Mokolodi is the reason you can see a rhino on a business trip to Gaborone. The reserve covers several thousand hectares of rocky hills and acacia bushveld about 15 km south of the city centre, just off the A1 towards Lobatse. It was set up in 1994 on donated farmland by the Mokolodi Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit trust, with two aims that still drive it: conservation, and environmental education for Botswana’s schoolchildren. Every visit helps pay for both.
Animals were reintroduced over the years and now include southern white rhino, giraffe, zebra, blue wildebeest, kudu, eland, impala, gemsbok, warthog and hippo, with leopard and brown hyena present but rarely seen. There are no lions or elephants, which is exactly what makes walking activities possible. It is not the Okavango — but as an introduction to the bush, an hour after leaving your hotel, it is hard to beat.
Top things to do: Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Take a guided game drive
Two-hour drives in open vehicles leave in the morning and afternoon and cover the reserve’s valleys and dams. Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and antelope are near-certain; rhino sightings are common but never guaranteed. Tours such as the Around Gaborone Adventure include the drive with transport from town.
Track rhino on foot
Mokolodi’s signature activity. A guide drives you to the area where the rhinos were last seen, then you follow their tracks on foot until you are standing — quietly, downwind — within sight of a two-tonne animal. Giraffe tracking works the same way and suits families. Both must be booked ahead with the reserve and have minimum ages; check current rules.
Go out after dark
Night drives with a spotlight look for the animals you will not see by day: springhare, genet, bushbaby, porcupine and, with luck, brown hyena. Evening drives are often combined with a bush braai (barbecue) under the stars.
Eat, stay, or bring the children
The thatched restaurant near the entrance is a pleasant lunch stop even if you do nothing else. There is a reptile park and an education centre, and you can sleep in self-catering chalets overlooking a waterhole or at the campsite — see where to stay.
How to get to Mokolodi Nature Reserve
- By car: follow the A1 south towards Lobatse for about 12 km from Game City, then turn right at the signposted Mokolodi turn-off. The last few kilometres are gravel but fine for an ordinary car. Allow 20–30 minutes from the centre.
- By taxi: agree a return fare and a pick-up time before you set off, as there are no taxis waiting at the reserve. Ride-hailing drivers may be reluctant to wait.
- On a tour: the simplest option without a car. Several Gaborone day tours combine Mokolodi with the city sights.
Insider tips
- Book game drives and tracking activities in advance, especially at weekends and during South African and Botswana school holidays.
- Early morning and late afternoon are best for both wildlife and light; midday in summer is very hot and the animals lie up in the shade.
- Wear closed shoes and neutral colours for tracking, and carry water, a hat and sunscreen. In winter (June–August) early drives are genuinely cold — bring a warm jacket.
- Prices and activity schedules change; confirm them directly with the reserve before you go.
Best tours: Mokolodi Nature Reserve
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Mokolodi Nature Reserve:
Full-day tour from €258 Around Gaborone Adventure
The full-day sampler: the Three Dikgosi Monument and the city in the morning, a game drive in Mokolodi Nature Reserve — the hilly private reserve south of town known for giraffe, zebra and white rhino — and a cruise to look for crocodiles. It is the most complete single day you can book in Gaborone.
- Game drive in Mokolodi Nature Reserve
- Three Dikgosi Monument and city highlights
- Boat cruise to look for crocodiles
Two-day tour from €184 2-Day City Tour, Safari Game Drive & Boat Cruise
Two guided days that cover nearly everything in this guide: the city, the Gaborone Game Reserve and Old Naledi on day one, then Mokolodi Nature Reserve and a boat cruise on day two. Accommodation is not part of the tour, so you keep your own hotel — and the price per day is the best value among the longer options.
- Gaborone Game Reserve and the National Museum area
- Old Naledi, the city’s oldest township
- Mokolodi Nature Reserve and a boat cruise
Game drive + city tour from €105 Safari Game Drive and Gaborone City Tour
Gaborone is one of the few capitals with a game reserve inside the city. This tour pairs a guided drive through it — expect zebra, wildebeest, kudu, impala, warthog and plenty of birds — with the main sights of the capital, so you get wildlife and history in a single six-hour outing at a fair price.
- Guided drive in the Gaborone Game Reserve
- Zebra, wildebeest, antelope and ostrich inside the city limits
- City landmarks on the same outing
