Tourist Places to Visit in Francistown, Botswana, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Francistown, Botswana, Africa

Francistown is the 2^nd largest city of the African country, Botswana, situated around 430 km northeast of the largest city and the national capital, Gaborone. Lying at the meeting point of the rivers of Tati and Inchwe, Francistown is located around 90 km away from the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Tachila is a newly established famous nature reserve around 5 km away from the city of Francistown and the city itself houses many renowned cultural centres including the Supa Ngwao Museum. Francistown is geographically positioned between 21°10′25″ S latitude and 27°30′45″ E longitude, around 1,000 meters above sea level.

History of Francistown:

According to the archaeological history, Francistown was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago. The modern Francistown was founded in the year 1897 in the vicinity of the mine Monarch Mine. Francistown got its name from the English prospector, Daniel Francis.

Conenctivity to Francistown:

Francistown houses a modern airport with flight services from Gaborone and Johannesburg, served by Air Botswana. The airport is located around 2 km away from the city centre.

Francistown is connected by bus to all the major cites of Botswana including the national capital, Gaborone from which it takes around 5-7 hours.

The railway connection of Francistown is only limited to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, not to any domestic destinations.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Francistown:

Supa Ngwao Museum is the focal point of the Francistown’s culture, housing a wide collection of artifacts and artworks displaying the local culture, history and tradition.

Francistown houses both modern and traditional shops all around the city and the two famous supermarkets in the city are Pick & Pay and Shoprite.

Some tourist favor restaurants in Francistown are listed below:

Thorn Tree
Spurs
Merilicious
Barbara’s Bistro

Things to do in Francistown:

Shopping
Visiting nature reserve
City tours
Walking

Tourist places in Francistown:

Supa Ngwao Museum:

The Supa Ngwao Museum describes the history of the city of Francistown and Botswana with a great collection of artifacts and other well preserved objects. The museum also showcases the culture of the Kalanga people and is located on the New Maun Road.

Tachila Nature Reserve:

Covering around 8200 hectares of land, the Tachila Nature Reserve is located few kilometers away from the heart of the city. Other than natural habitat, one can also enjoy game drives at the park.

Domboshaba ruins:

The Domboshaba ruins are situated near the town of Musunga, around 50km away from Francistown. These are associated to the Bakalanga tribe of Botswana. There is a lode with restaurant near the ruins. Entry is free.

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert:

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert is one of the religious identities of Francistown frequented by devotees throughout the year. Its distinct construction is famous among visitors.

Jamea Masjid:

The Jamea Masjid is a mosque deserved for the Muslim population in the city. It is at Town Center Residencies, few hundred meters away from the heart of the city.

List of the other attractive places in Francistown include:

Francistown Stadium
Francistown Bus terminal
Francistown Airport
Gojwane
Robelela
Mathangwane
Semitwe
Tswapong Hills
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Botswana National Museum
Lion Park Resort
Chobe National Park
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Gaborone Dam

Ideal time to visit Francistown:

The best time to visit Francistown is from September to February.

Where to stay in Francistown?

Francistown is a city with many specialties receiving a large group of tourists year round and in order to serve them, the city houses more than 15 modernized accommodation centres with upgraded facilities and services. The prominent hotels in Francistown are as follows: