The story of a place
Rock paintings within an isolated group of desert hills.
Tsodilo's paintings connect the hills with long histories of human presence, belief and movement. Their meaning cannot be reduced to a single explanation or a collection of decorative motifs.
The landscape is important to local communities. A guided visit should respect both conservation requirements and the limits of what is appropriate to discuss or photograph.
The essential experience
Make time for this.
Follow an authorised route with a knowledgeable local guide who can explain the paintings' contexts.
Explore the highlights
Look a little closer.
Look for painted rock surfaces among Tsodilo’s isolated desert hills.
Pigment traces
Look without touching or wetting the rock.
Shelter positions
Notice how images relate to surfaces and approaches.
Hill forms
The surrounding landscape contributes to the site's significance.
For the curious reader
History, landscape
and context.
It gained its WHS listing in 2001 because of its unique religious and spiritual significance to local peoples, as well as its unique record of human settlement over many millennia. UNESCO estimates there are over 4500 rock paintings at the site. The site consists of a few main hills known as the Child Hill, Female Hill, and Male Hill. There are four chief hills. The highest is 1,400 metres AMSL, one of the highest points in Botswana. The four hills are commonly described as the "Male" (the highest), "Female", "Child", plus an unnamed knoll. They are about 40 km from Shakawe and can be reached via a good graded dirt road.
Background reading: an abridged extract from Tsodilo, by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Paragraphs have been selected and shortened for this guide. Retrieved 22 September 2026. Source revision ↗.
Turn curiosity into a visit
Plan your visit.
- Physical demands
- Heat, rocky paths and some climbing depending on the route.
- The practical detail
- Never enhance a faint painting with water, chalk or digital claims of certainty.
Before you set off.
Your ticks stay in this browser.Through the seasons
A place in the world
Find your bearings.
Select the pin to open a detailed map. Use Closer look to see the surrounding region. Drag to move a zoomed map.
Map: Natural EarthA closer view.
Load the local map to explore the surrounding area. Map tiles require an internet connection.
- 1Tsodilo HillsOpen directions ↗ · Location reference ↗
A sense of place
In pictures.
Keep looking.
10 photographs, with full-size views and individual credits.
Go a little further
Sources & further reading.
The UNESCO link names the specific inscribed property. A broad entry in this project can extend beyond that property’s boundaries.
.jpg){kind=link}