The Perfect Botswana + Victoria Falls Packing List

Botswana must be one of the best places in this world for wildlife, and with so much to do in Victoria Falls, a week exploring each truly is the best of both worlds.

I’ve visited the area five times and in every season. One thing I like to say is it’s always summer there, which means it’s almost always hot, dry, and sunny, and temperatures around 90F are common. Here’s everything to know about what to pack:

Table of Contents

Botswana Essentials:

Great places to find clothes for the trip: ThredUp, Poshmark, or rent them!

Sweatshirt and Sweatpants.
3-4 sets of T-shirts and shorts.
1-2 leggings.
1-2 dresses for Chobe River cruise and Elephant high tea (optional).
2-3 sets of neutral clothes for safari.
Enough underwear and socks for a week.
1-2 bathing suits, as almost every lodge has a pool.
1 Pair Chacos, water shoes, or similar.
1 Pair closed-toed ankle boots with tread (Doc Martens or similar) and/or sneakers.
1+ wide brim hat.
Binoculars (our group liked this brand) and/or camera with zoom lens.
Rechargeable battery pack.
Power adapter (this one covers almost any outlet you’ll find in Africa).
Refillable water bottle.

Luggage: It’s easiest to travel with a backpack with straps here, as the dirt ground can be tough for wheeled luggage and duffels are less comfortable than backpacks. Consider an Air tag for your luggage (can be useful anywhere in the world).

Connectivity: If you want an eSIM card, Gigsky has nice coverage in Botswana. I found my eSIM just didn’t work in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the same was true for others in my group who used different companies as well. WiFi can be weak and doesn’t always work, though it can be better in Victoria Falls and Maun.

Toiletries: Hand wipes, hand sanitizer, thick lotion and lip balm, sunscreen, mosquito repellant, your own hair conditioner (many hotels lack conditioner but provide shampoo and body wash), and a small container of hand soap for gas station restrooms can be handy.

Travel Insurance: The bad news is, most credit card-provided insurance has super limited coverage – I found this out the hard way. The good news is, there are policies out there that can specifically cover your needs. I’d seriously consider a policy with at least $100k in coverage, including $10k in trip cancellation benefits, and emergency medical evacuation. While it’s always important to read the fine print, we’ve tested the following:

Faye (read our review)

Safetywing (read our review)

World Nomads (read our review)

Victoria Falls

On our women’s Africa trip (which this post closely follows), we begin our trip at Victoria Falls, where we enjoy the following activities:

For the falls themselves, the pathways are rocky and can be slick when the falls are at their biggest (January – June). During this time of year, it’s best to wear shoes with good tread, and potentially a poncho.

During the dry season (July/August – December), expect much less water, and dry walkways. Though there’s some tree cover, a hat will be helpful for sun protection.

Devil’s or Angel’s Pool

This activity is best done with just a bathing suit and water shoes (not barefoot due to sharp rocks). The guides will ask for one phone to take everyone’s pictures with (doesn’t have to be in a waterproof case, but it’s not a bad idea), and you’ll be able to leave a small backpack at the breakfast area at the end of the pools.

Rhino Walk

This activity is a mix of temperatures, with an open-air drive to the park that can be cold and windy, to a walk through the packed dirt that heats up as you go. Neutral light layers are a good idea, as is a small, packable jacket or warm layer, wide-brim hat, and closed-toed shoes that can get a little dusty.

Bring your camera and binoculars!

Elephant Tea (Optional)

High tea is a great time to dress fancy! A non-bright dress or neutral shorts set (super bright colors are not great for animal encounters), closed-toed shoes that can get dusty, a hat, and camera are all great to bring to the elephant tea. Personally I’d go for something light as it can be quite hot in Zambia, and this activity takes place in the late afternoon.

Other things to know:

Though never a guarantee, this will likely be the best WiFi of the trip.
Thanks to all the water from the falls, this area can also have mosquitoes.
From time to time, Zambia cuts the power grid, so having a fully charged battery pack is a great idea.

Chobe National Park

Chobe, like the rest of Botswana, can be quite hot and dry, and during the daytime hours, you’ll probably want to wear something lightweight with closed-toed shoes due to the dirt and dust.

For the Chobe River safari, I always suggest dressing up a little. It’s a great spot to get close-up photos with wildlife from the safety of the boat, and it’s a great photo op for sundowners, too!

If you don’t have anything fancy, neutrals are always a good choice.

For the morning safari game drive, the day can start off quite cold since the park gates open around dawn. It’s an open-air vehicle, so a sweatshirt or something warm is a good idea. I often just wear a comfy sweatshirt set to this excursion with sneakers. Be sure to bring your camera and binoculars!

Other things to know:

Though pricey, this can be a good spot to do rush laundry.

Elephant Sands

Making your way through Botswana, get ready to spend the night on a watering hole frequented by wild African elephants. It’s my favorite stay of the whole trip, though it can be a bit more rustic.

Prepare for hot temperatures, though you may want a light jacket or sweatshirt in the evening. Though sandals are okay, I prefer closed-toed shoes since it’s packed dirt surrounding the watering hole.

Other things to know:

This area is remote, and the WiFi isn’t always the best (though during my last visit I was pleasantly surprised!).
The rooms do not have electrical outlets, though they do have lighting. It’s best to have your electronics and portable battery pack fully charged upon arrival.
Water is shut off around 10pm to 5am to discourage elephants breaking into the water tanks. Plan your shower accordingly.

Maun

Maun is the gateway to the Okavango Delta, and like much of the rest of the trip, can be quite warm and sandy/dusty, so shorts and T shirts with some sun protection and closed toed shoes are a great idea.

Our main activities here are a makoro ride into the Delta, and a doors off helicopter overhead.

For the makoro (canoe), plan on hot temperatures and plenty of sun. Depending on your sun sensitivity, wear light, loose layers or lots of sunscreen. I prefer closed-toed shoes since the packed dirt environment can get dusty. Definitely wear a hat and bring sunglasses. This is a good area to wear bug repellant as well.

For the helicopter, if going at sunrise, you’ll probably want to dress warmly. Later in the day and in the hot season, you may be just fine in a tank top and shorts. Keep in mind that anything valuable like a phone or camera should be secured around your neck.

Other things to know:

There aren’t bathrooms in the delta, so bring along anything you’ll need to bush pee (tissue, sanitizer).
Consider bringing an umbrella if you need shade throughout the day.
This is also a more rustic part of Botswana.

Photography

Botswana is all about wildlife photography, and you’ll have chances to take it from many different angles including by boat, foot, and air.

Bring a long-range telephoto lens (mine goes up to 600mm), and something closer to the 35-100mm range for landscapes like the falls.

Final Thoughts

Botswana and Victoria Falls are my favorite place in Africa for wildlife, considering it has the highest concentration of wild African elephants. It can also be the kind of place where sometimes comforts like WiFi or electricity come and go, but as long as you’re prepared and ready for an adventure, it’s one of the best places in the world to explore.

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