Explore Botswana's Okavango Delta on guided mokoro canoe trips, Moremi game drives, and multi-day wild camping excursions, most departing from Maun with hotel pickup included. Day tours start at $155.85, with free cancellation available on most options.
Full-day mokoro canoe trip into the NG32 Concession: channels, island lunch, guided nature walk, Maun hotel pickup.
2-night mokoro wildcamping trip in the NG32 concession, fully catered, with Maun hotel pickup.
Free Cancellation 12-hour guided game drive from Maun into western Moremi Game Reserve, with breakfast, picnic lunch and hotel pickup.
Free Cancellation Three-day, two-night mokoro camping trail in the Okavango Delta with a chef and guide, all meals included.
Free Cancellation 12-hour Safari Addicts day trip: en route game drive, 6-hour mokoro excursion, and a guided bush walk in the Delta.
Free Cancellation Full-day (9h) shared mokoro canoe trip from Maun, with nature walk, lunch, and hotel pickup at 07:30.
Free Cancellation 8-hour mokoro canoe day trip from Maun with pickup, breakfast, lunch, snacks and park fees included.
Free Cancellation Full-day mokoro trip from Maun: 07:30 pickup, 1h drive to Morutsa, then a poled canoe through Delta channels.
Free Cancellation 8.5-hour Moremi game reserve day trip by open safari vehicle with lunch, snacks and all fees included.
Free Cancellation 8-hour mokoro canoe day trip with pickup, guided poling, island walking safari, lunch and water included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Okavango Delta — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Tours out of Maun get you into the delta within about an hour of leaving your hotel — polers waiting at a mokoro station, or an open 4x4 pointed at Moremi Game Reserve. A poler from the community trust stands at the stern and pushes the dugout through channels too shallow for any motorboat. Day trips run 8–12 hours and almost all include breakfast, lunch, water and fees.
The dugout canoe is the delta's signature ride, traditionally carved from ebony or sausage-tree wood and poled from the stern. You'll drift past reed beds and day water-lilies at walking pace, close enough to hear painted reed frogs calling. Red lechwe and elephants often graze the banks. Most outings last 2–4 hours.
Open-vehicle tours head into Moremi Game Reserve, which holds all of the Big Five and Africa's largest red lechwe population. Sightings dictate the route — there's no fixed loop, so the vehicle chases fresh tracks. Lion, leopard, hippo and wild dog are all realistic in a single day.
Several day tours pair the mokoro ride with a guided walk on one of the delta's islands, led by a local guide born in the area. You move slowly, reading tracks and learning the plants. Closed shoes are required, and you'll want them.
The delta's 482 recorded bird species include the Wattled Crane, Slaty Egret and six threatened vultures. Around Xakanaxa, the Pel's fishing owl is a realistic tick from a boat. November–April adds migrants in breeding plumage.
Polers on most Maun tours come from the Mokoro Village Community Trust, allocated by daily rotation, so the money stays with people living inside the delta. They know the channels by memory, not GPS. Ask them about the flood — they track it all year.
Drones are banned over the parks, so the aerial view comes by helicopter or light aircraft out of Maun, at roughly US$220–260 one-way. From above you finally grasp the scale: channels and palm islands spreading across up to 15,000 km². Helicopters give the better photo angles.
Day tours out of Maun range from US$156 to US$321, and multi-day mokoro camping trips run US$770–850. What you get for the money varies more than the prices suggest — check the fine points below before you pay.
The page splits into three shapes: mokoro day trips (8–9 hours), Moremi game-drive day trips (8.5–12 hours), and 3-day/2-night mokoro camping trips. A few, like the Safari Addicts day trip, combine a game drive with a 360-minute mokoro excursion in one 12-hour day. Multi-day trips camp at a single designated site and run all activities from there — they're not expedition tours.
Delta lodges fill a year ahead for June–October, so fly-in safaris need early planning. Maun day trips have shorter lead times, but May–August is peak and the best-reviewed operators sell out. May is the value month — full flood water, pre-peak rates.
There's no single delta entrance ticket. Moremi charges BWP 270 per international visitor per day (BWP 205 SADC) under the 2025 schedule, plus a vehicle fee. Most listed tours include 'All Fees and Taxes' in the price — confirm this in the inclusions before booking. Self-drivers pay at the DWNP office in Maun, behind the police station, and keep receipts for gate checks.
Mokoro trips from Maun operate in the NG32 Concession on the delta's edge, not the centre — the operators say so plainly. That means authentic channels and islands, but for dense predator country you need a Moremi drive or a fly-in camp near Chief's Island. Match the tour to what you actually want to see.
November–April is rainy season, and day trips run unprotected from the weather. Operators cancel departures when a heavy storm is expected and reschedule you to another day. January–March can close roads entirely, and some lodges shut for the season.
The cheapest mokoro day trip requires moderate fitness and excludes children under 7, pregnant travelers and anyone with spinal injuries — you're sitting low in a dugout for hours. Game-drive tours suit all fitness levels. Walking safaris at lodges generally require age 16+.
Two policies run through the listings. The US$155.85 mokoro day trip and the US$850 wild-camping tour are final sale — no refunds. Every other tour listed allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Read the policy before you book, not after.
Day trips typically bundle hotel pickup from Maun, breakfast, lunch, bottled water and soft drinks. Alcohol is excluded almost everywhere. Multi-day camping trips add dinner, camping equipment and a travelling chef. Bring cash for tips — US$10–20 per day for guides is the customary guideline.
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| Mokoro Day Trip | Combined Game Drive + Mokoro Day | Moremi Game Drive Day Trip | Multi-Day Mokoro Camping | Luxury Fly-In Safari | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 8–9 hours | 12 hours | 8.5–12 hours (05:30 pickup) | 3 days / 2 nights | 3–7 nights typical |
| Price from | US$155.85–308 | US$244.68 | US$310–321 | US$770–850 | US$525–3,000+ per person per night |
| Best for | First-timers wanting the classic dugout experience on calm channels | Travelers with one day who want both land game and water channels | Big Five and predator seekers who'd rather skip the canoe | Budget overnight immersion — wild camping with polers and a chef | Comfort-first travelers; light-aircraft hops of 10–45 minutes replace roads |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24h on most; the US$155.85 tour is non-refundable | Free up to 24 hours before departure | Free up to 24 hours before departure | US$770 tour: free up to 24h; US$850 tour: non-refundable | Set by camp; book a year ahead for June–October |
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The delta itself is a natural area with no gate, but Moremi Game Reserve runs on strict gate hours: 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.
Water levels follow their own calendar: the Angolan flood arrives May–August and peaks in July, shifting by several weeks year to year.
Maun Airport (MUB) is the gateway. Airlink and CemAir fly from Johannesburg in 1h30–2h, Air Botswana from Gaborone in about 1h20, and there are connections from Kasane (~1h) for Chobe and Victoria Falls circuits. Ethiopian Airlines is the only long-haul carrier into Maun.
From Maun, the delta splits into three access routes:
Roads deteriorate badly November–March. Check conditions in Maun before setting out.
May to August is flood season — Angolan water arrives during the dry winter and peaks in July, when mokoro, motorboat and game-drive activities all run. That's the full menu.
June to October delivers the best game viewing, as animals concentrate on permanent water. May is the value sweet spot before peak rates kick in.
Formal wheelchair infrastructure is very limited. Inner-delta tourism runs through small tented camps reached only by light aircraft, with sandy paths, stairs onto vehicles and water crossings instead of ramps.
Light-aircraft transfers cap luggage at 20 kg in soft bags, hand luggage included.
There's no single entrance kiosk — facilities sit in Maun and inside the reserves.
Drink bottled water only, and bring cash in small US dollar or pula notes for tips: US$10–20 per day for guides, US$5–15 for drivers, about US$20 per guest per day for lodge staff.
Inside Moremi the rules are enforced: 40 km/h speed limit, no night driving, no off-road driving, no feeding wildlife, and you stay in your vehicle except at designated areas. Guides in the reserve may not carry firearms. Wild camping outside booked sites is illegal.
Private concessions like Khwai permit night drives and armed walking safaris under their own agreements.
Most Maun-based day trips list 'All Fees and Taxes' in their inclusions — the Moremi full-day trips and combined mokoro/game-drive tours both do. If you're self-driving or booking an activity that excludes fees, Moremi charges BWP 270 per international visitor per day plus a vehicle fee under the 2025 schedule. Always confirm the inclusions before paying.
The 1 Day Okavango Delta Mokoro/Canoe Daytrip costs US$155.85 for 8 hours, including hotel pickup, lunch and fees. It's also the most-reviewed option on the page (100 reviews, 4.76 rating). Note it's non-refundable, and children under 7 aren't accepted.
Yes — trips run 8.5 to 12 hours with pickups as early as 05:30, costing US$310–321. The 12-hour Moremi Full Day Trip covers the reserve's western section with the route dictated by sightings, and includes breakfast, lunch and beverages. Expect lion, leopard, elephant, hippo and red lechwe.
Probably not, and the operators say so themselves — mokoro trips focus on the delta's water system, not maximizing animal sightings. You'll usually see a few animals along the banks (red lechwe and elephants are common) plus reed frogs, water-lilies and birdlife. For predators, book a Moremi game-drive day trip or a fly-in camp near Chief's Island.
The main mokoro day trip requires a minimum age of 7, and multi-day trips are best for older kids. At lodges, most camps accept children from 6 or 7 with family tents, though under-12s usually need a private vehicle at extra cost. Motor-boat safaris are the calmer option for families.
November to April is rainy season and you're unprotected from weather on day trips. Operators cancel departures when a heavy storm is expected and reschedule you to another day. January–March downpours can close roads entirely, so build flexibility into green-season travel — you'll get lower prices and superb birding in exchange.
It depends on the listing. Most tours allow a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. Two exceptions on this page — the US$155.85 mokoro day trip and the US$850 wild-camping tour — are final sale with no refunds. Check the cancellation policy before booking.
Day trips need only a moderate fitness level — you're seated in the canoe for hours and walking on islands during guided stops. The trips aren't recommended for pregnant travelers or anyone with spinal injuries, since the canoes are low and unsupported. Multi-day camping trips are listed as suitable for all fitness levels.
Operators recommend a torch, sun hat or scarf, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent and closed shoes for the walking portion. Warm layers matter for winter morning pickups — June and July starts before sunrise are genuinely cold. Bring small US dollar or pula notes for tipping (US$10–20 per day for guides is customary).
Three nights is the accepted minimum; 5–7 nights is recommended if you want both land and water activities at a proper pace. First-timers typically spend 3–4 days split between water camps and Moremi or Khwai within a longer Botswana circuit. A single mokoro excursion itself averages about 3 hours.
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Pickup is at 7:30 am from your Maun hotel, followed by a 45-minute to 1-hour transfer to the NG32 Concession, where you're assigned a guide and poler. The polers are all from the Mokoro Village Community Trust and are allocated on a daily rotation by the Trust itself — locals born and raised in the delta, guiding in English. The day runs about 8 hours total. The core of the day is a mokoro ride through the delta channels, moving between reed beds with heavy birdlife. You stop for a packed lunch on one of the islands, then your guide takes you on a nature walk where you may see some animals. After the walk you pole back and transfer to Maun. Lunch, bottled water, and carbonated beverages are included, along with all fees, taxes, and hotel transfers. Pickup and drop-off cover all official guesthouses and hotels in Maun town (except Thito) plus public places like malls and restaurants. Note the tour's own framing: this is a delta nature experience, not a big-game drive — it isn't designed around maximizing animal sightings. Cancellations are non-refundable.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
Three days and two nights in the NG32 Okavango Delta concession, travelling by traditional mokoro canoe through the small channels and islands. It's a wildcamping trip but non-participatory: polers and guides, all supplied by the Okavango Mokoro Community Trust, handle the camp and the cooking, so you don't lift a finger. Nature walks on the islands are part of the programme. Everything is catered — breakfast, lunch and dinner are included, along with all fees and taxes. Transfers from and back to your accommodation in Maun are covered, and pickup runs from every hotel in town. Guides speak English. Campsites are allocated by the Okavango Mokoro Community Trust, and booking through this operator channels money directly to the delta villages that depend on mokoro tourism. Note the cancellation terms: all sales are final, with no refund for cancellations.
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
English
A 05h30 pickup from your Maun accommodation starts this 12-hour trip, which heads north in an open game drive vehicle toward Moremi Game Reserve. The route covers the western section of the reserve, and game sightings dictate where the vehicle goes — there's no fixed loop. Your guide speaks English. The first stop comes 50 km in, then the 99 km drive ends at South Gate, the nearest Moremi entrance from Maun, where you stop for morning tea or coffee with a light breakfast. The reserve starts right after breakfast. After a morning of driving, the guide picks a scenic spot for a picnic lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive before the return to Maun. Breakfast, lunch, bottled water, soft drinks, and tea and coffee are all included. You'll need to phone or email the operator at least 24 hours ahead to confirm your pickup point. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This is a 72-hour mokoro trail: two nights spent camping inside the delta, paddled and provisioned by a team from the community trust that runs it. A representative and a chef travel with the group the whole way. Before departure you get a briefing on what the trip involves, and the equipment and vehicles come from the operator. All three days are catered — lunch, dinner, and a full English breakfast at camp, plus tea, coffee, and bottled water. Camping equipment is provided, including a small linen tent and a mokoro toilet. Bring your own alcohol; it's the one thing not covered. There's no hotel pickup. You make your own way to Plot No 17385, Matshwane, Maun. Guiding is in English, and you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 12-hour day with Safari Addicts that packs three activities into one outing. You travel in the operator's own safari vehicle, and the drive to the Delta doubles as a game drive — elephants and lions are the usual sightings en route. The core of the day is a 360-minute mokoro excursion: a traditional dugout canoe poled through the waterways by local polers, with quiet drifting and plenty of birdlife. After that, a guided bush walk covers animal tracks and the uses of local plants. Meals are handled. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, bottled water, and tea and coffee are all included, along with every fee and tax. Alcoholic drinks are not — buy your own if you want them. Guides run the tour in English. Cancellation is standard: a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. With roughly six hours in a mokoro, this is the pick if canoe time is your priority over long drives.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A 9-hour shared mokoro day trip, picked up from any hotel or lodge around Maun at 07:30 in a 4WD open-sided vehicle. At the mokoro station you meet your poler-guide, one of the local community-trust members who run the activity — the operator outsources the canoeing to them so the money goes to the community. Two people per mokoro, either a traditional dugout or fiberglass canoe, gliding through clear water filtered by waterlilies, reeds, papyrus and Kalahari sand. Hippos and elephants are usually seen at a distance. Midway you get out for a guided nature walk on an island, where zebra, giraffe and impala sometimes appear — also at a distance. Groups run from 2 to 15 people, guided in English. Lunch, all fees and taxes are included. The operator briefs you the day before on what to wear. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
A full-day mokoro trip that runs about 8 hours, gliding the Delta's waterways in a traditional dugout canoe with a local English-speaking guide who points out the flora and fauna as you go. Pickup is between 7:00 and 8:00 AM from Maun airport or any accommodation in town — be waiting at the lobby or main entrance at your assigned time. If you need a different pickup time, arrange it in advance by contacting the operator. Nearly everything is covered: private transportation, breakfast, lunch, snacks, bottled water and soft drinks, plus all fees and taxes. Alcohol is the one thing you'd have to bring or buy yourself. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund; later than that and you won't get your money back.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This is a full-day (8 hour) mokoro trip run out of Maun. Your guide collects you from your Maun accommodation at 07:30 and drives you by game-viewing vehicle for about an hour to the mokoro station at Morutsa, on the Delta's edge. There you board a traditional dugout canoe, and a poler propels it with a long pole called a nkashi, pushing along the channel bottom. Once on the water, you spend roughly two hours gliding through a network of channels, lagoons and islands, then continue with around four hours of wildlife watching from the mokoro. Elephants and red lechwe graze on the palm islands, sitatunga antelope show up occasionally, and crocodiles and hippos wade nearby. Because the canoe is silent, birds and animals are less easily startled than with a motorboat, which helps if you're photographing. Lunch, bottled water and carbonated drinks are included; there is no restroom on board. Guides speak English. Confirm your preferred pickup point at least 24 hours before departure, and cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
An 8h 30min day trip into Moremi, run in an open safari vehicle with an English-speaking guide. The drive is the main event: about 300 minutes of game viewing in the reserve, where lion, leopard, elephant, hippo, red lechwe, impala and warthog are all on the list. After that, roughly two hours in the Okavango Delta itself, a different habitat — here you're looking for water birds, crocodile, waterbuck and more red lechwe along the channels. Lunch, snacks, bottled water, and tea and coffee are all included, along with all fees and taxes. So apart from anything personal you want to bring, the day is covered start to finish. Book it only if you're okay with a long day in an open vehicle — dust and sun come with the format. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund; after that, you won't get one.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This 8-hour day tour pairs a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) ride with a walking safari on an island in the Delta. A guide picks you up from your lodging in an air-conditioned vehicle and drives you to the mokoro station, where local polers take over. They pole you through the calm channels in English, pointing out birds, animals, and plants as you go. Back on land, you stop on an island for a guided walk through the bush before returning. Total time at the mokoro station and on the water runs about 300 minutes. Included: bottled water, tea and coffee, lunch, and the guide. Alcohol isn't. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English