Gaborone City Tour: Half-Day Local Guide & Stories

Three hours moving through Gaborone with a guide who tells the city's story, not just its sights.

A half-day Gaborone city tour led by a local guide in English, with hotel pickup and bottled water, that moves through the Main Mall, the visual arts center, and neighborhoods that built the capital. The guide shares Botswana's history and the lives of its people, and you can request stops or interests to be worked in at no extra charge. Optional jewelry-making or painting classes are available for groups of three or more.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Gaborone city and culture

• Learn Botswana history with guide
• Visit Botswana's first mall
• Meet locals and taste indigenous fruit
• Drive past cattle cultural sites
• View artwork and meet artists
• Drive through Tlokweng village
• Drive through Botswana's only township

The experience

The tour runs three hours and starts with your hotel pickup. Your guide walks you through the stages of history that took Botswana from a handful of tribes to a prosperous nation, then moves to the Main Mall: the country's first mall, now a collection of vendors and supermarkets where you can meet locals, buy local ornaments, and taste indigenous fruit if it's in season. The guide explains how cattle and livestock shaped the culture and built the first university, then takes you to the visual arts center to view artwork and meet the artists working there.

You'll also see an old dugout fort, Gaborone's first prison and first post office, all in the same area. The tour drives through Tlokweng, the modern village where the Batlokwa tribe now lives. The people the capital is named after. You'll pass through the only township in Botswana, which provided the labor that built the city and still runs it. The guide is not a narrator reading facts. They share their own lives and the lives of their people, and they'll work your interests into the route if you ask.

Optional jewelry-making or painting classes can be added during the tour for group bookings of three or more people. Message ahead to arrange this. Bottled water is included throughout.

What’s included

• Local English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• bottled water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (21 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 90 years) · Youth (12 to 20 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Heritage Adventures

Is this one for you?The tour moves around the city with stops rather than a single stationary experience, so you'll be walking between the Main Mall, the arts center, and the neighborhoods. Wear comfortable shoes and expect to be on your feet for stretches of the three hours.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 20 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Main Mall in Gaborone and what can I do there?

The Main Mall is Botswana's first shopping mall, now a thriving collection of vendors and supermarkets. You'll have the chance to meet locals, buy local ornaments, and taste indigenous fruit if it's in season.

Will the guide take me to places I'm interested in, or is the route fixed?

The route has set stops, but the guide will try to work in your interests at no extra charge if you share them. Just let them know what you'd like to see or learn about.

Can I take a jewelry-making or painting class during the tour?

Yes, jewelry-making or painting classes are available as optional add-ons for group bookings of three or more people. Message the operator in advance to arrange this.

What does the tour explain about cattle and livestock in Botswana?

The guide shares how cattle and other livestock played a big part in Botswana's culture and how contributions of livestock helped the people build their first university.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Bottled water is also provided throughout the three hours.