Botswana, Africa

Okavango Delta in March

Rains ease and the flood pulse starts arriving in the northern Panhandle. Still green-season pricing.

TradeoffsWarm, highs near 88F (31C), rains tapering

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

The straight answer

March is a month of real tradeoffs in Okavango Delta. Rains ease and the flood pulse starts arriving in the northern Panhandle. Still green-season pricing.

Weather: Warm, highs near 88F (31C), rains tapering
Crowds: 1 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What March is like in Okavango Delta

March is the tail end of the green season. Highs still sit near 88F (31C), but the rains start to ease and there are more clear mornings between storms. The land is at its greenest, rates are still low and camps are quiet. Far to the north, the new flood pulse from Angola begins arriving in the Panhandle, though the main Delta will not fill for months.

This is a smart month for budget-minded travelers, birders and returning safari fans who want space and green scenery. It is not the month for classic mokoro trips across full floodplains or for dense game viewing. If those are your priorities, wait for June to September, or try May for near-peak conditions at lower prices.

Make the most of March

What is especially good about Okavango Delta this month.

Last of the green-season pricing

Rates are still low, and the weather is often kinder than in January or February as the storms thin out.

The flood pulse begins

Floodwater from the Angolan highlands starts reaching the northern Panhandle. Camps up there see rising water first.

Final weeks of the zebra on the pans

Zebra are usually still on the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan grasslands, though they start moving as the rains end.

What to pack for March

A light rain shell for the last storms
Sun hat and high-SPF sunscreen for clearer days
Insect repellent for dusk and evenings
Neutral-colored, lightweight layers

Our timing tip

Late March usually has fewer storms than early March while still carrying green-season rates, so push your dates toward the end of the month if you can.

Book Okavango Delta for March.

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Hotels. Expedia
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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 March. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
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What's on in March

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 March, quick answers

Is March a good time to visit Okavango Delta?

March is a month of real tradeoffs in Okavango Delta. Rains ease and the flood pulse starts arriving in the northern Panhandle. Still green-season pricing.

What is the weather like in Okavango Delta in March?

Warm, highs near 88F (31C), rains tapering.

Is Okavango Delta crowded in March?

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

What is happening in Okavango Delta in March?

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