10 Things to Do Outside Gaborone
Published: 16 April 2026
Covering what there’s to do within Gaborone on this article, we are here to talk about things to do OUTSIDE of Gabs in this list, and there’s quite something out there. Gaborone is surrounded by beautiful nature and villages, filled with various activities and cool things to try out and experience. We cover natural places like hill hikes and water bodies, animals that range from snakes and crocodiles, all the way to your game drive sightings, and got other great experiences and insider tips in store.
Fyi: This one being the list of things to DO, you’ll soon see a post of ours about 10 Things to See Outside Gaborone – similarly to the list of 10 Things to Do in Gaborone.
Things to Do:
Gabane Pottery
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Madison Square Snake Park
Mogobane Dam
Crocodile Pools
Lion Park
Hiking a Hill
Going for a Roadtrip
Visit a Game Lodge
Khutse Game Reserve
BONUS
Gabane Pottery
Just a few kilometers outside of Gaborone is Gabane, a pretty village on the foot of the hills and home to the Gabane Pottery. They host great events there to craft your own cups or pots, sometimes with a theme or a glass of wine, but they’re also open for day visitors and have a little shop and a nice venue to stop by.
Explorer’s note: A great place for a birthday or corporate event, supporting local and catering for a special experience!
Price: Free
Location: Google Maps (in Gabane)
Socials: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
Contact: +267 394 7650
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 8:00 – 15:30
Sat: 9:00 – 14:00
Sun: closed
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
The Mokolodi Nature Reserve a few minutes outside of Gaborone is full of activities and things to do! From safari drives, rhino tracking, hiking and cycling in the park, all the way to their amazing Bush Kitchen Restaurant or even to spend a night out there, Mokolodi is always a great destination for a day away.
Explorer’s note: They have annual memberships for p650 where you can visit entry-fee free all year and even bring a friend along!
Prices: P150 per adult, P75 per child, (P650 per year)
Location: Google Maps (in Mokolodi)
Socials: Facebook, Instagram
Website: www.mokolodi.co.bw
Contact: +267 71 32 1021 / +267 72 331 021 (WhatsApp) / +267 316 1955
Opening hours:
Park:
Mon – Sun: 7:00 – 18:00
Bush Kitchen:
Mon – Thu: 11:30 – 20:00
Fri: 11:30 – 21:00
Sat: 10:30 – 21:00
Sun: 10:30 – 14:30
Madison Square Snake Park
Close to the Mokolodi Nature Reserve, and as well in the Mokolodi area is the reptile place Madison Square from Snake Relocation Gaborone. At their facilities they host 6 of the most venomous snakes of Botswana and many others to look at and learn about. They provide guided tours and learning sessions that are available by booking or by passing by their pub Snake Pit next door and ask for a tour of the park.
Explorer’s note: The Snake Pit is also great to watch sports on the screen and they even have cabins to rent for the night.
Prices: P60 for adults, P30 for kids
Location: Google Maps (in Mokolodi)
Socials: Facility: Facebook, Instagram / Pub: Facebook
Website: www.snakerelocationgaborone.co.bw
Contact: +267 71 926 867 / +267 72 141 278
Opening hours:
Tue – Sun: 10:00 – 17:00
Mon: closed
Mogobane Dam
Mogobane is some 45 minutes south of Gaborone and is a popular weekend destination for Gaboroneans. The dam is a great picnic and braai location and there is a company offering boat rides on the waters with the scenic Otse hill backdrop.
Explorer’s note: Check in with Boats and Floats Mogobane to see if they’re around on the weekend and if the water levels are fine for boating. Otherwise, just pack your campchairs and coolerboxes and enjoy the shores for a nice picnic.
Price: Free
Location: Picnic area: Google Maps / Boats and Floats: Google Maps
Socials: Facebook, TikTok (Boats and Floats)
Contact: +267 75 798 145 (Boats and Floats)
Opening hours:
Fri: 14:00 – 19:00
Sat & Sun: 12:30 – 19:00
Crocodile Pools
A Gabs favorite is a short trip out to Crocodile Pools Resort and hop on one of their boat cruises on the upper end of the Gaborone Dam. Apart from being a resort with lodging and a beautiful restaurant overlooking the waters, they offer 1.5h boat rides starting every two hours from 9am up to their 5pm sunset cruise. For p265 for the regular ones and p320 for the sunset cruise per adult you can enjoy a lovely ride along the Botswana/South Africa border spotting crocodiles and a lot of beautiful birds.
Explorer’s note: Though worth the trip for a boat ride, we recommend combining it with a drink or meal at the restaurant or even a night spent out on the serene location or even make it a group trip (see their offerings)
Price: P265pp/P320pp for 1.5hr boat cruise
Location: Google Maps
Socials: Facebook
Website: www.riversafarisbotswana.com
Contact: +267 76 629 575
Opening hours:
Cruises offered daily at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00
Lion Park
The Lion Park Resort is mainly known for its amusement and water park, even though it actually hosts lions that are to be admired. Commonly popular as a great spot for family outings with its pools, water slides, carousels, a train and even a roller coaster, the Lion Park is also home to a few lions in an enclosure that can be separately visited. Just south of the city, it’s a unique place for kids and adults to enjoy.
Explorer’s note: You’ll be surprised how fun such a location can be for adults! Lions, pools, a restaurant and bar, and even a DJ every now and then.
Prices: P95/P90 for full entrance, P75 for lion viewing, P30 for rollercoaster
Location: Google Maps
Socials: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
Website: www.lionpark.co.bw
Contact: +267 396 0575 / +267 73 292 969
Opening hours:
Thu: 11:00 – 17:00
Fri & Sat: 11:00 – 22:00
Sun: 11:00 – 18:00
Hiking a Hill
We mentioned hiking Kgale Hill as a top thing to do within Gabs, but beyond the most famous hill there are a few other options to consider, including Oodi Hill north of the city, the smaller Tlokweng Hill with far reaching city views, or more distant ones like Otse Hill or one of the gorge hikes. Oodi Hill is quite popular and you’ll find it to be frequented by Oodi folks, Tlokweng Hill is rather deserted but equally nice of a walk up. Further-away hikes might require a bit more planning and guidance (we promise to post on that soon!).
Explorer’s note: When planning a hike on the map, we recommend looking for network or water utility infrastructure and roads which are common on many hills (like Tlokweng or Oodi Hill), while the ones without are often more difficult to navigate through (eg Modipane Hill) and sometimes regarded sacred.
Prices: Free
Location: Kgale Hill: Google Maps, Oodi Hill: Google Maps, Tlokweng Hill: Google Maps
View from Tlokweng Hill with Modipane Hill in the distance
Going for a Roadtrip
We call it the Triangle, the hilly region between the three towns of Gaborone, Kanye and Lobatse make for a great area for casual roadtrips with worthy stopovers inbetween. Lobatse being the pre-independence capital of the protectorate and Kanye marking a significant cultural and commercial town, or more of a large village, both are worth a stopover and everything that lies between those two and Gabs comes with scenic roads and hills, little taverns and gardens to stop at, and hikes, sights and things to do and see. We recommend sights like Mmankgodi Sands and the Manyana Rock Paintings, a coffee and meal at AraBella Café in Lobatse, the small Otse dam, the marked viewpoint on the new road between Moshupa and Kanye, and Mogobane and Mokolodi which are highlighted in this list.
Explorer’s note: There are a number of road developments currently underway, some of which are already to drive (depending on the car you have) like the scenic link between Moshupa and Manyana.
Location: Lobatse: Google Maps, Kanye: Google Maps
Road between Ntlhanthlhe and Ranaka
Visit a Game Lodge
Beyond Lobatse, there are two game lodges worth looking at and considering for a fun experience on a weekend or day away. Big Valley Game Lodge and Manong Game Lodge both offer a great variety of activities like game drives, horse riding, quad biking, paddle boating, and even paint ball. They both offer night stays, packages and holiday offerings, so it’s always great to catch up on their socials.
Explorer’s note: We find Big Valley to be a bit more adventurous with lots of activities to choose from, while Manong is more of the serene option to relax at.
Location: Big Valley: Google Maps, Manong: Google Maps
Socials: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok (Big Valley)
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok (Manong)
Contact: Big Valley: +267 535 0103 / +267 77 073 352, Manong: +267 533 0155 / +267 74 741 590
Opening hours:
Open 24/7 (Hotels)
Activities during daylight hours
Khutse Game Reserve
For a proper Botswana-level safari experience as close to Gaborone as possible, Khutse is the best one to look at before heading further north in the country (or over to SA). At the game reserve, you’ll easily spot a number of antelopes, even wildebeest, and with a bit of luck or proper guidance there are lions, leopards, giraffes and cheetahs to be found as well. Just south of the CKGR, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the 2500km2 Khutse Reserve is a great place to visit for a bush experience for a day or two.
Explorer’s note: When heading out to Khutse, make sure to bring everything needed along to be self-sufficient. There are campsites but they mostly don’t have water or electricity, and could maximally offer basic waterless toilet facilities.
Location: Google Maps
Website: www.botswanatourism.co.bw
Contact: unknown
Opening hours:
Winter: 6:00 – 18:00 daily
Summer: 5:30 – 19:30 daily
BONUS: Highest Point of Botswana
Circling back to the hiking portion, there’s actually a debate going on on whether Otse Hill or Manalanong Hill is the highest peak of the country. Both possibly just meters within the same elevation, for long it was believed that Otse Hill might the highest peak, but recent data indicates that Manalanong Hill could actually make the top with 2 meters more on the measure tape. According to www.countryhighpoints.com Otse Hill tops out at about 1490 meters above sea level, while Manalanong Hill comes out at 1492m. So if you want to stand on top of the country, give Manalanong Hill a try, or hike Otse Hill for an equally great feeling and views.
Explorer’s note: If you’re looking for more storytime, find out more about 'Lentswe la Baratani' online – just next to Otse Hill ;)