Botswana's parks, compared
2 parks on wildlife, activities, cost, access and health. Every rating opens to show why.
Three parks side by side reads best. Tap a park to swap it in or out.
| Compare | MoremiBest for big game | ChobeBest for birding |
|---|---|---|
| 5Jul to Oct | 4Jun to Oct | |
5bestJul to OctMammal species (Delta): 130; Wild dog (Okavango): ±500, a world stronghold; Red lechwe (Delta): 30,000–90,000 | 4Jun to OctElephants in the park: 15,404 (2018 survey); Northern Botswana: 126,114 (2018 survey); Botswana's part of KAZA: 131,909 (2022 survey) | |
| Elephant | Guaranteed | Guaranteed |
| Lion | Likely | Likely |
| Leopard | Likely | Fair chance |
| Buffalo | Likely | Likely |
| Wild dog | Fair chance | Rare |
| Cheetah | Rare | Rare |
| Hippo | Guaranteed | Likely |
| Giraffe | Likely | Guaranteed |
3400 speciesAbout 400 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | 4best450 speciesAbout 450 bird species listed on the wildlife page. | |
| 4Water | 5Water | |
2Walking safaris are not permitted inside the reserve; walks happen in the surrounding private and community concessions such as Khwai. | 2The national parks regulations ban walking inside Chobe and no designated walking area has been published; guided walks run in the Linyanti concessions and the Chobe Enclave next door. | |
2Night drives are not permitted in the reserve, Chief's Island included; Khwai and the private concessions run them legally. | 2Driving between sunset and sunrise is banned inside the park and no night-drive area has been published for Chobe; the Linyanti concessions run night drives legally. | |
4Motorboat cruises from Xakanaxa to the Gcodikwe heronry, mokoro trips from Mboma when water allows, and boats year-round on the permanent lagoons, best May to Sep. | 5bestThe riverfront boat cruise is the activity Chobe is known for: three-hour trips from Kasane's jetties past Sedudu Island from BWP 498, electric boats from Chobe Game Lodge and houseboats on the Namibian bank; no mokoro or fishing inside the park. | |
4Self-driving is the main activity on the sand tracks, 92 km and about 2 h from Maun to South Gate, but a high-clearance 4x4 is essential and the four public campsites sell out 6 to 8 months ahead for June to October. | 4Any car reaches Sedudu Gate on 7 km of tar from Kasane and a Riverfront day visit needs no booking, but a high-clearance 4x4 is essential beyond the gate and Savuti is 165 km and 4 to 5 h, about 70 km of it deep sand. | |
| $30cheapest bed | $50cheapest bed | |
$20International adult per day ({'name': 'Government of Botswana national parks tariff (Ministry of Finance Savingram, December 2025) and DWNP', 'url': 'https://www.christourszambian.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Botswana-Park-Fee-Updates.pdf'}, 2026-10-04). | $20International adult per day ({'name': 'DWNP fee structure for national parks and game reserves, 2022 First Schedule to the National Parks and Game Reserves Regulations, in force since 1 April 2022 (checked 4 Oct 2026)', 'url': 'https://www.bwana.de/images/2022/New_fees_2022_DWNP_2022.pdf'}, 2026-10-04). | |
$30bestLowest listed rate per person per night across 35 places; 7 are budget tier. | $50Lowest listed rate per person per night across 54 places; 9 are budget tier. | |
$718Median of 31 priced places; top end $2,889. | $607bestMedian of 31 priced places; top end $2,250. | |
3Cheapest listed bed $30, 7 of 35 places in the budget tier, park fee $20 a day. | 3Cheapest listed bed $50, 9 of 54 places in the budget tier, park fee $20 a day. | |
| $2,610mid-range | $1,635mid-range | |
$570Budget one: self-drive camping, the classic Maun loop | $495bestBudget one: self-drive camping at Ihaha on the Riverfront | |
$2,610Budget two: mid-range at Sango Safari Camp | $1,635bestBudget two: a Kasane lodge, with boat cruises and game drives bought in town | |
$18,200Budget three: fly-in to Mombo Camp | $4,440bestBudget three: fly-in to Savute Safari Lodge | |
| Maun (MUB)nearest airport | Kasane (BBK)nearest airport | |
Maun (MUB), 92 km and ±2 h to South Gate; 30 to 45 min by light aircraftFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | Kasane (BBK), 5.6 km from town and ±10 min from Sedudu GateFrom the getting-there and flights pages. | |
Essential, no exceptionsFrom the getting-there page. | Any car to Sedudu, 4x4 beyondFrom the getting-there page. | |
| Jul to Octpeak game viewing | Jun to Octpeak game viewing | |
Jul to OctFrom the best-time page. | Jun to OctFrom the best-time page. | |
Open all year; occasional wet-season closures (6 Mar to 13 Apr 2026)From the best-time page. | No published wet-season closure; a storm can close a Savuti track overnightFrom the best-time page. | |
| High Oct to Maymalaria | High Oct–Maymalaria | |
High Oct to May, low Jun to Sep (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | High Oct–May, low Jun–Sep (NaTHNaC)From the health page. | |
Not publishedOnly the history page discusses tsetse, as the shifting fly belts of old Ngamiland; the health page is silent. | Not publishedNo current statement from Botswana's veterinary services or NaTHNaC says whether tsetse are present in or absent from the park; control spraying targeted the Kwando and Linyanti rivers in 2006. | |
October, 36.5°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | October, 35.8°C mean daily maxMean daily maximum of the hottest month, from the health page. | |
Maun, ±2 h from South GateFrom the health page. | Kasane Primary Hospital, ±7 km from Sedudu GateAir evacuation: Insurance cover essential. | |
| 5First safari | 5First safari | |
4Malaria risk is low Jun to Sep, the best all-round months, and Sandibe, Gomoti Plains, Kiri and Monachira take all ages; campsites are unfenced and the nearest hospitals are in Maun, ±2 h from South Gate. | 4Kasane Primary Hospital is about 7 km from Sedudu Gate and Chobe Game Lodge takes children of all ages in its family suites; malaria risk is high from October to May and every public campsite is unfenced. | |
5Hippo on 100 per cent of reported trips and elephant on 99, lion 91 and leopard 77, with 30 to 45 min light-aircraft hops from Maun's scheduled airport. | 5Elephant and giraffe are guaranteed on 99 per cent of trips and lion and buffalo likely on 91, and Airlink flies daily to Kasane, ten minutes from the park gate. | |
4bestProtected core country with no off-road driving, three vehicles per campsite and Chief's Island reachable only by air; the Khwai strip is the busiest in the area. | 3About 11,700 km² in four areas: the Riverfront sits 7 km from Kasane, while Linyanti is the remotest and Nogatsaa the quiet alternative for pans and no crowd. |
Each park in one line
Moremi The protected core of the Okavango: flood-fed lagoons, red lechwe and some of Africa's best predator country.
Chobe Botswana's elephant park: the Chobe Riverfront ten minutes from Kasane, and the sand country of Savuti and Linyanti beyond it.