Botswana, Africa

Okavango Delta in October

Game viewing at its most concentrated, but midday heat is punishing. Shoulder rates at some camps.

GoodVery hot, highs near 97F (36C), sometimes over 100F (38C)

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

The straight answer

October is a good month to visit Okavango Delta. Game viewing at its most concentrated, but midday heat is punishing. Shoulder rates at some camps.

Weather: Very hot, highs near 97F (36C), sometimes over 100F (38C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 4 of 5

What October is like in Okavango Delta

October is the hottest month. Afternoon highs sit near 97F (36C) and sometimes pass 100F (38C). The flood is receding, the land is parched, and wildlife is at its most concentrated around what water remains. Game viewing can be spectacular, but midday heat is punishing and most people spend the afternoon resting in the shade. Some camps drop to shoulder rates.

October suits seasoned safari travelers and photographers who want dense wildlife and can handle serious heat. It is a tough month for small children, older travelers or anyone sensitive to heat. If you want most of the dry-season wildlife with gentler weather, choose August or September instead.

Make the most of October

What is especially good about Okavango Delta this month.

The most concentrated wildlife of the year

With water scarce, animals gather tightly around the remaining lagoons and channels. Sightings can be remarkable.

Shoulder rates at some camps

Some camps drop their prices as the season winds down, so you can get peak-level wildlife for less.

Dramatic water-hole scenes

Elephants, buffalo and plains game queue up to drink, and predators watch nearby. Sit quietly and let the action come to you.

What to pack for October

Lightweight, loose clothing in pale neutral colors
A cooling neck towel or buff you can wet
Electrolyte packets and a large water bottle
Wide-brimmed hat and high-SPF sunscreen

Our timing tip

Early October is usually a little cooler than late October, and choosing a camp with a plunge pool makes the midday break much easier.

Book Okavango Delta for October.

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

What's on in October

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.