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Home > Destinations > Okavango Delta

Okavango Delta Safari

The ultimate guide to your next Okavango Delta Safari

View 38 Okavango Delta tours Start Planning

Welcome to the Okavango Delta, one of Mother Nature’s most precious creations. Here, in a vast, ephemeral wetland, the water moves gently beneath your mokoro, parting like silk as you glide through a labyrinth of lily-covered channels. It’s truly a miracle of nature and a place where the desert surrenders to a lush oasis, creating one of the most unique safari experiences on Earth.

The air is thick with the calls of kingfishers, the distant grunts of hippos, and the soft splash of a lechwe wading through the reeds. Lions surrender to their watery world, braving crocodile-infested waters to reach their prey. Nearby, leopards stalk the river banks, eluding all but the keenest of eyes.

Here in the Delta, time slows and the wilderness embraces you fully. Whether you’re drifting silently through the waterways, tracking lions on foot, or watching a herd of elephants cross the floodplains in the golden light of dusk, the Okavango Delta is an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left.

Why Okavango Delta?

A Natural Wonder of the World: A vast inland delta transforming the Kalahari Desert into a lush, seasonal oasis.
Unique Water-Based Safaris: Mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions allow for silent and intimate wildlife encounters.
Luxury in the Wilderness: Exclusive lodges offer high-end safari experiences in pristine, untouched settings.
Diverse & Rich Ecosystem: Supports an incredible variety of wildlife, from elephants and big cats to rare antelope like sitatunga.
Photographer’s Paradise: The interplay of water, wildlife, and golden light creates breathtaking images at every turn.

Okavango Delta Gallery

Where to Go

The Okavango Delta is divided into several distinct regions, each offering expansive landscapes and wildlife experiences.

Chiefs Island in Okavango Delta

Region Explained Chief’s Island was once the private hunting ground of the local Chief Moremi, but was incorporated into the wider Moremi Game Reserve in 1976. Roughly 60km long and...

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Maun in Okavango Delta

Region Explained On the southeastern edge of the Okavango Delta, straddling the banks of the Thamalakane River, the bustling frontier town of Maun serves as the gateway to northern Botswana....

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Moremi Game Reserve in Okavango Delta

Moremi Game Reserve covers the central and eastern edges of the Okavango Delta and is one of Botswana’s most famous parks. In the central region, dominated by Chief’s Island, a...

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Northern Okavango Delta

Region Explained Outside of Moremi Game Reserve, the Okavango Delta is divided into a number of unfenced concession areas, each managed by a local community or private safari operator. In...

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Okavango Delta Panhandle

Region Explained The Okavango Delta is fed by the Okavango River, which flows southeast from Angola, through Namibia’s Zambezi Region, and enters Botswana at the small border village of Mohembo....

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Southern Okavango Delta

Region Explained The southern Delta can be divided into six main concessions, three smaller regions to the north and three larger areas further south. To the north, NG27A, NG27B and...

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Western Okavango Delta

Along the western edge of the Okavango, just below the Panhandle, the deep-water channels and surrounding floodplains are some of the most beautiful to be found anywhere in the Delta....

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When to Go

The Delta offers year-round safari experiences, with each season providing distinct advantages.

Peak Season

Low Season

Shoulder Season

Okavango Delta in January

Climate January is the Okavango Delta’s wettest month, with regular spectacular thunderstorms that usually arrive in the late afternoon. Mornings in January often begin bright and clear, turn suddenly violent and then clear again overnight. It’s rare in the Okavango to see consecutive days of persistent rain, but in January and February there’s always that chance. In general, however, you can expect brief, heavy downpours with a few days of partly-cloudy weather mixed in between. The northern concessions and Panhandle tend to see the biggest storms, but it’s impossible to be precise except to say that some rain will fall....

Okavango Delta in January

Okavango Delta in February

February is another wet month in the Okavango Delta, but like January, the rain and clouds are usually interspersed with a few fine, bright days. These summer months are always highly unpredictable however – there may be sunshine for over a week and then four or five days straight of cloud and afternoon storms. A thunderstorm over the Delta is one of Southern Africa’s most awe-inspiring sights: incredible towering clouds and sudden jagged lightning; reflections bouncing off the water towards the wild, distant horizon. It’s almost worth the risk of a rained-out safari, which is always a possibility, even though...

Okavango Delta in February

Okavango Delta in March

March is a transition period in the Okavango Delta and although it can still see some heavy rain, the change in seasons is usually apparent by the end of the month. This is most obvious in the gradual drop in night-time temperatures, down to 15°C (59°F) on the coldest mornings. Daily highs, however, are slower to move – 30°C (86°F) to 35°C (95°F) remains the norm until well into April. Although the chance of rain is still high, the risk of consecutive overcast days is much lower than in January and February. It’s still a risky period to visit the...

Okavango Delta in March

Okavango Delta in April

Throughout April the autumn gradually sets in, and cooler, drier weather steadily creeps across the Delta. As with March it’s the nights that cool more rapidly than the days. The coldest evenings can drop to around 12°C (54°F), but daytime highs are usually still over 30°C (86°F). Although the first few weeks of April may see some scattered showers, clearer skies are more and more common and the clouds all but vanish by the end of the month. April is a wonderful time to be in the Okavango Delta, with moderate to warm temperatures, little chance of rain, and the...

Okavango Delta in April

Okavango Delta in May

As May unfolds, the Okavango Delta gets cooler and the bright, cloudless days begin to dip below 30°C (86°F). Along the rapidly filling waterways the nights tend to be milder, but on the open plains away from the channels it may drop as low as 5°C (50°F). It’s safe to say that no rain ever falls in May and you’ll seldom see more than the odd wisp of cloud. The deep blue sky remains crisp and clear, not yet as dusty as it can get later in the year. Where to Go As surface water evaporates on the surrounding Kalahari...

Okavango Delta in May

Okavango Delta in June

Climate June is mid-winter in the Okavango Delta and one of the coldest, driest months of the year. Daily average temperatures are around 25°C (77°F), although some hot days will still get up to 30°C (86°F). It’s the nights, however, that can get particularly cold – close to freezing at times, but more usually around 5°C (41°F). Early morning excursions can be very chilly in the wind, especially on motorboats and open game drive vehicles. June marks the start of the hard, dry winter season – after two months without rain, the Kalahari vegetation is thinning fast. There’s more pressure...

Okavango Delta in June

Okavango Delta in July

Climate July is the coldest month in the Okavango Delta, with daytime highs around 25°C (77°F). Although the days are mild, the nights cool quickly, dropping close to freezing on a few mornings each year. By now the annual flood has percolated across the Delta, and water levels usually reach their peak around the end of the month. Even lodges quite far from the main central channels can now offer mokoro trips through the submerged floodplains. July is another clear, dry month in the northern Kalahari, the third straight month without a drop of rain. The Delta is therefore an...

Okavango Delta in July

Okavango Delta in August

Climate Temperatures climb steadily through August and daytime highs once again top 30°C (86°F). At the beginning of the month the mornings can still be close to freezing, but lows of 10°C (50°F) are more common as September approaches. By August no rain has fallen in the northern Kalahari for at least four months and the only fresh grazing is along the Delta’s flooded waterways. Predator and prey alike are forced to gather along the fringes and wildlife viewing is excellent all over the Okavango. Best Regions August is an ideal month to be anywhere on the Delta, so pick...

Okavango Delta in August

Okavango Delta in September

Climate The long, dry winter continues into September and by now there’s been no rain for about five straight months. The Okavango Delta is now an essential source of grazing and water, and as the annual flood gradually recedes, the pressure builds and competition increases along its drying waterways. Both night and daytime temperatures rapidly increase, averaging 15°C (59°F) to 35°C (95°F), with some hot days up to 40°C (104°F). The shallow pools and floodplains evaporate quickly in the heat and the surrounding vegetation thins out even further, with the only strips of greenery sitting tight against the channels. Best...

Okavango Delta in September

Okavango Delta in October

Okavango Delta in November

Early November is usually hot and stifling as the Okavango holds its breath for the coming of the rains. The exact start date varies considerably from year to year, but when the clouds do break the relief is palpable. Although daily highs of over 40°C (104°F) are the norm at the beginning of the month, the temperature gradually drops as the rains become more frequent. Localised showers evolve quickly into massive afternoon storms, with thunder and lightning flashing across the Delta. Where to Go It’s impossible to say where the rains will fall first, or whether they’ll even arrive at...

Okavango Delta in November

Okavango Delta in December

December marks the start of the rainy season proper. It’s the second wettest month of the year and afternoon thunderstorms become increasingly regular and violent. As the rains intensify the dusty atmosphere clears and between the storms the skies are bright and fresh. The usual pattern is a few days of cloud and rain, followed by another few days of hot, sunny weather. This builds and builds until the next storm breaks and as the month progresses the gaps between storms lessen. It’s unusual to have more than two or three days without sunshine, but if two storm systems run...

Okavango Delta in December

Tours to Inspire You

Explore the best of the Delta’s safari adventures with our curated selection of popular tours.

7 DAYS

Makgadikgadi Pans & Okavango Delta Safari

Southern Africa Okavango Delta Botswana

From $ 8630 /USD

per person per tour

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6 DAYS

Affordable Chobe and Delta Explorer

Southern Africa Botswana Chobe Okavango Delta

From $ 3980 /USD

per person per tour

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5 DAYS

Exclusive Okavango Delta Safari

Southern Africa Botswana Moremi Selinda Game Reserve Okavango Delta

From $ 3810 /USD

per person per tour

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Safari Lodges, Tented Camps and Villas in Okavango Delta

Little Maru

Little Maru, a boutique safari hideaway in the Okavango Delta, offers an intimate wilderness experience...

Luxury

Xaoo Safari Camp

Located in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Xaoo Safari Camp is a haven for...

Budget

Karangoma

Karangoma, located in the northeastern part of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, offers an exclusive safari experience...

Luxury

Tawana

Tawana, a premier Natural Selection safari camp, is located in the heart of Botswana’s Moremi...

Luxury

Maxa

Maxa, Ker & Downey Botswana’s new property, in the South-Eastern Panhandle of the Okavango Delta,...

Luxury

Amber River Camp

Amber River Camp, a luxurious retreat, is nestled on an exclusive southeastern floodplain in the...

Luxury

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Who is Travelling to Okavango Delta with you?

Planning your Delta adventure? Tailor your journey with experiences designed for every type of traveller.

Family Safari in the Okavango Delta

An African safari is an unforgettable experience for kids, but long transfers and hours in the car can be a real challenge, especially for younger children. One solution is to...

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Solo Travel in Okavango Delta

Solo travel is unusual in the Okavango Delta, largely because experiences like this beg to be shared. Solo 4x4’ing also carries some risk, especially in the wet summer season from...

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