Safety in Botswana: what overland travellers should know
Our summary of the country advice published by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Viaggiare Sicuri) on 19 March 2025.
Safety
- Crime — No particular security problems have been recorded in the towns or along the main roads. Take the normal precautions against petty crime, and be careful moving around at night, staying out of the poorer districts.
- Desert areas — Desert covers most of the country. The ministry asks you not to venture into it without proper equipment and specialised guides.
- Rainy season and flooding — The rains run from November to March, with heavy downpours and a risk of flash floods that can make road conditions dangerous countrywide. Flooding can also block border crossings, which may close at short notice.
- Okavango tracks — If you are going into the Okavango Delta by 4x4, check with the Botswana tourism board each time whether the tracks are passable. In some parts of the year heavy rain leaves the routes barely usable.
- Remote areas — Carry a satellite phone or radio for trips into isolated areas.
Before you rely on this
This is our summary of advice written by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Italian travellers, published on 19 March 2025. We summarise in good faith, but we cannot guarantee it is accurate, current or complete, and we take no responsibility for decisions made on the basis of it. Rules change without notice and are applied by officials at the border, not by websites. Always read the original source and the travel advice your own government publishes for Botswana before you travel. GuideMeet has no way of checking whether an individual guide meets any standard mentioned here — ask them directly.
Source: Viaggiare Sicuri — Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated 19 March 2025. Last checked by GuideMeet on 2026-09-20.