Botswana Fly-in Safaris

The term fly-in means exactly that – you fly in to wherever you’re going, usually landing on private airstrips located close to your camp or desired destination from where you’ll catch a short road transfer to where you need to go. As a rule of thumb, every hour of flight time is equivalent to about 6 hours spent travelling by road, so you can see just how much time you’ll save in the skies.

Most flights are short hops aboard a Cessna aeroplane with 10-12 seats for passengers. It’s a chance to enjoy an elevated view of Botswana from the comfort of an aeroplane seat.

Another airborne option to consider if you’re planning to really push the boat out is to transfer between camps aboard a helicopter. Expensive? Yes. Memorable? Absolutely.

And while you can fly between pretty much all the destinations on your Botswana safari itinerary, it’s often a good idea to mix things up a bit and road transfer between lodges some days.

Guests arriving by small aircraft in the Okavango Delat

Suited for

Visitors with limited time to spend in Botswana
Guests who want to access remote areas that cannot be reached by road
Travellers who don’t want to spend several hours a day driving across Botswana
People who want to spend more time at destinations, rather than getting to them
Adventurers who want to enjoy bird’s eye views of Botswana’s beautiful landscape – the Okavango Delta is particularly spectacular when viewed from above.
Safari enthusiasts who are happy to travel light – (due to flight luggage weight restrictions)
Big budgets – paying for flights is more expensive than driving

A safari vehicle on a windy, dusty road in Botswana

Not suited for

Visitors who like the idea of spending hours each day driving between destinations
Safari enthusiasts who want to take their time getting to different places and experiencing local cultures along the way
Travellers who like to pack most of their wardrobe in their suitcase (as already mentioned, there are strict weight limits on flights)
People who don’t enjoy air travel or are prone to motion sickness - the planes are small and with hot air and low flying small bumps feel more pronounced

An aerial view of people on a mokoro safari

How to Get the Most Out of Your Botswana Fly-in Safari

Bring some binoculars – having a pair each will ensure no one misses getting a close up of the views from the plane and when you’re exploring at ground level too.

Travel as light as you can – the flights you’ll catch will be aboard small, light aircraft with strict luggage weight limits of 20kg per person, including hand luggage. Your bags must also adhere to strict measurement limitations, being a maximum of 30cm wide, 35cm high and 70cm long. They will also need to be soft-sided, so they are easier to store in the plane’s hold, which means that bright, shiny orange, hard-sided suitcase with the handle and wheels is a no-no.

Store any excess luggage – if you’re planning to combine your fly-in safari with some self-driving or a stay in a city, you might want to leave some of your luggage in storage to help you meet flight weight limits.

Accept occasional delays – the small planes you’ll fly aboard can be affected by weather and things like wildlife roaming on the airstrip. So if you can see these potential delays as all part of your adventure, you’ll enjoy your fly-in safari that much more.

5-7 days

This is the bare minimum we recommend for your trip to Botswana. Flying between destinations will give you more time to spend in each location than if you’re driving, so your itinerary can offer plenty of variety – perhaps up to 3 different places, spending 2 nights in each.

7-Day Three Rivers Safari

10-14 days

On a trip that’s up to two weeks long, fly-ins will ensure you have plenty of time to spot wildlife, see the sights and relax in camps across Botswana. We recommend you choose up to 5 different destinations and spend at least 2 nights in each, but it’s up to you.

11-Day Best Value Victoria Falls and Botswana Safari

16 days +

For safaris this long you should consider combining fly-ins with self-drives, private guided tours and city stays to get the full Botswana experience. With this much time, your itinerary should ensure you see all the highlights this magnificent country has to offer.

16-Day Namibia, Delta, Chobe & Victoria Falls

FAQs

"A dream come true"

We had the most amazing family holiday, everything worked so perfectly, the arrangements and accommodation was spectacular!

Jul '25

"Unforgettable trip to Namibia – Thank you Namibia Tours & Safaris!"

We are a group of four from Romania and spent 3 unforgettable weeks in Namibia. We can't recommend them enough, and for any future travels in Namibia or other parts of Africa, we will definitely use their services again.

Jul '25

"We had a great experience"

From the time we put the key in the ignition till we boarded the plane in Windhoek nothing went wrong.

Jul '25

"Unforgettable bird photography trip in Namibia"

It was a fantastic experience, everything was very well organised, went smooth and according to expectations. It was our first self drive in Africa and it was a great, unforgettable time.

Jun '25

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