Time your visit with Botswana’s seasons
Botswana is a destination that holds unique wonders every month of the year. While it's very easy to say that there's no bad time to visit a country, we really, really mean it for Botswana. The seasons follow the same climactic patterns of most of Southern Africa, bar a slight curve-ball.
The best way to understand when to go to Botswana is to look at the three 'safari seasons', Green, Shoulder and Peak:
Green Season: This typically runs from mid-December to the end of March and is when there is the greatest chance of rain. It is, however, unlikely to rain continuously for long periods, and if it does rain it is more often than not a big storm which then clears, which makes for phenomenal photographic compositions. It is during these months that many zebra migrate down towards the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Nightly rates are at their lowest in this season.
Shoulder Season: As the seasons change from the rains towards the drier winter we enter the first Shoulder Season, which runs from the beginning of April to the end of May. In this time you can expect to find a bush full of life and wonderful green grasses all around. The second Shoulder Season runs from the beginning of November through to mid-December as the summer rain storms build.
Peak Season: From June to the end of October is when Botswana, and in particular the Okavango Delta, is at its peak. The water from the rains has largely evaporated but the flood waters from Angola will have arrived to top up the channels of the Delta.
You can read more about Botswana's seasons in our 'A Year in the Okavango Delta' blog post.
