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African Safaris and Tours
Botswana Fly-In Safaris
Botswana Fly-In Safaris – Light Aircraft to Remote Camps
Botswana's finest wildlife country lies far from tar roads. Much of the Okavango Delta is water, island and floodplain, and many of its camps are reached by light aircraft. A fly-in safari links those camps by air, so the hours you might spend on sandy tracks go on game drives, mokoro trips and long, lazy lunches on a deck overlooking the floodplain instead.
Most fly-in itineraries begin in Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve, and some begin or end in Kasane beside Chobe National Park. From there, small aircraft hop between bush airstrips serving the Delta's island camps, Moremi, Khwai, Linyanti and Savuti, and south to the Makgadikgadi Pans and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
The flying is half the fun. No road shows you the Delta like this: channels threading through papyrus, palm-fringed islands and floodplains, and now and then elephants wading below. Once you land, each camp runs its own activities, and the mix depends on where it sits:
- Game drives in open 4x4 vehicles at land-based and mixed camps. Some water camps offer none.
- Mokoro trips and boat cruises, where the water allows.
- Guided walks and night drives, mainly on private concessions.
We choose camps to suit your budget and the way you like to travel, from simple tented camps to lodges with plunge pools, and build the flights between them into your itinerary. Luggage limits on light aircraft vary by operator. Our getting to Botswana page explains what to expect, and we confirm the allowance for each flight when we book.
For seasons and the flood, see when to visit Botswana. Our Botswana malaria guide and malaria in Africa page cover health precautions.
Every itinerary below is tailor-made, so treat each one as a starting point. Tell us your dates and who's travelling, and we'll rework it around you. We've been planning Botswana safaris since 1999.
Fly-In Safaris In Botswana
Best Botswana Fly In Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Water, sand and Savuti in nine days. The trip opens among the Okavango Delta's channels and islands, crosses to the open Kalahari and ends in the Savuti region of Chobe National Park, with a light-aircraft hop between each stop.
Best Okavango Fly In Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Seven days given entirely to the Okavango Delta, flying between camps in different parts of it. Expect game drives, boat or mokoro trips where water levels allow, and rich birdlife, with each camp chosen for its wildlife and setting.
Botswana Honeymoon Spa Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
A nine-day honeymoon that flies between Botswana camps chosen for couples, with spa treatments built into the trip, then crosses at Kazungula to finish at Victoria Falls. We shape the camps and the pace around the two of you.
Botswana Luxury Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Nine days flying between luxury lodges and camps in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, with game drives, water activities where the flood allows, and plenty of time for wildlife and bird photography.
Botswana On A Budget
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
A fly-in safari planned with cost in mind, pairing comfortable, simpler camps with light-aircraft transfers between them. Tell us your budget and dates and we'll shape the route, the camps and the number of nights to fit.
Desert, Delta & Sunsets Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Seven days for keen photographers, flying between the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve and the Kalahari. Expect reflections on Delta channels, wildlife and birdlife in Moremi and the long, low light of the desert, with camps chosen for the pictures they offer.
Highlights of Botswana Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Ten days, three very different places: the dry grasslands of the Central Kalahari, the woodland and floodplains of Moremi Game Reserve and the waterways of the Okavango Delta. You stay in luxury lodges and camps throughout, flying between them by light aircraft.
Okavango Contrasts Safari
This Safari is Tailor-made Rates On request
Starting and ending in Maun, this seven-day safari uses camps in different parts of the Okavango Delta, chosen to show its contrasts between water and dry land. Game drives, boat trips and mokoro outings depend on each camp and the water level.
Botswana Fly-In Safaris: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fly-in safari in Botswana?
A fly-in safari is one where you travel between safari camps by light aircraft rather than by road. You stay at a series of lodges or tented camps, and each camp's guides run your game drives and other activities there. The flights link the camps, so travel days stay short and more of the trip goes on wildlife.
Which areas can you reach on a Botswana fly-in safari?
Light aircraft reach most of Botswana's remote safari areas. The Okavango Delta's island camps and Moremi Game Reserve are the classic fly-in destinations, and flights also serve camps in Khwai, Linyanti, Savuti and Chobe National Park. Further south, airstrips link camps on the Makgadikgadi Pans and in and around the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
What kind of aircraft fly between Botswana's safari camps?
Transfers between camps use small light aircraft, often a single-engine Cessna Caravan or similar, flown by experienced bush pilots. They land on gravel or sand airstrips close to the camps, which is what makes the remote areas accessible. With only a handful of passengers on board, every seat is close to a window.
Are the light-aircraft flights shared or private?
Most fly-in safaris use seat-rate flights, where you book seats on an aircraft shared with other travellers heading to nearby camps. If you'd rather have the plane to yourselves, a private charter gives you sole use of the aircraft at extra cost. We arrange either and build the flights into your itinerary.
What happens when you land at a bush airstrip?
Someone from your camp is there to collect you, and the transfer to camp is usually by vehicle, or by boat at some water camps depending on the water level. Your bags travel with you, and the pilot takes off again for the next airstrip. Departures work the same way, with the camp delivering you back to the airstrip.
Will you see wildlife from the plane?
Sometimes, especially over the Okavango Delta, where elephants, buffalo and hippos stand out against the water and grass. Transfers follow set routes and don't detour for wildlife, so treat any sighting as a bonus. Keep your camera with you rather than in your packed bag, and ask the pilot or your fellow passengers to point out what's below.
Map of Lodges in and around Botswana
Botswana Travel Topics
10 Reasons To Visit Botswana
Ten reasons, from the Okavango's flood and Chobe's elephant herds to the Makgadikgadi salt pans, Kalahari lions and San trackers, wild dogs in the Linyanti, mokoro trips, and a low-volume tourism policy that keeps vehicle numbers down.
Best Botswana Safari Lodges
Our pick of Botswana's safari lodges, region by region: Mombo and Xigera in the Delta, Chobe Game Lodge on the river, Jack's Camp on the pans and Savute Elephant Lodge, plus how to choose between them.
Botswana Chobe National Park
A practical guide to Chobe: getting there from Kasane, river cruises versus game drives, where the elephants come down to drink, the lodges we use, and how to add Victoria Falls on the way in or out.
The Perfect Okavango Delta Honeymoon Safari
Planning a honeymoon in the Okavango Delta: the camps that suit couples, from Camp Okavango to Mombo, with sunrise boat cruises, mokoro trips, and private dinners and helicopter flights where the camp offers them.
10 Reasons To Visit The Savuti
Ten reasons to put Savuti on your route: bull elephants, big lion prides, wild dogs, the Savuti Marsh, San rock art in the Gubatsa Hills, and a channel with a habit of drying up for years at a time.
5 Best Lodges In The Chobe National Park
Five lodges in and around Chobe National Park that we would happily send you to: Chobe Game Lodge with its all-female guiding team, Ngoma, Muchenje, Chobe Chilwero, and &Beyond Chobe Under Canvas, which moves camp to follow the game.
How Much Does It Cost to Go on a Safari in Botswana?
What a Botswana safari actually costs, and why: camping versus mobile versus lodge, the season you travel, flights between camps, park fees and tips, and where a few honest savings can be made.
10 Best Lodges In Okavango Delta
Ten Okavango Delta camps we rate, from Eagle Island and Xigera to Jao, Jacana and Duba Plains, with what each does best, from mokoro trips on the water to family suites and walking safaris.