Practical questions
Moremi Game Reserve: frequently asked questions
The questions first-time Moremi visitors ask, answered plainly and with the figures actually in force in 2026.
How much does it cost to enter Moremi?
Non-residents pay P270 per person per day (about $20), or P190 as the client of a licensed Botswana tour operator. Moremi is a Category A park alongside Chobe, Botswana's premium tier. Add a vehicle fee (best current figure P75 per day for a foreign-registered 4x4, possibly P115) and, if camping, the DWNP camping fee of P60 per person per night plus the concessionaire's campsite rate. Children 8 to 15 pay half, under 8 enter free. Ignore any site quoting P120: that rate died in 2022, and the increase to P500 announced for April 2026 was officially postponed.
Can I self-drive in Moremi?
Yes, and the Mopane Tongue, the reserve's dry-land backbone, is classic self-drive country. You need a high-clearance 4x4 without exception, a pre-booked campsite (you will not be admitted without one), cash in pula for the gates, and full self-sufficiency in fuel, food and water from Maun. Vehicles must be under 5 tonnes to cross the log bridges. Chief's Island cannot be reached by road at all; it is fly-in only.
When is the best time to visit?
July to October for game viewing, June to September for the best all-round experience. The counter-intuitive key: the Okavango flood arrives in the dry season, peaking around July and August from rain that fell in Angola months earlier, so the Delta holds the most water exactly when the land is driest and the game most concentrated. The green season (November to March) trades big game for superb birding, newborn animals and the lowest rates.
Are night drives or walking safaris allowed?
No. Neither is permitted anywhere inside Moremi, including at the top-priced lodges on Chief's Island. Both are legal and excellent in the concessions bordering the reserve, especially the Khwai community area at Moremi's North Gate. If night drives or walking matter to you, build a Khwai stay into the itinerary; combining both areas is the strongest way to do the Delta.
How do I book the campsites inside the reserve?
Not through DWNP, which surprises everyone. The four public campsites are each run by a private concessionaire: Third Bridge by Xomae Group (reservations@xomaecamps.co.bw), Xakanaxa and South Gate by Kwalate Safaris (kwalatesafari@gmail.com, office in Maun), and North Gate by SKL Camps (reservations@sklcamps.co.bw). Book 6 to 12 months ahead for the dry season, expect full prepayment, and remember you still pay park entry, vehicle and DWNP camping fees on top at the gate.
Is Moremi fully open after the 2026 floods?
Partly. Record flooding closed the whole reserve from early March 2026; it reopened on 13 April 2026, but as of the most recent reliable reports the Third Bridge area remained closed and the Khwai to Xakanaxa route was inaccessible, with Khwai to South Gate passable only for well-equipped, experienced 4x4 crews. Conditions change fast, so confirm with DWNP or your campsite concessionaire days before travelling, and have a plan B that does not depend on Third Bridge.
What does a fly-in trip cost to arrange?
Light aircraft transfers from Maun run about $210 to $240 per person each way, taking 30 to 45 minutes to the reserve's airstrips. The lodges themselves span an enormous range: roughly $435 to $760 per person per night at the value end of the Khwai corridor, $690 to $1,410 at the established camps inside the reserve, and $2,400 to over $5,000 at Mombo and Chief's Camp on Chief's Island. Almost all rates are fully inclusive of activities and meals. Baggage is limited to 20 kg per person in soft bags, strictly enforced.
Is Moremi safe, and what should I watch for?
It is a well-established destination with sensible rules, and the animal that deserves most respect is the hippo, not the predators. Keep clear of channel banks at dawn and dusk, never position yourself between a hippo and deep water, and on a mokoro defer entirely to your poler's judgement. Campsites are unfenced: zip tents fully, never walk unlit at night, and leave the citrus at home because elephants will demolish anything between them and fruit. Northern Botswana is a malaria area; take advice on prophylaxis.