Region
Kalahari
Go for the Kgalagadi in the cool, dry months (Apr–Sep) or for Central Kalahari green-season game drives (Jan–Apr); skip Oct–Nov heat.
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Key facts · Botswana
- Best months
- Apr–Sep
- Currency
- Botswana pula
- Language
- English and Setswana
- Plugs
- D · G · M · 230 V
- Time zone
- Central Africa Time
Rules in force · 7Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive befor…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- Southern Africa ↗A rental car may leave its home country only with the rental company's cross-border letter, the registration papers and paid road taxes at each post; driving into Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique or Angola without them ends at the border.
- Southern Africa ↗Across the subregion, plan every road leg to arrive before sunset: livestock, wildlife, pedestrians and unlit trucks make night driving the main cause of serious visitor accidents.
- Botswana ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport on official Botswana government sources before booking; most Western passports are visa-exempt, others use the Botswana e-visa.
- Botswana ↗Light-aircraft transfers limit luggage by weight and require soft bags; confirm the limit with your camp or operator before packing.
- Botswana ↗Self-driving in Moremi, Chobe and the Central Kalahari needs a properly equipped 4x4, booked campsites and experience in sand driving.
The Botswana Kalahari is a semi-arid sandwich of red dunes and pale sandveld in the west and centre of the country. It is not a Big Five water safari like the Okavango; it is a desert trip built around Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the southwest, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in the centre, and the San and cattle-farming country around Ghanzi. Come for black-maned lions, gemsbok, meerkats, night skies and long, empty tracks. Come in the right months: April to September for Kgalagadi, January to April for the Central Kalahari's green season. The Kalahari is a self-drive or fly-in add-on of 3–5 nights, not a replacement for the Delta.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
Day trip
- Central Kalahari Game ReserveGuide: planned
Deception Valley and Sunday Pan; 3+ nights if camping inside.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 3 nights
- Ghanzi 1 + Central Kalahari 2 (self-drive, camping)
- 5 nights
- Ghanzi 1 + Central Kalahari 2 + Tsabong/Kgalagadi 2
- 7 nights
- Kgalagadi 3 + Tsabong 1 + Ghanzi 1 + Central Kalahari 2
- Do not drive Kalahari sand tracks after dark: animals on the road, no lighting, no phone signal in much of the CKGR.
- October and November are the hottest months; daytime temperatures can pass 38 °C (100 °F) — check before booking a camping trip.October and November are the hottest months; daytime temperatures can pass 100 °F (38 °C) — check before booking a camping trip.
- Fuel stations are far apart; fill up whenever you see one.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Kalahari Game Reserve | Ghanzi | 240 min | unknown | About 4 h on sand and gravel; no fuel inside, fill up in Ghanzi or Rakops. |
| Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | Tsabong | 300 min | unknown | Long gravel approach; park gates close at sunset — check gate times. |
Bags between cities
There is no practical luggage forwarding in the Kalahari; you carry what you need in the vehicle.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghanzi | × | × | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Tsabong | × | × | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | × | × |
| Botswana (country-wide) | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalahari (Ghanzi, Tsabong, CKGR)Western and central Botswana | hot | hot | hot | best | best | best | best | best | best | hot | hot | hot |
- Kalahari (Ghanzi, Tsabong, CKGR)
- Cool, dry winter (May–Aug) brings cold nights near 0 °C (32 °F) and clear game-viewing days; the green season (Jan–Apr) is hot with afternoon storms and the best Central Kalahari game viewing.Cool, dry winter (May–Aug) brings cold nights near 32 °F (0 °C) and clear game-viewing days; the green season (Jan–Apr) is hot with afternoon storms and the best Central Kalahari game viewing.
Kgalagadi is best April–September; the Central Kalahari is best January–April. October–November is the least comfortable window in both.
Getting in and passes
Arrival times and regional passes
Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maun | Ghanzi | Self-drive on the A3/Trans-Kalahari Highway | ~5 h | Tar road the whole way; watch for cattle and donkeys. |
| Gaborone | Ghanzi / Tsabong | Self-drive on the Trans-Kalahari Highway | ~7 h to Ghanzi, ~6 h to Tsabong | Long tar drive; fuel and food stops are limited. |
| Maun | Central Kalahari (via Rakops) | Self-drive, 4x4 | ~6 h | Last fuel at Rakops; the Matswere gate is the main entry. |
Regional passes
Kgalagadi Wild Card
checkPays for park entry if you visit several South African parks in a year; run the numbers for a single trip.
CKGR park and camping fees
checkPaid per person per night at the gate or in advance; rates change — confirm with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Braai (barbecue) and game meat | Ghanzi and Tsabong lodges and guest farms | Most Kalahari lodges include dinner; self-caterers should shop in Ghanzi or Tsabong before heading into the reserve. |
| Farm-style breakfast and homemade bread | Ghanzi guest farms | Common on San cultural and farm-stay packages; confirm meals when booking. |
Go next
Okavango Delta
Drive to Maun, then light aircraft
The classic pairing: desert first, water second.
Maun
Drive ~5 h from Ghanzi
Gateway for Delta flights and supplies.
Okavango-Chobe region guide
plannedFly Maun to Kasane
Add Chobe if you have another 3 nights.
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 2 bases
- Day trips
- 2, 4 h to 5 h
- Nights suggested
- 3–7 nights
- Ways in
- 3 listed
- Best months
- Apr–Sep
Going in…
Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.
Pick a month.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Ask about Kalahari
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