Tour guides Botswana

5 ideas for guided tours in Botswana

• Kalahari Desert

  

  The Kalahari is far more than a sea of sand. It’s a silent world, stretching across several countries, yet its soul feels anchored here in Botswana. Raw, vast, alive in a different way.

  At the heart of this immensity lies the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Your gaze drifts across the plains, and sometimes a lion appears—its dark mane built for this arid land. Farther on, elephants move with unexpected grace, advancing in silence.

  When the rains arrive, the Makgadikgadi Pans transform. Rare water turns the white crust into a mirror, drawing birds, zebras, life. Not far away, the Nata Bird Sanctuary becomes an open-air theater for migratory species. And near Kubu Bay, seals stretch out on the rocks, living at their own rhythm.

  To truly understand this desert, you must also listen. The Bushmen still speak the ancient language of gestures, whispers, and stories shared around a quiet fire.

• Serowe

  

  In the heart of Botswana, Serowe stands quietly, yet with pride. Rich in history and tied to the royalty of the Bamangwato, it still bears the legacy of Sir Seretse Khama, founding figure of the modern nation.

  In the nearby bush, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary offers refuge to those hunted elsewhere. White and black rhinos, but also zebras, giraffes, impalas—all roaming free in a space designed to endure.

  A little farther on, the Khama III Memorial Museum opens its doors to Tswana history. Objects, photos, stories—a living heritage that speaks the soul of a people without embellishment.

  The Serowe Hills watch in silence. Hikes, pauses, long gazes cast over the savanna. And in the streets, sometimes lively, a simple atmosphere: a blend of embraced modernity and traditions never truly forgotten.

• Makgadikgadi National Park

  

  The Sua Pan, a vast lake long abandoned by water, shimmers beneath the sky. Ochre and white shift with the hour. Walking across this salt expanse, everything feels suspended.

  Farther on, the plains of the Makgadikgadi Park draw in wildlife. Antelopes, meerkats, jackals—all prowling, appearing, vanishing in an unpredictable dance.

  The Chapman’s Baobab, massive, almost unreal, seems as though it has always been there. It doesn’t speak, yet its gnarled trunk tells of centuries of travelers passing by. Sitting at its base is already a way of slowing down.

  And then come the encounters. With the Nxai people, whose gestures are precise, whose words carry rhythm. Their welcome is anything but touristic. It’s lived. It’s respected. It leaves something with you, though you can’t quite say what.

• Moremi Reserve

  

  In the Moremi Reserve, there’s a way of being in the world that unsettles you. It all begins near Xakanaxa, among date palms and acacias, along canals where silence mingles with the cry of a bird.

  Canoes glide by. Crocodiles lie motionless, hippos half-submerged. Then comes Third Bridge, feared, respected. Here, predators prowl. Lions move slowly, leopards wait in camouflage. A shiver runs through you.

  The Savuti Lagoon, calm on the surface, becomes a stage for elephants. A quiet parade, with no pretense. And farther north, Khwai, open and lush, overflows with life. Buffalo, zebras, raptors—a fragile balance, yet resilient.

• Selinda reserve

  

  Between the Okavango Delta and the wild lands of Chobe, the Selinda Reserve stretches out its secrets. Little visited, it holds on to a certain magic, almost untouched.

  Here, the Big Five aren’t a promise. They’re simply there—depending on the season, depending on luck. Lions, elephants, leopards… and sometimes an encounter that takes your breath away, for reasons you can’t quite explain.

  The Selinda hot springs, discreet and rare, appear like mirages. Warm, gentle waters that draw animals as much as humans. A moment of pause, between uncertain paths.