GaboroneCapital
Botswana · Country profile
Gaborone is the brisk, modern capital of Botswana, a clean low-rise city of broad avenues and green parks that grew into the republic’s seat of government in the years of independence and became one of the fastest-growing capitals of the continent. Alongside the ministries and the towers of the diamond and the finance houses lies a genuinely pleasant city of shopping malls, craft markets and wildlife at the doorstep, with a reservoir and a national park within the boundary of the town. It is the secure, ordered heart of one of the most peaceful and prosperous democracies of Africa, and its calm optimism, its wide skies and its friendly streets give it the character of a frontier success story. Most visitors pass through, but the capital rewards the stay.
About Gaborone
Gaborone is the capital of Botswana. The city's documented population is around 246,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Pula (BWP) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +267.
The Clean Capital and the Kopjes of the Plains
Gaborone is a clean, safe and rigorously planned capital where the main attractions are the museums, the craft markets and the easy day-trips into the surrounding bush. The national museum and the main mall of the centre cover the first days, while the Gaborone dam, with its birdlife and its sundowners, and the Mokolodi reserve with its cheetahs give the wildlife within a stone’s throw of the town. The true treasures of the country, the Okavango Delta, the Chobe river and the kalahari lodges, start from the capital’s airport, and the car hire of the city steers the wider circuit. It is a working city rather than a tourist showpiece, but it is comfortable, reliable and endlessly welcoming.
The Cool Winters, the Hot Summers and the Weekend Craft Fairs
The climate is dry and sunny with the warm days all year and the cool, crystal nights of the winter months, while the short rainy season of the southern spring and the early summer turns the bush green. The pula is the currency, the Setswana and the English the languages, and the car of the city is the sensible way to reach the game reserves and the villages of the region. The museum, the craft market and the parks of the capital fill the shorter stays, and the longer visit opens the delta and the north of the country. The sun protection, the water bottle and the modest smart-casual dress complete the practical list of the city.
The Museum, the Dam and the Cheetah Reserve of the Boundary
The national museum of the capital, with its ethnographic collections of the peoples of the country and the bird dioramas of the Kalahari, anchors the cultural half-day of the town, while the nearby craft market of the centre sells the baskets, the carvings and the beadwork of the nations. The parliament building and the cabinet square of the government quarter stand at the heart of the city, and the monument of the three chiefs of the history of the country commemorates the leaders of the modern nation. The dam of the capital and the lodge of the Mokolodi reserve, ten minutes from the centre, give the first taste of the wild, and the red soils and the acacia of the surrounding plain complete the picture of this sunny, ordered city.
Report an error or suggest an update
- Country
- Botswana
- Population
- 246,000
- Capital
- Gaborone
- Region
- Africa
- Currency
- Pula (BWP)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +267
- Country code
- BW
Entry requirements for Botswana
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Botswana for tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gaborone the capital of Botswana?
Yes — Gaborone is the capital of Botswana.
What currency do I need in Gaborone?
The local currency is the Pula (BWP). Languages spoken in Botswana include English.
What is the dialling code for Botswana?
The international dialling code for Botswana is +267.
Do I need a visa to visit Botswana?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Botswana visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of Gaborone? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.