7 Day Delta And Kalahari Safari

Destinations: Botswana, the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari

This 7-day Botswana trip runs through the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari, linked so the travelling is done between the wildlife. Water levels decide the game, elephant, red lechwe, hippo and predators follow the flood. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Okavango Delta

You fly in from Maun, you fly from Maun, the frontier town on the edge of the delta, and land near the Okavango Delta, where our guide meets you and the transfer to camp works as your first afternoon out in the park. You explore by mokoro a dugout canoe poled through the channels and lily-covered lagoons. Water levels decide the game, elephant, red lechwe, hippo and predators follow the flood. Camps on private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives and guided walks the parks prohibit. You settle into camp as the light goes. The only sounds are the pole in the water and the birds.

The birding from the water is some of the best in Africa. The Okavango is a UNESCO World Heritage inland delta where a river fans out and vanishes into the Kalahari. Back at camp, dinner is served under a sky thick with stars. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set.

Day 2 Mokoro And Game In Okavango Delta

A full day in the Okavango Delta. You are out by mokoro and on foot, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Camps on private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives and guided walks the parks prohibit. The birding from the water is some of the best in Africa. The Okavango is a UNESCO World Heritage inland delta where a river fans out and vanishes into the Kalahari. A guided walk on a palm island adds the ground-level view.

You explore by mokoro a dugout canoe poled through the channels and lily-covered lagoons. Water levels decide the game, elephant, red lechwe, hippo and predators follow the flood. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves.

Day 3 Mokoro And Game In Okavango Delta

A full day in the Okavango Delta. You are out by mokoro and on foot, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. The birding from the water is some of the best in Africa. The Okavango is a UNESCO World Heritage inland delta where a river fans out and vanishes into the Kalahari. You explore by mokoro a dugout canoe poled through the channels and lily-covered lagoons. The only sounds are the pole in the water and the birds.

Water levels decide the game, elephant, red lechwe, hippo and predators follow the flood. Camps on private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives and guided walks the parks prohibit. Nothing is promised in the wild, which is what makes a good sighting count. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

Day 4 Transfer To Central Kalahari

A short morning out by mokoro and on foot at first light in the Okavango Delta, then to the airstrip and a light aircraft for the move to the Central Kalahari. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Central Kalahari in the afternoon. You head out out on game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. The Central Kalahari is one of the largest game reserves in the world, over 52,000 square kilometres. After the rains, Deception Valley fills with springbok, gemsbok and the black-maned Kalahari lion. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

The desert calendar is inverted, the green months of December to April are the peak. The silence and space here are the whole point. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows. The country is quiet here, and on most outings you have it to yourselves. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead.

Day 5 Game Drives In Central Kalahari

A full day in the Central Kalahari. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. After the rains, Deception Valley fills with springbok, gemsbok and the black-maned Kalahari lion. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows. The desert calendar is inverted, the green months of December to April are the peak. On most drives you will not pass another vehicle.

The silence and space here are the whole point. The Central Kalahari is one of the largest game reserves in the world, over 52,000 square kilometres. Your guide has the ground worked out, and knows where the day is likely to lead. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good.

Day 6 Game Drives In Central Kalahari

A full day in the Central Kalahari. You are out on game drives, out early while the light is low and the country is at its best, with the guide working the ground slowly and time to stop for whatever the day turns up. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows. The desert calendar is inverted, the green months of December to April are the peak. The silence and space here are the whole point. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars.

The Central Kalahari is one of the largest game reserves in the world, over 52,000 square kilometres. After the rains, Deception Valley fills with springbok, gemsbok and the black-maned Kalahari lion. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest. You carry a packed breakfast and stay out while the going is good. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools.

Day 7 Departure

A final morning out on game drives before you leave, the best window of the trip for anything still on your list. You make the most of the early light, then your light aircraft flies you back toward Maun. After the rains, Deception Valley fills with springbok, gemsbok and the black-maned Kalahari lion. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows. This 7-day trip links the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. The desert calendar is inverted, the green months of December to April are the peak.

The silence and space here are the whole point. The Central Kalahari is one of the largest game reserves in the world, over 52,000 square kilometres. The guide reads the tracks and the birds, and there is no rush to be anywhere. Late in the afternoon the light turns gold and the game comes back to the open ground. A self-planned version of the desert leg is set out in our Kalahari itinerary.

Botswana safari: still river channel with trees reflected — Still water and reflections on the delta half of the trip.

What’s Included

All internal flights and road transfers on the route
Full-board accommodation on safari as shown
Game drives and the activities named in the day plan
Park entry fees for the days shown
Airport and airstrip transfers, drinking water in the vehicle

What’s Not Included

International flights and any visa
Travel insurance
Drinks, tips for guides and staff
Activities not listed and items of a personal nature

Why Should You Consider This Botswana Safari?

Botswana safari: lioness walking on pale sandy ground — The Kalahari half trades density for space and black-maned lions.

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. You explore by mokoro a dugout canoe poled through the channels and lily-covered lagoons. Water levels decide the game, elephant, red lechwe, hippo and predators follow the flood. Cheetah hunt the open pans and meerkats stand sentry at their burrows. Linking the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari in one route means you cover more of Botswana than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 7 days you get range without the trip feeling rushed, the set-piece wildlife, the quieter corners, and the change of country from one stop to the next. For a traveller who wants variety over a single famous name, this is a strong, well-balanced way to see the region, and it works whether it is a first trip or a return.

Is a 7 Day Botswana Safari Worth It?

7 days across the Okavango Delta and the Central Kalahari is a well-judged length, though it is a read of each stop rather than a deep stay. You get a full day or more at the main parks, enough to see the headline wildlife and still catch the quieter moments. It suits travellers who value breadth and do not mind moving every couple of days. What this length cannot do is exhaust any one park, the biggest of them could fill a week on their own, so the remote corners stay for another trip. If a single place is your priority, spend the nights there instead. And if you have longer, the route takes an easy add-on, whether that is more time with the wildlife or a stretch on the coast to finish. As it stands, this 7-day trip is balanced and full.

What Is the Price of This Botswana Safari?

What you pay turns mostly on the camps and the season. In Botswana, park and concession fees are higher here, and the camps are the main cost. As a rough guide, most trips of this length run from around USD 3,150 to 7,700 per person sharing, higher in the peak dry months and cheaper in the green season. Camp and lodge level is the big lever, from simple tented camps to the smarter river and bush camps, and a shared vehicle between four brings the per-person cost down. Tell an operator your dates, group size and the standard you want and it can be quoted to the figure.