Botswana Safari Cost 2026 | Everything You Need to Know!

Additional Costs Explained

You may need to include a few extra Botswana expenses, some of which are apparent and some of which are not, into your total budget. The following table lists some of these expenses.

• International Flights:
  Flights departing from North America or Europe do not arrive directly. Passengers often use Johannesburg in South Africa or Nairobi in Kenya as their transit hubs. Outside of Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, lies its primary airport. Flying into Maun is usually the preferable option for safari purposes.
• Visa Costs:
  A one-month, single-entry visa costs $30 for most nations. The cost is US$50 for a visa that allows multiple entries for five years.
• Accommodations:
  Small, pricey safari camps are the norm since the government prefers low-volume, high-paying tourists. You may save a tonne of money by going during the off season. Doing a self-drive trip is another way to get across Botswana on a budget.
• Vaccinations:
  Visit Botswana with your yellow fever vaccine in hand.
• Tips:
  Botswana safaris include tipping. The going rate for most services is roughly 10% of their total cost. Instead of tipping each individual, it is customary to provide a larger tip for the team when staying in a camp or lodge.
• Travel Insurance:
  Most Botswana safari activities can be covered by standard travel insurance. Make sure your insurance covers bungee jumping before you leap off the bungee bridge if you’re thinking about adding it to your Victoria Falls (Vic Falls) experience.

10 Factors Influencing the Botswana Safari Cost

There are a lot of variables that affect how much a Botswana safari will cost. Your preferred protected locations and the time of year you plan to vacation are the two most crucial factors.

• 1. Length of stay
  The entrance price to a park is the same regardless of how long you stay; it is charged at the same rate every hour. Instead of planning every detail on their own, most safari goers in Botswana use a tour organiser. When you book your park admission in advance, you might save money each day.
• 2. Level of comfort of accommodations
  In general, Botswana offers two types of lodging. Many private wildlife concessions are home to opulent camps and hotels that offer an extremely intimate experience. It goes without saying that these are usually quite pricey. Another option is to go camping with your own tent. Unless you count camping, you won’t find many real, organised, low-cost lodging options close to any of the reserves or parks.
• 3. Location of the accommodations
  Because of Botswana’s size and population density, nearly all of the safari lodges are located in inaccessible wilderness regions that need significant travel time and resources to reach. One of Africa’s greatest natural treasures, the Okavango Delta, is notoriously difficult to see on a tight budget. Maun and the surrounding towns have some cheap hotels, but it’s not practical to stay there and explore the Okavango Delta at the same time.
• 4. Group size
  Because of the government’s policy of low-number, high-quality tourism, Botswana does not provide many large-group safaris, which means that you will not find many affordable options. Almost all Botswana safaris are designed specifically to meet the needs of the clients.
• 5. When you want to go
  Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, and Moremi Game Reserve are Botswana’s most visited parks. In addition, the months of May through September are the most desirable (and costly) for visiting all of them. The ideal (and most expensive) time to visit parks like Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Central Kalahari Game Reserve is between March and May, when temperatures are slightly lower. Costs will naturally be lower outside of these times, but there are enough drawbacks (floods, limited access, dispersed species, closed sites, etc.) to make you question if it’s really worth it.
• 6. How you get around
  Because of the great distances involved and the often-impossible vehicular access, most visitors choose to fly between the parks and camps. However, plane tickets aren’t cheap. A 4×4 rental is a great method to move about the Okavango Delta if you’re up for an adventure and don’t mind not being able to reach some parts of the delta. Get ready for your safari adventure by gathering camping gear, a compass, and a map. This is the most budget-friendly option for seeing Botswana. Such escapades work particularly well in the Central Kalahari.
• 7. Where you want to go
  Overall costs in Botswana aren’t very affected by where you want to go, unlike in several neighbouring nations. A large portion of the Okavango Delta is split among several concessions. You should expect to pay a premium for a more secluded and exclusive concession.
• 8. Add-ons
  A mokoro (dugout canoe) trip over the shimmering waters is an absolute must for everybody visiting the Okavango Delta. It sheds light on the Delta’s ecosystem and fauna in a way that was before unknown. Although most safari packages do not include them, some do charge extra for them.
• 9. Extensions
  A trip to Vic Falls is a popular and enjoyable extension of a safari in Botswana. Rather than being in Botswana, it is on the Zimbabwean and Zambian borders. On the other hand, getting to the northern parts of Botswana is a breeze from Vic Falls, and there are many of affordable hotels in the vicinity. Because of this, the expansion is an inexpensive add-on.
• 10. Specialized interests
  A Botswana special interest holiday centred on San Bushmen culture is an intriguing and unusual option. Expenditure on a safari that includes both wildlife viewing and an authentic, non-exploitative immersion in San culture can be somewhat pricey.