Best time to visit Botswana
The heat peaks in October - this is the best time to go and see game as it clusters around the Delta.
The "green" season, from November to March, is more pleasant, though game disperses once more and water levels drop in the Delta. Thunderstorms tend to occur late afternoon, dulling the heat yet leaving time for sunshine. Migratory birds and baby antelope are best seen now. However, rainy skies don’t match what flows on the ground: the water takes six months to filter through the sprawling Delta, meaning it’s at its fullest during the driest months.
Arid May and June can be extremely chilly, and the heat peaks in October, with cloudless skies providing little respite from the African sun. This is the prime game season, as wildlife heads to the Delta.
Arid May and June can be extremely chilly, and the heat peaks in October, with cloudless skies providing little respite from the African sun. This is the prime game season, as wildlife heads to the Delta.
Botswana Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
20
33
94
FEB
19
31
81
MAR
17
31
56
APR
14
28
44
MAY
8
25
11
JUN
5
22
4
JUL
5
23
3
AUG
7
26
2
SEP
12
29
14
OCT
16
31
40
NOV
18
32
69
DEC
19
32
82
Our Botswana Vacations
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
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14 days
ex flights
Botswana safari and Victoria Falls
An unforgettable wildlife and scenery experience
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US $3853
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Namibia and Botswana safari vacation
Namibia & Botswana lodge safari Caprivi Etosha Okavango
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Botswana safari and Chobe river cruise
An exclusive combination of land & water based adventures
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Botswana lodge safari
Botswana affordable lodge safari Okavango, Moremi, Chobe
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US $3000 to US $3140
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Botswana fly-in safari vacation
Experience Botswana on a 6 night fly-in Safari adventure
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£2850
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Windhoek to Victoria Falls self drive tour
A self-drive adventure through Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
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£4250
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Zimbabwe & Botswana game tracker accommodated safari
Adventure lodge safari through Kruger, Zimbabwe and Botswana
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US $2830
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Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
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US $2815 to US $2950
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Botswana safari and wild camping
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe.
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US $1974 to US $1975
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Southern Africa luxury wildlife & beach vacation
Pristine beaches and rich wildlife on this Southern African tour
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£9510
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Cape Town to Victoria Falls small group lodge tour
Classic route lodge safari to Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
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US $3965 to US $4195
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Luxury Botswana safari & Victoria Falls
Luxurious lodges & spectacular wildlife viewing
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£9850
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Botswana safari vacation on a shoestring
Affordable safari and camping experience through Botswana
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£1195
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Cape Town to Victoria Falls vacation in Southern Africa
A spectacular and diverse African journey
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US $3179 to US $3349
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Zimbabwe & Botswana safari, elephant paths
Follow in the paths of one of Africa's most iconic creatures
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US $3555
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Camping safari in Southern Africa
Camping safari highlights of Zimbabwe, Botswana & Kruger
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US $2035 to US $2195
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Botswana safari and Mozambique beach break
An outstanding safari, Victoria Falls and deserted beaches
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£6890
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Botswana safari vacation
A semi participation and mobile safari in Botswana
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£2465
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Botswana luxury family safari
Family adventures through Botswana, plus Victoria Falls
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£21000
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Botswana mobile tent safari
An exciting mobile safari experience in Botswana
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£2835 to £3365
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Botswana highlights and Victoria falls
Great value safari adventure covering Botswana & Zimbabwe
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US $4180
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Kalahari desert expedition safari, Botswana
Central Kalahari Game Reserve & Kgalagadi National Park
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US $3400
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Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group vacation
Explore the best of Southern Africa's wildlife and nature.
From
US $2342 to US $2700
22 days
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Botswana and Zimbabwe Ivory Route lodge tour
Classic Journey adventure safari Botswana, Zimbabwe Namibia
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Southern Africa budget vacation
Discover the iconic wildlife and nature of South East Africa
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US $1074 to US $1565
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Zimbabwe & Botswana self drive vacation
Victoria Falls and incredible wildlife on self drive tour
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Botswana safari, lodges and mobile camps
Wildlife lodges, mobile tented safaris & Victoria Falls!
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Botswana, Month by month
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Summer storms provoke dramatic skies and vibrant green landscapes, while flourishing wildflowers create wonderfully colourful backdrops.
Our photography pick: Chobe in January
Bruce Taylor founded our supplier Sunway Safaris in 1994, and has guided small group tours across southern Africa since then. Here he describes one of his favourite times to go to Botswana:
"I enjoy the green season, from December to April, because there's no dust. The beauty of the rains in Botswana is that they’re generally late afternoon thunderstorms that come rolling through then pass on, so you can still have gloriously sunny days. The rain cools things down a bit, there are a lot of young animals around and all the migratory birds are in the Okavango at this time – and they’re spectacular."
"I enjoy the green season, from December to April, because there's no dust. The beauty of the rains in Botswana is that they’re generally late afternoon thunderstorms that come rolling through then pass on, so you can still have gloriously sunny days. The rain cools things down a bit, there are a lot of young animals around and all the migratory birds are in the Okavango at this time – and they’re spectacular."
Our top Botswana Vacation
Botswana camping safaris
Botswana's premier game parks, Okavango Moremi Savuti Chobe
From
US $2035
14 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
2020: 19 Jan, 9 Feb, 15 Mar, 22 Mar, 29 Mar, 5 Apr, 12 Apr, 19 Apr, 26 Apr, 10 May, 17 May, 24 May, 31 May, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 5 Jul, 12 Jul, 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 9 Aug, 23 Aug, 30 Aug, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 18 Oct, 1 Nov, 8 Nov, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 6 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec, 27 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Botswana or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Festivals & events in Botswana
Did you know about…
The “Barbel Run”
Each September-October, the receding waters of the Delta cause huge shoals of fish to swarm back to the Okavango River. This causes a feeding frenzy amongst the larger barbels (catfish) and tigerfish, who slap the water with their tails, terrorising the smaller fish out from the reeds – into their own mouths, or the beaks of the stalking herons and eagles. It’s a fly fisherman’s dream – and a fascinating show even for those not armed with a rod.
Nov-Feb: Baby animals
The green season brings new life to Savuti as herbivores, including impala and wildebeest, begin to calve. But it’s not all cooing at wide-eyed babies; vulnerable youngsters also trigger a thrilling increase in predators, creating plenty of action for those watching from hides.Kuru Dance Festival
Held each August outside Ghanzi, Kuru stages the world’s largest gathering of San dancers. Hundreds of San from across Botswana and Namibia share skills, sell crafts and perform spiritual rituals – before dancing until the early hours of the morning.More about Botswana
If you’re looking to travel to southern Africa then our Botswana travel guide, packed full of information, is the perfect place to start your journey.
Our Botswana interactive map page reveals the country's highlights, with details of three classic itineraries, too, to help you make the most of your time.
There are of course myriad things to do in Botswana, from a mokoro canoe ride in the Delta to bush walks and an authentic San experience in the Kalahari.
Carrying water and silt from the Angolan highlands, Botswana’s Okavango Delta floods life into the Kalahari Desert and supports wildlife on an epic scale.
Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve offers what is arguably some of the finest game viewing in southern Africa, in one of the continent’s richest and most diverse ecosystems.
Discover the diverse and fascinating wildlife roaming through one of Africa’s last great wildernesses on a Botswana safari.
The chance to see a vast array of Botswana wildlife hunting, feeding and raising young in some of Africa’s most unspoilt, pristine environments is what draws people to this desert nation.
You know your children and if you think that traveling in Botswana with kids will work for you and your family then don’t hold back, go for it.
Botswana is an exclusive destination with exclusive accommodation – often small, always perfectly formed and frequently at the forefront of responsible tourism.
We really rate travel advice from our friends in Botswana and think you should too; read pearls of wisdom from expert travel writers, photographers and fellow travelers, too.
Learn about Botswana's responsible tourism issues, from hunting bans to the San people, is an important part of traveling right in Botswana and finding out what you can do to help.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: 2630ben] [Jeeps: Ray in Manila]
[Elephants from jeep: abi.bhattachan]
[Elephants: Malcolm Macgregor]
[Elephants: Sander Wehkamp]
[Fancy food: Walter Scharer]
[Woman: WycliffeSA]
[Meal: Jeremy t. Hetzel]
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