The Makgadikgadi Pans are among the largest salt flats on Earth, a surreal white plain that shimmers under the sun and stretches to a flat horizon. They are the remains of a vast ancient lake, and today the landscape includes the Sua and Ntwetwe pans, baobab islands, grassland and the Boteti River.
The pans change with the season. In the dry months, the white expanse is silent and stark, and you can ride a quad bike across it, sleep under the stars, and meet habituated meerkat colonies in the early morning. After the rains from December to March, the pans fill with shallow water, flamingos arrive, and zebra herds cross the grassland in Africa's second great migration.
Makgadikgadi suits travellers who want a contrast to the Delta and Chobe, with open space, silence and an extraordinary sense of scale.
In the green season, the grasslands hold large herds of zebra and wildebeest, with springbok, gemsbok and their predators. Meerkats, brown hyena, aardwolf, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox live in the pans, and flamingos and pelicans arrive on the flooded Sua Pan. In the dry season, the Boteti River draws elephants, giraffe and zebra.
Chance of seeing
Our estimate for a stay of two or three nights with a good guide. Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised.
The salt pans are a blinding white plain that stretches to the horizon, with mirages and baobab islands. At night, the Milky Way is clear and the silence is deep. After rain the pans turn a mirror-like blue.
Activities here
Makgadikgadi is hot in summer, with daytime temperatures of 33°C to 36°C, and cool to cold in winter, with nights that can drop to freezing. Rain falls from November to March.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 20 | 90 |
| Feb | 33 | 20 | 80 |
| Mar | 33 | 19 | 65 |
| Apr | 31 | 16 | 30 |
| May | 28 | 11 | 5 |
| Jun | 25 | 7 | 0 |
| Jul | 25 | 6 | 0 |
| Aug | 28 | 10 | 0 |
| Sep | 32 | 15 | 5 |
| Oct | 35 | 19 | 20 |
| Nov | 35 | 20 | 50 |
| Dec | 34 | 20 | 85 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
May to October is dry, with big skies, silent salt flats and cold winter nights. It is the best time for quad biking, meerkats and elephants on the Boteti.
November to March is hot with afternoon storms. The pans can flood, which brings flamingos, and the zebra herds migrate to the grassland. Some roads become impassable.
December to March is the time of the zebra migration and the flooded pans, with a lush landscape. May to October is the best time for the white salt flats and meerkats, with cold mornings and warm days.
Best time to visit Dec to Feb
Makgadikgadi lies about 200 kilometres east of Maun. It is reached by light aircraft from Maun in about 45 minutes, or by road in about three hours via Gweta. It links with the Okavango and Central Kalahari.
Park and concession fees are included in our safaris. Citizens of many countries, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can enter Botswana without a visa for up to 90 days, but please check the rules for your passport.
The pans are very hot by day and cold at night. Wear sun protection and bring warm layers. The risk of malaria is low in the dry season but present in the wet season.
WetlandOkavango DeltaGliding through the Delta by mokoro
National ParkChobe National ParkElephants by the thousand on the Chobe RiverCity & TownKasaneGateway to Chobe
Wildlife Reserve & SanctuaryMoremi Game ReserveBig cats on the edge of the DeltaOur take
“Our take”
Give the pans two nights, and ride a quad bike at sunset, when the salt turns pink.
Safaris from
US$4,888 per person
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