Cultural & Wilderness Loop
The ultimate off-the-beaten-track Botswana adventure: ancient rock art + wild upper Okavango River.
This is a proper Botswana “north-west explorer” trip that combines the UNESCO World Heritage rock-art sanctuary of Tsodilo Hills with the lush, watery beauty of the Okavango Panhandle around Shakawe / Drotsky’s area. Very few tourists do this route — you’ll feel like you have the country to yourself.
Package Overview
Here’s a polished and practical 5-day Cultural & Wilderness Loop itinerary from Maun → Tsodilo Hills → Shakawe → Maun, blending ancient rock art, spiritual landscapes, and serene Okavango Panhandle waterways. This off-the-beaten-path route emphasizes Botswana’s northwestern heritage—UNESCO-listed Tsodilo as the “Louvre of the Desert” and Shakawe’s tranquil mokoro glides—while keeping drives manageable in a 4x4 (essential for sandy tracks). Total loop: ~900 km round-trip.
- Camping Fees
- Park fee
- Game drive and local transfer
- Tented Accomodation
- All Meals
- Water
- Soft Drinks
- Alcohol
- Travel Insurance
- All Flights
- Staff Gratuties
- Optional Safari
Duration
4 Days / 3 Nights
Cancelation Policy
Get a 50% refund when you up until 7 days before check‑in
Airport Pickup
Available
Itenary
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Day 1: Arrival in Maun – Prep for the North
Morning/AfternoonArrive at Maun International Airport. Transfer:Road transfer to your lodge/camp in Maun (~15–30 min)
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Maun village walk or market visit for local crafts (e.g., basket weaving
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Safari briefing. Dinner at camp
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Maun (lodge or tented camp)
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Day 2: Maun → Tsodilo Hills – Rock Art Immersion
MorningDepart Maun (~07:00) northwest on A3 (~224 km, 4–5 hrs; tar then gravel). Stop over for picnic; spot Kalahari birds like hornbills
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Afternoon
Arrive Tsodilo Hills(UNESCO site, “the rock that whispers”). Guided hike (2–3 hrs, San or Hambukushu guide): Explore Male, Female, and Child Hills—over 4,500 paintings (some 24,000+ years old) depicting hunters, animals, rituals. Visit Rhino Cave and White Paintings Shelter
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Evening
Sunset views; stargazing (minimal light pollution)
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Overnight
Tsodilo (basic campsite with ablutions)
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Day 3: Tsodilo Hills – Full Day of History & Hikes
Morning/span>Second guided trail (e.g., Depression Trail, 3–4 hrs)—archaeological sites from 100,000+ years of human habitation; learn San legends of ancestral spirits.
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Midday
Picnic lunch; optional museum visit (artifacts, geology exhibits).
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Afternoon:
Free exploration or short village visit (San/Hambukushu communities; ethical cultural talk on basketry/fire-making).
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Evening:
Bush dinner; reflect on the hills’ mystical aura (leopard tracks possible, sightings rare).
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Overnight
Tsodilo (basic campsite with ablutions)
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Day 4: Tsodilo Hills → Shakawe – Panhandle Waters
Early Morning /span>Final hill viewpoint; depart north (~50 km, 1–2 hrs on rough 4x4 track to A35).
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Midday
Arrive Shakawe (Okavango Panhandle village); lunch at lodge
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Afternoon:
Mokoro excursion (2–3 hrs)—glide silently in a dugout canoe through papyrus channels; spot sitatunga, hippos, kingfishers, frogs on reeds.
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Evening
Sunset boat cruise or fishing
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Overnight
Shakawe (lodge or camp)
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Day 5: Shakawe → Maun – Loop CompleteMorning
Guided island walk (1–2 hrs)—birding (pelicans, herons), track elephant paths.
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Late Morning
Depart south on A35 (~370 km, 5–6 hrs; improving gravel/tar mix).
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Afternoon
Arrive Maun by ~14:00–15:00 for flights or extensions.
The ultimate off-the-beaten-track Botswana adventure: ancient rock art + wild upper Okavango River.
This is a proper Botswana “north-west explorer” trip that combines the UNESCO World Heritage rock-art sanctuary of Tsodilo Hills with the lush, watery beauty of the Okavango Panhandle around Shakawe / Drotsky’s area. Very few tourists do this route — you’ll feel like you have the country to yourself.