What to see in Botswana: 9 must-sees
Discover what to see in Botswana: 9 must-see destinations, from Okavango Delta to Chobe (elephants). Predominantly natural and UNESCO heritage; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
Natural(4)
Explore the Makgadikgadi salt pans, the largest in Africa, with 12,000 km² of flat white surface in Botswana's Central region. Watch flamingos, wildebeest, and zebras cross a horizon that seems straight out of science fiction. Walk among ancient geological formations, spot waterbirds in the seasonal pools, and feel the absolute silence of a salt desert that changes completely with the rains.
Stop in the Kalahari, near Ghanzi, and walk among red dunes that stretch to the horizon. Discover hidden oases where wildlife gathers at dawn: oryx, meerkats, and birds that withstand the heat. Follow trails with San guides, experts at tracking footprints and surviving in this arid land. Sleep under a star-filled sky free of light pollution and listen to the absolute silence of the desert night. Each dune holds shapes the wind endlessly redraws, showing you a Botswana far off the beaten path.
Hop in the safari vehicle and explore the 1,250 km² of Linyanti, a private reserve in northwestern Botswana, near the border with Namibia. Here, elephants gather in enormous herds during the dry season, while lions, African wild dogs, and hundreds of birds move among lagoons, mopane forests, and the banks of the Linyanti River. You can go on guided hikes, watch wildlife from hides by the water, and take night safaris—something impossible in the national parks. The channels and floodplains change with the rains, and every visit offers a different setting in this inland delta.
Discover thousands of flamingos and waterbirds at Botswana's most important sanctuary, located in the Central region. Walk the trails between salt pans and shallow lagoons that attract pelicans, herons and ducks during the rainy season. Stroll along the shores of Sua Pan, where seasonal waters gather the pink flamingo colonies into flocks visible from just a few meters away. Watch the colors shift at sunset and use the viewpoints to photograph the birds without disturbing them.
UNESCO Heritage(2)
Navigate the world's largest inland delta, where elephants, hippos, and lions coexist in a labyrinth of channels and papyrus. The Okavango Delta, a UNESCO site since 2014, covers 22,000 km², where the waters of the Okavango River spread across a 250-km delta, creating an oasis in the Kalahari Desert. Elephants cross the channels while hippos rest in the backwaters, and local fishermen use traditional bark canoes to navigate a delta where wildlife and water meet.
Camp at the foot of the Tsodilo Hills in northwestern Botswana and follow the trails among 4,500 petroglyphs carved by the San peoples over 100,000 years. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, this site testifies to a cultural tradition and a civilization that has vanished. Climb up to the plateau, follow the marked routes with local guides, and read in the rock the hunting scenes, ritual dances, and animals that shaped the life of one of the world's oldest peoples.
National Park(2)
Explore the park with Africa's highest concentration of elephants—120,000 animals that wade across the Chobe River at dusk. Chobe National Park, covering 11,700 km², is home to 120,000 elephants that cross the river every afternoon to drink, creating one of the most impressive natural spectacles on the continent. River safaris offer a unique perspective as hippos, crocodiles, and birds approach the boats. The BaTswana people preserve traditions dating back centuries.
Follow the Okavango Delta channels to this 4,871-km² reserve in the North-West region, where elephants, lions, and hippos gather along the lagoons. Explore its tracks by 4x4 or on foot with a guide, watch waterbirds from a mokoro, and camp under the mopane trees while listening to the nighttime activity of the flooded savanna.
City(1)
Walk through downtown Gaborone, Botswana's capital in the South-East district, and discover the National Museum next to the Art Gallery, where traditional Tswana pieces are on display. At the Main Mall craft market, vendors offer basketry, wood carvings, and handmade textiles. Climb Kgale Hill at sunset to see the city framed by the hills and dry landscape that surround it, and end the day trying seswaa, the traditional meat stew, at a local restaurant. Here, modern government buildings coexist with neighborhoods where everyday life still sets the rhythm of the city.
New destinations and itineraries, by email
Subscribe to receive newly published destinations and itineraries, plus seasonal travel ideas. One email, only when there is news.
Anything to correct or add about Botswana?
If you have spotted incorrect or outdated information, or want to suggest additional details about destinations in Botswana, leave us your comment. We review every one personally.