When Gaborone was laid out as the capital-to-be in the early 1960s, the planners drew a simple axis: government at one end, the town hall at the other, and a pedestrian street of shops between them. That street is Main Mall, and for all the glass towers that have risen in the new CBD, it is still where the city feels most itself — office workers queueing for lunch, vendors selling phone airtime and fat cakes, and craft sellers laying out baskets and carvings on the paving.
At the western end sit Parliament and the Government Enclave; at the eastern end, around the Civic Centre, are the National Museum and Art Gallery. The whole stretch is barely a kilometre and can be walked in a morning.
Top things to do: National Museum & Main Mall
Stroll Main Mall
Start at the Parliament end and walk east. The craft stalls are concentrated in the middle section — good for baskets, wood carvings, beadwork and leather sandals, with gentle bargaining expected. The first-floor terrace of the Cresta President Hotel is the classic place to stop for tea and watch the mall below.
See Parliament and the Government Enclave
The National Assembly building, with its row of white arches, stands in gardens at the head of the mall. In front is the bronze statue of Sir Seretse Khama, first president of Botswana, and a memorial to Batswana who died in the world wars. The ministries around it form the Government Enclave. Visits inside Parliament are sometimes possible by prior arrangement.
Visit the National Museum and Art Gallery
Opened in 1968, the museum covers the natural history, archaeology and cultures of Botswana, with traditional houses in the grounds and an art gallery showing Botswana and regional work. It has been through long periods of renovation — check that the galleries are open before making a special trip.
Drop in at Thapong Visual Arts Centre
A few minutes’ drive away in the old Village district, Thapong occupies a colonial-era house and outbuildings converted into studios. You can meet painters, sculptors and jewellers at work and buy directly; entry to the gallery is normally free.
How to get to National Museum & Main Mall
- Location: the old city centre, east of the railway. Main Mall runs between Khama Crescent (Parliament) and Independence Avenue (Civic Centre and museum).
- By combi or taxi: the main bus and combi rank at the Station is about a 10-minute walk west; taxis wait around the mall.
- Parking: pay-and-display and guarded parking around the mall on weekdays; it is much quieter on Saturday afternoons and Sundays, when many stalls also close.
Insider tips
- Weekday mornings are liveliest. Many shops shut by 1 pm on Saturday and all day Sunday.
- Keep your phone and wallet out of sight, as you would in any busy city centre.
- Carry small pula notes for the stalls; few vendors take cards.
- For a wider, fixed-price craft selection, go on to Botswanacraft and the craft trail.
Best tours: National Museum & Main Mall
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see National Museum & Main Mall:
Private city tour from €102 Gaborone: 3-Hour Historical City Tour
The most-reviewed tour in Gaborone and the best first morning in the city. A local guide drives you between the capital’s landmarks — the Three Dikgosi Monument, Parliament, Main Mall and the older neighbourhoods — explaining how a village by the Notwane River became the “diamond city” in sixty years, with a few traditional snacks to try on the way.
- Three Dikgosi Monument and the new CBD
- Parliament, the Government Enclave and Main Mall
- Tastes of local food along the way
Private city tour from €76 Gaborone: Private Historical City Tour
A longer, slower version of the city tour: six hours with a private guide, covering the Government Enclave, the Three Dikgosi Monument and the neighbourhoods in between, with stops to taste traditional food. At the listed starting price it is the cheapest way to have a guide to yourself for most of a day.
- Government Enclave and Three Dikgosi Monument
- Traditional food tasting and light snacks
- Private guide and vehicle
Literary tour from €111 No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Literary Tour: Gaborone
Alexander McCall Smith’s novels have sent more visitors to Gaborone than any advertising campaign. This guided tour follows Mma Ramotswe around town — her house on Zebra Drive, Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, the foot of Kgale Hill — and shows how closely the books follow the real city. Perfect scores so far, from a small number of reviews.
- Zebra Drive, Tlokweng Road and Kgale Hill
- The Gaborone of Mma Precious Ramotswe
- Bush tea and stories from the books
City tour + food from €178 Gaborone: City Tour with Game Drive and Tswana Cuisine
Similar ground to the classic game-drive-and-city combination, with one important addition: a proper Tswana meal — typically seswaa (slow-cooked pounded beef) with bogobe or pap and morogo. A newer listing with only a handful of reviews so far, all of them excellent.
- National Museum area and the Three Chiefs monument
- Game drive in the Gaborone Game Reserve
- A traditional Tswana meal
