Best Botswana Safari Companies (2026 Reviews & Methodology)

Author: Craig Howes, Founder & Editor, African Safari Magazine Publish date: May 17, 2026

The best Botswana safari companies fall into four clear categories: camp-owning luxury operators like Wilderness, &Beyond, Great Plains Conservation, Desert & Delta Safaris, and African Bush Camps who run premium concessions in the Okavango Delta and Linyanti; mobile and tented specialists like Letaka Safaris, Bush Ways, and Uncharted Africa Safari Co. who deliver immersive citizen-owned expeditions; international planners like Go2Africa, Timbuktu Travel, Stanley Safaris, and Expert Africa who build custom itineraries across multiple operators; and budget overland specialists like G Adventures for travellers combining Botswana with Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe. Botswana's unusually high-cost, low-impact tourism model means most safaris here are camp-based and pricier than equivalents in Kenya or Tanzania, so the company you choose shapes the trip more than in any other African destination.

Arriving in the Okavango Delta by helicopter. In Botswana, the remoteness is part of the appeal, but it also explains why logistics, operator choice and camp access matter so much.

How to use this guide

Most travellers planning a Botswana trip fall into one of four decision points:

• You want premium camps in private concessions — go directly to a camp-owning luxury operator. They control the wildlife concession, the camp, and the guiding. See the Luxury Safari Operators section below.

• You want an authentic, mobile, citizen-led safari — Botswana has the strongest mobile-tented operator scene in southern Africa. See the Mobile & Tented Safari Operators section.

• You want a custom itinerary across multiple camps, possibly multiple countries — an international planner does the heavy lifting and negotiates rates across operators. See the International Planners section.

• You're combining Botswana with Victoria Falls or Zimbabwe on a leaner budget — overland group operators are the only realistic option, since Botswana's camp-based model is structurally expensive. See the Budget & Overland Operators section.

If you're still deciding where in Botswana to go rather than who to book with, start with our Botswana destination guide and our best Okavango luxury lodges guide.

Quick comparison: Botswana safari operators at a glance

Operator	Travel style	Best for	Price range (USD pppn)
Wilderness	Camp-owning luxury	Premium camps in the country's most productive concessions	1,800–3,500+
&Beyond	Camp-owning luxury	Honeymoons and first-time luxury safari travellers	1,500–2,800+
Great Plains Conservation	Ultra-luxury, conservation-led	Photographers and conservation-minded travellers	2,200–4,000+
Desert & Delta Safaris	Mid-to-high-end, citizen-owned	Premium quality without ultra-luxury pricing	800–2,200
Natural Selection	Camp-owning, design-led	Repeat safari-goers wanting less corporate camps	900–2,500
African Bush Camps	Camp-owning, multi-country	Authentic tented camps; Botswana + Zambia/Zimbabwe combos	900–1,800
Ker & Downey Botswana	Heritage, traditional	Repeat travellers prioritising guiding over design	1,200–2,400
Letaka Safaris	Citizen-owned mobile tented	Immersive, guide-led mobile experience	500–900
Bush Ways Safaris	Semi-permanent mobile	Mid-range mobile + lodge mix	400–700
Uncharted Africa Safari Co.	Desert/Kalahari specialist	Travellers who've done the Delta and want different	1,400–2,800
Go2Africa	International planner	Multi-country itineraries with Africa-based experts	Varies
Timbuktu Travel	International planner, tech-led	Digital-first proposal experience	Varies
Stanley Safaris	Ultra-bespoke planner	Upper-luxury honeymoons and milestone trips	Varies
Expert Africa	Research-led planner	Detail-oriented travellers wanting deep comparison	Varies
G Adventures	Budget overland	Multi-country Southern Africa under USD 350/day	150–300
Wild Eye	Photography specialist	Photographers — not standard safari-goers	Varies

Luxury Safari Operators in Botswana: Camp-Owning Specialists

These seven operators own or hold long-term concession rights to the camps you'll stay in. That matters in Botswana more than in other countries because the country's land-use policy concentrates premium wildlife areas inside private concessions, which only the concession holder can sell. When you book with these operators, you're booking the concession, the camp, and the guiding team as one product.

Wilderness

The largest camp-owning luxury operator in Botswana, formerly Wilderness Safaris. Runs flagship properties including Mombo Camp and Little Mombo in the Moremi Game Reserve, DumaTau and King's Pool in Linyanti, Vumbura Plains in the northern Delta, and Jao in the seasonal floodplains. Editorial and trade publications consistently rank Wilderness as the leading luxury Botswana operator, and for good reason, they hold some of the most productive wildlife concessions in the country.

• Best for: Travellers prioritising premium camps in the country's most productive concessions, repeat safari-goers who want the highest standard of guiding, conservation-minded clients who want their money funding active protection.

• Trade-offs: Among the most expensive operators in Botswana, which is already one of the most expensive countries. Bookings often release a year ahead for peak season.

• Cost range: From around USD 1,800 to USD 3,500+ per person per night during peak (July–October).

&Beyond

Ultra-luxury operator with two Okavango Delta lodges, &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge and &Beyond Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp, both in private concessions adjacent to Moremi. Architectural design and service standards are widely considered the most polished in the country. The brand is South Africa-headquartered and operates across multiple African destinations, so they're a strong choice for travellers combining Botswana with the Kruger or East Africa.

&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, known for its sculptural design and private-concession setting near Moremi.

• Best for: Honeymooners, first-time luxury safari travellers who want a five-star hotel standard in the bush, multi-country itineraries where consistent service across borders matters.

• Trade-offs: Smaller Botswana footprint than Wilderness or Desert & Delta, only two camps. Service-led rather than wilderness-led, which suits some travellers more than others.

• Cost range: From around USD 1,500 to USD 2,800+ per person per night.

Great Plains Conservation

Founded by National Geographic Explorers-at-Large Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Operates a small portfolio of ultra-luxury camps including Selinda Camp and Selinda Explorers Camp in the Selinda Reserve, Duba Plains in the Okavango, and Zarafa Camp in Linyanti, all in private concessions managed for conservation impact rather than guest volume.

Great Plains Conservation’s Duba Plains Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, an ultra-luxury camp set in one of the country’s most wildlife-rich private concession areas.

• Best for: Travellers who care about the conservation model behind the camp, photographers (the Jouberts are filmmakers and the camps are built for low-impact game viewing), guests who want very small camp sizes.

• Trade-offs: At the top end of Botswana pricing. Very limited inventory, booking windows are long.

• Cost range: From around USD 2,200 to USD 4,000+ per person per night.

Desert & Delta Safaris

Established 1982, citizen-owned, operates nine properties across Botswana including Chobe Game Lodge in Chobe National Park, Camp Okavango and Camp Moremi in the Delta, Savute Safari Lodge, and Leroo La Tau on the Boteti River. Editorial coverage of Botswana consistently names Desert & Delta as the leading mid-to-high-end option, and the citizen-owned dimension matters, a meaningful share of guest spending stays in the Botswana economy.

• Best for: Travellers who want premium quality without ultra-luxury pricing, those who value supporting Botswana-owned business, multi-region trips inside Botswana (their nine properties cover the country well).

• Trade-offs: Standards are very good but not the architectural showcases of &Beyond or Great Plains. The Chobe Game Lodge sits inside the national park rather than on private concession, so you'll see more vehicles around sightings than in Delta concessions.

• Cost range: From around USD 800 to USD 2,200 per person per night, depending on property and season.

Natural Selection

Camp-owning operator with a growing Botswana portfolio focused on owner-led, conservation-driven properties. Camps include Tuludi and Sable Alley in the Khwai Private Reserve, Hyena Pan and Sky Beds in the same area, and Jack's Camp in the Makgadikgadi (operated in partnership). Smaller and newer than the larger camp-owning incumbents but increasingly featured in editorial coverage of the country.

• Best for: Travellers who've done a Botswana safari before and want camps that feel less corporate, those interested in the Khwai community-managed concession model, design-led travellers.

• Trade-offs: Less brand recognition than Wilderness or &Beyond, some travellers find this a plus, others want the comfort of an established name.

• Cost range: From around USD 900 to USD 2,500 per person per night.

African Bush Camps

I've done two full Botswana trips with African Bush Camps, one in 2017 and one in 2020, covering Khwai Tented Camp in the Khwai Community Concession, Linyanti Bush Camp, the Nxai Pan mobile camp, and a stop at Baines' Baobabs in the salt pans. Both trips left me genuinely fond of how ABC runs Botswana. Two guides made the trips, Max and a guide everyone called James AKA Mr 007, who delivered the kind of personable, knowledgeable guiding that's harder to find at the bigger camp brands. The camps themselves sit in genuinely remote locations, tented and well-finished without tipping into the polished-hotel style of the largest luxury operators. Drinks on the open savannah surrounded by elephants, the immersive feel of camps where you can't see another lodge in any direction, these are the moments that stuck.

ABC's distinguishing strategic feature is multi-country access: they own and operate camps across Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which makes them one of the cleanest options for a combined-country trip without juggling separate operators. I combined Botswana with Zambia on one of the trips, and the handover between regions was managed end-to-end without the friction you sometimes get on multi-operator itineraries.

ABC also owns a 30% stake in the design-led Atzaró Okavango lodge and sells it as part of their Botswana portfolio, useful if you want to combine ABC's classic-tented style with a more design-forward night or two.

• Best for: Travellers who want authentic, well-run, tented camps in remote concessions without ultra-luxury pricing; multi-country trips combining Botswana with Zambia or Zimbabwe through a single operator; guests who care more about guiding quality and location than architectural showcases.

• Trade-offs: Not the most architecturally polished option in this category, if you want a five-star hotel standard in the bush, &Beyond or Wilderness's flagship camps will suit you better. Smaller brand footprint than Wilderness or Desert & Delta in editorial coverage, which doesn't reflect the quality of the on-the-ground experience.

• Cost range: From around USD 900 to USD 1,800 per person per night.

A heritage operator with deep Botswana roots, dating to the safari industry's early commercial era. Currently operates Okuti Camp in the Moremi Game Reserve and Footsteps mobile camp, with a small, traditional-style portfolio that prioritises guide quality and game viewing over architectural showpieces.

• Best for: Repeat safari-goers who care more about guiding than design, travellers wanting a more old-school traditional safari atmosphere, photographers who want vehicle flexibility.

• Trade-offs: Smaller portfolio than the other major camp-owning operators. Style is traditional rather than design-led, which is a positive or negative depending on what you want.

• Cost range: From around USD 1,200 to USD 2,400 per person per night.

Mobile & Tented Safari Operators in Botswana

Botswana's mobile-safari tradition is the strongest in southern Africa. These operators don't run permanent camps, they move semi-permanent or fully mobile camps with the wildlife and the seasons, sleeping you under canvas in locations that change through your trip. The experience is more immersive than camp-based, and significantly more affordable per night.

Letaka Safaris

Citizen-owned and operating since 2000. Famous in Botswana safari circles for the quality of its guiding team, Letaka's guides are widely considered among the best in the country, and several have trained Botswana's national-level guide certification programmes. Letaka is the citizen-owned mobile-tented operator most consistently named in trade publications and editorial coverage.

Letaka Safaris mobile camp in Botswana, showing the stripped-back, guide-led style that makes mobile safaris such a strong alternative to permanent luxury lodges.

• Best for: Travellers who want an immersive, citizen-led mobile experience, guests prioritising guide quality over camp luxury, first-time mobile-safari travellers who want a confident operator.

• Trade-offs: Mobile is not camp-based, expect bucket showers and tented bathrooms. Operates primarily in the Okavango, Moremi, and Linyanti rather than the Kalahari.

• Cost range: From around USD 500 to USD 900 per person per night.

Bush Ways Safaris

Specialist in guided, semi-permanent mobile camping and lodge-based safaris across the Okavango, Chobe, Moremi, and Central Kalahari. Bush Ways is consistently named in editorial coverage as the leading value-and-mobile-safari option in Botswana, which matches their market position, they bridge mid-range pricing and authentic mobile safari delivery.

• Best for: Travellers wanting a mobile experience at a mid-range price point, mixed itineraries combining mobile and lodge nights, longer safari durations where per-night cost matters.

• Trade-offs: Semi-permanent camps mean less flexibility than fully mobile operators like Letaka. Group sizes can be larger.

• Cost range: From around USD 400 to USD 700 per person per night.

Uncharted Africa Safari Co.

The defining operator for the Makgadikgadi and Central Kalahari, headquartered around Jack's Camp and San Camp, two of the most architecturally distinctive properties on the continent. Their territory is the salt pans, the desert, and the lesser-visited southern Kalahari, which means an Uncharted-anchored trip is structurally different from a Delta-focused one.

• Best for: Travellers who've done the Delta and want a different Botswana landscape, design-led guests (Jack's Camp's aesthetic is legendary), travellers fascinated by the San Bushmen cultural component.

• Trade-offs: This is not a wildlife-density operator, the pans and Kalahari are quieter for big game than the Delta. Best as a 2–3 night component of a longer Botswana trip, not the whole trip.

• Cost range: From around USD 1,400 to USD 2,800 per person per night at Jack's Camp.

International Planners for Botswana Safaris

Botswana's high price points and complex camp-availability dynamics mean that for most international travellers, a planner adds real value, they negotiate rates across operators, hold inventory you can't reach directly, and combine Botswana with Cape Town, Victoria Falls, or East Africa. These four are the planners we recommend, each with a different strength.

Go2Africa

Cape Town–based, with deep Botswana capability built over more than 25 years. Booking volume gives them strong rates and access to inventory that direct bookers often can't reach in peak season. Their consultants are typically Africa-based specialists rather than generalist travel agents, and they handle the full logistics chain including light aircraft transfers.

• Best for: Travellers wanting Africa-based expertise, multi-country itineraries (Botswana plus Cape Town, Victoria Falls, or East Africa), guests who value 24/7 in-country support during the trip.

• Trade-offs: Larger operation than the boutique planners, your consultant may handle higher case volume than at smaller firms.

• Note: Frequently named in editorial coverage and trade publications as the leading bespoke-planner option for Botswana.

Timbuktu Travel

Tech-enabled bespoke planner with strong Botswana coverage. The consultant model is curated, you're matched to a specialist rather than rotated through a sales team, and the proposal experience uses an interactive itinerary platform that compares better than the PDF proposals most planners send. Botswana-Okavango is a core specialism.

• Best for: Travellers who want a digital-first proposal experience, first-time safari travellers who want detailed itinerary comparison, those who prefer a single named consultant relationship.

• Trade-offs: Smaller in-country logistics network than the largest planners, though this rarely affects guest experience in Botswana specifically.

Stanley Safaris

Ultra-bespoke planner specialising in the upper-luxury end of Southern Africa. Smaller operation than Go2Africa or Expert Africa, which means more consultant time per trip and stronger negotiation on the higher-end camp inventory (Mombo, Duba Plains, Zarafa, Jack's Camp). Particularly strong for honeymoon, anniversary, and milestone trips.

• Best for: Travellers with a higher budget who want a deeply customised, slower-paced trip, repeat luxury travellers who already know what they want, honeymoon and anniversary planning.

• Trade-offs: Not a budget option, Stanley's model is built around the top-end of the market.

Expert Africa

UK-based planner with one of the most thoroughly documented Botswana information resources online. Their per-country reference content (maps, parks, climate, individual camps) is widely consulted across the trade. Booking experience leans toward providing detailed research and letting the traveller make informed decisions.

• Best for: Research-led travellers who want detailed comparison information, UK and European travellers wanting a UK-based booking partner, second- or third-time safari travellers who want substantive itinerary detail.

• Trade-offs: Style is information-heavy rather than concierge-led, some travellers prefer a more curated, fewer-options experience.

Budget & Overland Safari Operators in Botswana

For travellers combining Botswana with Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Namibia, or Cape Town on a leaner budget, group overland is the only structurally viable option, Botswana's camp-based luxury model doesn't have a budget tier, but overland routes pass through Botswana en route between South Africa and East Africa.

G Adventures

The most consistently recommended overland operator for Botswana, with multi-week itineraries combining Botswana with Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. Trips use a mix of overland vehicles, basic lodge accommodations, and participation camping. Group size is typically 12–22 travellers.

Boat safari in Botswana, where overland and group itineraries often use public-access routes and shared activities rather than private concession camps.

• Best for: Younger travellers, multi-country southern Africa trips on a budget under USD 350/day, solo travellers who want a group dynamic.

• Trade-offs: Not a luxury or even a mid-range product. Game viewing is more limited because routes use public-access national parks rather than private concessions. Group dynamic isn't for everyone.

• Cost range: From around USD 150 to USD 300 per person per day, all-inclusive.

Specialist callout: Photography Safaris

Worth mentioning separately because they operate in a distinct niche: Wild Eye runs small-group photographic safaris led by award-winning wildlife photographers, with Botswana as a regular destination. These are not standard tour operators, they're photography workshops with a safari wrapped around them, so vehicle setup, sighting time, and group composition are calibrated for photographers, not first-time safari-goers. If photography is your primary motivation rather than wildlife viewing in general, Wild Eye is the leading specialist.

Why Botswana's safari market is structured differently

Most travellers planning their first Botswana trip are surprised by the pricing. There's a reason for it, and understanding it helps you choose the right operator.

Game drive in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where private concessions and low-volume tourism help explain why safaris here are priced differently from many other African destinations.

In the 1990s, Botswana's government made a strategic decision to pursue high-value, low-impact tourism rather than mass-market volume. The policy works by leasing large wildlife concessions to a small number of operators on long-term contracts. Only the concession holder can build camps inside that concession and only they can sell beds. The result: a handful of operators effectively are the country's luxury safari market.

This shapes every part of the booking experience:

• You can't easily comparison-shop a single camp the way you can in Kenya or South Africa, because each camp is sold by exactly one operator

• Mid-range options are limited — the policy structurally squeezes the middle of the market

• Citizen-ownership dimension matters more than in other safari countries — operators like Desert & Delta and Letaka keep more revenue inside Botswana, which has become a meaningful differentiator for conservation-minded travellers

• International planners earn their fees by negotiating across the concession-locked inventory and combining Botswana with destinations where the policy doesn't apply

• Mobile safaris exist precisely because they operate on public-access wildlife management areas rather than locked concessions, they're how the country's market keeps an authentic, non-corporate option

If you're trying to keep a Botswana trip under about USD 600 per person per night all-in, you're effectively choosing between mobile-tented (Letaka, Bush Ways) and Desert & Delta's more accessible properties, plus combining with Zimbabwe or Victoria Falls. That's not a budget compromise, it's how the country's market is built.

Trust checklist: questions to ask before you book

Before paying a deposit to any Botswana operator, get clear written answers to all of these:

• Who specifically will be our guide? Botswana's guide quality varies more than its camp quality. Named guide bookings matter, especially with mobile operators.

• Which concession does this camp sit in, and what's the wildlife density there? Concession quality matters more than camp style.

• What's included beyond meals and game drives? Bush flights between camps in Botswana add significant cost, confirm whether they're included or extra.

• What's the camp's commitment to citizen employment and community benefit? A reputable operator will have a clear answer with numbers, not a vague conservation paragraph.

• What happens if I need to cancel? Botswana operators' cancellation policies are strict because of the inventory-lock model. Understand the deposit and cancellation structure in writing.

• Is the operator's pricing in USD or pula? Currency exposure matters for trips booked far in advance.

• For a mobile safari, where exactly will we be camping each night? Reputable mobile operators have known camping locations and route plans, not vague "we follow the wildlife" answers.

Red flags

If you encounter any of the following during the booking conversation, slow down:

• A quote significantly below the ranges in this guide. Botswana operates at a structural cost floor, quotes 30–40% below market often signal either a bait price that grows on extras, or an operator without genuine concession access selling you a different product than the one you think you're buying.

• Vague answers about guide identity or concession location. Both should be specific and confirmed in writing.

• High-pressure deposit deadlines combined with limited information. Legitimate Botswana operators have inventory pressure but communicate it transparently, they don't manufacture urgency.

• Multi-country itineraries with unrealistically tight bush flight connections. Botswana's light aircraft network has weather delays. A planner who hasn't built buffer time into your itinerary either doesn't know the country well or is over-optimising the brochure.

• No verifiable community/conservation reporting. Botswana's value proposition is built on conservation impact. An operator who can't quantify it isn't operating to the country's standard.

How much does a Botswana safari cost?

Realistic 2026 cost ranges, all-inclusive (camp, meals, game activities, ground transfers), excluding international flights and bush flights between camps:

Travel style	Per person per night	A typical 7-night trip
Group overland (G Adventures-style)	USD 150–300	USD 1,100–2,100
Mobile tented (Letaka, Bush Ways)	USD 400–900	USD 2,800–6,300
Mid-luxury camp-based (Desert & Delta, Ker & Downey, African Bush Camps)	USD 800–1,800	USD 5,600–12,600
Premium camp-based (Wilderness mid-tier, &Beyond)	USD 1,500–2,500	USD 10,500–17,500
Ultra-luxury (Wilderness flagship, Great Plains, Uncharted)	USD 2,500–4,000+	USD 17,500–28,000+

Add USD 1,500–3,000 per person for bush flights between camps on a multi-camp itinerary, and USD 1,800–3,500+ for international flights to Maun or Kasane.

For a deeper dive into where the money actually goes on a luxury Botswana trip, see our Botswana luxury safari guide. If you're at the stage of building an actual itinerary and want to think through the trade-offs systematically, number of camps, regional combinations, time of year, multi-country options, our African safari planning guide walks through the framework we use when advising on bookings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best safari company in Botswana?

There is no single best company — the right choice depends on whether you want a camp-owning luxury operator, a mobile-tented specialist, a custom-itinerary planner, or a budget overland option. For premium camps in private concessions, Wilderness, &Beyond, and Great Plains Conservation are the most consistently rated. For citizen-owned mobile safaris, Letaka Safaris is the most established. For custom planning, Go2Africa and Timbuktu Travel are the leading bespoke planners.

What are the best safari options in Botswana?

Botswana's four main safari regions each suit different travellers. The Okavango Delta is the country's signature destination, water-based safaris, big game, and the highest concentration of luxury camps. Chobe National Park in the north is famous for elephant herds and river-based game viewing. Linyanti and Selinda offer Delta-quality game viewing with fewer vehicles. The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and Central Kalahari are dramatically different, desert landscapes, San Bushman culture, and meerkats rather than big-five density.

Which is better, Chobe or Okavango Delta?

Both are world-class but suit different travellers. The Okavango Delta is more diverse, more exclusive (private concessions limit vehicle numbers), and offers water-based activities like mokoro rides that Chobe can't match. Chobe National Park has the highest elephant density in Africa and excellent river-based game viewing, but it's a public-access park with more vehicles at sightings. For most travellers, a 5–7 night Botswana trip combines both — 2–3 nights in Chobe with 3–5 nights in the Delta.

What is the best month to go on safari in Botswana?

July through October is peak game viewing, the dry season concentrates wildlife around water sources and the Delta's flood is at its highest. November through March is the green season, with lower prices, lush landscapes, and excellent birding, but more rain and some camps closed. April through June is the shoulder season, many travellers consider it the best balance of game viewing, lower prices, and weather.

What are the top safari companies in Botswana?

The most consistently cited Botswana operators across editorial coverage and trade publications are Wilderness, &Beyond, Great Plains Conservation, Desert & Delta Safaris, African Bush Camps, Letaka Safaris, Natural Selection, Ker & Downey Botswana, Bush Ways Safaris, and Uncharted Africa Safari Co. for in-country operators, plus Go2Africa, Timbuktu Travel, Expert Africa, and Stanley Safaris for international planners.

What's the difference between a camp-based and mobile safari in Botswana?

Camp-based safaris stay in permanent or semi-permanent lodges with full hotel infrastructure — wifi, plumbing, gourmet kitchens, often pools. You travel between camps by bush plane. Mobile safaris use lightweight tented camps that move with you through the bush; staff travel ahead to set up your next camp. Mobile is more immersive and significantly cheaper per night, but requires comfort with bucket showers, longer drive transfers, and tented bathrooms. Most first-time Botswana travellers do camp-based; many repeat travellers prefer mobile.

Is Botswana good for honeymoons?

Yes — Botswana is one of the most popular African honeymoon destinations precisely because the private concession model means very low vehicle density at sightings, which translates to genuine privacy. &Beyond, Great Plains Conservation, Wilderness flagship properties, and the Stanley Safaris planning service are particularly strong honeymoon options. Expect to spend USD 12,000–25,000+ per couple for a 7-night honeymoon excluding international flights.

Can I combine Botswana with Zambia, Zimbabwe, or Victoria Falls on the same trip?

Yes, and it's one of the most common ways to structure a Botswana trip. Two routes work well. The first is booking through a single multi-country operator like African Bush Camps, which owns camps in Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and handles the regional logistics end-to-end. The second is using an international planner like Go2Africa or Timbuktu Travel to combine Botswana with Victoria Falls (an easy add-on from Kasane in northern Botswana) or with Zambia's South Luangwa. Combining countries this way often improves the trip economically, Zambia and Zimbabwe sit at lower price points than Botswana, so you can do 4–5 nights of Botswana premium and 3–4 nights at strong but more accessible camps across the border.

What's the best safari lodge in Botswana?

Specific lodge recommendations sit outside this operator guide. For our editorial pick of the country's top lodges, see the 15 best luxury safari lodges in Botswana and our best Okavango luxury lodges guide.

How do I avoid overpaying for a Botswana safari?

Three things lower your effective cost without sacrificing quality: (1) travel shoulder season (April–June) where rates can drop 30%, (2) mix one premium camp with mobile or mid-range nights rather than doing all-luxury, and (3) use an international planner who can negotiate rates and combine Botswana with destinations where the high-cost model doesn't apply, like Victoria Falls or Cape Town.

About this guide

This guide reflects ASM's editorial standards and methodology applied to the Botswana operator market. The 16 operators included were selected based on (1) consistent surfacing across major editorial sources and trade publications between January and May 2026, (2) verified independent operating history of at least five years, (3) demonstrated conservation or citizen-employment commitments where applicable, and (4) editorial fit with traveller intent across the four tiers.

ASM has no current commercial relationship with any operator featured on this page, all inclusions are editorial. The author has personally travelled with African Bush Camps on two full Botswana itineraries (2017 and 2020), and has stayed at Atzaró Okavango twice in 2025. Where ASM has visited specific camps operated by other companies, this is noted in the relevant operator entry. Where coverage is based on third-party research, editorial standards required cross-referencing across at least three independent sources before inclusion.

For transparency: African Bush Camps owns a 30% stake in Atzaró Okavango and sells the lodge as part of their Botswana portfolio. This is a normal industry shareholding rather than a commercial arrangement with ASM, and is disclosed here so readers understand the relationship.

ASM specifically excluded several operators that appear in some other guides: global luxury brands (Abercrombie & Kent, Belmond) where Botswana is one of many destinations rather than a core specialism; aggregator and listing sites without independent editorial credibility; and very small local operators without verifiable independent reviews outside of single-platform aggregators.

For more on how ASM evaluates safari operators, see our flagship guide to the best African safari tour companies and our Botswana destination hub.

Plan your Botswana safari

The companies above represent ASM's recommended starting points across every budget and travel style. From here:

• For a deeper read on Botswana's signature destination, see our Okavango Delta safari guide

• For luxury lodge selection, see the 15 best luxury safari lodges in Botswana

• For multi-country planning, see the flagship best African safari tour companies guide

• For general planning support, see our African safari planning guide