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Three Chiefs Monument, Botswana - Things to Do in Three Chiefs Monument

Things to Do in Three Chiefs Monument

Three Chiefs Monument, Botswana - Complete Travel Guide

Three Chiefs Monument rises from a low hill just north of Gaborone's sprawl, three bronze figures frozen mid-stride against a sky that feels impossibly wide. You'll smell dust and wild sage on the wind before you see them - the founding leaders of Botswana who seem to be walking toward the capital they've never known. The monument's setting gives you that strange Botswana contrast: antelope sometimes graze the surrounding grassland while taxis honk on the nearby highway. Early morning visits reward you with cool air and the sound of weaverbirds nesting in the acacias. By midday the metal absorbs heat and radiates it back, so you'll feel the difference between shade and sun like a physical push. The site draws school groups in neat uniforms, taxi drivers on lunch break, and the occasional tourist who've figured out this is where Gaborone comes to remember itself.

Top Things to Do in Three Chiefs Monument

Circle the bronzes at dawn

Arrive just after gate-opening and you'll catch the three chiefs back-lit in peach-colored light, their shadows stretching long across red earth. The only sounds tend to be your own footsteps crunching gravel and, if you're lucky, the distant clank of a cattle bell from the nearby village.

Booking Tip: The gate opens at 6 am sharp; there's no ticket booth, just a guard with a clipboard - bring exact change in pula coins to avoid fumbling in the half-light.

Read the stone plaques in Setswana and English

Each chief faces his own granite block engraved with a concise history you can read in under five minutes - surprisingly moving given how little text it takes to explain nation-building. Touch the chiseled letters and you'll feel the sharp edges where local stone masons cut against the grain.

Booking Tip: Worth bringing a small notebook. The wording is so spare that visitors often copy their favorite lines for later reflection.

Climb the adjacent koppie for capital views

A faint footpath winds up the granite behind the statues. From the top Gaborone's skyline looks like a child's building-block set against the Kgale hills. You'll hear the city before you see it - radio bass from passing minibuses drifts up, mixed with the mechanical chirp of sprinkler systems watering roadside grass.

Booking Tip: Wear shoes with grip. The granite can be slick after overnight dew, and the wind up top is stronger than you'd expect.

Share bench space with history teachers

Local schools use the monument for impromptu civics classes. Sit on one of the concrete benches and you'll likely be invited to listen in. Kids recite the chiefs' names in sing-song Setswana while the teacher points at each statue - unexpected free tour with youthful energy.

Booking Tip: Mid-morning on weekdays is when classes arrive. Hang back respectfully until invited closer - teachers appreciate the curiosity.

Catch the long-shadow golden hour

Return an hour before sunset and the three chiefs glow amber, their bronze muscles catching sideways light that makes the metal look almost soft. Photographers love this slot because the surrounding grass turns flax-gold and crickets start their electric buzz.

Booking Tip: Security doesn't rush you out. But the gate closes at 6:30 pm - aim to leave by 6:15 so the guard can lock up and still catch his combi home.

Getting There

Fly into Sir Seretse Khama International Airport, then hop into a blue-and-yellow combi taxi heading toward the Main Mall. Tell the driver 'Three Chiefs' and you'll be dropped at the T-junction of A1 and the road up to the monument - it's a 15-minute ride that should cost about the same as a city beer. Self-drivers from the airport take the A1 north, pass Game City mall on your left, and watch for a small brown sign just before the Kgale junction. Tar ends at the parking circle. Coming from downtown Gaborone, any taxi along Khama Crescent will get you there in under ten minutes, though you might share the ride with nurses heading to the nearby hospital.

Getting Around

Once you're on the monument grounds everything is walkable. The entire hilltop loops in under fifteen minutes at a strolling pace. If you're combining with other city sights, flag down a passing combi along the main road - fares within Greater Gaborone stay cheap enough that locals pay with coins. Uber-type apps exist but coverage is patchy this far from the mall. Better to negotiate a return pickup time with your original taxi driver and tip him for waiting. Cycling out here is doable if you don't mind sharing the shoulder with cattle trucks. Bike rental shops cluster near the University of Botswana and usually ask for student ID as deposit.

Where to Stay

Government Enclave - quiet after 5 pm, walking distance to National Museum

Main Mall area - busy by day, safe evening strolling, best combi links

Village district - leafy streets, embassies, mid-range guesthouses

Broadhurst - local eateries, less touristy, decent value

Gaborone North - newer hotels near Game City, short hop to monument

Block 8 - residential vibe, Airbnb rooms in family homes

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Food & Dining

After your visit you're unlikely to find food at the monument itself, so head back toward the city: on Kgale Junction's traffic circle the roadside stall sells spicy seswaa vetkoek that locals swear cures afternoon slump. Closer to the mall, Main Deck restaurant on Independence Avenue does a grilled barbel (catfish) plate with sadza cheaper than most hotel breakfasts. The terrace overlooks parking-lot acacias where hornbills argue overhead. For a splurge, drive ten minutes to the Village's African Mall restaurant - they serve slow-cooked mokoto (trotter stew) in a candle-lit garden that feels miles away from downtown engine noise.

When to Visit

Botswana's dry season (May-August) delivers crisp air and unobstructed sunrise views behind the chiefs, but you'll share the site with school buses. Arrive before 8 am or after 3 pm to avoid class trips. November's first rains wash the dust away and turn the surrounding grass electric green, though afternoon storms can roll in fast - check the horizon for anvil clouds before you set out. December-January school holidays mean fewer local visitors but hotter midday bronze. The metal can sting bare skin if you touch it after lunch.

Insider Tips

Bring a wide-brim hat; the hilltop offers zero shade and the sun reflects off the bronze, doubling exposure.
Ask the guard to point out the faint hoof prints fossilised in the granite near the base - leftover from the 1966 independence celebration when cattle wandered across wet cement.
Combine with the adjacent National Museum on the same morning. The monument gives you the heroic version of Botswana's story, the museum fills in the nuance.

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