Botswana, Africa

Okavango Delta in December

Lush, full of newborns and migrant birds, and good value outside the Christmas week.

TradeoffsHot and humid, highs near 90F (32C), regular storms

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

The straight answer

December is a month of real tradeoffs in Okavango Delta. Lush, full of newborns and migrant birds, and good value outside the Christmas week.

Weather: Hot and humid, highs near 90F (32C), regular storms
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What December is like in Okavango Delta

December is hot and humid, with highs near 90F (32C) and regular afternoon storms. The Delta is lush and green, full of newborn antelope and migrant birds. Water in seasonal channels is low, so boat and mokoro trips depend on the camp. Rates are low for most of the month, though the Christmas and New Year week is priced and booked like high season.

December suits families and couples who want a quieter, greener safari on a budget, and birders who want the summer migrants. Travelers set on high water and dense game should look at June to September. If you are traveling over the holidays, book early, or aim for early December for the best value.

Make the most of December

What is especially good about Okavango Delta this month.

Newborns everywhere

Young impala and tsessebe wobble through the grass, and predators are busy. It is a lively time on game drives.

Zebra head for the pans

Zebra begin moving onto the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan grasslands after the rains, a good add-on south of the Delta.

Green-season calm

Outside the holiday week, camps are quiet and you often have sightings entirely to yourself.

What to pack for December

A packable rain shell for afternoon storms
Quick-dry clothes and a spare set for wet days
Insect repellent and long sleeves for evenings
A dry bag for electronics

Our timing tip

Travel in the first half of December to get green-season rates and avoid the holiday surcharges that start around Christmas.

Book Okavango Delta for December.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Okavango Delta
Opens a hotel search for Okavango Delta in December, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for December
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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.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Okavango Delta
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Okavango Delta for December. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in December

Green season calving and birding

Roughly November through March

Antelope calving around November and December, predators on the hunt, and migrant birds in full breeding color. The lowest rates of the year.

Zebra migration to the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan

Roughly December through March, following the rains

Thousands of zebra move onto the pans' fresh grass after the rains. A strong green-season add-on south of the Delta.

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 December, quick answers

Is December a good time to visit Okavango Delta?

December is a month of real tradeoffs in Okavango Delta. Lush, full of newborns and migrant birds, and good value outside the Christmas week.

What is the weather like in Okavango Delta in December?

Hot and humid, highs near 90F (32C), regular storms.

Is Okavango Delta crowded in December?

December is one of the quieter months in Okavango Delta; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Okavango Delta in December?

Green season calving and birding (roughly november through march); Zebra migration to the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan (roughly december through march, following the rains).