Botswana Safari Tours & Vacations

The best time for a safari in Botswana is during the dry season, from June to September, which is winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

The dry season offers the best game viewing opportunities. Rainfall will rarely impact your safari experience, and the animals are more active. There is also greater visibility for seeing the wildlife as the trees lose their leaves and create openings in the bush. While the weather dips in the evenings, the days are mostly clear and sunny, creating the perfect conditions for game drives.

While Botswana’s winter is an excellent time of the year, it is also the most popular for safaris. To avoid the crowds, you could travel in late spring, May, or early fall, September. The Southern Hemisphere’s summer, from December to January, is an ideal time to see Botswana, from Chobe National Park to the Okavango Delta, when the greenery is flourishing.

Regardless of when you plan to go on safari in Botswana, we can help you find a time that suits your preferences, and you can use our guide on the best time to visit Botswana for inspiration.

From the Okavango wetlands, a web of waterways weaving through the bush, to Chobe National Park, a safari spot with tens of thousands of elephants, Botswana’s best safari destinations offer something for every wilderness adventure. Here are our best places to visit in Botswana on safari:

• Okavango Delta: Supporting abundant wildlife wandering the lush inland delta, the Okavango is a game-viewing paradise with unique safari experiences. From cruising the waterways by mokoro to seeing the landscape from above on an aerial safari, the Okavango Delta offers endless opportunities for adventure.
• Moremi Game Reserve: In the heart of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve offers access to the breathtaking wilderness from luxurious lodges and tented camps. From wetlands to floodplains, woodlands to savanna, explore the unique landscapes in search of elusive wildlife.
• Chobe National Park: The game-viewing crown jewel of northern Botswana, Chobe National Park, offers an abundance of animal encounters in the untouched wilderness. Enormous herds of elephants roam the bush, leopards look out from lofty branches, and lions find a spot of shade beneath the trees.

The Okavango Delta is a lush wetland area in northwestern Botswana consisting of waterways carving through the landscape and draining into the Kalahari Desert. The inland delta is a paradise for wildlife escaping the heat and wallowing in the cool waters. Visiting the delta is a surreal wilderness experience, and you can experience it in a number of unique ways.

Luxury safaris in Botswana begin and end in exquisite accommodations, from 5-star tented camps to private lodges surrounded by the wilderness. You can access the delta’s waterways from these sites in game reserves circling the Okavango wetlands. To explore the wetlands, a guide can take you along the waterways by traditional mokoro, a dugout canoe. Or, you can take a seasonal motorized boat cruise, explore on foot, or search for wildlife on a game drive.

From private cocktails and canapes in the heart of the delta to guided night drives in search of big cats, there are many sensational ways to experience the beauty of the Okavango Delta.

Explore Botswana’s Okavango Delta wetlands by mokoro, see the Big Five on private game drives, and view the landscape from above on a light aircraft safari. These are just a few highlights for your safari in Botswana. Here are some of our top things to do on safaris in Botswana:

• Enjoy game drives and nighttime drives in search of big cats
• Stay at luxurious tented camps in the heart of Botswana’s top reserves
• Discover Botswana’s diverse landscapes, from the desert to the delta
• Explore the Okavango Delta wetlands by traditional mokoro or on a sunset cruise
• Take to the skies on an aerial safari by light aircraft to see Botswana from above

From big cats to the entire Big Five, elusive wild dogs to hyenas, the animals in Botswana are yours to discover on Botswana safari packages. Here are some of the rare and common sightings to expect as you search the bush or cruise the Okavango Delta:

• Lions
• Leopards
• Cheetahs
• Black rhinos
• White rhinos
• Elephants
• Buffalo
• Wild dogs
• Hyenas
• Caracals
• Aardvark
• Eland
• Hippos
• Meerkats

When planning Botswana safari tours, we recommend packing additional essentials for a comfortable experience. Below, we share some options to consider adding to your African safari packing list when preparing for your adventure:

• Neutral, light-colored, or beige clothing
• Lightweight, waterproof raincoat
• Long pants for walking safaris
• Hiking boots or comfortable shoes for bush walks
• Backpack
• Camera with a zoom lens, spare batteries, and memory cards
• Binoculars
• Mosquito repellent
• Sun protection, including but not limited to sunscreen, hats, lip balm, and sunglasses

Botswana safaris are safe.

Your guides will help you navigate the wilderness safely, and we encourage you to listen to their instructions and advice as you search for wild animals.

Because the Okavango Delta is a malaria risk, we advise consulting your travel doctor to discuss options to ensure you travel risk-free. Petty crime, though possible, is also very rare in Botswana’s top national parks and game reserves.

The best Botswana safari itinerary will take you to the top national parks and reserves to explore the wilderness and experience highlights like water safaris in the Okavango Delta. Here are our best Botswana safari itineraries, which you can customize with our travel specialists:

• Our 7-Day Classic Delta Tour is a brief but brilliant introduction to the wonders of Botswana’s wilderness, from Moremi Game Reserve into the heart of the Okavango Delta and Shinde Private Concession.
• For an immersive wildlife safari highlighting the wilderness, explore our Premier Botswana Safari: Exclusive Paradise which takes you to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Okavango Delta, and Linyanti Concession.

Our Bucket List Botswana: Victoria Falls, Chobe, Moremi and Central Kalahari safari brings you to Moremi, Chobe, and the Central Kalahari with an added stop in Zimbabwe to see the mighty Victoria Falls.

Explore more information in our frequently asked questions about planning a safari in Botswana and inspiration in our Botswana safari guide.