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.
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.
Sleep
Which bed, for how many nights, and what to do from it
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- GhanziPlanned
Main town on the Trans-Kalahari Highway; San cultural walks and farm stays.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- TsabongPlanned
Southern Kalahari town, closest base for the Kgalagadi's Botswana side and the Kalahari Meerkat Project area.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- Central Kalahari Game ReservePlanned
Deception Valley and Sunday Pan; 3+ nights if camping inside.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
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 — check before booking a camping trip.October and November are the hottest months; daytime temperatures can pass 100 °F — 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 and how
Months, arrival and passes
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 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.
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
| 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.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source