June 13, 2026
Six ways to spend a week in Botswana’s wild places
Botswana Tours: Six Seven-Day Safaris Across the Delta, Pans and Chobe
Indigo Safaris arranges a range of Botswana Safaris built around a seven-day, six-night structure, with several extending to eight days and seven nights to fit in a third destination. Each itinerary pairs two or three camps across the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi salt pans or Chobe National Park, ranging from classic fly-in lodges to private-concession camps in leopard-dense Xudum, salt pan adventures from Planet Baobab, and mobile camping between the Delta and Chobe. Prices start from around $3,280 per person sharing, with itineraries suited to families, couples and repeat safari travellers alike.
Seven days is long enough to properly settle into a Botswana safari without needing to take much time off work. In a single week, the itineraries below move between at least two, and sometimes three, very different environments: the permanent lagoons of the Okavango Panhandle, the private concessions bordering Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai, the vast white expanse of the Makgadikgadi salt pans, and the elephant-lined banks of the Chobe River. The six Botswana tours below give a sense of what a week in Botswana can look like, depending on the pace, budget and mix of activities a traveller has in mind.
The right amount of time to settle into two very different landscapes
Why Seven Days Suits a Botswana Safari
A week gives a Botswana itinerary room to breathe. Three nights at a water-based camp allow enough time for a mokoro excursion, a motorboat trip and at least one full day of game viewing without feeling rushed, while a further three or four nights at a second, often land-based, camp bring the contrast of game drives, walking safaris or night drives that private concessions allow but national parks do not. Families travelling across generations tend to appreciate the change of pace between camps, and couples looking for a quieter week often find that seven days is enough to visit one water camp and one private reserve without the logistics becoming complicated. Several of the itineraries below extend to eight days and seven nights to fit in a third destination, such as the Makgadikgadi salt pans or Chobe National Park.
Water and land safari, paired for families
Back to the Roots Safari: Mopiri and Nokanyana
The Back to the Roots Safari spends the first three nights at Mopiri, a water-based camp of ten en-suite tents set on the banks of the Weboro Lagoon in the Okavango Panhandle. Because the Panhandle carries a deep, permanent channel of the Okavango River, Mopiri offers motorboating and mokoro excursions throughout the year, rather than only when seasonal floodwaters reach further into the Delta, alongside bush walks across the surrounding islands.
The safari then flies to Nokanyana, a land-based camp overlooking the point where the Khwai and Mababe Rivers meet at the edge of the Mababe Lower Depression. The remaining three nights bring morning and afternoon game drives and bush walks through an area known for buffalo herds, lion and elephant. Pairing a permanent water camp with a land-based camp at Mababe makes this a practical introduction to both sides of a Botswana safari, and it is one of Indigo Safaris’ family-friendly options.
Moremi lagoons meet Khwai's private concession
Classic Okavango Delta Safari: Losika Elephant Camp and Saguni Safari Lodge
The Classic Okavango Delta Safari opens with three nights at Losika Elephant Camp in the NG35 concession of Moremi Game Reserve, where a lagoon fed by the Gomoti Channel draws elephant, hippo and buffalo close to camp. Game drives and seasonal mokoro outings are included, along with cultural visits.
A charter flight then carries guests to Saguni Safari Lodge in the Khwai Community Area, overlooking the Mbudi Lagoon. Because Khwai is a private concession rather than part of the national park itself, the second half of the week adds walking safaris and night drives to the standard morning and afternoon game drives, widening the range of wildlife encounters beyond what daytime drives alone would offer.
Leopard country
Okavango Delta and Khwai Safari with Elephant Pan and Mokolwane
This seven-day itinerary pairs Elephant Pan, in the 200,000-hectare Khwai Private Reserve, with three nights at Mokolwane, a small, seven-tent camp reached only by helicopter within the Xudum concession of the Okavango Delta. Xudum records one of the highest densities of leopard anywhere in Africa, and Mokolwane sits at the heart of it: the concession is where filmmaker Brad Bestelink shot the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Living with Leopards, and where the BBC Natural History Unit filmed its Big Cats 24/7 series, following the resident leopard Xudum and the lions Big Toe and Madumo.
Guests staying at Mokolwane share the same wilderness the film crews work in, with morning, afternoon and night game drives, plus mokoro outings, included. At Elephant Pan, activities include game drives, a photographic hide and, in season, walking safaris.
Pans, Delta and Chobe in a single week
Salt Pan & Safari Adventure
The Salt Pan & Safari Adventure is the only one of the six tours to combine all three of Botswana's classic landscapes in a single week. It begins with two nights at Planet Baobab in Gweta, the gateway to the Makgadikgadi Pans, where a guided bush walk or, in the dry season, a quad bike expedition, crosses the Ntwetwe Pan to visit a meerkat colony and learn about the area's Stone Age history.
From there, the safari moves to Mababe Tented Camp on the banks of the Khwai River, in a private concession known for buffalo herds of up to 2,000 animals and resident leopard, before finishing with two nights on the Chobe River Front at Chobe Elephant Camp, where game drives and boat cruises bring close sightings of Chobe's dense elephant and hippo populations. This is a strong option for travellers who want a genuine cross-section of Botswana, from desert pan to permanent river, within a single week, and it is one of the more accessible fly-in options in the range.
A week under canvas, guided from Maun to Kasane
Okavango to Chobe Private Camping Safari
For travellers who prefer a more immersive, guide-led camping experience, the Okavango to Chobe Private Camping Safari spends seven nights under canvas, travelling by road between Maun, Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai Community Area, Savuti in Chobe National Park, and Kasane.
Mobile camping in reserved sites puts guests in prime wildlife areas without the fixed infrastructure of a permanent lodge, with a private guide, cook and vehicle throughout, and camping equipment, meals and drinks included. The safari closes with a sunset cruise on the Chobe River, a fitting final activity after a week following the water and wildlife corridors between the Delta and Chobe.
Three private camps, upgraded at every turn
Deluxe Natural Wonders Safari
At the more indulgent end of the range, the Deluxe Natural Wonders Safari spends seven nights across three private camps: Mbamba in the NG12 concession of the northern Delta, Sable Alley in the Khwai Private Reserve, with the option to upgrade to Tuludi, and San Camp on the edge of the Makgadikgadi's Nwetwe Pan, with the option to upgrade to Jack's Camp.
Activities range from game drives, boating and walking safaris in the Delta and Khwai sections, to quad biking, fat bike safaris and guided walks with local San Bushmen once the itinerary reaches the pans. With its combination of private concessions and the option to upgrade camps at two of the three stops, this itinerary suits couples celebrating a honeymoon or anniversary, and families wanting Botswana's highest standard of camps across a single week.
Nights, regions and who each safari suits
Comparing the Six Tours at a Glance
Full pricing and current availability are shown on each tour page.
| Tour | Nights | Regions | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back to the Roots Safari | 6 | Okavango Panhandle, Mababe | Families wanting water and land in one week |
| Classic Okavango Delta Safari | 6 | Moremi Game Reserve, Khwai | First-time Delta visitors |
| Okavango Delta and Khwai Safari with Elephant Pan and Mokolwane | 6 | Khwai Private Reserve, Xudum Concession | Leopard and big cat enthusiasts |
| Salt Pan & Safari Adventure | 6 | Makgadikgadi, Mababe, Chobe River Front | A cross-section of pans, Delta and Chobe |
| Okavango to Chobe Private Camping Safari | 7 | Moremi, Khwai, Savuti, Chobe | Adventurous, guide-led mobile camping |
| Deluxe Natural Wonders Safari | 7 | NG12 Concession, Khwai Private Reserve, Makgadikgadi | Couples, honeymooners and top-tier camps |
When to go, camp by camp
Best Time to Travel
Botswana's dry season, from May to October, brings the clearest game viewing as wildlife gathers around permanent water sources, with June to August as the coolest, busiest months. The green season, from November to April, lowers rates and brings lush scenery, dramatic skies and strong birdwatching, while December to February is calving season, drawing predators close behind the newborn herds. Water-based activities depend on the camp: Mopiri, on the Okavango Panhandle, offers boating and mokoro trips year-round thanks to its permanent channel, while camps further into the Delta rely on seasonal flooding, typically between July and October. Quad biking across the Makgadikgadi's Ntwetwe Pan runs from June to October, with a walking-only version offered outside those months.
Answers before you book
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Seven days works well for a Botswana safari that combines two camps in different regions, such as a water-based Delta camp with a land-based reserve. Extending to eight days and seven nights, as two of the itineraries above do, allows for a third destination, such as the Makgadikgadi salt pans or Chobe National Park.
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Mokolwane sits within the Xudum concession of the Okavango Delta, an area recorded as having one of the highest leopard densities in Africa. It is the filming location for Netflix’s Living with Leopards and the BBC’s Big Cats 24/7 series, and guests staying there share the same wilderness the film crews work in.
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Only at permanent water camps such as Mopiri, on the Okavango Panhandle, where a deep, year-round channel supports mokoro and motorboat excursions regardless of season. Camps further into the Delta depend on seasonal flooding, typically between July and October, for water-based activities.
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The Back to the Roots Safari, Classic Okavango Delta Safari and Salt Pan & Safari Adventure are all family-friendly options, combining game drives with activities such as bush walks, mokoro rides and cultural visits that suit a range of ages.
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Prices for the six itineraries above start from around $3,280 per person sharing, though rates vary depending on the camps selected and the season travelled. Itineraries that include private-concession camps or upgrade options, such as the Deluxe Natural Wonders Safari, sit at a higher price point than the more accessible fly-in options.
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The Salt Pan & Safari Adventure is the only itinerary of the six to bring together all three of Botswana’s classic landscapes, moving from Planet Baobab on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans to Mababe Tented Camp on the Khwai River, then finishing on the Chobe River Front. It suits travellers who want a genuine cross-section of the country within a single week.
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The Okavango to Chobe Private Camping Safari uses mobile camping in reserved sites, with a private guide, cook and vehicle travelling by road between Moremi, Khwai, Savuti and Kasane, rather than staying at a single permanent lodge. The other five itineraries are based at fixed camps, reached mostly by light aircraft charter, with set infrastructure and a static base for each stage of the trip.
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The dry season, from May to October, brings the clearest game viewing as wildlife concentrates around permanent water sources, with June to August the coolest and busiest months. The green season, from November to April, offers lower rates, lush scenery and strong birdwatching, and December to February is calving season, when predator sightings tend to increase around the newborn herds.
Planning Your Botswana Safari
Every one of these itineraries can be adjusted: nights extended or shortened, camps swapped, and activities added, to fit a traveller's dates, budget and interests. For the full range of destinations and Botswana tours, including options beyond these six itineraries, visit the Botswana tours page, or get in touch with the Indigo Safaris team to start planning.
Can't get enough?
For further reading on Botswana as a safari destination, see the following from the Indigo Safaris blog page:
October 3, 2025
July 16, 2024