Top 10 Best Things To See and Do in Botswana
Welcome to Botswana: The Last True Wilderness
In the heart of Southern Africa lies a country unlike any other — a land where the wild reigns supreme, the sunsets bleed across endless horizons, and ancient rivers give life to a kingdom of untamed beauty. This is Botswana — a destination that captures the soul, ignites wonder, and leaves you breathless with its sheer, unfiltered wilderness.
Botswana isn’t just another safari stop. It’s the crown jewel of Africa’s wild frontiers, where conservation isn’t a campaign, but a way of life. From the shimmering floodplains of the Okavango Delta to the arid mystery of the Kalahari Desert, Botswana offers one of the most profound and untouched safari experiences on Earth.
This guide takes you deep into the Top 10 Best Things to See and Do in Botswana, where every journey becomes a story, and every sight is a memory etched in nature’s handwriting.
1. Explore the Okavango Delta – Africa’s Water Wonderland
At the top of any Botswana adventure must be the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most extraordinary ecosystems on the planet. Unlike any other delta in the world, the Okavango doesn’t drain into an ocean but spills into the sands of the Kalahari, creating a lush, seasonally flooded paradise.
Glide silently through narrow channels in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe), where hippos snort in the water beside you and elephants cross through reed-fringed swamps. Witness lions, leopards, and wild dogs roam the mosaic of islands and lagoons. The delta is a place of serene immersion, where every moment feels like a sacred pause in the rush of time.
This is not just a place to see wildlife — it’s a place to feel life at its purest.
2. Safari in Chobe National Park – Land of Giants
To encounter Africa’s largest concentration of elephants, there is no better place than Chobe National Park. Nestled in the north of Botswana, Chobe is home to an estimated 120,000 elephants, and seeing them in herds of hundreds is an unforgettable spectacle.
Chobe offers both land and river safaris, giving you two vantage points to witness the drama of nature. Watch predators like lions and hyenas stalk the floodplains, or cruise along the Chobe River at sunset as elephants swim and play along the banks. The birdlife is astonishing, and the sheer density of wildlife makes every game drive exhilarating.
It’s here that the raw intensity of Africa pulses in every direction.
3. Visit Moremi Game Reserve – Where Wilderness Meets Luxury
Situated on the eastern fringes of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve is a masterclass in balance — combining pristine wilderness with some of Botswana’s most exclusive safari lodges. Moremi is known for its varied terrain: from mopane woodlands to floodplains, lagoons, and grasslands, the biodiversity here is astonishing.
Moremi is a haven for big cats, especially leopards, and it’s one of the best places in Africa to spot the endangered African wild dog. Here, you experience untouched Africa with a touch of refinement — morning game drives followed by fine dining under the stars, where luxury doesn’t disturb the harmony of nature, but compliments it.
4. Traverse the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans – Surreal and Silent
Imagine a place so vast, so blindingly white and still, that it feels like another planet. This is Makgadikgadi, one of the world’s largest salt flats. In the dry season, it is a shimmering expanse of desolation — cracked, baked earth under an infinite sky. But after the rains, it transforms into a shallow lake that attracts flocks of flamingos and one of Africa’s most dramatic zebra migrations.
This stark, otherworldly terrain offers adventure and introspection in equal measure. Ride a quad bike across the pans, sleep under the Milky Way with no sound but the whisper of wind, and visit ancient baobab trees that have watched millennia pass.
Makgadikgadi is wild silence, raw beauty, and total disconnection.
5. Discover the Central Kalahari Game Reserve – The Desert That Breathes Life
Covering over 50,000 square kilometers, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is one of the largest and most remote wildlife reserves on the planet. Here, in the vast emptiness of golden grasslands and fossil river valleys, wildlife has adapted in astonishing ways.
This is the kingdom of the black-maned Kalahari lion, of springboks and oryx, of cheetahs streaking across open plains. During the wet season, the Kalahari blooms with life, and the deception valley becomes a hotspot for predator-prey encounters.
It is here you also meet the San people, Botswana’s First Nation, who offer insight into survival, storytelling, and ancient wisdom etched into the earth. The Kalahari isn’t empty — it is deeply alive, if you know how to listen.
6. Marvel at the Zebra Migration – A Secret Spectacle
Often overshadowed by East Africa’s wildebeest migrations, Botswana’s zebra migration is the largest in Southern Africa and one of its best-kept secrets. Between the Okavango and the Makgadikgadi, thousands of zebras journey across the Kalahari in search of greener pastures, shadowed by predators and shaped by the rains.
This migration is not about crowds or noise — it is about movement and instinct, a quieter, more intimate spectacle that captures the ancient rhythm of life.
Timing is crucial. The rains determine the flow, but when it’s right, you’ll witness a living river of stripes, stretching into the horizon.
7. Cruise the Chobe River – Sunset and Silence (Things To See and Do in Botswana)
The Chobe River is more than just a water source — it is a lifeline for the north and one of the best ways to observe wildlife without disturbing it. An afternoon cruise puts you eye-level with elephants drinking at the shore, crocodiles basking, and herons tiptoeing through the reeds.
As the sun dips, the water becomes molten gold, and the silhouette of a lone buffalo against the fire-sky becomes a memory for life. This experience is not loud or rushed. It’s a meditative drift through nature, guided by birdsong and the splash of hippos.
8. Encounter Meerkats in the Wild – Small, Curious, and Bold
Botswana offers a rare chance to walk among wild habituated meerkats, particularly near the Makgadikgadi Pans. These charismatic little mammals are endlessly entertaining — sentinels standing upright, curious pups darting through the dust, and family units working together in perfect coordination.
With an experienced guide, you can sit quietly and let the meerkats come to you. Sometimes, they even climb on your back to get a better view. It’s a gentle, joyful encounter that offers a break from the grandeur and focuses on the delight of the small.
9. Experience Cultural Encounters – The Heartbeat of Botswana
Botswana isn’t just about wildlife; it’s also about its people, its rhythm, and its heritage. Visiting local villages offers insight into the everyday life, music, crafts, and traditions of communities who have lived in harmony with nature for generations.
Participate in a traditional dance, listen to stories passed down for centuries, and support artisan cooperatives that preserve ancient skills. These interactions bring depth and human connection to your safari, reminding you that the land and its people are inseparable.
10. Camp Under the Stars – Africa’s Most Authentic Sleep
Finally, there’s no greater way to end your Botswana adventure than by camping in the wild — not in a lodge, but in the bush itself. Whether it’s a mobile tented safari or a luxury fly-camp, sleeping under the stars in Botswana connects you directly to the pulse of the wilderness.
No walls, no fences. Just the crackle of the fire, the calls of jackals, and a sky so clear you’ll feel like you’re floating in the cosmos. This is Africa as it was meant to be felt — not observed, but lived.
Begin Your Botswana Journey with WildHorn Africa
Every path, every wild encounter, and every soul-stirring view in Botswana becomes more profound when experienced with those who know and love this land. WildHorn Africa offers expertly crafted safaris that bring you to the heart of Botswana’s untouched wilderness, with deep respect for its people, wildlife, and landscapes.
From tailor-made luxury experiences in the Delta to rugged explorations of the Kalahari, WildHorn Africa’s team ensures your journey is seamless, ethical, and deeply personal. Their passion for Africa shines through every detail — because for them, safaris aren’t just trips. They are legacies.
Ready to see Botswana the way few ever do?
Book your next African safari with WildHorn Africa — where the wild calls, and adventure answers.
Things To See and Do in Botswana #Things To See and Do in Botswana Things To See and Do in Botswana
