Botswana travel guide

Getting there

Sir Seretse Khama International Airport in Gaborone has regional flights, while Maun and Kasane airports serve safari travellers, usually via Johannesburg. Many visitors also arrive overland from South Africa, Namibia, Zambia or Zimbabwe, with Victoria Falls a short drive from Kasane.

Best time to visit: May–Oct – dry season, when animals gather at water.

Tougher months: No bad time – the December to March rains bring green scenery, newborn animals and great birding, but some camps and roads close.

Weather by month in Gaborone

• 32°J●●
• 31°F●●
• 30°M●
• 28°A●
• 25°M
• 22°J
• 23°J
• 26°A
• 30°S
• 32°O●
• 32°N●
• 32°D●●

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: Africa/Maputo. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 103 of 198 other passports can enter Botswana without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 94 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 1 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Botswana (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-06-17). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Botswana travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Botswana are based around Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park or Moremi Game Reserve. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$50–80 for a backpacker and US$200–400 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Botswana page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: D, G, M. Voltage: 230 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +267.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Okavango Delta (North · inland delta & wildlife): A vast seasonal wetland in the desert, teeming with wildlife and best explored by mokoro, boat or small plane.
• Chobe National Park (North · elephants & river): Famous for its huge elephant population and spectacular river safaris near Kasane.
• Moremi Game Reserve (Okavango · safari): The protected heart of the Delta, combining dry land and wetland for superb game viewing.
• Makgadikgadi Pans (Northeast · salt pans): Ancient salt flats that host zebra migrations in the rains and lunar landscapes in the dry season.
• Central Kalahari Game Reserve (Centre · desert wilderness): A remote expanse of grassland and fossil riverbeds for self-sufficient adventurers.
• Tsodilo Hills (Northwest · rock art): Sacred hills holding thousands of rock paintings and a deep spiritual meaning for the San.
• Maun (North · gateway town): The lively jumping-off point for Delta trips, with scenic flights and mokoro excursions.
• Gaborone (Capital · culture): A relaxed capital with a national museum, craft markets and nearby nature reserves.

Things to do

• Glide by mokoro in the Okavango. Sit low in a dugout canoe as a poler guides you through papyrus channels and water-lily lagoons.
• Watch elephants on the Chobe. Take a sunset boat cruise as huge herds of elephants come down to drink and swim.
• Sleep under the stars on the salt pans. Camp on the vast, silent Makgadikgadi Pans, where the night sky feels endless.
• Meet the meerkats. Sit quietly near habituated meerkat colonies on the edge of the Makgadikgadi as they stand guard in the morning sun.
• See rock art at Tsodilo Hills. Walk among thousands of ancient San paintings in a UNESCO-listed landscape called the 'Mountains of the Gods'.
• Go on a game drive in Moremi. Search for lions, leopards, wild dogs and buffalo in one of Africa's richest wildlife reserves.
• Take a scenic flight over the Delta. See the maze of channels and islands from above, with herds crossing the floodplains below.
• Explore the Central Kalahari. Drive through one of the world's largest game reserves to find black-maned lions and desert-adapted antelope.

Source: full Botswana guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Seswaa – slow-cooked pounded beef, the national dish
• Bogobe – sorghum porridge
• Morogo – wild spinach greens
• Mopane worms – a crunchy, protein-rich local snack

Source: RoamSun Botswana guide

Money and safety

Currency: Botswana pula (BWP). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: About 10% in restaurants; safari guides and camp staff are usually tipped.

Emergency numbers: 999 police · 997 ambulance · 998 fire.

• The currency is the pula (BWP), which means 'rain' in Setswana; ATMs are found in towns such as Gaborone, Maun and Kasane.
• Cards are widely accepted in lodges, supermarkets and hotels, but carry cash for small purchases and rural areas.
• Botswana is one of Africa's safest countries, but take care with valuables in towns and avoid walking alone at night in cities.
• Wildlife roams freely, including in unfenced camps, so never walk around after dark and always follow your guide's instructions.

Source: RoamSun Botswana facts