Botswana | 7 days | classic
7-day Botswana safari
Three Delta nights plus Chobe herds - the balanced week.
Duration7 days
Styleclassic
StartsMaun
EndsMaun
Green season from$6,500 pp
Peak season from$7,900 pp
Fly-in Botswana circuit: light-aircraft hops between water, predator and riverfront camps - low beds, huge concessions, no crowds. The sweet spot: depth plus a buffer day for weather, herds and rest. Route: Okavango Delta - Chobe over 7 days. Season logic: May-October dry season; Delta flood peaks June-August.
Highlights
- Private throughout - own vehicle and guide, departing on your dates, with no group to join.
- Parks covered - Okavango Delta, Chobe.
- Season-smart routing - camp zone set by your month, not by a fixed template.
- Honest pricing - park and concession fees line-itemed on every quote.
- Okavango Delta - mokoro channels, floodwater arriving in the dry season and island game drives.
- 4 nights in Chobe - river days and game-drive days are different things, and consecutive nights let both happen.
- Fly-in between camps - light aircraft instead of road days, so the safari stays the safari.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Maun
Morning: Land at Maun; meet your private guide for a full safari briefing.
Midday: Lunch and gear check; rest after the flight.
Afternoon: Introductory game drive in Okavango Delta where routing allows, else lodge pool and early rest.
Evening: Dinner and overnight near Maun. (Add a pre-night after long-haul arrivals.)
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge on the edge of Maun.
Day 2 - Okavango Delta
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Okavango Delta: Mokoro dugout safari, palm-island walks and predator drives from a water camp.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge inside the Delta.
Day 3 - Chobe
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Chobe: Riverfront boat safaris among elephant and buffalo masses. Transfer from Okavango Delta (a scenic road transfer).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge on the Chobe riverfront.
Day 4 - Chobe
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Riverfront boat safaris among elephant and buffalo masses.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge on the Chobe riverfront.
Day 5 - Chobe
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Riverfront boat safaris among elephant and buffalo masses.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge on the Chobe riverfront.
Day 6 - Chobe
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Riverfront boat safaris among elephant and buffalo masses.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lodge on the Chobe riverfront.
Day 7 - Depart
Morning: Final sunrise activity around Chobe with bush breakfast.
Midday: Brunch, then transfer to Maun for onward connections.
Afternoon: Day rooms available on late flights; souvenir stop if time allows.
Evening: End of safari services at Maun airport.
Meals: Breakfast and brunch.
Accommodation: Departure day - no overnight stay.
Why this 7-day Botswana safari itinerary
7 days on the Botswana circuit: Okavango Delta, Chobe. Every day below is a real day on the ground, not a transfer with a game drive attached.
Why Okavango Delta comes first
The flood arrives when the surrounding country is driest, so the delta is the ecological centre of the trip - and that is where the route opens.
Chobe gets 4 nights
Chobe holds 4 of the 7 days, and that is deliberate: river days and game-drive days are different things, and consecutive nights let both happen.
What 7 days buys
7 days moves past the point of rushing: whole days rather than stops, and enough slack that weather or wildlife can bend the plan without breaking it.
Getting around Botswana
Botswana moves by light aircraft between camps, because the road distances between the delta and the Chobe riverfront would eat the safari. The delta itself is boat and mokoro rather than road, and the concessions around Khwai and Moremi allow night drives and off-road tracking that the national parks do not.
Accommodation
Hand-picked lodges and tented camps matched to your tier - mid-range comfort or luxury suites, always positioned for short game-drive starts. Family rooms, honeymoon suites and triple options on request.
Safari vehicle and guide
Extended 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge, charging ports and window seats for all. Your English-speaking driver-guide averages a decade in these parks and is assigned by specialty - Migration positioning, photography, birding or family pacing.
Who this safari is best for
First-time safari travelers and anyone wanting the essential parks done properly.
Pricing
| Season | Per person (2 travelers) |
|---|---|
| Green season | from $6,500 |
| Peak season | from $7,900 |
| Tier | What you get |
|---|---|
| Budget | Camping and simple camps, with departures in the green season to hold the rate down. The private vehicle, your guide and the park fees stay exactly the same - the cut is beds and season, never guiding or positioning. |
| Mid-range | Comfortable lodges and tented camps with full board, positioned for short game-drive starts. This is the standard the from-price on this page assumes. |
| Luxury | Top-end suites and private villas in the best position in camp, private guiding throughout and flexible meal times. The highest season surcharge applies. |
Best time to book
Botswana runs on two seasons. The one you pick changes what you see, what the camps cost and how far ahead you need to commit.
Dry season
May to October is the dry season and the classic window: animals concentrate on the permanent water, the delta flood arrives from the north, and the bush is at its most open. It is also the high season for both price and camps.
Green season
November to April is the green season, when the rains transform the pans, the birding peaks and the newborn animals arrive. Rates fall substantially and the parks are close to empty.
What actually drives the timing
The Okavango flood is the exception to every seasonal rule: it arrives from Angola during the dry months, so the delta is fullest from June to August precisely when the surrounding country is driest. Makgadikgadi works the other way, with the summer rains turning the pans green from December.
How far ahead to book
June to August and the Christmas window want six to twelve months of notice, because delta camps are small and fly-in seat counts are fixed. Green-season Botswana often works on two to four months.
What is included and excluded
Every price on this page is a full-cost quote. Park and concession fees are line-itemed, so the total you compare against another operator is the total you pay.
Included
- Transport and guiding - private extended 4x4 safari vehicle with a dedicated driver-guide for your group only.
- Park and conservation fees - entry to Okavango Delta, Chobe, paid on your behalf and shown as line items on the quote.
- Accommodation - 6 nights in lodges, tented camps or seasonal camps matched to your tier.
- Meals - most meals as listed day by day: breakfast at camp, a picnic or lodge lunch, and dinner, with bottled water in the vehicle throughout.
- Transfers - every road transfer in the day-by-day, including airport pick-up and drop-off.
- Game drives - morning and afternoon drives in your own vehicle, on no schedule but yours.
- Taxes - government taxes and VAT on everything quoted.
Not included
- International flights - into Kasane (BBK) or Maun (MUA); we route the connections but do not issue tickets.
- Visas - Botswana allows visa-free entry for many nationalities for stays up to 90 days. We confirm the current rule for your passport before you fly.
- Travel insurance - required, and it must include medical evacuation.
- Premium drinks - premium wines, spirits and cocktails at lodges and camps.
- Tips - driver-guide and camp staff gratuities.
- Optional extras - balloon or scenic flights, extra nights, luxury camp tier, beach or trekking extensions.
Parks and guides
Back to hub | Style hub | Customize any itinerary
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FAQs
Is a balloon flight worth adding?
Once, yes: a dawn flight over the Serengeti or Mara with a bush breakfast runs 550 to 600 dollars and minimum ages apply. Book at proposal stage - seats sell out months ahead in season.
How far ahead should we book?
Peak Migration and gorilla-permit months need 6 to 12 months. Green season often works with 2 to 4 months notice.
Is this trip suitable for children?
With a private vehicle and pools at stops, yes for most routes. Gorilla trekking has a strict minimum age of 15.
How much should we tip?
As a guideline: 15 to 25 dollars per day for your driver-guide (per group, not per person), 10 to 15 dollars per day into camp communal tip boxes, and 20 to 30 dollars for a gorilla porter. Restaurants 10 percent where service is not included.
Can dietary needs be handled in bush camps?
Yes - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergies are routinely catered with advance notice. Remote camps need 30 days notice for specialist supplies; tell us at proposal stage.
Camps cook from scratch, so most requests are a kitchen question rather than a supply one. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are routine; halal and kosher products have to be imported in the remotest valleys, which is where the 30-day notice applies - Skeleton Coast, northern Uganda, the deeper Okavango camps. Menus are planned per group before the first grocery run, so tell us at proposal stage rather than on arrival. Guides carry your dietary notes on every drive, and camps refill filtered water wherever possible instead of trucking in bottles.
Can older travelers or limited mobility join?
Often yes: game drives are vehicle-based, many lodges have ground-floor rooms with walk-in showers, and we grade walking and trekking honestly. Tell us constraints and we design around them - except gorilla trekking, which demands real hill fitness.
What is included in the from-price?
Private 4x4 and driver-guide, accommodation, park and concession fees, listed transfers and most meals. International flights, visas, insurance and tips are excluded.
On our quotes the from-price covers the private 4x4 and driver-guide, accommodation, park and concession fees, listed transfers and most meals; it excludes international flights, visas, insurance, tips and premium drinks. Balloon flights, night drives and gorilla permits appear as optional line items you switch on.
Can we add a beach extension?
Yes - Zanzibar, Diani and Mozambique links are routine. Say the word and the flights slot into your proposal.
How do deposits and payments work?
A deposit of 20 to 30 percent confirms camps, permits and flights; the balance is due 60 days before travel. We accept bank transfer and major cards (card fees disclosed upfront). Full terms arrive in writing before you pay anything.
We accept bank transfer and Visa or Mastercard; card payments add the processor's 2-4 percent, disclosed line by line. Splitting the balance across two cards is possible at proposal stage, and paying early in green season occasionally unlocks camp flexibility worth a few percent - always against a written schedule, never against an informal promise.
Request this safari
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