Botswana Travel Guide
Two long flights, one short one and a small plane with a soft bag: how a Botswana safari travel day actually fits together.
There are no nonstop flights between the US and Botswana, so every itinerary involves at least one connection. The most common way to get to Botswana from the US is a long-haul flight to Johannesburg, then a regional flight of about two hours to Maun or Kasane. From there, small aircraft or road transfers take you to your first camp.
Other routings work in particular cases: via Cape Town if your trip starts at the Cape; via Addis Ababa on a one-stop itinerary, which triggers Botswana’s yellow fever certificate rule; via Windhoek on a Namibia combination; or into Victoria Falls and across the border by road. The right one depends on where your safari starts, how much time you have and how rested you want to be on your first morning in camp.
| Routing | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Via Johannesburg | Long-haul to Johannesburg, then about 1.75–2 hours to Maun or Kasane | Most itineraries, with the widest choice of connections |
| Via Cape Town | Regional flights of about 2–2.5 hours to Maun | Trips that start in Cape Town or the Winelands |
| Via Addis Ababa | One-stop routings into Maun or Gaborone | Fewer changes, but the transit means you need a yellow fever certificate |
| Via Victoria Falls | Fly into Victoria Falls, then about 80 km by road to Kasane, or about 1–1.5 hours by air to Maun | Journeys that combine the falls with Chobe or the Delta |
| Via Windhoek | Regional flights to Maun, some of them seasonal | Namibia and Botswana combinations |
Flight times are approximate and schedules change; we confirm current connections when we plan your journey.
Flights from the US usually reach Johannesburg in the afternoon or evening after 15 hours or more in the air, by which time the day’s regional flights to Maun and Kasane have often left. Many US itineraries therefore include a night at an airport hotel, with the onward flight the next morning or around midday.
Even when a same-day connection exists, an overnight is often the wiser plan. It absorbs long-haul delays, gives you time to repack into your soft safari bag, and means you meet your first light aircraft rested. Long-haul and regional flights are often on separate tickets, so allow time to collect and re-check luggage.
Your gateway follows your first camp, and many itineraries arrive at one and leave from the other.
The gateway for the Okavango Delta, Moremi, Khwai and most fly-in camps. In peak months it is often described as one of Africa’s busiest airports for small-plane movements.
Explore →About 4 km from Kasane town and 10 km from Chobe National Park, and the natural start or finish for Chobe and Victoria Falls combinations.
Explore →In Zimbabwe, about 80 km by road from Kasane through the Kazungula border; a popular first or last stop on a Botswana journey.
Explore →Botswana’s capital, far to the south-east of the safari areas, and rarely the most practical gateway for a safari.
Between camps, and from Maun or Kasane, most travelers fly in small single-engine aircraft that typically carry about five to twelve passengers. Here is what to expect.
Operators balance every aircraft by weight, so you may be asked for your body weight in advance. It is treated confidentially, and accuracy keeps everyone safe.
Most flights from Maun to Delta camps take about 20–45 minutes; the Linyanti, Savuti, the pans and the Central Kalahari take about 40–70 minutes. Shared flights often touch down at other airstrips on the way.
Bush airstrips are unlit, so light aircraft fly in daylight. A late international arrival can mean a night in Maun or Kasane before your first camp.
Pilots load the luggage pods themselves, which is why soft bags matter. A vehicle from your camp is usually waiting, and the drive in often doubles as your first game drive.
Midday thermals can make flights bumpy. If you are prone to airsickness, take your usual remedy beforehand and ask the pilot for a seat near the front.
On a fly-in safari, every camp change is a flight, and each one takes a few hours out of your day. That is why we usually plan three nights per camp, and why the order of camps follows the map: the Delta first from Maun, then north to the Linyanti or Savuti, and out through Kasane, or the same route in reverse, as on the 14-day grand Botswana safari.
If you want to see the Delta from the air more deliberately, a helicopter or scenic flight is the activity version of what your transfers only hint at.
Safaris
Maun · Okavango Delta · Moremi Game Reserve · Linyanti, Selinda & Kwando · Savuti · Chobe Riverfront · Kasane
Returning safari travelers, photographers and anyone with two weeks to see northern Botswana properly
Victoria Falls · Kasane · Chobe Riverfront · Khwai · Okavango Delta · Maun
First-time visitors who want Victoria Falls and Botswana’s finest water country in one trip, without rushing either
Experiences
In the air
See the Okavango’s channels, islands and wading herds from the air, on a doors-off helicopter flight or a fixed-wing scenic flight from Maun.
Where to go
Botswana’s flooded heart: papyrus channels, palm islands and small fly-in camps where the safari happens on the water as well as by vehicle.
Explore
Elephant country on the Chobe River, minutes from Kasane and a short drive from Victoria Falls, with boat safaris as the highlight.
ExploreGood to know
No. At the time of writing there are no nonstop flights between the US and Botswana. Most travelers connect in Johannesburg, and some route via Cape Town, Addis Ababa or Victoria Falls.
Fly into Maun if your safari starts in the Okavango Delta, Moremi or Khwai, and into Kasane if it starts in Chobe or follows Victoria Falls. Many itineraries use both, arriving at one and leaving from the other.
Plan on about 20 kg (44 lb) per person, including hand luggage, in a soft bag with no wheels or frame. Some operators split it as 15 kg checked plus 5 kg hand luggage, so we confirm the limit for each flight.
Most light-aircraft hops from Maun to Delta camps take about 20–45 minutes, and flights to the Linyanti, Savuti, the pans or the Central Kalahari about 40–70 minutes. Shared flights may stop at other airstrips on the way.
Often, yes. Long-haul flights from the US usually land after the day’s regional connections have left, and a night in Johannesburg also protects you against delays. We check current schedules for your dates.
Share when you can travel, who is coming and what you most hope to see in Botswana. A specialist will shape a private route around it and walk you through every choice before anything is booked.
Plan My Botswana Safari