12 Day Ultimate Botswana Safari

Destinations: Botswana, the Central Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park

This 12-day Botswana trip runs through the Central Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, linked so the travelling is done between the wildlife. The desert calendar is inverted, the green months of December to April are the peak. Kubu Island’s baobabs stand on the old lakebed under huge night skies. Camps on private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives and guided walks the parks prohibit.

Day By Day

Day 1 Arrival At Central Kalahari

You fly in from Maun, you fly from Maun, the frontier town on the edge of the delta, and land near the Central Kalahari, where our guide meets you and the transfer to camp works as your first afternoon out in the park. 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. You settle into camp as the light goes. 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 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. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush.

Day 2 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. 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. After the rains, Deception Valley fills with springbok, gemsbok and the black-maned Kalahari lion. On most drives you will not pass another vehicle. 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. With a drink in hand you watch the day close over the bush. 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. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Day 3 Transfer To Makgadikgadi Pans

A short morning out on game drives at first light in the Central Kalahari, then to the road for the move to the Makgadikgadi Pans. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Makgadikgadi Pans in the afternoon. You head out out on game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. The Makgadikgadi is a salt pan the size of Switzerland blinding white and flat to the horizon. In the green season a zebra migration, second only to the Serengeti’s, crosses the grasslands. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars. Kubu Island’s baobabs stand on the old lakebed under huge night skies.

The stargazing here is among the best on the continent. Habituated meerkats and quad-bike runs onto the pans are the dry-season draws. 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. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Day 4 Game Drives In Makgadikgadi Pans

A full day in the Makgadikgadi Pans. 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. In the green season a zebra migration, second only to the Serengeti’s, crosses the grasslands. Habituated meerkats and quad-bike runs onto the pans are the dry-season draws. Kubu Island’s baobabs stand on the old lakebed under huge night skies. You rest through the midday heat and head out again as it cools.

The stargazing here is among the best on the continent. The Makgadikgadi is a salt pan the size of Switzerland blinding white and flat to the horizon. Each time out turns up something new, and the pace is yours to set. 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.

Day 5 Transfer To Okavango Delta

A short morning out on game drives at first light in the Makgadikgadi Pans, then to the airstrip and a light aircraft for the move to the Okavango Delta. The country changes on the way, and you reach the Okavango Delta in the afternoon. You head out out by mokoro and on foot as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. 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. A guided walk on a palm island adds the ground-level view.

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 birding from the water is some of the best in Africa. You stop for coffee where the view is good and let the morning warm up.

Day 6 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. The only sounds are the pole in the water and the birds.

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. 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 7 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. Game viewing follows the flood across the delta.

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. 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. The morning is cool and the animals are moving, so the first hours out are the busiest.

Day 8 Transfer To Moremi

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 Moremi Game Reserve. The country changes on the way, and you reach Moremi in the afternoon. You head out out on game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Moremi protects the eastern Okavango and was the first reserve in Africa created by a local community. It mixes delta channels with dry-land game viewing across mopane and floodplain. On most drives you will not pass another vehicle.

The Khwai River area is known for big cats and elephant. It gives you the delta’s wildlife with the freedom of a vehicle. Lion, leopard, wild dog and both black and white rhino occur here. 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.

Day 9 Game Drives In Moremi

A full day in Moremi Game Reserve. 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. It mixes delta channels with dry-land game viewing across mopane and floodplain. Lion, leopard, wild dog and both black and white rhino occur here. The Khwai River area is known for big cats and elephant. Back at camp after dark, dinner is under the stars.

It gives you the delta’s wildlife with the freedom of a vehicle. Moremi protects the eastern Okavango and was the first reserve in Africa created by a local community. 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 10 Transfer To Chobe

A short morning out on game drives at first light in Moremi, then to the road for the move to Chobe National Park. The country changes on the way, and you reach Chobe in the afternoon. You head out out on a boat safari and game drives as the light softens, a first look at the new ground. Buffalo, sable and giraffe come down to the water through the dry season. Sedudu Gate sits minutes from Kasane, the only major Botswana area reachable without a flight. The birding from the water is the best of the trip.

Chobe’s riverfront holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. A boat cruise on the Chobe River brings you eye-level with drinking elephant and surfacing hippo. The park runs from the river through Savuti’s predator country to the Linyanti marshes. 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 11 Boat Safari In Chobe

A full day in Chobe National Park. You are out on a boat safari and 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. Sedudu Gate sits minutes from Kasane, the only major Botswana area reachable without a flight. The park runs from the river through Savuti’s predator country to the Linyanti marshes. Chobe’s riverfront holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. You swap between boat and vehicle as the day allows.

A boat cruise on the Chobe River brings you eye-level with drinking elephant and surfacing hippo. Buffalo, sable and giraffe come down to the water through the dry season. Around midday the heat sits heavy, and you rest in the shade before heading out again as it cools. 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.

Day 12 Departure

A final morning out on a boat safari and 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 you drive back toward Maun. Buffalo, sable and giraffe come down to the water through the dry season. Sedudu Gate sits minutes from Kasane, the only major Botswana area reachable without a flight. This 12-day trip links the Central Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe, with the travelling done between the wildlife so your days stay on the ground that matters. The park runs from the river through Savuti’s predator country to the Linyanti marshes. A self-planned equivalent is set out in our 14-day Botswana itinerary.

Chobe’s riverfront holds one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. A boat cruise on the Chobe River brings you eye-level with drinking elephant and surfacing hippo. 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.

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 Go on This Botswana Safari?

This trip earns its place because the stops are nothing alike, and seeing them together makes each one land harder. 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. Sedudu Gate sits minutes from Kasane, the only major Botswana area reachable without a flight. Linking the Central Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe in one route means you cover more of Botswana than a single park allows, and the travelling between them is short. On 12 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 12 Days Long Enough for a Botswana Safari?

12 days across the Central Kalahari, the Makgadikgadi Pans, the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe 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 12-day trip is balanced and full.

How Much Should This Botswana Safari Cost?

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 5,400 to 13,200 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.