Tsodilo Hills
Botswana · North-West District · 1000 m
Description
Tsodilo Hills is Botswana's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, a group of quartzite inselbergs rising from the edge of the Kalahari Desert in the remote far northwest, close to the Namibian border. Known as the Male, Female, Child, and North Hills, the site holds more than 4,000 individual rock paintings across some 400 panels, one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, earning it the nickname the Louvre of the Desert. The paintings, made by San ancestors over thousands of years, depict animals, human figures, and geometric symbols across a landscape still considered sacred by local San and Hambukushu communities. Guided walking trails such as the Rhino, Lion, and Cliff Trails lead past the finest panels and up to sweeping viewpoints over the surrounding desert.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Rock art panels of the Male and Female Hills (UNESCO)
- Rhino Trail
- Lion Trail
- Cliff Trail viewpoints
- White Rhino rock painting
- Tsodilo Community Museum
- San and Hambukushu guided cultural walks
- Child Hill and North Hill trails
- Kalahari desert panorama from the hilltops
- Tsodilo stargazing