WHERE TO BEGIN WITH BOTSWANA? A HORSEBACK SAFARI IN BOTSWANA IS CONSIDERED BY MANY THE CRÈME-DE-LA-CRÈME OF HORSE RIDING SAFARI HOLIDAYS.

Pride of place on many riders’ bucket lists, Botswana is one of the best places on earth to horse ride. The country boasts a huge array of wildlife, huge fence-less landscapes and scenery which is out of this world. The guiding and most importantly, the horses available in Botswana are exceptional.

Horse riding in Botswana will stay with you forever. The riding safaris available are as varied as you could imagine, taking you from harsh dry desert-lands to delta wetlands. The riding here is fast-paced and incredibly exciting, with some of the horseback safaris even offering the chance to jump elephant-felled logs. As a result, Botswana has earned its place at the top of many riders’ bucket lists.

Click Here For More Info About Horse Riding In Botswana

Two horseriders galloping through water

12 Nights: From GBP £3415 pps

Wildlife and Waves – Tuli Horse Safari and Wild Coast

Wildlife and Waves – Tuli Horse Safari and Wild Coast

12 Nights

South Africa & Botswana

Scenery & Wildlife Focused Horse Safari

For intrepid travellers, this is a combination of incredible horseback game viewing and endless deserted beaches.

Okavango Delta horse riding with hippos

10 Nights: From $7 725 pps

Botswana & Victoria Falls Combination Safari

Botswana & Victoria Falls Combination Safari

10 Nights

Various

Wildlife & Scenery Focused Safari

The ultimate horseback adventure - Desert, delta, waterfalls and wildlife.

Antelope and horses galloping in the water

5 Nights: From GBP £3400 pp sharing

Kujwana Camp – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

Kujwana Camp – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

5 - 10 Nights

Botswana

Wildlife & Scenery Focused Safari

Experience the original Okavango Delta Horse Safari with two exclusive camps

Horseback riders and zebra herd with palm trees

8 Nights: From USD $6920 pps

Desert and Delta – Ultimate Botswana

Desert and Delta – Ultimate Botswana

8 Nights

Botswana

Wildlife & Scenery Focused Safari

The ultimate Botswana horse safari combining two unique landscapes - the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert

Horse riders with Zebra

7 Nights: From USD $4725 pps

Mobile Fly Camping – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

Mobile Fly Camping – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

7 Nights

Botswana

Wildlife Focused Horse Safari

Get back to nature on our new Okavango Delta horse safari with a fly-camping experience.

Horse riding with elephants

3 Nights: From GBP £1635 pps

Macatoo – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

Macatoo – Okavango Delta Horse Safari

3 - 10 Nights

Botswana

Wildlife Focused Horse Safari

There is no better way to absorb the spectacular sights and sounds of the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

5 Nights: From USD $4800 pps

Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Ride

Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Ride

5 Nights

Botswana

Wildlife & Scenery Focused Safari

Ride across the striking Makgadikgadi Salt Flats and Kalahari Desert.

Zebra encounter on horseback

7 Nights: From GBP £2034 pps

South Africa & Botswana African Explorer

South Africa & Botswana African Explorer

7 Nights

South Africa & Botswana

Wildlife Focused Horse Safari

Combine riding in both South Africa & Botswana for a real African adventure.

Horse Riding

Known to many as Africa’s Eden, the Okavango Delta in Botswana is a favourite with riders and is famous for its annual flood and abundance of wildlife; the area provides a haven for a huge array of wildlife. In the Okavango Delta flood months, these horseback safaris offer the unique experience of cantering across flooded plains, grinning from ear-to-ear as you get drenched in splashing water.

Further South, on the border of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, lies the unfenced and vast Mashatu Game Reserve – Another haven for horse riders. Long canters kicking up dust and weaving your way through endless bush wilderness with wildlife around every corner.

For those horseback riders looking for something a little different, a speed fix and an adrenaline rush, or simply a complete change of scenery – the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans will deliver. Hear your horses hooves crunch across the wide-open salt pans that stretch as far as the eye can see, the best natural race surface in the world! Enjoy a good gallop, spectacular sunsets and perhaps even spending a night sleeping under the stars.

Due to the wild nature of these destinations and the big game often encountered, most riding safaris require a riding level of strong intermediate to advanced. However, there are some horse safari exceptions which are not to be passed up if you fancy just a day experience or do not ride with much confidence.

Safari, Landscape & Wildlife

There are three main areas for horseback safari in Botswana; the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and the Mashatu Reserve in the Limpopo.

Home to the big five, as well as wild dog, cheetah, hippo and many, many more; an Okavango Delta riding safari is bound to leave you in awe. Great breeding herds of elephants gather in the delta during the floods, making for spectacular sights as they gather around large lagoons filled with hippos. Explore passed the herds of zebras, red lechwe, impalas and reed buck that graze on the islands between the flood plains and pause to watch a giraffe browsing the tallest trees. It is called Africa’s Eden for a reason and is not to be missed!

The Tuli Block is known as the ‘Land of Giants’ due to its large elephant herds, and towering Baobab trees. The area is famous for its wildlife and is home to lion, cheetah, leopard, large herds of elephant, a multitude of plains game like zebra, wildebeest and giraffe, and many varied bird species.

The Makgadikgadi offers an entirely different scene, the pans make up a large area of north Eastern Botswana and are separated by areas of sandy desert islands. During the green season witness the pans fill with the enormous herds of migratory zebra and wildebeest, often seen in their thousands. Jump down from a morning’s horse safari to visit the meerkat colonies and watch closely as they venture above ground to bask in the first morning rays, unfazed by your presence.

Botswana Culture

From the minute you step off the plane and into the saddle, you will be met with the smiling faces of the Botswanans. The energy and vibe in Botswana is infectious, you will quickly find yourself smiling too as you chat to your guides, grooms and camp staff. On the Makgadikgadi horse safari you get the privilege of spending time with the San Bushmen who will show you their communities and introduce you to and involve you in their traditional ways of living.

Accommodation

Unwind in one of our exclusive luxury camps which perfectly intertwines all those creature comforts with the bush wilderness experience. Return from fast-paced mornings in the saddle, recline by the pool and watch elephants drinking from a nearby lagoon. You may prefer to really embrace nature to the fullest on one of the mobile camping safaris. Here you’ll dine under the stars every night, siesta in the shade under trees and enjoy a hot bucket shower hung from a tree to wash off the dust from a day in the saddle.

FAQs

When is the best time to visit the Okavango Delta?

The Okavango offers a spellbinding experience and great wildlife throughout the year. The hottest months are November to February and the coolest from June until August. If you are looking for flood plains to canter through, then you will need to head to the Okavango Delta between June and October but do remember flood water can never be guaranteed. 

Am I good enough rider to go on horse safari in Botswana? 

The majority of the riding in Botswana takes you through areas with bigger game, and as a result, requires an intermediate plus or advanced level of riding. However, we have several options for more intermediate riders, such as the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, where the wide-open landscapes means you are highly unlikely to come across any wildlife by surprise and thus can cater for a less confident rider. Enquire for more options.

Can I combine Botswana with Victoria Falls?

A wildlife safari in Botswana combines brilliantly with a trip to the world-famous Victoria Falls. You fly directly from your Delta lodge or Maun International Airport to Kasane (1.5 hours) and then take a transfer (organised by us) to Victoria Falls (Approx 1.5 hours).

Where do I fly into for a horse safari in Botswana?

The majority of our rides start and end at Maun International Airport – Most flights go via Johannesburg but you can arrive via Nairobi or Windhoek. The Tuli Ride in Mashatu Game Reserve starts and ends from Johannesburg. 

What is the best horse safari in Botswana?

It really depends what you are looking for. If you are looking to canter across water-filled flood plains then you want the Okavango Delta. If you are looking for a healing and mindfullness retreat (with some epic gallops!) the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans offer just this. Or perhaps you are looking for an exciting trail ride in Southern Botswana where you can jump elephant-felled logs on the Tuli Trail.