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Okavango, Makgadikgadi & Chobe: Route Guide

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The Okavango's channels braiding from the air
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Drive the main-road spine from Maun to Nata and Kasane, handing over to licensed local operators for the Okavango waterways and Chobe protected-area experiences. The route separates the community-run Nata Sanctuary from the Delta and never treats a mokoro, river cruise or game drive as an on-demand roadside stop.

Okavango, Makgadikgadi & Chobe is a 610 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as a 6-day trip; the plan below is the 6-day version for August, built from 32 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

6
days
610km
distance
3
Stops
32
curated stops

Plan your own version → 6-day plan · best time to go

The route

Maun→ 300 kmNata & Makgadikgadi→ 310 kmKasane & Chobe

What you'll see

Maun and Thamalakane orientation
Orient yourself in Maun as a living Batawana town and Delta gateway, then use a confirmed public riverside access point for the Thamalakane landscape.
Maun
Nata Sanctuary pan circuit
Support Botswana’s first community-based conservation project with a measured pan-edge visit, treating the vast landscape as the experience and any flamingos or other wildlife as a variable bonus.
Nata & Makgadikgadi
Kasane and Chobe River orientation
Settle into Kasane and understand the Chobe Riverfront landscape from confirmed public viewpoints before the two licensed excursions.
Kasane & Chobe
Okavango licensed mokoro excursion
Leave the route car parked and use the confirmed licensed operator’s pickup, transfer and mokoro chain, returning to Maun on the booked service. Wildlife and water conditions remain variable.
Maun
Chobe licensed river excursion
Use a confirmed licensed boat from the exact Kasane meeting point for a river-level view of Chobe, returning on the booked service and treating every sighting as uncertain.
Kasane & Chobe
Chobe licensed game-drive excursion
Leave the route car parked and use the confirmed licensed operator’s vehicle, gate access and return for Chobe Riverfront tracks; conditions and wildlife remain variable.
Kasane & Chobe

Choose your length

6-day plan7 stops · 10.4 h transit1.2 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: May, June, July, August, September

The reviewed baseline uses the drier road season, when Okavango floodwater and Chobe River wildlife viewing can be strong. Water levels, migrations and every sighting still vary, and the Nata pans may be dry.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →