Makgadikgadi Pans
Go for the flat salt pans of northern Botswana and a zebra migration that follows the rains.
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Makgadikgadi Pans is a group of salt pans in northern Botswana, part of the Kalahari basin. The pans are what remains of a large prehistoric lake. In the dry season the ground is a flat white crust that runs to the horizon, with almost nothing to break the view. The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and the neighboring Nxai Pan National Park are the main places to base yourself.
Visitors walk or drive out onto the pan surface, watch the light shift across the flats, and look for wildlife around the pan edges and along the Boteti River. The zebra and wildebeest migration in the area is tied to the rains, usually from about January to April. For easier road access, plan for the dry season, roughly May to October. Two or three nights gives you a first look, and a longer stay lets you cover both parks.
Makgadikgadi Pans in five
- Book a guided tour or a licensed 4x4 for the pansTracks across the pans change with rain, and soft patches can trap a vehicle. A first trip is safer with a licensed operator who knows the routes.Tours and tickets
- Carry water, fuel and a spare tyreServices are far apart once you leave Maun and Nata. Carry enough drinking water and fuel for the whole day, and check the spare before you leave.
- Set up an eSIM before you reach MaunMobile signal fades across the pans and at bush camps. Download offline maps before you leave Maun.Phones and eSIM
- Carry pula cash for tips and small shopsCash is useful outside the main towns and camps. Keep small pula notes for tips to guides and staff, and for small shops.
- Pick the season for what you want to seeThe pans are dry crust for much of the year and can flood in the rains. Dry-season waterhole wildlife and rainy-season zebra herds need different plans.Getting around
Things to do in Makgadikgadi Pans
See all attractions in Makgadikgadi Pans
Need to know
- Currency
- Pula (BWP)
- Entry
- Depends on your passport; check before you book
- Emergency
- 999 or 911 police, 997 ambulance
- Tipping
- Customary for guides and camp staff
- Time
- UTC+2, no daylight saving
Weather by month
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryGreen, zebra herds
- FebruaryHeavy rains
- MarchFlooded pans
- AprilGreen, late rains
- MayDry season starts
- JuneCool, dry, clear
- JulyWaterholes busy
- AugustDry, hot days
- SeptemberHeat builds
- OctoberPre-rain heat
- NovemberRains start
- DecemberRains, zebra herds
Right now in Makgadikgadi Pans
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
23
- Feels like
- 21°
- Humidity
- 46%
- Wind
- 18 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 0%
Makgadikgadi Pans
06:24 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today38°22°0%Tuesday: Clear. High 38°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Wed39°25°0%Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 39°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu38°25°0%Thursday: Clear. High 38°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri40°25°4%Friday: Drizzle. High 40°, Low 25°. Chance of rain 4%.
- Sat39°23°30%Saturday: Cloudy. High 39°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 30%.
- Sun38°23°20%Sunday: Drizzle. High 38°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 20%.
Updated 04:17 AM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 14.1 BWP
Rates from Nov 3, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Before you go to Makgadikgadi Pans
Rules for Makgadikgadi Pans, checked
- Park entry is handled by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks; confirm the current fee and gate rules with them or your operator before you travel.
- Do not drive off established tracks in the park, and ask your operator which routes are open before you set out.
- Do not feed or approach wildlife, and keep food and rubbish secured at camps, as the park rules require.
Plan around Makgadikgadi Pans
Entry, regions, money and the wider route
Read the guideVisas and entryWhich passports need a visa and what to check
Read the guideMoney and costsPula, cards and typical daily spending
Read the guideGetting around BotswanaFlights into Maun, self-drive and transfers
Read the guideWhere to stayCamps, lodges and bases near the pans
Read the guideTours and ticketsGuided pan trips and booking options
Read the guideMakgadikgadi Pans FAQ
Can I visit the Makgadikgadi Pans without a guided tour?
Possible with a 4x4 and driving experience, but tracks and pan surfaces change with the rain. For a first trip, a licensed guide is the safer choice.
When is the zebra migration?
The zebra herds gather on the grasslands around Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi when the rains come, usually from about January to April. Herds move, so ask your operator for current sightings before you book.
Are there flamingos on the pans?
Flamingos appear on some pans only when there is water, so their presence depends on the rains. Ask your operator whether water is present on your dates.
How do I get to the pans from Maun?
Flights reach Maun (MUB), and the last stretch to the pans is by tour or transfer. That final drive runs on sand and gravel tracks.
Do I need malaria tablets for the Makgadikgadi area?
Ask a travel clinic about malaria prophylaxis before you go. Risk varies by area and season, and the clinic can give advice for your route.