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An elephant herd drinking at a waterhole, mirrored in still water
2027 itinerary · Botswana

Kalahari to Chobe

From the silence of the Central Kalahari to the water of the Okavango and the elephants of Chobe. No drive over 400 km, for up to twelve people in a route shaped around you.

Plan this safariBest time to go
BOTSWANA about 250 kmabout 100 kmabout 240 km MaunSavuti 100 km123

Map positions and the route line are approximate. The km figures are road distances from park and travel sources, and the 350 km from the Kalahari to Moremi is the two legs added together. Click a number to open the place in Google Maps.

The route

  1. 1 · Central Kalahari, 3 nightsStart in Maun. About 250 km and roughly 5 hours to the reserve in a 4x4.
  2. 2 · Moremi, 3 nightsAbout 350 km back via Maun. It is a long day, and you can break it with a night in Maun.
  3. 3 · Chobe, 3 nightsAbout 240 km on sandy tracks through Savuti to Kasane, roughly 6 hours. Dry season only. Fly home from Kasane.

Nights are a suggestion. Every trip is planned around you.

A cheetah on a mound in the grass
Stop 1 · 3 nights

Central Kalahari

The Central Kalahari covers 52,800 km², so vast that most of Botswana's other parks would fit inside it. This is the great open desert: gemsbok and springbok on the pans of Deception Valley, cheetah in the open country, and at night brown hyena, bat-eared fox and honey badger. The star is the black-maned Kalahari lion. There is little water and few people, and the silence and night skies are half the experience. Guided or self-drive game drives are the main activity here, on long sandy tracks, so a 4x4 and total self-sufficiency are essential. It is unlike anywhere else on this route.

Where to stay, cheapest first

Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.

From about US$2 to about US$850 per person per night

The reserve has few lodges and no self-catering that we could find. Camping here means being fully self-sufficient, with your own water, fuel and food.

  • Reserve campsites

    Simple pan and valley sites inside the reserve. No water or shops, so bring everything.

    CampingBudget
    From about US$2 per person, plus park fees
    Game drives
    Self-drive only

  • Dinaka Safari Lodge

    Private concession on the northern edge of the reserve, with an underground hide. Meals and activities included.

    LodgeMid-level
    About US$600 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included

  • Deception Valley Lodge

    Eight thatched chalets on a private reserve on the northeastern edge, about two hours from the reserve.

    LodgeMid-level
    Ask us
    Game drives
    Included

  • Kalahari Plains Camp

    Tented camp inside the reserve, near Deception Valley. Meals and activities included.

    Tented campLuxury
    About US$800 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included

  • Tau Pan Camp

    Camp on a dune above Tau Pan, inside the reserve. Meals and activities included.

    Tented campLuxury
    About US$850 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included
Guests being poled in mokoro canoes through a channel in the Okavango
Stop 2 · 3 nights

Moremi

Moremi protects the eastern side of the Okavango Delta and is the only part of it set aside as a game reserve. Dry land meets lagoons and floodplains here, so you can search for lion, leopard, elephant and wild dog by vehicle in the morning, then glide through the reeds in a mokoro in the afternoon. Water levels are highest in the dry months, when mokoro trips and boat trips are at their best. Third Bridge and Xakanaxa are the classic areas, and the Khwai River on the northern boundary is superb for game. Birdlife is outstanding, with fish eagles and storks on the water.

Where to stay, cheapest first

Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.

From about US$16 to more than US$2,900 per person per night

Moremi and Khwai have very few mid-level beds, and we found no self-catering. Sango Safari Camp is the main mid-level choice.

  • North Gate campsite

    Public campsite on the Khwai River, inside the reserve. Bring your own gear.

    CampingBudget
    About US$16 per person, plus park fees
    Game drives
    Self-drive only

  • Third Bridge campsite

    The classic Moremi campsite, on the water, unfenced. Bring your own gear.

    CampingBudget
    Ask us
    Game drives
    Self-drive only

  • Sango Safari Camp

    Six meru tents with bucket showers on the Khwai River, with night drives and mokoro trips.

    Tented campMid-level
    About US$540 per person
    Game drives
    Ask us

  • Camp Moremi

    Permanent lodge inside the reserve at Xakanaxa. Meals, select drinks and activities included.

    LodgeLuxury
    About US$1,080 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included

  • Tuludi Camp

    Tree-house-style suites in Khwai. Meals, drinks and activities included.

    Tented campLuxury
    From about US$2,900 per person in high season
    Game drives
    Included
A family of elephants standing close together in dry grass
Stop 3 · 3 nights

Chobe

Chobe is Botswana's elephant country. Covering about 11,700 km², the park comes alive along the Chobe River in the dry season, when herds come down to drink and cross while other waterholes dry out. See them from a boat cruise as well as on game drives, with hippo, crocodile and big flocks of waterbirds around you. The riverfront is best from August. If you drive up through Savuti on the way, look for its well-known predators and big elephant bulls. Kasane, the base for the riverfront, has an airport and is close to the Zambian and Zimbabwean borders, so Victoria Falls is an easy extension.

Where to stay, cheapest first

Approximate prices only, for accommodation at this stop only.

From about US$7 to about US$1,400 per person per night

Kasane has the widest choice on this route. Lodge drives are in the park, and most town lodges are outside it.

  • Ben's Farm: campsite

    Pitches near Kasane with a lapa over a waterhole and a shared kitchen.

    CampingBudget
    About US$7 per person
    Game drives
    Extra

  • Ben's Farm: en-suite room

    Simple room with use of the gas cooker and fridge.

    Self-cateringBudget
    About US$45 per room
    Game drives
    Extra

  • Ihaha campsite

    Public campsite on the Chobe River, inside the park. Bring your own gear.

    CampingBudget
    About US$50 per night, plus park fees
    Game drives
    Self-drive only

  • Thebe River Lodge

    Family-owned lodge on the river in Kasane, with drives and cruises on offer.

    LodgeMid-level
    About US$70 per person, bed and breakfast
    Game drives
    Extra

  • Chobe Mopani Forest Lodge

    All meals, a Chobe game drive and a sunset cruise are included.

    LodgeMid-level
    About US$275 per person
    Game drives
    Included

  • Chobe Bakwena Lodge

    Boutique lodge on the river. Meals, drinks, two activities a day and park fees included.

    LodgeLuxury
    About US$700 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included

  • Chobe Game Lodge

    The only permanent lodge on the riverfront inside the park. Meals, select drinks and activities included.

    LodgeLuxury
    About US$1,400 per person, all inclusive
    Game drives
    Included

What nine nights cost

Approximate prices only, for accommodation only, per person sharing at mid-season prices.

CampingFrom US$75

The cheapest campsite at each stop, based on older rates. Add park fees of about US$20 or more per person per day, food, a vehicle and guiding.

Mid-levelAbout US$3,950

Dinaka in the Kalahari about US$1,800, Sango in Moremi US$1,620, and the Kasane average about US$520.

LuxuryAbout US$10,000

Tau Pan Camp, Camp Moremi and Chobe Game Lodge, all inclusive.

A guide only, not a quote. Prices come from published rates and guides for 2022 to 2027, converted at about P13.50 to the dollar, and mid-season means halfway between a lodge's low and high rates where it has both. Vehicle hire, fuel, flights, park fees and some activities can be extra.

Best time to travel: July to September

August is the sweet spot for Moremi and Chobe, and the Kalahari is still good. For a compromise that suits all three, consider May, when the Kalahari is at its best and the tracks are drier, although Moremi is not yet at its peak.

Our month-by-month view for wildlife
WhereJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Central KalahariBestBestBestBestBestGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodBest
MoremiFairFairFairGoodGoodGoodBestBestBestBestGoodGood
ChobeGoodGoodGoodGoodBestBestBestBestBestGoodGoodGood

  • Central Kalahari

    December to May is the best time, as animals gather on Deception Valley's green pans, with many young. But roads can get very muddy from December to March. In the dry months, wildlife gathers at waterholes and the days are cooler until August.

  • Moremi

    July to October is the best time, when wildlife viewing improves as the land dries and water levels are at their highest for mokoro trips. October is extremely hot, and some lodges close from January to March.

  • Chobe

    May to September is the best time, as waterholes dry out and animals gather along the river. The riverfront is at its best from August. September and October are very hot.

Make it yours

Change the order, add nights, or swap a lodge for wild camping. Tell us who is coming and when.

Plan this safariAll 2027 itinerariesBack to the home page

Wildlife photos are from our own safaris and do not necessarily show these exact places. Lodge availability, access roads and border rules can change; we confirm everything before you book.