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Botswana Private Safari Tours
Botswana is perfectly suited to the private safari. It has luxury tented camps and lodges, as well as highly professional tour operators ready and willing to take you out on safari. The country also long ago took the decision to prioritize high-end, low-impact tourism, making this one of the more exclusive safari destinations in Africa. And as a wildlife destination, Botswana has it all, including an astonishing collection of animals across an incredible portfolio of parks, reserves and concessions. These include the world-class Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, Chobe National Park and so much more.
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Top Rated Operator
7-Day Chobe NP, Okavango Delta & Victoria Falls Luxury
$4,995 to $7,810 pp (USD)
Botswana & Zimbabwe: Private tourLuxuryLodge & Tented Camp
You Visit: Victoria Falls (Start), Chobe Riverfront (Chobe NP), Okavango Delta, Maun (End)
Wayfairer Travel
4.9/5 – 162 Reviews
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3-Day Okavango Low-Key Fly-in Safari at Oddballs
$1,250 to $1,690 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourLuxuryTented Bush Camp
You Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Indigo Safaris
4.8/5 – 137 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
5-Day Popular Botswana Safari Through the Delta
$3,800 to $7,150 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourLuxury+Tented Camp
You Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Maun (End)
Discover Africa Safaris
5.0/5 – 480 Reviews
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8-Day Eco-Luxury Honeymoon Safari in the Okavango Delta
$18,836 to $20,719 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Viatu
5.0/5 – 55 Reviews
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3-Day Thrilling Vacation in Chobe National Park
$1,100 to $1,320 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Kasane (Start), Chobe NP, Kasane (End)
Kubwa Five Safaris
4.9/5 – 140 Reviews
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8-Day Botswana North Best Highlight and Victoria Falls
$2,717 pp (USD)
Botswana & Zimbabwe: Private tour
Mid-range Camping & LodgeYou Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Okavango Delta, Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Savuti (Chobe NP), Chobe Riverfront (Chobe NP), Victoria Falls, Victoria Falls Airport (End)
Skytheme Safaris
5.0/5 – 7 Reviews
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4-Day Camping in Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve
$1,579 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Shipungo Safari & Tours
5.0/5 – 71 Reviews
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3-Day Moremi Camping Safari
$990 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun Airport (End)
Safari Horizons
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3-Day Unveiling the Eden of the Delta Safari
$1,023 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Bush Sands Tours & Safaris
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7-Day Central Kalahari and Okavango Delta Safari
$4,670 to $8,760 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourLuxury+Tented Camp
You Visit: Maun (Start), Central Kalahari GR, Okavango Delta, Maun Airport (End)
Gondwana Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 81 Reviews
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3-Day 2-Night Okavango Delta and Moremi Highlights
$1,007 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Maun (End)
Sekanka Travel and Tours Safaris
4.9/5 – 47 Reviews
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3-Day Chobe Buget Camping from Kasane
$1,155 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Kasane (Start), Chobe NP, Kasane (End)
Steenbok Safaris
4.9/5 – 7 Reviews
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3-Day Moremi Game Reserve Safari
$990 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Moonstroll Vantage Expeditions
5.0/5 – 56 Reviews
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11-Day Northern Explore Trip
$7,321 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range Camping & LodgeYou Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Savuti (Chobe NP), Kasane (End)
Wild For Game Safaris
5.0/5 – 19 Reviews
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Best Seller
7-Day Exciting Chobe, Khwai & Okavango Delta Safari
$4,389 to $6,105 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range Chalet & Tented Bush CampYou Visit: Kasane (Start), Chobe NP, Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Okavango Delta, Maun Airport (End)
Explore & Travel Africa
5.0/5 – 42 Reviews
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9-Day Ultimate Wildlife Adventure
$4,257 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Kasane (Start), Chobe Riverfront (Chobe NP), Savuti (Chobe NP), Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Enjanga Tours & Safaris
5.0/5 – 13 Reviews
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11-Day Botswana Camping Safari
$5,775 to $6,050 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range CampingYou Visit: Maun (Start), Okavango Delta, Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Khwai Concession (Okavango Delta), Savuti (Chobe NP), Chobe NP, Kasane Airport (End)
Fine Bush Tours
4.9/5 – 24 Reviews
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3-Day Chobe National Park Adventure
$1,155 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range HotelYou Visit: Kasane (Start), Chobe NP, Kasane (End)
N'tee Safaris and Tours
5.0/5 – 23 Reviews
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5-Day Central Kalahari Game Reserve Safari
$2,002 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tour
Mid-range CampingYou Visit: Maun (Start), Central Kalahari GR, Nxai Pan NP, Maun (End)
Xaa Safaris
4.6/5 – 20 Reviews
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4-Day Into the Okavango - Moremi Game Reserve
$2,035 to $2,239 pp (USD)
Botswana: Private tourBudgetCamping
You Visit: Maun (Start), Moremi GR (Okavango Delta), Maun (End)
Nalange Mobile Safaris
5.0/5 – 18 Reviews
7 Questions About Botswana Private Safaris
Answered by
Anthony Ham
Anthony has been traveling to, and writing about, safaris in Botswana for more than a decade. He has written multiple editions of Lonely Planet’s ‘Botswana & Namibia’ guidebook, and he is the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’, which in part tells the story of his lone crossing of the Kalahari.› More about Anthony
7 Questions About Botswana Private Safaris
What are the pros and cons of a Botswana private safari?
“There are many pros of a Botswana private safari. Botswana is one of the best safari destinations on earth, and a private safari allows you to explore all that this means in the best possible way. By going on a private safari, you have much more control over your experience than you do on a group safari. That’s because everything is focused on you. You have the guide and vehicle all to yourself, and decisions about the itinerary require no compromises with any other travelers. There aren’t many cons or disadvantages to this kind of safari in Botswana. One could be the cost: a private safari is considerably more expensive than a group or self-drive safari. The other drawback is that you’ll miss some of the fun and camaraderie that is possible when you share the safari trails with other like-minded travelers on a group safari.”
1Who benefits from a private trip in Botswana?
“Everyone benefits from a Botswana private safari. For a start, you’ll have the best safari experience imaginable: what could be better than having your own private guide to answer your every question, your own vehicle, and so on. Secondly, apart from offering employment to your guide and driver and those who will look after you during your trip, a private safari offers opportunities for meaningful one-on-one encounters. Through these relationships, you’ll reach a whole new level of understanding when it comes to local culture. You might even make lifelong friends along the way. Although your per capita ecological footprint is higher than it would be on a group safari, you’re contributing to a local industry that recognizes that small is good, and that exclusive safari experiences have a far smaller footprint overall than safaris with big groups of visitors. In this sense, it’s also better for the animals, who won’t be facing convoys of full safari vehicles. Your private safari brings in much-needed revenue to local communities. It also helps to cement the importance of parks and reserves and preserve their role in conservation.”
2Will we have private game drives on a private tour?
“If your safari is indeed an exclusively private safari, then you should have a vehicle, guide and game-drive experience all for yourself. You could, of course, ask other travelers you meet to join you on a game drive, but if you have paid a premium for a private safari, no tour operator should ask you to join with others. You will, of course, arrive at some wildlife sightings and share them with other vehicles. Some of these may be from your place of accommodation, others will come from elsewhere. But your vehicle should be for you and for you alone.”
3Which parks and reserves should we visit?
“You could go just about anywhere on your safari holiday in Botswana, although some parks and wildlife areas are perhaps better suited to a private safari. The Okavango Delta, including Moremi Game Reserve, is one of Africa’s most exclusive safari destinations. Typically, the Delta’s tented camps are remote and intimate places, home to just a handful of safari tents, and therefore able to accommodate only a handful of travelers at any one time. Such an arrangement is much more in keeping with the spirit of exclusivity that is at the heart of a private safari. Other parks, such as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve or Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, also have a small number of tented camps spread over a large area. You could visit the vast Chobe National Park, but it all depends on where you go. The Chobe riverfront, close to Kasane, can get very busy, whereas the Savuti region is much quieter. When it comes to wildlife, however, all of these parks are world-class.”
4How much do Botswana private safari packages cost?
“The cost of safari packages varies greatly, depending on a number of considerations. For a start, accommodation comes in all shapes and levels of luxury, although most private safaris occupy the top-end price bracket. As a general rule, accommodation will be the major cause of difference when it comes to price. How you get around is also a factor. If you’re on a fly-in trip, you’ll be flying from one tented camp to the next, and each flight can add significantly to the overall cost of your trip. The season when you’ll be traveling will also affect how much you pay: high-season prices can be double that of low season, with shoulder season usually somewhere in between. Leaving aside all of these variables for a moment, you should expect that a private safari will cost from US$350 per person per day. For an ultra-luxurious package, it could be double or even triple that.”
5What type of vehicle can I expect?
“For game drives and some transfers, you can expect to move around in a 4WD game-drive vehicle. These are open-sided vehicles, usually with a canvas roof and tiered seating. If you’re in such a vehicle, the best views are often from the back row, but you’ll be too far away to hear your guide, which is an essential part of the experience. The row just behind the driver and guide is a perfect location, especially if the rest of the vehicle is empty. For moving between destinations, such as different parks or tented camps, you may end up flying in a small plane. It’s a quick and easy way to get around and has the added benefit of allowing you an aerial view of the landscape (and hence to see so much more) as you move between places.”
6Will we spend all our time with our guide on a private trip?
“On most Botswana private safaris, you will have the same guide alongside you from the very start of your tour until the end. There may be slight variations on this. You might, for example, have an additional specialist or local guide in some places, but your main guide will almost certainly be with you as well. There may also be a need to change guides if your trip crosses international borders, although this is rare. Most guides are permitted to work (and are experienced in working) across a region and not just in their home country. It will depend on the company, the guide and your own preferences whether your guide eats every meal with you. Some travelers prefer meals to be a break from the overall safari and a chance for a little privacy. Most, however, welcome the opportunity to spend some downtime with their guide.”
7Botswana Reviews
Stuart is a travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including 'Kenya', 'Rwanda' and 'Tanzania'.
Africa at its Best
First a confession. I love Kenya. It’s by far and away my favourite African country and I refuse to accept that there might be an even better African safari destination. But then I went to Botswana and nothing could wipe the smile off my...
Kim is a travel writer who authored and updated over 15 guidebooks, including Lonely Planet's South Africa and Bradt's Tanzania guides.
Where the wild things are
Despite living across the border in South Africa and criss-crossing the African continent for both work and pleasure for many years, Botswana had somehow managed to elude me. Last year Botswana finally beckoned and it did not disappoint. If...
A unique travel experience
Relatives in S. Africa told us about Botswana, so we decided to check it out. We were not disappointed. Our trip started with the Mack Air transfer across the delta that afforded us a spectacular birdseye view of the...
Botswana has a special place in my heart.
The game parks of Botswana are arguable the best in the world; a sentiment I have heard from many people. There is a huge variety of safari options. You are more likely to check off your sightings list and get the bush vibe you want than...
Beautiful landscape with wonderfully friendly people.
So we had a driver bring us from Joburg to the border crossing. It may have been a long drive but I was lost in my own thoughts and staring at the ever changing landscape. I am so glad we did the drive up. We did charter a plane back but I...
Excellent place with great potential
Magnificent sceneries. Mosquitoes are NOT an issue if you travel in May (dry season) - we only noticed a small handful throughout our 12+ day trip. Even sunscreen seemed not so necessary because our trips often involved shades from cars,...