Botswana was the biggest surprise of my Africa backpacking trip. The start of my Botswana travel itinerary was a sudden change of pace as I crossed the border from Zimbabwe. Instantly, things felt wilder, yet calmer as I entered through the desolate Kazungula border for the first time. A lone taxi driver welcomed me into the country. Seeing no other option, I hopped into his car not even bothering to ask for the price. I had a feeling I’d be gratuitously overcharged. To my surprise, I was dropped off at my accommodation half an hour later for a very reasonable sum.

After countless hours wasted haggling and trying to avoid getting scammed throughout East Africa, Botswana was a stark contrast. The people were lovely, welcoming, and always offered a helping hand. The relationship that Botswana’s people have with the wildlife was also a breath of fresh air. Of all the countries I’ve been to, the safari experience in Botswana was the most immersive, yet also the most responsible.

Botswana came with its fair share of challenges, of course. The biggest thing to take into account is the infrastructure, or lack thereof. One could spend hours on the side of the road waiting for a vehicle to pass by, trusting only the word of the local farmers passing by that there will indeed be a minibus coming. I even got hitchhiking lessons from the locals. They saw my stereotypical “thumbs up” method and told me I needed to wave downwards instead. For added flair, put on an Oscar-worthy performance of looking like a weary traveler. Not much acting was needed on my part, to be fair.

I could have spent much longer in Botswana. It was where I felt the most comfortable, even with the relative lack of actual comforts a traveler might seek out. Feeling safe and at home is one of the most important things for me while traveling. During my travels in Botswana, I felt like I could trust the people and take them at their word. That’s not to mention the otherworldly places I visited, from a mokoro ride through the Okavango Delta to a jeep safari across the Magkadigkadi Salt Pans. One week in Botswana was all it took to fall in love with the country.

This is the itinerary that I would recommend for a backpacker traveling to Botswana.

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Backpacking Itinerary For Botswana

Botswana is a fairly large country, but the majority of its natural wonders lie in the northern half of the country. As I was already overlanding Africa, I found myself close to the Botswana border when I paid a visit to Mosi-oa-Tunya from both Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is a good place to start as the entry point to Botswana puts you within minutes of Chobe National Park. Flights to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Livingstone in Zambia tend to be more affordable and convenient than anywhere in Botswana. A short pit stop at one of the world’s natural wonders is well worth the detour before exploring Botswana.

From Zimbabwe, the border crossing was easy and hassle-free. I’m not going to lie, after border drama all throughout East Africa, it felt liberating to be in Southern Africa, where the border crossings were a fraction as chaotic and infinitely less scammy. If you plan on crossing the Kazungula/Kasane border, either from Zambia or Zimbabwe, then follow along for my Botswana backpacking itinerary.

Before setting off on this epic adventure through the African plains, make sure you have a plan for staying connected. I use Saily eSIM to keep me online during my travels, ensuring that I have internet from the moment I land to the moment I leave. Navigating directions, coordinating travel plans, booking a ride, and so on – having an eSIM makes life that much easier when you’re on the road. Data packages for Botswana start at just $6, and you can use my code “eli5” for an additional 10% off of your first Saily eSIM.

Start in Kasane or Kazungula

Kazungula is the small town close to the borders of both Zambia and Zimbabwe. Calling it a town is a bit generous, as a supermarket, a small strip of shops, and a big parking lot make up the “downtown” area. Kasane is a bit livelier, but I stayed in Kazungula at the Elephant Trails Backpackers Hostel. Elephant Trails ended up being a solid one-stop shop for both accommodation and activities, and they were very helpful with sorting everything out for me, including the sunset safari through Chobe National Park.

Visit Chobe National Park with a Sunset Safari or Game Drive

Staying in Kasane or Kazungula puts you at the doorstep of Chobe National Park, among the best national parks I visited during my time in Africa. Since I had my fair share of bumpy jeep safaris, I decided to tackle Chobe from a different angle. We hopped on a small boat and took a several hour cruise through the park around sunset. I booked mine through Elephant Trail for a very reasonable price of about $35 USD.

Chobe is an excellent spot for wildlife spotting. The abundance of watering holes means that sooner or later, you’ll run into most animals as they inevitably get thirsty. Expect to see tons of elephants, giraffes, and buffalo on land, and be prepared to be mere meters away from the hippos and crocodiles that call the Chobe’s waters home. I only spent one day on safari, but at such an excellent price point, it is a great option for budget backpackers looking to have a more immersive experience at a national park.

Drive or Take a Bus to Nata

Our Botswana travel itinerary continues to the quiet village of Nata. There is an unreliable bus that leaves from Kazungula and passes by Nata. I showed up to the makeshift roadside bus stop and waited a little over an hour before a minibus finally chugged past. Hitchhiking is always an option, and Botswana was where I felt safest hitchhiking. The journey to Nata takes about four hours. The scenery is flat and unexciting but you might see some wildlife here and there. I saw quite a few elephants just strolling alongside the road.

Nata

You’ll get dropped off in the humble town of Nata. The buses stop at a gas station or in front of the lone supermarket in town. From here, I hailed down a taxi to the Eselbe Camp Backpacker’s Lodge right alongside the Nata River. Like Kazungula and Kasane, there isn’t much to see in the town of Nata itself. There’s no real need to stay in the center. Eselbe Camp’s location was nice and peaceful, immersing you in Botswana’s calming quietude. The free canoes that you could take up and down the river made for a great sunset escapade.

Do a Sunset Drive at Nata Bird Sanctuary

The main attraction of Nata are the unfathomably vast Magkadigkadi Salt Pans. Without my own car, this was complete off the table. My only option was to reach out to nearby lodges to see if I could tag along for a safari. I ended up booking a $35 sunset safari with Nata Lodge. The salt pans are vast and being there for sunset was nothing short of ethereal. We didn’t see too many animals, with the highlights being a handful of hyenas and a few zebras and wildebeest. I was a big fan of the baobab trees scattered throughout the endless plains, though.

It was excellent value. We even got a beer at the end so you could watch the sun set in style. An unexpected highlight of my Botswana travel itinerary.

Drive to Gweta and Stay at Planet Baobab

If you want to break up the journey between Nata and Maun, then Gweta is a good option. There is a popular lodge there called Planet Baobab. From there, it’s easy to do some self-drives in the Magkadigkadi Salt Pans and see the famous Baines Baobabs. They also offer tours and excursions across the Magkadigkadi, so having your own vehicle isn’t necessary.

After the short visit to Nata, I continued onwards to Maun about four hours away. This was my main priority in Botswana, as it is the home base for safaris in the Okavango Delta.

Drive to Maun

From Nata, try to intercept a bus heading towards Maun. Nata is a crossroads of highways, so one will eventually come. However, for this stretch, I ended up hitchhiking with some nice Germans I met at Eselbe Camp. The ride takes about four hours, although could be much longer since wildlife love to cross this highway. We got stuck for half an hour as elephants and zebras continuously crossed the road in front of us. No complaints on our end. Seriously, I think I saw more animals in Botswana just by driving on the highway than I did in most safaris elsewhere. Botswana is abundant in wildlife, especially elephants.

Maun

I was looking forward to Maun for a taste of civilization after a stretch of very small towns. It’s one of the largest cities in Botswana, but that isn’t saying much. Regardless, it was a good home base to chill out for a few days. It felt like heaven to be able to eat something that wasn’t supermarket food for once. Maun even had a surprisingly fun nightlife scene, and I met some great people here. I stayed at a cute homestay called Golentle with the loveliest family. I still think about Kay and her family often. If you get a chance, say hi to them for me.

Visit the Okavango Delta on a Day Trip or Multi-Day Excursion

The Okavango Delta is the must-visit attraction of Botswana. A safari through the Okavango is one of the best things I did on the entire continent. It is such a unique and immersive way to experience the wildlife of the African bush. In fact, it was so immersive that I experienced a heart-stopping bluff charge from a territorial hippo while I was on the flimsy mokoro.

To book our adventure, we first headed to the Mokoro Community Trust. Here we could book directly with the local guides. Prices can vary wildly depending on who you book with, so the cheapest way to see the Okavango Delta is go straight to the guides. Between the four of us, it cost about $50 each to split the cost. Surprisingly, the brunt of the price was the taxi to and from the village where we started the mokoro ride.

It was one of the most peaceful experiences of my life. Only the chirping of birds interrupted the silence of the African bush. The mokoro glided so smoothly along the water. The whole experience was surreal. We also spent a couple of hours doing a bush walk, looking for animals on foot. We mostly saw hippos from a safe distance, and a handful of wildebeest and various deer species. Afterwards, you hop back on the mokoro and journey back to the village of Daunara, and then drive home to Maun. My words cannot do this experience justice, but it absolutely needs to be a priority of any trip to Botswana.

Continue from Maun to Namibia

The journey across Southern Africa continues through Namibia. While there is more to see in Botswana, the highlights are mostly in the north of the country. Chobe, the Salt Pans, Moremi, and the Okavango Delta are all found in the northern half of Botswana. All of this can be done comfortably in a week, so for short-term travelers, Botswana is perfect. It is just one rapid-fire bucket list adventure after the other.

After Maun, it’s best to continue to Namibia to keep the Africa highlight reel rolling.

Although the journey seems like it should be straightforward, it is far from it. Iit took six different vehicles to get from Maun to Windhoek in one day. We left at 5 AM and arrived in Windhoek in the early evening. The journey had it all — buses, shared taxis, hitchhiking across the border, it was a doozy of a day. Namibia is a story for another time, but all I can say is, once I saw those glistening red sands of Sossusvlei, the brutal journey was worth it. That is all for now, thanks for following along with this Botswana travel itinerary.

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More on Southern Africa

• The Backpacker’s Crash Course Travel Guide to Botswana
• The Backpacker’s Travel Guide to Nata, Botswana
• The Backpacker’s Travel Guide to Maun, Botswana
• How To Visit Sossusvlei Solo and Without a Car
• How To Get From Maun to Windhoek