June to October is dry season: the Delta floods, animals gather at water and the weather is clear. November to March brings green landscapes, baby animals, the zebra migration on the pans and lower lodge rates, with heat and afternoon storms.
How many days do I need in Botswana?
Ten days covers the Delta, Chobe and one night on the pans. Two weeks lets you add the Central Kalahari or Tsodilo Hills, or a side trip to Victoria Falls.
Ready to find your Bliss in Botswana?
Use the free trip planner to turn ideas into a route that fits your dates and budget.