Botswana
Gaborone
A capital built almost from scratch for independence, where the three chiefs who kept their lands out of Cecil Rhodes's hands stand in bronze.
Botswana's capital was built almost from scratch in the mid-1960s, in time for independence, and it still reads as a planned government town grown large: low-rise, spread out and unhurried. Most travellers pass through on the way north to the Okavango Delta and Chobe, but a day or two repays the stop. The Three Dikgosi Monument honours the chiefs who kept their lands out of Cecil Rhodes's hands, a rocky hill looks out over the city and its dam, and antelope graze in a game reserve inside the city limits.
Suggested stay
1–2 days
Language
English, Setswana
Currency
BWP
Timezone
UTC+2
Why you'll love Gaborone
Three Dikgosi bronze statues of Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I, who travelled to London in 1895 to keep their lands from Cecil Rhodes's company, stand at the heart of the city
Wildlife on the doorstep impala and wildebeest graze in a game reserve inside the city, and a reserve in the hills to the south adds giraffe and white rhino
Kgale Hill a steep, stony path climbs the hill on the south-western edge of town to the best view over Gaborone, the dam and the bush beyond
Food seswaa, beef boiled and pounded until it falls apart, is the national dish, eaten with bogobe porridge and morogo greens, while roadside stalls fry magwinya fat cakes
Best time to visit
all year
22-34° days
24.658° S, 25.909° E
UTC+2 · Africa/Gaborone
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Weather & when to go to Gaborone
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best all year
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Gaborone
No bad season in the weather record. Winter is dry and sunny with cold nights, and it is when animals are easiest to spot in the reserves around the city and across Botswana, as the bush thins and game gathers at water. Summer brings the rain as afternoon thunderstorms, and October and November, as the rains build, are the hottest months.
Top things to do in Gaborone
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Three Dikgosi Monument - meet the chiefs who went to London
history culture arts 👍 PopularBronze statues of Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I, the three dikgosi who travelled to Britain in 1895 to petition Queen Victoria against handing their lands to Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company. They stand side by side in the new Central Business District, the city's defining landmark and the natural place to start.
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Kgale Hill - scramble up for the view over the city
scenic nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedThe rocky hill beside the Lobatse road, on the south-western edge of the city, has a steep, stony path to the summit and a wide view over Gaborone, the Gaborone Dam and the bush to the south. Start early, before the heat builds, and carry water.
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Gaborone Game Reserve - antelope inside the city
nature wildlifeA small reserve on the eastern edge of the city where you drive yourself along gravel tracks past impala, kudu and wildebeest, with plenty of birdlife around the water. It is the quickest taste of the bush without leaving town.
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National Museum and Art Gallery - Botswana's story in one visit
culture arts historyJust off the Main Mall, the national museum covers the country's peoples, crafts and natural history, with galleries of work by Botswana artists alongside. It is small and quickly seen, and a useful primer before heading north.
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Main Mall and the Government Enclave - walk the planned heart
culture arts shoppingThe pedestrian mall at the centre of the 1960s plan runs towards Parliament in the Government Enclave, where a statue of Sir Seretse Khama, the first president, stands outside. Vendors along the mall sell crafts and snacks, and the city's craft shops stock the fine palm baskets woven in the north-west.
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Seswaa and magwinya - eat like Botswana
foodSeswaa, beef or goat boiled for hours and pounded until it shreds, is the national dish, served with bogobe, a stiff sorghum or maize porridge, and morogo greens. Street stalls sell magwinya, fried dough fat cakes, and the adventurous can try phane, the dried mopane worm.
Best areas to stay in Gaborone
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Main Mall and CBD
First-time visitors $$Planned centre of offices and monuments
Explore hotels in Main Mall and CBD →
Phakalane
Golf and comfort $$$Golf-estate suburb on the northern edge
Explore hotels in Phakalane →
Mokolodi
Nature lovers $$Bush chalets in a nature reserve
Explore hotels in Mokolodi →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Gaborone
Getting to & around Gaborone
Getting there
Fly into Sir Seretse Khama International, north of the city, or drive in from Johannesburg through the Tlokweng border post
Flight
Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBE)
The airport is about 15 km north of the centre, 20-30 minutes by taxi or pre-booked hotel transfer; there is no rail link. Most international flights are regional, many via Johannesburg, and domestic hops run to Maun and Kasane.
Drive
Tlokweng border post
From Johannesburg it is roughly 4-5 hr by road via Zeerust; the Tlokweng crossing, Kopfontein on the South African side, leads straight into the east of the city. Hire cars need the rental company's cross-border letter
Coach
Main bus station
Long-distance buses arrive from Francistown, Palapye and the north, and from Lobatse to the south; shuttle services also run from Johannesburg and Pretoria
Getting around
Walking
The Main Mall, the museum and the Government Enclave are easy on foot by day; beyond the centre, distances are long and the city is built for cars
Free
Combi
Minibuses on fixed routes run from the main bus station out to the suburbs and malls; flag one down and pay cash on board
TBC
Taxi
Shared taxis also run set routes; for a private trip, ask for a 'special' and agree the fare before you get in
TBC
Hire car
The easy way to Kgale Hill, the reserves and the day trips; drive on the left, and watch for cattle and donkeys on rural roads
TBC
Day trips from Gaborone
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Half dayNature reserve
A reserve in the hills south of the city, with game drives and guided walks among giraffe, zebra, antelope and white rhino, and an environmental education centre that makes it a favourite with families. Stay for lunch, or overnight in the reserve's chalets.
Getting there
car
About 20-30 min south by car on the Lobatse road
Kolobeng
Half dayLivingstone mission ruins
David Livingstone ran a mission here in the late 1840s among the Bakwena of Kgosi Sechele I, who became his only known convert. The foundations of the mission house and church survive as a national monument, a quiet spot beside the Kolobeng River.
Getting there
car
About 30-40 min west by car
Mochudi
Half dayBakgatla heritage town
The historic capital of the Bakgatla spreads around a rocky hill. On top, the Phuthadikobo Museum, in an old stone school building, tells the town's story, and some older homes below still have painted mud walls. The weavers' cooperative at Oodi, closer to Gaborone, makes an easy add-on.
Getting there
car | bus
About 45 min north by car, or by combi from the main bus station
A little history of Gaborone
The city takes its name from Kgosi Gaborone, whose Batlokwa people settled beside the Notwane River in the 1880s, at what is now Tlokweng, just east of the modern centre. Britain proclaimed the Bechuanaland Protectorate in 1885 but ran it from Mafeking, outside its own borders. In 1895 three dikgosi, Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I, travelled to London to stop the territory being handed to Cecil Rhodes's British South Africa Company, the story the Three Dikgosi Monument now tells.
As independence approached, the new country needed a capital inside its own borders. Gaberones, as it was then spelled, was chosen for its water, from a dam on the Notwane, and its place on the railway, and a planned town was laid out around the Main Mall and a government enclave. The government moved in from Mafeking in 1965, independence followed in 1966, and the name became Gaborone in 1969. Diamond wealth then drove rapid growth, and the city now hosts the headquarters of the Southern African Development Community and De Beers' rough-diamond sales.
Kgosi Gaborone's Batlokwa settle beside the Notwane River, at today's Tlokweng
Britain proclaims the Bechuanaland Protectorate, run from Mafeking outside its borders
Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I travel to London to keep their lands from the British South Africa Company
The government moves from Mafeking to the newly built capital
Independence on 30 September, with Sir Seretse Khama as first president and Gaberones as capital
Gaberones is renamed Gaborone
A South African military raid on the city targets exiled ANC members
The Three Dikgosi Monument is unveiled in the Central Business District
De Beers moves its rough-diamond sales from London to Gaborone
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type M
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+267
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Botswana eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Gaborone
▸ When is the best time to visit Gaborone?
Any time: the weather record has no bad month. Winter, roughly May to August, brings dry, sunny days and cold nights, and it is the easiest season for spotting animals at Mokolodi and in the parks further north, as the bush thins out. Summer, roughly November to March, is hot, with the year's rain arriving in afternoon thunderstorms that turn the countryside green.
▸ Is Gaborone safe?
Gaborone has a reputation as one of southern Africa's calmer capitals, and most visits are trouble-free. Take normal city care: keep phones and bags out of sight, lock car doors, and use a taxi rather than walking after dark. Check your own government's current advice before you travel.
▸ How do I get from Gaborone to the Okavango Delta?
Most people fly: domestic flights run to Maun, the Delta's gateway, and to Kasane for Chobe. Driving north is a long haul across the country, usually split with a night on the way, and the Khama Rhino Sanctuary near Serowe makes a popular stop.
▸ What currency is used in Botswana?
The pula, whose name means rain in Setswana, a sign of how precious water is here; it is divided into thebe. Botswana is not part of the rand's currency union, so do not count on paying in rand. ATMs and cards work widely in the capital; carry some cash for the countryside.
▸ What language is spoken in Gaborone?
English is the official language and widely used in hotels, shops and government; Setswana is the national language and what you hear on the street. Dumela is hello, adding rra for a man or mma for a woman, and ke a leboga is thank you.
▸ How many days do you need in Gaborone?
One or two days covers the Three Dikgosi Monument, the museum, Kgale Hill and the game reserve; add a half day for Mokolodi, Kolobeng or Mochudi. Most visitors then head north to the Okavango Delta, Chobe and the Kalahari.