When to Go To Botswana on Safari?

Wetlands of the Okavango
The Okavango Delta is a labyrinth of waterways linking secret lagoons and marshlands, where hippo splash in the water and elephants drink at the shallows. Boat trips take you to inaccessible locations and hidden islands for a glorious spot of solitude and wildlife spotting, before a relaxing sundowner drink amongst the reeds.
Wetlands of the Okavango
Big Cats & Safari Wildlife
On a game drive in the Delta, Linyanti or Chobe, you soon discover Botswana’s phenomenal array of wildlife. Lions are often on the prowl in the morning while night drives increase your chances of spotting leopard and other nocturnal species. As well as the cats there are thriving populations of elephant, hippo, giraffe, buffalo and even wild dog.
Big Cats & Safari Wildlife
Birds
From the water birds of the Delta to the sand grouse of the Kalahari and flamingos on the Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana is a twitcher’s paradise. Rare species like the Pel’s fishing owl, and African pygmy goose are commonly found, with a trip to Chobe, the Delta and the Kalahari offering an unrivalled level of ornithological interest.
Birds
Bushmen
Bushman history is an intrinsic element in the evolution of humanity, and nowhere is this more apparent than in Botswana. Bushman communities have survived on the Makgadikgadi Pans and in areas of western Botswana for centuries. A visit there now allows you to interact with them, experiencing first hand how they cook, hunt, eat and live.
Bushmen
Mokoro Trips
Slipping through the Delta's mazy waterways and tall papyrus in a mokoro is the most relaxing way to view game. Serenely moving along with only the gurgle of the water passing under your craft, you encounter lechwe grazing in the shallows, kingfishers perched on overhanging branches and crocodiles lurking in dark corners.
Mokoro Trips
Salt Pans
On the Makgadikgadi Pans you experience an ethereal lunar landscape unlike anywhere else in Africa. It is possible to see the curvature of the earth, sleep out under the stars, and at some times of the year watch a great wildlife migration. Although more thickly vegetated, Nxai and Tau Pans also offer unique landscapes and habitats.
Salt Pans

Africa and The Indian Ocean

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When To Go To Botswana

This is a rough guide to when to travel to this region. Choose a month of travel to see typical temperature and rainfall around the country. The ticks indicate our recommended months to travel.

-22.378

22.703

-17.7808094024658

-26.9072494506836

29.3607845306396

19.999532699585

Central Kalahari

-21.3712443706183
23.5546875

January
- 33
- 89
- 8
February
- 32
- 70
- 8
March
- 32
- 51
- 9
April
- 30
- 28
- 9
May
- 27
- 4
- 10
June
- 24
- 1
- 10
July
- 25
- 0
- 10
August
- 28
- 0
- 10
September
- 32
- 4
- 10
October
- 34
- 19
- 9
November
- 34
- 42
- 9
December
- 33
- 61
- 9

Gaborone

-24.6594983011519
25.90576171875

January
- 33
- 94
- 9
February
- 32
- 81
- 8
March
- 31
- 56
- 8
April
- 28
- 44
- 8
May
- 25
- 11
- 9
June
- 22
- 4
- 9
July
- 23
- 3
- 10
August
- 26
- 2
- 10
September
- 29
- 14
- 10
October
- 31
- 40
- 9
November
- 32
- 69
- 9
December
- 32
- 82
- 8

Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari

-20.8049041067506
25.9002685546875

January
- 32
- 87
- 8
February
- 31
- 71
- 8
March
- 31
- 51
- 8
April
- 29
- 26
- 9
May
- 27
- 3
- 9
June
- 24
- 1
- 9
July
- 25
- 0
- 10
August
- 28
- 0
- 10
September
- 31
- 4
- 10
October
- 33
- 18
- 9
November
- 33
- 44
- 8
December
- 32
- 69
- 8

Maun

-19.991417
23.425598

January
- 33
- 113
- 8
February
- 32
- 104
- 8
March
- 32
- 62
- 9
April
- 30
- 26
- 9
May
- 28
- 4
- 10
June
- 25
- 1
- 10
July
- 26
- 0
- 10
August
- 29
- 0
- 10
September
- 33
- 4
- 10
October
- 34
- 17
- 9
November
- 34
- 49
- 9
December
- 33
- 86
- 8

Select a month
of travel:

JanuaryJan
FebruaryFeb
MarchMar
AprilApr
MayMay
JuneJun
JulyJul
AugustAug
SeptemberSep
OctoberOct
NovemberNov
DecemberDec

Climate data provided by Weather2Travel.com

Botswana has a subtropical desert climate characterised by low rainfall and wide temperature fluctuations between day and night.

It has a dry season from May to October and a rainy season from November to April. Flood levels must also be considered when planning a trip to the Okavango Delta. The floods tend to arrive in June, creating flooded plains and deeper lagoons. The waters recede around November and more dry land is exposed. These affect some boating activities at camps.

Speak to our specialists who can advise you on the best camps to go to during the different seasons of the year.

View Map & Highlights

Highlights Of The Year

{AD02A760-1E79-4EC5-BB0D-72DA2BD20AB3}Superb game viewing, Botswana

June

Botswana is probably most famous for the Okavango Delta. It's here that the annual floods tend to arrive in June, creating flooded plains and deeper lagoons, which are ideal for good wildlife spotting.

View experience

{98816A4D-FE95-4627-A2A2-7875BBA107AF}Excellent game viewing in Botswana

October

Botswana's Okavango Delta is one of the most game-rich areas in Africa. If you visit at the right time you will not only see more wildlife, you will also have the opportunity to view it via a trip in a moroko (a locally made dug-out canoe).

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