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When to go to Botswana
There is no bad time to visit, only different ones. Here is what each part of the year looks like, month by month.
Botswana has two broad seasons. The dry season, roughly April to October, gathers the wildlife around the water and offers the classic safari experience. The green season, November to March, brings rain, new life, brilliant birding and the best value of the year.
Lush and quiet, with newborn animals and superb birding. Afternoon storms are common but dramatic.
The greenest month. Wonderful for photography and birds, and the best value of the year.
The rains begin to ease. Landscapes are still lush and the light is beautiful.
A lovely in-between month. The Delta starts to fill and the crowds are thin.
The flood arrives in the Delta. Cooler, drier days and excellent water safaris begin.
Cool, dry and gorgeous. Wildlife starts to gather around the water.
Cold mornings, sunny days and outstanding game viewing. One of the busiest months.
Prime safari conditions continue, with animals concentrated around the shrinking water.
Warming up, with superb sightings as wildlife packs around the rivers and waterholes.
Hot and intense, with extraordinary sightings as the land waits for the rains.
The first rains bring the land back to life. Birding picks up and prices drop.
Warm and green, with young animals about. A quieter, better-value time to travel.
The water that fills the Okavango falls as rain in the Angolan highlands and takes months to arrive. Scrub through the year and watch it happen.
July to October, when the dry season draws wildlife to the water.
November to March, when migrants arrive and resident birds are in breeding colour.
The green season, November to March, brings lower prices and fewer people.
July and August, with comfortable temperatures and easy, reliable game viewing.
For classic game viewing, the dry season from May to October is hard to beat, as wildlife gathers around the shrinking water and the bush thins out. July to October is the peak. If you love birds, lush scenery and better value, the green season from November to April is a lovely alternative.
The green season, roughly November to April, is the best value, with lower camp rates and fewer visitors. It is also calving season, so there are plenty of young animals and superb birding, though some areas can be wet.
The paradox of the Delta is that it floods in the dry season. The waters come from rains far away in the Angolan highlands and take months to arrive, so the Delta is usually at its fullest around June to August, long after Botswana's own rains have stopped.
For many people, yes. The light is dramatic, the landscapes are green and alive, the birding is at its best and prices are lower. The trade-off is that wildlife is more dispersed and some roads can be wet, but a good guide still finds wonderful sightings.
We will tell you honestly where the wildlife and the value will be at their best.
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