Combine Chobe’s river and wildlife experiences with the remote camps of Khwai and the waterways of the Okavango Delta on a tailor-made journey shaped around season, lodge style and the way you want to experience safari.
Chobe, Khwai and the Okavango Delta
Remote camps and private concessions
Game drives, river cruises and mokoro experiences
Featured 9-night journey from $7,400 pp
Botswana brings together some of Southern Africa’s most distinctive landscapes and safari experiences. The waterways and floodplains of the Okavango Delta contrast with the Chobe River, wildlife-rich Khwai and Moremi, and the open salt-pan landscapes of Makgadikgadi.
A Botswana journey can combine traditional game drives with boat cruises, mokoro excursions, birdwatching and time in remote camps reached by light aircraft. The flight between camps also provides a memorable aerial perspective over the landscape.
Small camps, private concessions and carefully positioned lodges create a sense of privacy and exclusivity. Botswana is particularly appealing to travellers who value quality, remoteness and time immersed in the wilderness.
Botswana is particularly rewarding for travellers who value remote camps, strong wildlife opportunities and a safari that combines land- and water-based experiences.
The route is shaped around the balance of river, floodplain, woodland and salt-pan landscapes that best suits the season, preferred camp style and activities.
Spend two to three nights exploring Chobe through morning and afternoon game drives, boat cruises on the Chobe River and birdwatching. The river creates a strong contrast between land- and water-based wildlife viewing, and the area is particularly known for large elephant concentrations.
Khwai offers game drives in a community-managed wildlife area, with selected camps also able to provide night drives, off-road wildlife viewing and mokoro excursions where permitted and when conditions allow. Moremi may be used instead depending on the route, camp style and guest preferences.
We would normally recommend three nights in the Delta. Depending on the selected camp and water levels, experiences can include game drives, mokoro excursions, birdwatching and time to relax. Remote camps are usually reached by light aircraft.
Makgadikgadi can be added for two to three nights when time allows. Seasonal and property-dependent experiences may include nature drives, meerkat encounters, quad biking, stargazing, cultural visits, sleep-outs and opportunities to experience seasonal wildlife movement.
This nine-night route is an example of how Botswana’s northern safari regions can work together. It is not a fixed package and will be adapted around each guest’s dates, preferred camps, activity interests, comfort level and budget.
| Days | Place and experience | Accommodation style |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Chobe National Park — 3 nightsArrive in Kasane and transfer by road to a good mid-range or elevated Chobe lodge. Explore the area through morning and afternoon game drives in the famous Chobe National Park, a boat cruise on the Chobe River and time to relax at the lodge between activities. |
Good mid-range or elevated lodge, normally on a half-board basis. |
| Continue from Chobe to Khwai by road transfer or charter flight, depending on the selected route and camps. | ||
| 4–6 | Khwai — 3 nightsStay in a small tented safari camp in a private concession. Activities can include morning and afternoon game drives, night drives where permitted and a mokoro excursion when water levels allow. |
Small tented safari camp, normally fully inclusive according to the selected property. |
| Fly by light aircraft from Khwai to the Okavango Delta. The flight may include additional airstrip stops according to the day’s operating schedule. | ||
| 7–9 | Okavango Delta — 3 nightsFinish at a remote elevated tented camp or lodge. The selected camp should provide the appropriate balance of game drives, birdwatching and mokoro excursions when water levels permit, with time to relax between activities. |
Remote tented camp or elevated lodge, normally fully inclusive according to the selected property. |
| Fly by light aircraft from the Okavango Delta to Maun for the onward departure. | ||
Based on shared accommodation and excluding international flights.
Final pricing depends on the selected camps, seasonality, transfer method, number of travellers and availability. This is starting guidance for a tailor-made journey.
Rough timing and budget are enough. No planning fee or booking commitment. We normally reply personally within 24 hours.
Enquire → personal reply → planning conversation → tailor-made proposal
Our Botswana recommendations are shaped by years of planning and selling journeys through the country, together with personal travel experience in several regions.
We understand the differences between national parks, community-managed areas and private concessions, and can recommend the experiences and lodges that best match each guest’s budget and preferred safari style.
We can also explain how seasonal conditions affect water levels, activities, wildlife viewing and pricing, including the benefits and limitations of peak-season and green-season travel.
Open any question below for practical guidance about Botswana’s travel style, timing, wildlife, camps, costs and regional combinations.
Botswana is particularly well suited to couples, honeymooners, photographers and both first-time and experienced safari travellers who value remote camps, strong wildlife opportunities and a more exclusive safari style.
The featured Chobe, Khwai and Okavango Delta journey may suit guests with a suitable budget who are comfortable using light-aircraft transfers and spending several nights in remote camps.
Families can also travel well when camps, activities and logistics are selected carefully, although many remote properties and activities are better suited to older children.
Botswana journeys usually combine road transfers with light-aircraft flights. The exact routing depends on the selected camps, available airstrips, season and whether the journey includes a road-based or fly-in component.
Chobe and Kasane are commonly reached by road. Chobe may also be connected with Khwai by road when the selected route and camps support it.
Remote camps in Khwai and the Okavango Delta are often connected by small aircraft. Flights may include additional camp or airstrip stops according to the day’s operating schedule.
Airstrip transfers are arranged by the selected camp. Exact timings and routes are confirmed with the final itinerary.
Accommodation ranges from Chobe lodges to remote tented safari camps, small concession lodges and elevated luxury properties. Mobile camping can provide a more adventurous alternative. Meal plans and included activities differ between properties.
Six nights can combine Chobe and the Okavango Delta. Eight to nine nights allow time for Chobe, Khwai or Moremi, and the Delta. Adding Makgadikgadi usually extends the journey to around 11 nights.
Botswana and Victoria Falls often work over eight to ten days, while a wider Botswana and Zimbabwe journey may require around 12 days.
These are planning guidelines rather than fixed itineraries. The final duration depends on flight schedules, camp availability and the pace the guest prefers.
May to October is generally the main safari season. Conditions are drier, wildlife often concentrates around available water and floodwater reaches parts of the Okavango Delta during this wider period.
June, July and August can have cold early mornings, evenings and nights.
December to March is the green season, with lush landscapes, rewarding birdlife, fewer visitors and a greater chance of rain. Green-season pricing may sometimes be lower depending on camp offers and availability.
Delta water levels vary by year and location, so water-based activities must be confirmed for the selected camp and travel dates.
Botswana offers excellent opportunities to experience wildlife across rivers, floodplains and woodlands. Elephants are strongly associated with Chobe and the waterways, while lions, wild dogs, hippos and varied birdlife may also form part of the journey.
Animals can be observed from game-drive vehicles, boats or mokoros depending on the region, selected camp and conditions.
Wildlife remains unpredictable. Experiences vary by season, water level, location and natural animal movement, and no individual sighting can be guaranteed.
Moremi is government managed. Activities generally take place during daylight hours, vehicles must remain on designated roads and walking or night drives are normally not permitted.
Khwai is community managed and includes concession areas where selected camps may offer night drives, off-road wildlife viewing and mokoro activities where permitted.
The right choice depends on camp style, budget, seasonal conditions and the activities that matter most to the guest.
No. Mokoro excursions depend on water levels, camp location, season and local operating conditions.
Not every camp offers the same mix of water- and land-based activities, so a mokoro excursion must be confirmed for the selected property and travel dates.
Botswana can work for families when camps, activities and logistics are selected carefully. Many remote properties and well-known experiences are better suited to older children.
Mokoro excursions and other activities may have minimum-age requirements, and some lodges require families with younger children to reserve a private safari vehicle.
Light-aircraft transfers, remote camps and limited non-safari activities should also be considered when planning the route.
Guests should obtain qualified travel-health advice for their exact itinerary and travel dates.
A six-night Chobe and Delta journey would typically begin from around $5,700 per person during peak season.
An eight- to nine-night safari combining Chobe, Khwai or Moremi, and the Delta would generally begin from approximately $7,400 per person. An 11-night journey including Makgadikgadi would usually begin from around $7,900 to $8,500 per person.
A more luxurious fly-in safari may range from approximately $9,100 to $11,300 per person. Green-season journeys may sometimes be lower, depending on camp offers, transfer arrangements and availability.
All prices are starting guidance based on shared accommodation and exclude international flights. Every journey is quoted individually.
The featured route can be adapted by adding two to three nights in the Makgadikgadi Pans, upgrading to more luxurious camps, creating a mobile-camping itinerary or designing a self-drive version for suitably experienced travellers.
Botswana and Victoria Falls combine easily. Chobe or Kasane can usually be connected with Victoria Falls by road, allowing the two destinations to work well together over approximately eight to ten days.
A wider Botswana and Zimbabwe journey can include Victoria Falls and additional Zimbabwe safari regions. Around 12 days is a useful starting point, although the final duration depends on the selected route.
Botswana can also be combined with Namibia through the Zambezi Region, creating an overland journey between northern Namibia and Botswana.
Mobile-camping and self-drive versions require substantially different routing, accommodation and inclusions from the featured fly-in journey.
Tell us whether you are drawn to Chobe’s river safaris, the flexibility of Khwai, the waterways of the Okavango Delta or a longer journey including Makgadikgadi and Victoria Falls. We will shape the route around your dates, preferred camp style, activity interests and budget.
