Best things to do in Botswana
Botswana is one of Africa's great safari destinations, built around the elephant herds of Chobe and the watery wilderness of the Okavango Delta.
Botswana at a glance
- What is the best thing to do in Botswana?
- A Chobe river safari — watching elephant herds from the water — is the country's signature experience and the most accessible, as a day trip from Victoria Falls.
- Can I visit Botswana from Victoria Falls for a day?
- Yes. Chobe National Park is about an hour from Victoria Falls, and full-day trips typically combine a morning river cruise with an afternoon game drive.
- Is Botswana expensive to visit?
- Botswana follows a low-volume, higher-value tourism model, so delta safaris are premium-priced. Day trips to Chobe are the budget-friendly way to experience it.
Destinations in Botswana
The highlights
1. Chobe National Park
Chobe is famous for some of the largest elephant concentrations in Africa. River cruises along the Chobe waterfront at Kasane put you level with elephants, buffalo and hippos — and the park is an easy day trip from Victoria Falls and Livingstone.
2. Okavango Delta
A UNESCO-listed inland delta where safaris happen by mokoro (dugout canoe) as much as by vehicle. Reaching the delta usually means a light-aircraft flight to a camp, so it suits trips of three nights or more.
3. Makgadikgadi Pans
Vast salt pans with meerkat encounters, quad biking in the dry season and dramatic zebra migrations after the rains — one of Botswana's most otherworldly landscapes.
Planning your trip
Botswana as a day trip or a safari
Chobe works as a single-day safari from the Victoria Falls area — one of the region's most popular excursions. The Okavango Delta and the pans are proper safari trips in their own right, best given several nights.
When to go
Game viewing is generally strongest in the dry season (roughly May to October), when animals concentrate on rivers and waterholes. The green season brings lower visitor numbers, migrant birds and newborn animals.
Frequently asked questions about Botswana
What is the best thing to do in Botswana?
A Chobe river safari — watching elephant herds from the water — is the country's signature experience and the most accessible, as a day trip from Victoria Falls.
Can I visit Botswana from Victoria Falls for a day?
Yes. Chobe National Park is about an hour from Victoria Falls, and full-day trips typically combine a morning river cruise with an afternoon game drive.
Is Botswana expensive to visit?
Botswana follows a low-volume, higher-value tourism model, so delta safaris are premium-priced. Day trips to Chobe are the budget-friendly way to experience it.
Ready to plan? Browse things to do by destination or get trip ideas from our travel journal.