For lovers of nature, wildlife and culture, Botswana is one of the top tourist destinations in Africa. This beautiful safari country located in southern Africa is popularly known as a dream haven for honeymoons, holidays or getaways. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or you are a returning tourist, here’s the perfect Botswana bucket list, top selection of the 22 best of the best things to do in Botswana, including unique things to do in Botswana besides safari. Discover the best wildlife destinations in Botswana, the best romantic places, but also cultural things to do.
1. Explore history and culture in Gaborone
Gaborone is an exceptional city; it is the capital of Botswana. If you want to treat yourself to unforgettable cultural experiences here, visit the Botswana Craft, and the National Museum and Art Gallery, both in the city centre. The Botswana Craft is a favourite destination for travellers exploring the unique art and crafts products by local artists in the country. You will fall in love with the art and craft at unbeatable prices, you won’t be disappointed. During your trip to Botswana, you will taste the best of the nation’s history through museum by visiting the National Museum and Art Gallery. A must visit if you are an art lover, offers incredible opportunity to learn about the history of Botswana.
Location: National Museum and Art Gallery
2. A day trip to Kasane
Regarded as one of the best natural meeting points in Africa, this Botswana’s town of Kasane is beautifully situated that its boarders the country with Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. During this day-trip to Kasane you can explore the confluence of Africa’s two major rivers, the Chobe and the Zambezi. You will enjoy exceptional nature at the Chobe National Park, and stop in the picturesque destination of Victoria Falls. Kasane is one of the most beautiful places in Botswana, safari lodges and luxury accommodations abound.
3. Fly Over the Safari in a Hot-Air Balloon
Flying over the safari, viewing the Okavango from above and sighting the animals in their numbers is an experience of a lifetime. The serenity of floating above the deltas and lakes, spotting the big animals is a thrilling experience for couples on honeymoon.
4. Take a Canoe Ride
The Okavango Delta is crawling with various crocodiles and hippos. The best way to enjoy viewing these amazing animals is to take a guided ride in a canoe safari. If you are craving a mind-throbbing adventure, be sure to book a canoe ride when visiting Botswana.
5. Take a Guided Game Drive
A game drive will give you the perfect opportunity to see the wildlife up-close. A guided tour through the Safari is one of the most exciting activities you can have in Botswana. You can spot various animals like Giraffes, hyenas Rhinos and a lot more.
Location: Mokolodi Nature Reserve, Gaborone, Botswana
6. Meet the Kalahari lions
The king of the safari is an elusive one but the adventure of spotting one is very exciting. Driving through the Kalahari Game Reserve in guided tour, you could hear lions roaring, it’s really impossible to miss it. You can also go on a horseback, guided by the Bushmen. This adventure is not something you would want to miss especially if you are visiting Botswana for the first time.
Location: kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana
7. View Rock paintings on Tsodilo Hills
The scenic Tsodilo Hills in Botswana is arguably one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. These paintings can be found on the rocky outcrops on the hills, telling pictorial stories of the local people and their environment from the Stone Age. The Tsodilo hills are considered sacred by the local tribes and respected as the dwelling place of their ancestral spirits. A Scenic spot in Botswana makes for a truly envy-worthy pictures.
Location: Ngamiland District, Botswana
8. Sleep under the Stars
Spending the night under the beautiful starlit skies is one of the best things to do in Botswana. There are several ways you can enjoy a night under the stars, from candle-lit riverbeds to special luxury tree-houses. Sleeping under the stars in an open-air bed, listening to the sounds of animals and nature is an amazing experience for honeymooners. Experiencing Botswana’s famous serene skies with your significant other among the ultimate romantic experiences in the country.
9. Watch the sunset on a Boat Cruise
Looking for a romantic safari activity? Flowing through the Chobe National Game Park in Kasane and the Okavango Delta, Chobe River is perfect for a romantic boat cruise for nature and wildlife lovers. The best time to enjoy a boat cruise in Chobe River is in the afternoon so that you can witness the beauty of nature as the sun set.
10. Meet the Chobe Elephants
Housing over 120,000 elephants, the Chobe National Park is one of the top places in the world to see Elephants in their natural habitats. You can best enjoy sighting these beautiful giants in a rover or river cruise. The best time to enjoy elephant spotting are during cooler times of the year.
11. Self-drive through the Safari
Take your adventure to the next level with a self-drive tour of the Safari. Some places you can enjoy a self-drive tour cruise is the Moremi Game Reserve, the Northern Tuli Nature Game Reserve and Chobe National Game Reserve. 4×4 Rovers are available for hire whenever you want to enjoy this adventure. The Baobab Treehouse at Xigera Safari Lodge by the Okavango Delta is a place to experience!
Location: Moremi National Park in Botswana
12. Go Camping
Camping is a very popular activity among tourists visiting Botswana, one of the most-visited countries in Africa. With several private reserves available, you have a variety of options whenever you want to go camping. Most of these private reserves offer flexible camping rules. You can go off-road and enjoy the safaris with night drives, you can take walks and even go horse-riding.
13. Visit Chobe National Park
One of the top things you can do in Botswana is to visit the Chobe National Park. Between the months of August and November, many of the animals can be sighted in their numbers as they flock to drink from limited water holes. December to March is the rainy season and this is the best time to visit the park if you love watching birds.
14. Hang Out with Meerkats
The Meerkats of Makgadikgadi Pans are quite used to humans so they tend to come very close to tourists. This makes it easy to take amazing photographs with these beautiful and interesting creatures. There are several colonies you can visit in guided tours around the plains. Meerkats often come out very early in the morning in search of food, so this is the best time to spot them.
Location: Makadikadi Basin
15. Visit Baobab Trees
Discover one of the best tourist attractions in Botswana, the Baines Baobabs. Popularly called upside-down trees, baobabs are amazing giant-sized trees with very big trunks. You can find these extraordinary trees in the Makgadikgadi area, or you can visit the Baines’ Baobabs in Nxai Pan National Park where there is an amazing cluster of 7 baobabs popularly known as the sleeping sisters.
Location: Baines Baobabs in the Nxai National Park
16. Visit the Khama Rhino Sanctuary
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a wildlife conservation area in Botswana that was setup in 1992 to save the rhinos from going into extinction. You can track these rhinos on foot with a guide or drive tours. Other animals that can be spotted here are wild dogs, cheetahs, leopards and other animals including elephants.
Location: Khama Rhino Sanctuary
17. Go Quad Biking
Enjoy the salt plains of Botswana with Quad Bikes also known as ATVs at Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi Pans National Parks. The long span plain surface is perfect for covering long distances. There are other places like Planet Baobab you can take your adventure to. Quad biking is a common tourist service offered by safari operators so there are options you get to explore.
18. Go for a Road trip Across Botswana
A safari road trip is a favourite for many tourists visiting Botswana. If you think you have the time and you don’t mind, a road trip is one of the best ways to explore this beautiful country. You can even get off the road and drive through the dunes in this adventure.
19. Go hiking on a Horseback
Take your adventure up a notch by touring on a horseback. This special kind of touring will give you an exciting different feeling from the regular touring in a car. There are several places in Botswana you can enjoy Horseback touring like the Okavango Delta, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and Makgadikgadi.
20. Go Predator Sighting
Watching predators hunt is one of the best experiences you have on a safari adventure. With lush vegetation, there is plenty of food for the Antelopes. Don’t forget to grab your camera when going to sight predators so you can capture some of the action from the big cats hunting down antelopes to the crocs taking their preys by surprise when they are drinking water. You can visit Chobe and Moremi Game Reserve to enjoy good predator sighting.
21. Bird Spotting
Hosting over 500 species of birds, Botswana is one of the best places to enjoy bird spotting. If you enjoy birdwatching or wildlife, this experience can be really thrilling. You can also enjoy taking awesome photographs of birds in their natural habitats with an awesome scenery.
22. Meet the San Bushmen
Enjoy a guided walk adventure with the San Bushmen and learn the unique cultures of this interesting tribe. On these guided walks, you get to learn a lot about their survival skills, their traditional medicine, incredible hunting intuition and a series of folklore.
Explore the 11 Best Things to Do in Gaborone.
