Kalahari Desert

Tailor-made safaris that include Kalahari Desert .

11 Day Cape Town, Tswalu and Kruger Most requested
  • 11 days
  • South Africa
  • 2 lodges
  • Fly-in
  • All-inclusive

11 Day Cape Town, Tswalu and Kruger

  • Family
  • Children by arrangement
  • Luxury
  • Honeymoon
  • Bush & Beach
  • 4 nights at Ellerman House in Cape Town with time to explore the city
  • 3 nights at Tswalu Kalahari Lodge in South Africa's largest private reserve
  • Track desert black rhino and habituated meerkats in the Kalahari
  • Game drives on horseback and walking safaris across semi-arid grasslands
  • 3 nights at Dulini Moya Lodge in Sabi Sands for Big Five game drives
  • All internal light-aircraft flights and transfers included

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 347ย 880

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10 day Namibia South (Desert, Canyon and Ocean) Most requested
  • 10 days
  • Namibia
  • 4 lodges
  • All-inclusive

10 day Namibia South (Desert, Canyon and Ocean)

  • Family
  • Children by arrangement
  • Ballooning
  • Walking
  • 2 nights each at Bagatelle Kalahari Ranch and Fish River Lodge
  • Hike the rim of Fish River Canyon, Africa's largest canyon
  • Track the Namib feral horses from Klein Aus Vista
  • 2 nights at Wolwedans Dune Camp in the NamibRand Nature Reserve
  • Kayak with seals at Pelican Point Lodge, Walvis Bay
  • Self-drive route with rental vehicle included throughout

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 94ย 470

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10-Day Namibian Highlights Tour Most requested
  • 10 days
  • Namibia
  • 5 lodges

10-Day Namibian Highlights Tour

  • Family
  • Children by arrangement
  • Ballooning
  • Overnights at Kalahari Anib, Namib Desert Lodge, The Delight, Damara Mopane and Etosha Safari Camp
  • Climb Big Daddy and walk the camelthorns of Dead Vlei at Sossusvlei
  • Free day in Swakopmund for kayaking, sandboarding or Walvis Bay excursions
  • Twyfelfontein rock engravings, Organ Pipes and a Himba village visit
  • Afternoon and full-day game drives at Etosha's waterholes
  • Guided road tour from Windhoek with vehicle, fuel and English-speaking guide

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 63ย 720

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9 Day Diverse Namibia
  • 9 days
  • Namibia
  • 3 lodges
  • All-inclusive

9 Day Diverse Namibia

  • Family
  • Child friendly
  • Ballooning
  • 2 nights at Kulala Adventurer Camp on the red dunes of Sossusvlei
  • 2 nights at Hansa Hotel in Swakopmund with optional Walvis Bay catamaran cruise
  • 2 nights at Damaraland Camp tracking desert-adapted wildlife near Brandberg Mountain
  • 2 nights at Ongava Tented Camp with game drives in Etosha National Park
  • Sunken waterhole hide at Ongava for close-up wildlife viewing
  • Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Sossusvlei desert

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 113ย 430

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10-Day Romantic Safari Across Southern Africa: Victoria Falls, Delta & Kalahari
  • 10 days
  • 3 lodges
  • All-inclusive

10-Day Romantic Safari Across Southern Africa: Victoria Falls, Delta & Kalahari

  • Family
  • Child friendly
  • 2 nights at Mbano Manor with a guided tour of Victoria Falls
  • 4 nights at Feline Fields Vintage Camp in the Khwai region
  • Game drives, mokoro rides and walking safaris in the Okavango Delta
  • One-hour private helicopter flight over the Delta to the Kalahari
  • 3 nights at Feline Fields Lodge with fat-bike riding and a walk with San Bushmen
  • Private sleep-out under the stars in the Kalahari dunes

Per person, complete package, from

$12,500

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3-Day Tswalu The Motse Fly-In Safari
  • 3 days
  • 1 lodge
  • Fly-in
  • All-inclusive

3-Day Tswalu The Motse Fly-In Safari

  • Children by arrangement
  • Luxury
  • 2 nights at Tswalu The Motse in the Kalahari
  • Private game-viewing vehicle with dedicated guide and tracker
  • Habituated meerkat encounter, nature walks, horse riding and birding
  • Dinner at Klein JAN with Michelin-starred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen
  • Round-trip safari flight from Johannesburg to Tswalu

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 141ย 800

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8-Day Ultra-lux Tengile and Tswalu Fly-In Safari
  • 8 days
  • South Africa
  • 2 lodges
  • Fly-in
  • All-inclusive

8-Day Ultra-lux Tengile and Tswalu Fly-In Safari

  • Family
  • Children by arrangement
  • Honeymoon
  • Big 5
  • Walking
  • 3 nights at andBeyond Tengile River Lodge in the Sabi Sand
  • Overnight at The Saxon Hotel & Spa in Johannesburg
  • 3 nights at Tswalu The Motse in the Kalahari Reserve
  • Habituated meerkat encounter and horse riding across the Kalahari
  • Private vehicle, dedicated guide and tracker, plus dinner at Klein JAN
  • Round-trip flights from Johannesburg and safari charter to Tswalu

Per person, complete package, from

Rย 356ย 560

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Southern African Safaris Guide preview

Brochure

Our Signature Southern Africa Guide

A 14-page guide to the icons of Southern Africa: Kruger, Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta, and Cape Town.

Where to stay

Lodges in Kalahari Desert .

9 lodges across this destination, ordered by what guests pick most. Rates per person sharing, per night.

  1. Bagatelle Kalahari Ranch
    01 Lux

    Bagatelle Kalahari Ranch

    Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch is a peaceful oasis set on the edge of the southern Kalahari. With a blend of luxury and nature, the ranch offers guests a unique desert experience.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    Rย 3ย 840

  2. Tau Pan Camp
    Live availability
    02 Affordable

    Tau Pan Camp

    Tau Pan is the first safari camp to be built in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and is completely solar-powered. The camp sits on an established sand ridge overlooking the Tau Pan waterhole and the endless Kalahari horizon.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    $900

    Current offers

    Honeymoon

    50% discount on accommodation for one adult; complimentary wedding gift at first camp; private dinner at any camp during the stay

  3. !Xaus Lodge
    03

    !Xaus Lodge

    Named 'kaus', this lodge offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to immerse yourself in this distinctive desert landscape. It serves as the perfect accommodation for visitors exploring the wilderness of the Kalahari. Perched atop the 91st dune along the Auob River Road, the lodge boasts individual accommodation units connected by an elevated walkway leading to shared facilities.

  4. Camp Kalahari
    Live availability
    04 Affordable

    Camp Kalahari

    Camp Kalahari is a return to the traditional safari style of the old explorers and is the best way to experience the Makgadikgadi National Park in Botswana. Camp Kalahari is positioned amongst the trees of Brown Hyena island and is one of three camps to occupy this one million acre private wildlife sanctuary. It is the ideal camp for travelers seeking an affordable adventure getaway.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    $1,125

    Current offers

    Honeymoon

    One spouse receives 50% off the nightly accommodation rate at ALL Natural Selection camps in Botswana and ALL camps in Namibia (excludes Shipwreck Lodge and Safari House)

  5. Dinaka Private Game Reserve
    Live availability
    05 Premium

    Dinaka Private Game Reserve

    Dinaka is a 100,000-acre private reserve on the northern edge of the Central Kalahari, home to black-maned lions, cheetah, brown hyena and oryx. Eight thatched tents linked by raised boardwalks overlook a busy waterhole, with underground photographic hides, a sleep-out deck and walks with the San Bushmen setting it apart from delta camps.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    $1,465

  6. Feline Fields Lodge
    06 Affordable

    Feline Fields Lodge

    Feline Fields Lodge sits in a remote corner of Botswana's Kalahari, a private desert retreat where guests divide their days between game drives, horseback rides through the dunes, bushman walks with the San and long afternoons by a saltwater pool. The villas are spacious and family-friendly, the activities flexible and the setting genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    $1,320

  7. Jack's Camp
    Live availability
    07 Premium

    Jack's Camp

    Jackโ€™s Camp is located in the heart of Botswanaโ€™s Kalahari Desert. The Makgadikgadi Pans are unlike anywhere else on this earth with their spectacular vistas, specialized guiding, interactions with habituated meerkats, unique desert wildlife, and authentic safari accommodation.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    $3,495

    Current offers

    Stay & Pay

    Stay a minimum of 6-7 nights at one or a combination of Natural Selection camps in Botswana and/or Namibia and receive a discount off the nightly accommodation rate.

    Honeymoon

    One spouse receives 50% off the nightly accommodation rate

  8. Kalahari Anib Lodge
    08 Premium

    Kalahari Anib Lodge

    Experience the picturesque Kalahari Desert at Kalahari Anib Lodge. Surrounding a tranquil courtyard, 32 standard rooms offer comfort and shade, while an additional 19 comfort rooms provide sweeping views of the Kalahari savannah.

    Per person sharing, per night, from

    Rย 2ย 570

The basics

Why, when, and where.

Why

Explore the mysterious and compelling Kalahari Desert and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The desert area is home to the greatest species diversity in the world and host to Southern Africa's last great zebra & wildebeest migration.

Below are a few tour options and suggestions for a safari to the Kalahari. Need some advice? Our friendly safari experts are on standby to tailor a tour that suits your every need and will assist you with each step of your journey.

Traveller tip: During the rainy season, the two largest pans โ€“ Sowa to the east and Ntwetwe to the west โ€“ flood, during this time flamingo numbers can run into the tens โ€“ and sometimes โ€“ hundreds of thousands, and the spectacle can be completely overwhelming.

When

May - August

The best time to view game is during the drier winter months, during which, a high concentration of game gather around diminishing water holes. Winter is characterized by dry weather, endless blue skies, warm days and freezing nights.
September - October

The days begin to heat up from September to October, while the weather remains dry and the nights cold. These conditions are great for game-viewing.
December - January

Landscapes are transformed during the rainy season of December to early January. The Kalahari Awakens with new life (many antelope give birth during this time) and the emergence of greenery from the mid-summer rains, making this a truly astonishing time to visit (if you can stand a little rainfall).

Where

Nxai Pan National Park: Salt Pans and Grasslands

An accessible park, that unlike the vast salt pans of the South, is a smaller area made up of a mixture of both salt pans and grasslands. In spite of being the smallest of all three parks in the Kalahari, it is home to a high concentration of diverse wildlife. Sightings of elephant, giraffe and jackals are pretty much guaranteed.

Must see: Baineโ€™s Baobabs; a bundle of ancient baobabs jutting out of a salt pan island.

The Colossal Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Being the giant of all three conservation areas; The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a predatorโ€™s paradise owing to the abundance of wildlife that congregate around various waterholes.

Must see: Deception Valley where the luscious grasses attract a bounty of herbivores and their accompanying mammalian predators.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Where the heavens meet Salted Earth

The largest salt pans on earth situated in North-East Botswana; the Makgadikgadi Pans are a rare and beautiful sight for any adventurer. Infinite horizons of blue sky and bare earth make for an other-worldly experience. The Park itself also contains grasslands that offer ample grazing to an abundance of wildlife.

Must see: Kubu Island - an island of granite - considered a sacred site by the indigenous people in the area, arguably one of the most incredible places on earth.

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Imagery

Kalahari Desert , in pictures.

Recent travellers

Word from people who have just been to Kalahari Desert .

Quotes pulled directly from Trustpilot. Where we have specific reviews mentioning Kalahari Desert , those come up first. Otherwise these are recent five-star notes from across the trips we have planned.

"Our travel agent Monica could not have been more helpful, we are very grateful for the effort she made to secure us a Safari at short notice. We are looking forward to travelling to Africa in September. Karen & Clive"
June 2026 ยท Verified on Trustpilot โ†—
"i will have to say i had a pleasant time on my trip, full of fun experiences, that is something that i can say that i can knock out of my bucket list"
June 2026 ยท France ยท Verified on Trustpilot โ†—
"Very easy to book with Safari.com. It looks as though it will be a fantastic trip."
June 2026 ยท United Kingdom ยท Verified on Trustpilot โ†—
"I had an amazing experience working with Monica H. from Safari.com while planning a very special family safari in South Africa. From the very beginning, she was incredibly patient, responsive, and knowledgeable. I initially felt overwhelmed trying to coordinate different lodges, dates, and availability during high season, but she helped me find the perfectโ€ฆ"
June 2026 ยท USA ยท with Monica Havemann ยท Verified on Trustpilot โ†—

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