Botswana, Africa

Okavango Delta in August

Excellent all-round: high water in the Delta, prime predator viewing, and comfortable days. Book a year out.

BestDry and warming, highs near 84F (29C)

Zebras crossing water in the Okavango Delta — Okavango DeltaPhoto: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

The straight answer

August is one of the best months of the year to visit Okavango Delta. Excellent all-round: high water in the Delta, prime predator viewing, and comfortable days. Book a year out.

Weather: Dry and warming, highs near 84F (29C)
Crowds: 5 of 5
Prices: 5 of 5

What August is like in Okavango Delta

August is excellent all round. The Delta still holds high water, days are dry and warming with highs near 84F (29C), and mornings are no longer as cold as July. As the surrounding Kalahari dries out, wildlife crowds onto the floodplains and islands, and predator viewing is prime. Prices stay at peak, and camps are heavily booked.

If you only get one Okavango trip, August is hard to beat. It works for families, photographers and first-timers alike, with the best balance of water, wildlife and comfortable weather. The only downside is demand, so book about a year out. If August is full, September is the closest match.

Make the most of August

What is especially good about Okavango Delta this month.

Water and game at the same time

The flood is still high while dry-season wildlife concentration begins. You get mokoro trips in the morning and strong predator viewing on land.

Prime predator sightings

Lion, leopard and wild dog are easier to find as animals gather near water. Private concessions add night drives and off-road tracking.

Milder mornings

Dawn is still crisp but not freezing, so early drives are more comfortable than in June or July.

What to pack for August

A fleece or light jacket for cool mornings
Sun hat, sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen
A camera with a zoom lens, since predator action is at its best
Dust-friendly scarf or buff for open vehicles

Our timing tip

Split your stay between a water-based camp and a land-based camp to get both mokoro trips and top predator viewing during the same August trip.

Book Okavango Delta for August.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Okavango Delta
Opens a hotel search for Okavango Delta in August, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
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Vacation rentals in Okavango Delta
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
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Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Okavango Delta for August. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
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What's on in August

The annual flood peak

Roughly June to August, varying with the previous summer's rains in Angola

The flood that began as rain in the Angolan highlands peaks in the Delta months later. The size varies year to year: a big flood means more water activities, a small one means drier camps.

Dry-season wildlife concentration

Roughly August through October

As the surrounding Kalahari dries out, wildlife crowds onto the floodplains and islands. The later in the season, the better the viewing and the hotter the days.

Things to do in Okavango Delta

Full guide

A mokoro excursion

Poled by a local guide through the shallow channels. Best when water is high, roughly May to September; in low water, only camps on permanent channels can offer it.

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Moremi Game Reserve

The protected eastern core of the Delta, reachable by road from Maun, and the most accessible way to combine water and land game drives on a self-drive or mobile safari.

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A scenic flight over the Delta

Seeing the channels, islands, and elephant paths from a light aircraft or helicopter is the only way to grasp the scale. Short flights run from Maun.

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A private concession camp

The fly-in camps in private concessions offer night drives, walking safaris, and far fewer vehicles than the reserve. The priciest option, and the one that shows the Delta at its best.

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Chobe National Park

Famous for enormous dry-season elephant herds along the Chobe River, best from a boat at sunset. Usually combined with the Delta via Kasane.

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The Makgadikgadi Pans

Vast salt pans south of the Delta. In the green season, zebra migrate onto the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan grasslands; in the dry season, meerkat and quad-bike trips on the pans.

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Beat the crowds

Botswana limits camp sizes and vehicle numbers, so crowds show up as sold-out camps, not busy sightings. Book July through September camps 9 to 18 months ahead.
Consider May, early June, or late October: most of the peak-season experience at shoulder rates, with only a small trade in water levels or heat.
Choose a private concession over the public Moremi reserve if you want sightings without other vehicles; concession rules cap traffic and allow off-road tracking.
In green season, pick camps on permanent water so mokoro and boat activities still run when seasonal channels are dry.

Know before you go

A few camps close for part of the green season, usually somewhere in January through March, for maintenance. Most stay open with lower rates.
Water-based activities depend on flood levels, which vary every year. In a low-flood year, some camps cannot offer mokoro trips even in winter; ask each camp what it expects.
Most Delta camps are reached only by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane, with strict soft-bag luggage limits, often around 44 pounds (20 kg) including hand luggage.
Moremi's self-drive roads flood in high water; some routes and bridges become impassable, so route plans change with the season.

Okavango Delta in August, quick answers

Is August a good time to visit Okavango Delta?

August is one of the best months of the year to visit Okavango Delta. Excellent all-round: high water in the Delta, prime predator viewing, and comfortable days. Book a year out.

What is the weather like in Okavango Delta in August?

Dry and warming, highs near 84F (29C).

Is Okavango Delta crowded in August?

August is peak crowd season in Okavango Delta; expect lines at the headline sights.

What is happening in Okavango Delta in August?

The annual flood peak (roughly june to august, varying with the previous summer's rains in angola); Dry-season wildlife concentration (roughly august through october).