Botswana Family Safaris

Family Safaris in Botswana

Botswana is by no means a cheap destination for families but it works brilliantly for those families wanting an entirely uncompromising safari experience with the highest degrees of exclusivity. The landscapes and wildlife of the Okavango Delta are second to none, Victoria Falls are the perfect combination of wow factor, pool side relaxation and play and the superb Camps in the Kalahari are utterly unique and wonderful.

Read more: Seasons : Typical Costs : Itineraries

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Okavango Delta

Chobe Waterfront

Linyanti Waterfront

Trips

Cape Town, Chobe Safari & Victoria Falls

Lovely combination of safari in Botswana's Chobe National Park, the majestic Victoria Falls and cosmopolitan Cape Town.

Tailor-made Classic 11 days

From $3,184 per person

Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana

7-day private mobile family safari in Northern Botswana. Excellent option for more adventurous families wanting to experience the wildlife of Botswana on more modest budget.

Tailor-made Adventure 10 days

From $3,398 per person

Best of Botswana for Families

This itinerary is specifically designed with the right camps for families, either particular programmes or activities that appeal to children.

Tailor-made Luxury 12 days

From $14,491 per person

Personalised Service

We know every family is unique. Your dedicated travel consultant will develop a bespoke trip just for you.

Value Guarantee

Tailor-made doesn't have to be expensive. We work hard to be on brief and below budget.

Stress Free

We have years of experience creating family holidays. We take away all the stress to create the perfect family holiday.

Accommodation

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

Okavango Delta

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 4

• 12 luxury tents with private plunge pools
• Stylishly comfortable lodge, numerous activities & discovery ambiance
• Spectacular vistas & stunning landscape
• Water-based camp with sense of exclusivity
• Fishing & excellent birding

Jack's Camp

Kalahari

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 5

- Incredible location
- Good facilities
- Unique game
- Family Friendly

King's Pool Camp

Linyanti

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 5

- Stunning lagoon location
- Superb dry-season wildlife
- Boat cruises and fishing

Sandibe Safari Lodge

Okavango Delta

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 4

- &Beyond Camp
- Luxury & Contemporary
- Private Concession
- Vehicle, Walking and night safari's

Zarafa Camp

Linyanti

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 4

- Exclusive, luxury camp
- Water and land-based safari
- Maximum 8 guests
- Spectacular wildlife

Nxabega Camp

Okavango Delta

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 5

- &Beyond Camp
- Land & Water based safari activities
- Contemporary & Luxurious

Khwai Guesthouse

Okavango Delta

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 3

- Modern, elegant chalets
- Excellent staff and guides
- Abundant wildlife
- Bushways Safaris portfolio

Vumbura Plains

Okavango Delta

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Price rating 4

- Luxurious accommodation
- Strong game, year round
- Prime position
- Private plunge pools

See All 61 Accommodations

Botswana for families


When to Go to Botswana

Botswana works best in May - October, so combines perfectly with Western Hemisphere summer holidays and British May Half Term and October Half Term Holidays.

Which areas of Botswana are most suitable for Families?

All the key areas work to some extent for families, Vic Falls is a fantastic relaxing base, Chobe is easy to reach from Vic Falls (keeping transport and cost down), the Delta offers a variety of activities and the diverse activities and cultural experience in the Kalahari works fantastically for families. So it becomes a question of where to draw the line.

  • With a week to play with and limited budget we would usually recommend combining Victoria Falls with Chobe National Park. Chobe is easy to reach by road from Vic Falls, so works well as a simple safari and Vic Falls holiday without breaking the bank.
  • A well balanced itinerary would focus on water based safari in a good Delta Camp with a good land-based camp in the Linyanti with a variety of activities on offer. The family can then relax on the banks of the Zambezi, seeing the falls and enjoying some good pool time.
  • The ultimate family experience would combine a wet safari camp in the Delta with a land-based camp in Linyanti, followed by the magnificent family friendly Kalahari and finishing it all off at Vic Falls.
  • For families looking to explore more broadly, a private mobile safari offers the advantages of a private guide and vehicle, the feeling of a traditional mobile safari, the ability to include most of the key areas (Delta, Moremi, Savuti, Chobe, Vic Falls) for less budget than a flying safari. However, don't kid yourself this is going to be a budget option, Conservancy fees, and private vehicles and guides all add up. This option is best for older families and can involve considerable driving between locations.

Combining Botswana Safari with Cape Town or the Beach

We often combine Botswana with Cape Town in South Africa, there are good flight connections and the contrast of Cosmopolitan City & Coast in Cape Town works well with Botswana's wilderness.

Combining a Botswana safari with some beach time can be a challenge. The best option is combining with Mauritius, but this will require an overnight in Johannesburg. Therefore, if you just looking for a good quality safari and relaxing beach experience, with the minimum of transport hassle, then we would rather recommend Tanzania, Kenya or even KwaZulu Natal in South Africa simply because the beach is so much easier to access from the safari location.

How much does a family safari in Botswana cost?

Costs can vary massively depending on family size, the age of children, time of year, length of stay and the quality of the camps, but with Botswana, one thing is always for sure, it won't be cheap. As a very approximate guide, starting budgets (inclusive of international flights) are around £3,000/$4,500 per person* and staying at the best camps and combining three locations, budgets can easily reach £10,000/$15,000 per person*. So a typical family of 4 could end up spending between £12,000/$18,000 - £40,000/$60,000.

Whilst Botswana is expensive, remember that the cost of managing a vast reserve the size of a small country is shared over a very small number of guests each year and the level of service and guiding is second to none.

* Per person price is the average per person price across the family.

Alternatives to Botswana

Botswana's key selling point is the opportunity to witness magnificent wildlife spectacles in rare exclusivity. With the exception of Chobe and some of the National Park areas, visitor numbers are very tightly controlled. Other areas in Africa can offer comparable wildlife experiences (Masai Mara, Serengeti etc.) and similarly lightly touristed wilderness (Laikipia, Selous etc.), but the combination of both is what marks Botswana out. This is also what makes it expensive, so if you find your budget is being stretched too far, then consider the following alternatives:

  • If your focus is seeing Victoria Falls, you can easily combine safari in Kruger with Vic Falls and Cape Town in a lovely family holiday.
  • If your focus is on an uncompromising wilderness family safari, then we find it hard to beat the Laikipia area in Kenya, where Camps such as Laikipia Wilderness Camp cater so well for families with a real outdoors adventurous ethos that takes the safari beyond the game drive to give a real feel for the African bush, from climbing rocky crags, to rafting gentle rivers, bush walking, horse riding and even camel safaris.
  • If you just looking for a relaxing safari and beach combination, then we would instead recommend Tanzania, Kenya or Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa.

Decisions...

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