Complete Botswana: National Parks & Delta Wildlife — Self-Launched
7 days · Botswana
G Adventures charges £1,330
No-markup version: ~£755 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 7-day version of the Kasane-to-Maun Botswana safari circuit, covering Chobe National Park's elephant herds, the flamingo-fringed salt pans at Nata, and a full day in the Okavango Delta by mokoro. Instead of lodges and a private safari vehicle you'll use backpacker lodges and campsites in Kasane, Nata and Maun, book shared safari drives and mokoro trips directly with local operators, and travel between towns on the daily Intercape/Maun-Sefofane style bus or shared combi taxis. Budget roughly £75–110 per person per day before international flights. Costs are approximate and vary seasonally — Botswana park fees and safari activity prices rise noticeably in peak dry season (July–October).
Day-by-day
Arrive Kasane — settle in on the Chobe River
Kasane
Fly or bus into Kasane (Kasane Airport is a short taxi ride from town; from Victoria Falls it's a ~1.5hr shared taxi or bus across the border for around £10-15). Check into a backpacker lodge or campsite in Kasane town — several sit within walking distance of the Chobe River front. Spend the afternoon on a sunset boat cruise along the Chobe River, where elephant herds cross in front of you and hippos wallow in the shallows. Book tomorrow's park safari drive in person or online this evening, and pick up snacks and water for early starts.
🚌Airport taxi £3-5, or shared taxi/bus from Victoria Falls ~£10-15
🛏Backpacker lodge or campsite in Kasane (£15-25 per night)
- →Chobe River sunset boat cruise (book direct with a Kasane operator, ~£25-35)
- →Kasane town orientation walk
Chobe National Park full-day or morning safari drive
Chobe National Park, Kasane
Head out at dawn in a shared open-sided safari vehicle with a licensed Chobe guide — this is where you see the largest elephant concentrations in Africa, plus lion, buffalo, leopard, giraffe and huge pods of hippo along the river. Your lodge can arrange a seat or book direct with operators on the Kasane riverfront; a full day with park fees typically runs £70-110, a half day around £45-60. Afternoon free to rest, swim, or walk the riverbank. Tipping safari guides £2-3 is customary.
🚌Shared safari vehicle (included in activity)
🛏Backpacker lodge or campsite in Kasane
- →Full-day Chobe National Park game drive with park fees (~£70-110)
- →Optional: afternoon river cruise or 4-Corners of Africa bridge tour
Kasane to Nata by bus
Nata
Take the morning bus or shared combi from Kasane to Nata — roughly three hours on the A33, with fares of about £8-12. Nata sits on the edge of the vast Makgadikgadi-style salt pans, with surprisingly rich birdlife around the waterholes. Check into a pan-side campsite or budget lodge and spend the afternoon at the waterhole watching flamingos, pelicans and antelope come to drink. Book tomorrow's bush walk with your lodge tonight, and arrange a sunset pan safari drive if you want one (£30-40).
🚌Kasane-Nata bus or shared combi, ~3hrs, £8-12
🛏Pan-side campsite or budget lodge in Nata (£15-30 per night — campsites cheapest)
- →Afternoon waterhole birdwatching
- →Optional: sunset pan safari drive (~£30-40)
Guided bush walk and Nata pans
Nata
Start at first light on a guided bush walk with a local tracks guide — learn to read animal spoor, identify medicinal plants and browse the bush on foot, which gives you a completely different sensory experience from a vehicle. Walks cost around £20-30 per person and last two to three hours. Eat breakfast back at camp, then spend the rest of the day free: swim, read, or take a self-drive-ish shared excursion out onto the salt pans. Note the landscape both: lush oasis around Nata's waterhole, raw arid pan beyond.
🚌Walking; local lodge transfers
🛏Pan-side campsite or budget lodge in Nata
- →Guided bush walk with tracks guide (~£20-30)
- →Salt pan exploring / waterhole watching
Nata to Maun — gateway to the Okavango
Maun
Travel from Nata to Maun by bus or shared combi (roughly 5-6 hours, £12-18); a few lodges run shared shuttles. Arrive around lunchtime and check into a backpacker lodge or campsite on the edge of Maun — Maun is the relaxed hang-glider-and-mokoro capital of the Delta. Spend the afternoon sorting your Delta trip: short-notice mokoro day trips and one- or two-night Delta bush-camp trips can be booked direct through most Maun lodges and the local guides' association. Shop for dinner at the Spar on the main road.
🚌Nata-Maun bus or shared combi, ~5-6hrs, £12-18
🛏Backpacker lodge or campsite in Maun (£12-25 per night)
- →Book Okavango Delta mokoro trip
- →Optional: doors-off scenic helicopter flight (~£260-280 if it fits the budget)
Okavango Delta day excursion by mokoro
Okavango Delta
The highlight of the trip: a full-day (or overnight) trip into the Okavango Delta with a local poler standing in a traditional mokoro canoe. Glide silently through reed channels between palm islands, walk on foot across an island looking for zebra, wildebeest, elephant and lion tracks, and drift past huge flocks of herons, storks and kingfishers. Day trips cost around £70-100 per person including park fees, transfers and a guide; a two-night Delta camp with bush camping runs £200-300. Bring a hat, sunblock and plenty of water. Tip your poler 50-100 BWP.
🚌4x4 transfer to the mokoro station + mokoro canoe
🛏Backpacker lodge or campsite in Maun (or Delta bush camp if you book the overnight)
- →Full-day Okavango Delta mokoro trip with island bush walk (~£70-100)
- →Optional: scenic flight over the Delta (~£60-80 in a Cessna)
Depart Maun
Maun
Fly out of Maun Airport (taxi £3-5 from most lodges) or, if you're heading overland toward Namibia, join the Maun–Ghanzi–Gobabis shared combi/bus route; flights via Johannesburg are the usual onward option. If you have a late flight, use the morning for a final walk along the Thamalakane River or shop for crafts at the Maun craft market.
🚌Taxi to Maun Airport £3-5; optiona onward bus/flight
🛏None (departure day)
- →Free morning in Maun
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£755 | £1,330 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £575 per person (43%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£755
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Complete Botswana: National Parks & Delta Wildlife — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £755 per person for 7 days in Botswana. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,330 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £755 — a saving of roughly £575 (43%) per person.
How long is the Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Botswana.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a wildlife, adventure, backpacker trip through Botswana, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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