Botswana safari packages cost from about US$2,700 per person sharing for a six night budget mobile camping trip to US$9,000 to US$19,000 for a fly in circuit of eight to twelve days, before international flights. Most travellers book seven to ten nights from Maun or Kasane, through licensed operators and camp groups. Botswana is a southern African safari country of small camps, private concessions and the Okavango Delta.
Botswana safari package prices in brief.
Every price here comes from an operator’s or camp group’s own rate page; this site is an independent guide and sells nothing. Day rates by camp tier and the policy behind Botswana’s pricing sit on our Botswana safari cost page. This one prices the packages.
Botswana Safari Package Prices by Style and Length
Each Botswana safari package price below is a published “from” figure in US dollars, per person sharing, from the seller’s own page, with international flights excluded.
| Package style | Length | From, per person | Seller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group overland camping | 10 days | US$1,292 (sale) | Intrepid |
| Budget mobile camping | 6 nights | US$2,680 | Bush Ways |
| Budget mobile camping | 8 nights | US$3,200 | Bush Ways |
| Mobile, Maun to Kasane | 8 nights | US$3,600 | Lelobu Safaris |
| Serviced mobile camp | 6 nights | US$4,930 | Letaka Safaris |
| Fly in, two camps | 6 nights | US$5,299 | Safari Ventures |
| Fly in, three lodges | 10 days | US$7,395 | Lion World Travel |
| Classic fly in | 9 days | US$9,599 | Lion World Travel |
| Small group luxury | 10 days | US$12,795 | Wilderness Travel |
| Small group luxury | 12 days | US$18,995 | Natural Habitat |
Three things set the price, and the beds matter most. A dome tent at a public campsite, a walk in tent pitched by your own crew and a tented suite on a private concession can all sit inside the same reserve. Next comes movement: sand roads cost little, light aircraft legs add up. Then the month, which can nearly double a lodge bill and changes a mobile one by a few percent. Planners keep settling on three nights per camp, since two nights loses half of each end to transfers.
Budget Mobile Camping Safari Packages: Prices for Six to Nine Nights
A budget Botswana mobile safari moves a small camp of walk in tents through Moremi, Khwai, Savute and the Chobe riverfront by road, the cheapest way to see the north properly. Bush Ways in Maun publishes its rates. The six night Serval route between Maun and Kasane costs US$2,680 per person from January to May and in November and December, and US$2,830 from June to October. The eight night Caracal route through the Mababe concession, Moremi and the Delta’s Xudum River costs US$3,200 low season and US$3,450 high season.
Those rates cover a guide, chef and assistant, meals, soft drinks, local alcohol, water, camping kit and park fees for the listed activities, for groups of up to nine. Visas, airport transfers and tips are extra. Note one line: Bush Ways excludes “any increase in national park fees”, which matters while the fee schedule is under review.
Lelobu Safaris in Maun lists a five night Okavango and Moremi mobile trip at US$2,990 and an eight night Maun to Kasane trip at US$3,600 per person sharing. Cheaper still are overland groups. Intrepid’s ten day Okavango Experience, Johannesburg to Victoria Falls through Maun, the Delta and Chobe, showed sale departures from US$1,292, with dome tents at campsites, groups of up to 22, and extras such as a Delta scenic flight at US$165 or a helicopter flight at US$335.
The low price asks for long sand drives, pit toilets or bush showers at the simplest sites, and on participation trips a share of camp chores. Trip reports often describe groups who thought camp basic on night one and rated it the best part of the trip by the end. Our Botswana budget safari guide goes deeper on campsites, self drive and green season deals.
Private and Fully Serviced Mobile Safari Prices
A private mobile safari keeps one guide with you throughout, with a crew driving ahead to set up camp. Letaka Safaris prices a six night Moremi, Khwai and Mababe departure from US$4,930 per person, covering en suite tents, a guide, chef and camp assistants, private campsites, all park entrance and camping fees, soft drinks, beer, wine and gin, and VAT. Flights are extra, even where the itinerary uses a charter into Xakanaxa or Khwai.
The extra US$2,000 or so over a budget week buys en suite tents, a seasoned crew and private sites away from public campgrounds. On private trips group size moves the price, so four friends in one vehicle pay noticeably less each than a couple. Letaka takes a 20 percent deposit, the balance six weeks before departure, and adds 3.5 percent for card payments.
June and July dawns in an open vehicle are cold, often near 6C at Maun. Guests regularly mention the hot water bottles that camps put in beds and vehicles; pack a warm hat and layers anyway.
Midrange Lodge and Fly In Safari Package Prices
The midrange Botswana fly in safari package joins two or three established camps by charter flight. Safari Ventures prices its seven day Botswana Exploration trip, three nights each at Camp Okavango and Camp Moremi with charter flights from Maun, from US$5,299 per person sharing. Lion World Travel’s ten day Botswana in Style, a Johannesburg night then Camp Xakanaxa, Camp Okavango and Chobe Game Lodge with light air transfers, costs US$7,395 from January to March, US$8,099 in November and December, US$10,299 in September and October and US$11,795 from May to August.
Camp groups publish the nightly rates these trips are built from. Natural Selection’s current Botswana rack rates for its Explorer camps, per person sharing per night for one to five nights, include meals, drinks, laundry, activities, airstrip transfers and park entry:
Light aircraft are the line that catches people out. Natural Selection’s rates exclude flights, and Mack Air, a main seat rate carrier out of Maun, does not publish seat prices online, so ask for flights as a separate line on every fly in quote. Mack Air allows 20 kg per person including hand luggage, in a soft bag no larger than 30 by 42 by 70 cm. Travellers still turn up at Maun with hard cases and repack on the airport floor; a soft safari duffel and our African safari packing list spare you that.
Luxury Fly In Safari Package Prices on Private Concessions
A luxury Botswana safari package links three small camps on private concessions, where guides drive off road, run night drives and walk. Natural Selection’s Classic camps, Duke’s Camp and Duke’s East in the northern Delta, cost US$1,195 per person per night in the green season and US$2,295 in July and August. Its Premier camps, Jack’s Camp, Tawana, Tuludi and North Island Okavango, run US$1,545 to US$2,095 in the green season and US$3,545 to US$3,895 at peak, plus the US$60 nightly fee.
Packaged, that looks like this. Lion World’s nine day Classic Botswana, three nights at Camp Kalahari and two each at Little Sable and Mokolwane with charter and helicopter transfers, costs US$9,599 in November and early December and US$11,599 in September and over the festive season. Safari Ventures prices eight nights across two Delta camps, a Chobe riverfront lodge and a Falls lodge from US$11,250. Wilderness Travel’s ten day Okavango safari runs from US$12,795, Natural Habitat’s twelve day trip for seven guests from US$18,995 plus air, and Africa Odyssey’s Premier samples from US$20,166.
The wildlife does not change much at this level; how you watch it does. Availability is the real constraint, since the best known camps fill ten to twelve months ahead for July to October. Camp tiers, charters and private vehicles are compared on our Botswana luxury safari cost page, and our guide to luxury African safari tours sets Botswana against the rest of the continent. Our African safari countries guide does the same at every budget.
Four Night Botswana Safari Packages: Chobe, Victoria Falls and Short Delta Stays
Short Botswana safari packages come in two shapes. The cheaper pairs the Chobe riverfront with Victoria Falls, about 80 km apart by road. Safari Ventures prices four nights, two at Ilala Lodge in Victoria Falls and two at Chobe Safari Lodge in Kasane, from US$2,899 per person with transfers, a Falls tour, a Zambezi sundowner cruise, Chobe drives and a river safari. Its exclusions show why the small print matters: Chobe National Park fees payable on site, an entry levy and departure taxes are all extra.
A Chobe day trip from the Falls is possible, though Kazungula border queues build by mid morning and an overnight gives you the river at both ends of the day. Day trips and riverfront lodges are priced on our Chobe safari page; our Victoria Falls safari guide and Zimbabwe safari page cover the Falls side.
The second shape is a short Okavango Delta stay. Lelobu’s five night Okavango and Moremi mobile trip costs US$2,990. At the top, four nights at Duke’s Camp comes to US$5,020 per person in the green season and US$9,420 in July or August, fees included, before flights. Delta camp ladders and Maun day trips are priced on our Okavango Delta safari cost page.
Seven Night Botswana Safari Package Prices: Delta, Khwai and Chobe
The seven night Botswana safari itinerary is where most first timers land: one water area, one land area, with Chobe swapped in on road trips. A week per person sharing, at three levels:
On a mobile trip the long sand drives between areas turn into game drives of their own. On a fly in trip each hop runs roughly 15 minutes to an hour and a half, with the Delta below you every time. Our Okavango Delta safari guide explains the water and land zones that decide what a camp offers in your month.
Ten Night Botswana Safari Package Prices: Three Areas and the Pans
A ten night Botswana safari package adds a third area: Savute, the Linyanti, a second Delta camp or the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans for meerkats, baobabs and, in the rains, the zebra migration. Wilderness Travel’s ten day Kalahari Zebra Migration safari starts at US$10,195, while Goway lists a fifteen day road based Botswana Wildlife Breakaway from US$6,448. Built from Natural Selection’s rate for eight nights or more, ten nights at three camps price out as follows, fees included and flights excluded:
Same camps, same ten nights, more than twice the price in August. Longer routes that finish at the Falls are set out night by night in our Botswana and Victoria Falls itinerary.
Worked Totals: An Eight Night Mobile Safari and a Seven Night Fly In Safari per Person
Two real trip shapes, line by line from the operators’ own rates, per person sharing in US dollars. Tips follow the minimums recommended by Botswana Safari Company, a Botswana operator.
The gap is roughly four times, and very little of it is wildlife. It is beds, flights, privacy and the month.
How the Season Moves Botswana Safari Package Prices
At fixed camps, season moves a Botswana safari package price more than any other choice. Natural Selection’s current rates for one to five nights, per person sharing, before the US$60 nightly fee:
| Season | Months | Duke’s Camp | Elephant Pan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 10 Jan to 31 Mar | US$1,195 | US$595 |
| Shoulder | Apr, Nov to 19 Dec | US$1,495 | US$795 |
| Shoulder high | May, Oct | US$1,745 | US$865 |
| High | Jun, Sep, festive | US$2,045 | US$945 |
| Peak | Jul, Aug | US$2,295 | US$1,045 |
Mobile trips barely move: Bush Ways charges 5 to 8 percent more from June to October. Lodge packages swing hard, as Lion World’s US$7,395 in the rains against US$11,795 in midwinter shows.
From June to October game crowds the permanent water and the Okavango flood peaks while the rest of the country is dry; elephant herds gather on the Chobe and Linyanti, which is why Wilderness Travel sells a twelve day elephant migration safari from US$10,295. October is often the hottest month. April, May and November give much of the dry season viewing at shoulder rates. From December to March the rains bring calves, migrant birds and zebra onto the pans, the cheapest time in the Delta, though some southern Delta camps cannot run mokoro trips until the water returns.
Natural Selection also waives the single supplement from 10 January to 31 March and 1 October to 19 December, and takes 10 to 15 percent off for six or more nights in the green and shoulder seasons. Month by month detail is in our best time to visit Botswana guide.
What Botswana Safari Package Prices Include: Park Fees, Flights and Levies
Most Botswana safari packages are quoted per person sharing and close to fully inclusive, which makes them look steep beside East African quotes that list park fees and meals separately.
Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks fee schedule is under review, so this page gives no fee figures. If you camp independently or a quote lists park fees separately, ask for the current rate in writing, and ask who carries any rise before you travel.
Hidden Costs on a Botswana Safari Package: Tips, Visas, Single Supplements and Extras
Then the unpriced ones: insurance with evacuation cover, which Lion World and Intrepid make compulsory, a Johannesburg night if your connection is tight, and storage in Maun for anything over 20 kg.
Family, Honeymoon and Special Interest Botswana Safari Package Costs
Community concessions such as Khwai return lease income to nearby villages. Asking which camps employ local staff and support community trusts is fair, and a good operator answers easily.
Combination Safari Package Prices: Victoria Falls, Cape Town, Namibia, Zambia and Gorilla Trekking
Victoria Falls is the cheapest add on: Lion World’s nine day Best of Victoria Falls and Botswana runs from US$8,300, Goway’s seven day version from US$6,569, and Intrepid lists the Falls entrance at US$58. Lion World also sells ten days of Cape Town and Botswana from US$5,599 and nine days of Botswana and Zambia from US$9,300. For Namibia and Botswana safari packages, Wilderness Travel’s thirteen day trip starts at US$16,595; overland routes cover similar ground by road over two weeks for a fraction of that. See our Namibia safari, Zambia and South Africa safari guides.
A Botswana and gorilla trekking package links Maun or Kasane to Entebbe or Kigali through Johannesburg or Nairobi, then adds three or four days for gorilla trekking in Bwindi or Rwanda. The permit is the main added cost: in Uganda US$800 for foreign non residents and US$700 for foreign residents, or US$600 and US$500 in April, May and November, paid in full at booking and not reschedulable. Rwanda’s permit is US$1,500, with RDB’s 30 percent offer cutting it to US$1,050 from November to May when you add nights in Nyungwe or Akagera. The minimum trekking age is 15. Secure the permit first; our guides to Uganda gorilla permits and gorilla trekking from Entebbe explain the rest. Comparing countries? Our African safari cost, Zambia safari cost and Tanzania safari cost pages set out the alternatives.
Comparing Botswana Safari Package Quotes and Choosing an Operator
Two Botswana safari package quotes for “seven nights in the Delta and Khwai” can differ by thousands and both be fair. Put them on the same season and camps, then work out a cost per night. Africa Odyssey, a UK specialist, uses about US$1,500 per person per night as its high season benchmark for luxury Botswana, and quotes roughly US$4,000 for three nights at Splash Camp and three at Lebala in the low season. A quote far above the camps’ published rates should explain what else is in it; one far below should explain what is missing, starting with flights and park fees.
Then compare what makes the trip: private or public land, what runs in your month, guests per vehicle, three nights per camp or two. No single company is the best in Africa. The right Botswana operator holds a current licence, ideally belongs to HATAB, the national tourism trade association, names its camps, and puts inclusions and the payment schedule in writing. Ask who your guide will be and what happens if a flight is cancelled.
Botswana Safari Packages and Prices: Questions
How much does a safari cost in Botswana?
Per person sharing, before international flights: from about US$1,300 for a ten day overland camping trip on sale, US$2,680 to US$3,600 for six to eight nights of mobile camping, around US$5,300 to US$8,000 for a midrange week, and US$9,600 to US$19,000 for a luxury fly in safari of eight to twelve days. Flagship camps in July and August pass US$3,500 per person per night.
How much is a seven day Botswana safari package?
About US$2,700 to US$3,600 by mobile camp, around US$6,250 at Explorer camps in April or November, and US$14,000 to US$15,000 at classic Delta and Khwai camps in July or August, before light aircraft.
Which month is best for an African safari in Botswana?
June to October for the Okavango Delta and Chobe, the priciest window. December to March for the Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari, when Delta camps are cheapest. April, May and November balance good viewing with shoulder rates.
Which safari company is considered the best in Africa?
There is no single best company. For Botswana, pick a licensed operator, ideally a HATAB member, that names its camps and puts vehicle numbers and inclusions in writing. Our safari companies page lists licensed operators for combined trips.
Which country is better for a safari, Kenya or Botswana?
Kenya for the Great Migration, road based trips and lower prices on average. Botswana for water based safaris, private concessions and fewer vehicles, at a higher price. Many travellers do Kenya first and save Botswana for a second safari.
Are Botswana safari packages all inclusive?
Mostly. Camp rates usually cover meals, local drinks, laundry, activities and park entry. Light aircraft, camp conservation fees, tips, premium drinks and insurance are the usual extras. Park fees are under review, so ask who pays if they rise.
How much should I tip on a Botswana safari?
At least US$20 per guest per day for a group guide, US$80 a day for a private guide, US$5 for a tracker or poler and US$10 for the staff box. Over a week, a couple should budget about US$400 to US$500 in cash.
How much do Botswana safari packages from the USA cost with flights?
American sellers such as Wilderness Travel, Natural Habitat and Lion World exclude the international flight. Add a return fare to Johannesburg plus the regional connection to Maun or Kasane, which Lion World also leaves out.
Can children join a Botswana safari tour?
Yes, though Delta camps often set a minimum age of six, and families with young children may have to pay for a private vehicle. Mobile safaris and Chobe lodges are the most flexible.
How far ahead should I book a Botswana safari package?
Ten to twelve months ahead for July to October at the best known camps. Green season trips can often be arranged a few months out, when the lowest rates and supplement waivers apply.
What the Money Buys: Botswana or Kenya for a Safari Package
Kenya’s headline is the Great Migration in the Masai Mara, roughly July to October, with plenty of road based trips and more vehicles at the big sightings in the national reserve; the private conservancies around it come closer to the Botswana model. Botswana’s headline is water: mokoro trips, river cruises and floodplains, with far fewer vehicles and night drives and walks on private land.
Budget first timers, or anyone set on the river crossings, often lean towards Kenya; travellers who want space and small camps lean towards Botswana. Mobile safaris are the style people most underrate: those who expected a step down from lodges keep coming home rating the single guide and lions calling outside the canvas as the best part of the trip. Kenya also connects more easily with gorillas, since Nairobi has short flights to Entebbe and Kigali. Our best safari in Kenya guide, Masai Mara safari guide and Kenya safari cost page make the other side of the comparison, and self drive safaris in Africa covers the do it yourself route.
Getting to Botswana from the USA for Your Safari
There are no direct flights from the United States to Botswana. Most Americans fly nonstop from Atlanta or the New York area to Johannesburg, then connect to Maun or Kasane, or fly into Victoria Falls and cross to Chobe by road. Regional flights to Maun often leave in the morning, so a Johannesburg night on the way out is common.
Carry a passport with six months of validity and blank pages. Northern Botswana is a malaria area, so see a travel clinic first. Sockets are mostly the British three pin type, with some older round pin sockets, and camps run on solar panels, so leave the hair dryer at home.
Botswana has been independent since 1966, and the Okavango Delta became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. English is the official language. Guides and staff appreciate a greeting in Setswana: “dumela” means hello, and “ke a leboga” means thank you.
