There's no single Okavango Delta entrance ticket — fees are charged per reserve and concession, with Moremi Game Reserve at BWP 270 per international visitor per day (2025 schedule). The delta itself is open year-round; access runs through reserve gates, which open 06:00–18:30 from April to September and 05:30–19:00 from October to March, strictly by pre-booked permits.
The Okavango Delta itself is open year-round — it's a natural wetland, with no single entrance gate. Access runs through Moremi Game Reserve's gates, which open at sunrise and close at sunset: 06:00–18:30 from April to September, and 05:30–19:00 from October to March. Entry is by valid permits and confirmed bookings only.
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| Day | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Sunday (April–September) | 06:00–18:30 | Gates follow the sun; arrive at your campsite well before closing, since driving at dusk in deep sand is when vehicles get stuck |
| Monday–Sunday (October–March) | 05:30–19:00 | Earlier opening and later closing for the longer days; entry to Moremi still requires a valid permit and confirmed booking |
There are no public-holiday closures — the reserve runs the same gate hours every day of the year. The real closure risk is seasonal: from January to March, heavy rains can make roads and some areas impassable, occasionally cutting off the reserve to self-drivers, and a number of lodges shut down entirely during these wet months. Verify conditions shortly before you travel.
There's no single ticket for the Okavango Delta — you pay per reserve or concession. Moremi Game Reserve, the delta's protected heart, charges BWP 270 per international visitor per day (BWP 205 for SADC residents) on the official 2025 schedule, plus camping if you're staying overnight. Some operators still quote an older DWNP rate of P120 per person plus a P50 vehicle fee, so confirm at the DWNP office in Maun before you travel.
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| Category | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Moremi Game Reserve entry, international visitor | BWP 270 per person per day | Category A rate, which also covers Chobe National Park; vehicle fee applies on top. Payable at the DWNP office in Maun (behind the police station) or at the gates — keep receipts, as they're checked at each gate. |
| Moremi Game Reserve entry, SADC resident | BWP 205 per person per day | Proof of SADC residency required at payment. |
| Category B parks (Makgadikgadi, Nxai Pan, Central Kalahari) | BWP 190 international / BWP 145 SADC per person per day | Useful if you're pairing the delta with the salt pans on a longer Botswana circuit. |
| Public camping inside parks | BWP 60 per day (international); BWP 45 SADC; BWP 30 citizens | Added to your entry fee. Campsites at Third Bridge, Xakanaxa and South Gate must be booked in advance — you can't book at the gate. |
| Private/wild campsites | Around BWP 200 per person per night | Only at booked sites; wild camping in national parks is illegal. |
| Khwai Community Area | Camping fees only | No daily entrance fee, which makes this the budget pick for self-drivers — and night drives and armed walking safaris are permitted here, unlike inside Moremi. |
| Mokoro day trip from Maun | US$150–260 per person | The dugout-canoe excursion typically runs 2–4 hours. |
| Fly-in lodge packages | From about $525 per person per night (low season) to $3,000+ (peak) | Luxury camps are reached only by light aircraft; internal flights are usually bundled into the package price. |
No regular free entry days; every protected area in the delta charges a daily or camping fee.
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View All ToursThe best time to visit is May to August, when the flood arrives from Angola and peaks in July — mokoro, motorboat and game drives all run, and the dry-season game watching is at its strongest through October. June to October is peak season, and lodges fill up a year ahead. Go in May for the same water at pre-peak rates.
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| Period | Crowd Level | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise to 09:00 (gates open 06:00 Apr–Sep, 05:30 Oct–Mar) | High | Every camp runs its morning game drive now, and animals are most active — bring a fleece and beanie, because June and July starts are genuinely cold in an open vehicle. |
| Mid-morning to midday (09:00–14:00) | Low | The classic time for a 2–4 hour mokoro excursion through the channels while the camps go quiet — ideal for photographers after soft light on the water lilies. |
| Afternoon (14:00–17:00) | Moderate | Second game drive or a boat cruise through the Xakanaxa lagoons; a good slot for birders hoping to spot Pel's fishing owl in the papyrus. |
| Late afternoon to sunset (17:00–18:30) | High | Gates close at sunset and camps insist you're back well before, so everyone converges — cover up against dawn-and-dusk mosquitoes, since this is a higher-risk malaria area. |
| After dark | Low | Night drives are banned inside Moremi but permitted in private concessions such as Khwai, where armed guides also lead walks — book those if the after-dark experience matters to you. |
Plan on three nights minimum in the Okavango Delta, though 5–7 nights is the sweet spot — first-timers typically spend 3–4 days split between water camps and Moremi/Khwai. Fly-in camp guests lose half-days to light-aircraft transfers, while self-drivers usually budget 2–4 days inside Moremi itself.
Aim for May to August, when the Angolan floodwater arrives and peaks in July — that's the only window when mokoro, motorboat and game drives all run at once. June to October is the broader dry season with the best game viewing, since animals crowd the permanent water. May is the value pick, before peak rates kick in.
There's no single delta ticket — Moremi Game Reserve charges BWP 270 per international visitor per day (BWP 205 for SADC) under the 2025 Category A schedule, plus roughly BWP 60/day for camping. Pay at the DWNP office in Maun, behind the police station, and keep every receipt; gates check them. Some operators still quote the older P120 rate, so confirm current fees before you travel.
Moremi campsites can't be booked at the gate, and entry requires confirmed bookings and permits — no exceptions. Third Bridge, Xakanaxa, South Gate and Khwai fill first, and popular lodges book out a year ahead for June to October. For a budget angle, Khwai Community Area charges camping fees only, with no daily entrance fee.
Moremi's gates run 06:00–18:30 from April to September and 05:30–19:00 from October to March, and camps expect you back well before closing. Start at sunrise anyway — that's when the wildlife is moving and the sand tracks are easiest to drive. Dusk is when most self-drivers get stuck.
Light-aircraft transfers cap luggage at 20 kg in soft bags, hand luggage included. Neutral khaki, olive and beige keep you unobtrusive to animals (camouflage is illegal for civilians in Botswana), and June–July game drives are genuinely cold before sunrise — bring a fleece and beanie. Skip the drone entirely: flying over parks is prohibited, and drones have been confiscated at the airport.
There's no single delta entrance ticket — fees are charged per reserve or concession. Moremi Game Reserve costs BWP 270 per international visitor per day and BWP 205 for SADC residents under the official 2025 Category A schedule, with a vehicle fee on top. Pay at the DWNP office in Maun (behind the police station) or at the gates, and keep every receipt, since they're checked at each gate.
Moremi's gates open at sunrise and close at sunset: 06:00–18:30 from April to September, and 05:30–19:00 from October to March. Entry is by valid permits and confirmed bookings only, so you need to reach your campsite well before closing. Dusk driving in deep sand is when most vehicles get stuck.
Standard camping inside the parks adds roughly BWP 60 per day for international visitors (BWP 45 for SADC residents, BWP 30 for citizens), while private or wild campsites run around BWP 200 per person per night. Khwai Community Area is the budget pick — it charges camping fees only, with no daily entrance fee. Moremi campsites must be booked in advance; you can't book them at the gate.
Yes, but it takes planning. Mokoro day trips from Maun cost US$150–260 per person, and self-driving Moremi requires a high-clearance 4WD with confirmed campsite bookings for every night before entry. For comparison, mid-range lodge packages start around $525 per person per night in low season, and luxury camps reach $3,000+ in peak season.
Three nights is the accepted minimum; 5–7 nights is highly recommended if you want both land and water activities. First-timers typically spend 3–4 days split between water camps and Moremi or Khwai as part of a longer Botswana circuit. A mokoro excursion itself runs 2–4 hours, averaging about 3.
May to August brings the flood — Angolan water arriving in the dry winter and peaking in July, when mokoro, motorboat and game drives are all running. June to October is the broader dry season with the best game viewing as animals gather at permanent water. May is the value sweet spot before peak-season rates kick in. Avoid January to March, when heavy rains close roads and some lodges shut entirely.
Some operators still quote the older DWNP gate rate of P120 per foreigner per day plus a P50 foreign-vehicle fee, but the official 2025 schedule lists BWP 270 per international visitor. Confirm the current rate at the DWNP office in Maun before you travel. Either way, pay in advance and keep receipts — they're checked at every gate.
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