Botswana is safari country in its purest form: the channels and islands of the Okavango Delta, the elephant herds along the Chobe River, the salt pans of the Makgadikgadi and, just over the border, Victoria Falls. Most Botswana tours link some of these, and the differences come down to how you sleep (a dome tent, a houseboat or a luxury safari tent), how you travel between them and how many game drives you get.
This guide is for anyone comparing Botswana safaris. We line up every tour on our Botswana tours page, from a nine-day camping trip for 18 to 35s to luxury safaris across four countries, with who each suits and its honest drawback.
The quick answer
- If you are 18 to 35 and on a budget, pick Essential Botswana.
- If you want a houseboat in the Okavango and variety on a mid-range budget, pick Botswana Adventure.
- If you want plenty of game drives in comfort, pick Luxury Botswana Safari.
- If you want one lodge, flights included and lots of elephants, pick the Chobe Safari Holiday.
- If you have children aged six or over, pick the Family Botswana Safari.
Every Botswana safari compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botswana safaris | ||||||
| Essential Botswana: Okavango, Chobe & Victoria Falls – 9 Days | 9 | £795 pp | Medium | Max 22 | No | 18 to 35s, camping |
| Botswana Highlights: Okavango Delta & Chobe Safari – 9 Days | 9 | £1,637 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | A short, affordable loop |
| Botswana Adventure: Okavango Houseboat to Victoria Falls – 10 Days | 10 | £2,956 pp | Medium | Max 13 | No | Kalahari, houseboat and Chobe |
| Luxury Botswana Safari: Moremi, Okavango Houseboat & Chobe – 12 Days | 12 | £7,075 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Moremi, a houseboat and Chobe in comfort |
| Family Botswana Safari: Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango – 8 Days | 8 | £3,280 pp | Low | Max 16 | No | Families with children aged 6+ |
| With flights from the UK | ||||||
| Chobe Safari Holiday with Flights: Botswana & Victoria Falls – 10 Days | 10 | £3,910 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | One lodge on the Chobe River |
| Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari with Flights: Chobe to Matobo – 14 Days | 14 | £5,273 pp incl. flights | Medium | Not stated | Yes | Chobe, Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe |
| Botswana as part of a bigger trip | ||||||
| Luxury Southern Africa Safari: Kruger to the Okavango – 14 Days | 14 | £5,992 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Luxury, Kruger to the Okavango |
| Luxury Kenya & Southern Africa: Maasai Mara to Chobe – 15 Days | 15 | £11,187 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Luxury, Kenya and Southern Africa |
| Amazing Southern Africa: Cape Town to Victoria Falls – 23 Days | 23 | £5,752 pp | Medium | Max 13 | No | Overland from Cape Town, no camping |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which Botswana safari fits →
Value safaris
Camping for 18 to 35s
Essential Botswana: Okavango, Chobe & Victoria Falls – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £795 per person
- Max 22 people
- Johannesburg, South Africa to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Nine days by overland vehicle from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, with a group leader, a cook and up to 22 fellow travellers: the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Maun, two nights at a bush camp in the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi baobabs and Chobe. You sleep in two-person canvas dome tents with mattresses provided, and most meals are cooked at camp. Botswana Highlights (9 days) is a short, affordable loop from Victoria Falls with hotels and lodges, in groups of up to 16.
Suits: budget-conscious wildlife lovers. The honest drawback: camping with basic facilities in the delta; Botswana Highlights has one main game drive in Chobe and some basic lodges.
The Kalahari and an Okavango houseboat
Botswana Adventure: Okavango Houseboat to Victoria Falls – 10 Days
- 10 days
- From £2,956 per person
- Max 13 people
- Windhoek, Namibia to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Ten days from Windhoek across Botswana to Victoria Falls, with a night in Ghanzi, the capital of the Kalahari, two nights on a houseboat in the Okavango Panhandle, the Makgadikgadi Pans and two nights at Chobe. Groups are up to 13, aged 15 and over, and the leader handles all three border crossings.
Suits: adventurous wildlife lovers who want variety. The honest drawback: the safari truck is not air-conditioned, the houseboat has shared facilities, and some days are long.
Comfort and luxury (more game drives, fewer early camp chores)
Moremi, the Okavango and Chobe
Luxury Botswana Safari: Moremi, Okavango Houseboat & Chobe – 12 Days
- 12 days
- From £7,075 per person
- Max 12 people
- Maun, Botswana to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in May, June, July, August, September, October
Twelve days from Maun to Victoria Falls with an experienced tour leader and specialist local guides, for two to 12 travellers aged 16 and over. You stay at Thamo Telele, a private reserve near Maun, then Mogogelo Camp in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve, two nights on a houseboat reserved for the group, and three nights at Kasane for Chobe, in luxury safari tents and lodges, or similar.
Suits: wildlife lovers who want plenty of game drives in comfort. The honest drawback: the drive to Chobe takes most of a day, and some lunches and dinners are not included.
For families
Family Botswana Safari: Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango – 8 Days
- 8 days
- From £3,280 per person
- Max 16 people
- Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe to Maun, Botswana
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, June, July, August, September, December
Eight days for families with children aged six and over: Victoria Falls with an evening at the Simunye show, two nights at Kasane for Chobe, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Maun for the Okavango, staying in comfortable hotels and lodges with pools and family rooms or triples where available. Most journeys take a few hours, with breaks.
Suits: families who want everything organised. The honest drawback: lodges are comfortable rather than luxurious, and boards vary.
With flights from the UK
One lodge on the Chobe River
Chobe Safari Holiday with Flights: Botswana & Victoria Falls – 10 Days
- 10 days
- From £3,910 per person incl. flights
- Starts and ends in London, United Kingdom
- Physical rating: low
- Flights included
- Departures in February, March, April, May, June, July, September, October, November
Ten days with flights from London Heathrow or Manchester to Victoria Falls and seven nights half board at the four-star Chobe Safari Lodge, or similar, on the riverbank at the edge of Chobe National Park, so you unpack once. Families with children aged six and over are welcome. Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari with Flights (14 days) adds Victoria Falls, Hwange and the Matobo Hills in four- and five-star lodges, with six game drives in open 4×4s.
Suits: first-time safari-goers who prefer one base. The honest drawback: neither visits the Okavango Delta, and lunches are not included at the Chobe lodge.
Botswana as part of a bigger trip
Luxury Southern Africa Safari (14 days) links Kruger, Victoria Falls, Chobe, the Zambezi, the Makgadikgadi Pans and the Okavango, with a flight from Kruger to Victoria Falls. Luxury Kenya & Southern Africa (15 days) starts in the Maasai Mara and ends at Chobe. Amazing Southern Africa (23 days) runs overland from Cape Town through Namibia and Botswana to Victoria Falls, with no camping.
How to choose
By time available. Eight to ten days: Essential Botswana, Botswana Highlights, Botswana Adventure, the family safari or the Chobe holiday. Twelve to 15 days: the luxury safaris and Botswana & Zimbabwe. Three weeks: Amazing Southern Africa.
By budget. Essential Botswana and Botswana Highlights are the cheapest. Botswana Adventure and the family safari sit in the middle. The luxury safaris cost the most. Live prices are in the table above.
By comfort. Camping on Essential Botswana; basic lodges and a houseboat with shared facilities on the value trips; luxury safari tents and lodges on the luxury tours; a four-star lodge on the Chobe holiday.
By the Okavango. If the delta is the point, avoid the two flight-inclusive tours, which do not visit it.
When to go
Essential Botswana and Botswana Adventure depart all year. Luxury Botswana Safari runs from May to October, and Botswana Highlights has only a few departures. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Frequently asked questions
Which Botswana safaris visit the Okavango Delta?
Essential Botswana, Botswana Highlights, Botswana Adventure, Luxury Botswana Safari, the family safari and the luxury multi-country tours. The two tours with flights do not.
Can I combine Botswana with Victoria Falls?
Yes, most Botswana tours start or end at Victoria Falls.
Is there a Botswana safari for families?
Yes, the Family Botswana Safari, for children aged six and over; the Chobe Safari Holiday also welcomes families with children aged six and over.
Which Botswana safaris include flights?
The Chobe Safari Holiday and Botswana & Zimbabwe Safari include flights from the UK. The others are land-only.
Are there camping safaris in Botswana?
Essential Botswana camps in dome tents, for travellers aged 18 to 35. The others use hotels, lodges, safari tents and houseboats.
Do any tours stay on a houseboat?
Yes, Botswana Adventure, Luxury Botswana Safari and Amazing Southern Africa spend two nights on a houseboat in the Okavango Panhandle.
Ready for Botswana?
Tell us how you would like to sleep and how long you have, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the Botswana safaris with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Botswana
- South Africa tours compared
- Safari and beach holidays
- Escorted tours in Zimbabwe
- Escorted tours in Namibia
- Botswana holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
