Camp Kalahari
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · Meerkat · Baobab
Price on request
Inside park
Where to stay in and near Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Zebra and wildebeest migration
Botswana
About Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Makgadikgadi protects the western part of the largest salt pan complex in the world, the bed of a lake that dried up thousands of years ago, in north-eastern Botswana. In the wet season, from about December to April, tens of thousands of zebra and wildebeest arrive on the grassland along the Boteti River and the pans fill with flamingos; in the dry season the herds line the river and the pans are blinding white and empty. Quad-biking onto the pans, sleeping out under the stars and visits to habituated meerkats are the signature experiences, mostly run from the lodges on the pan edge. It is a malaria area.
Things to do: Game drives · Stargazing · Bush walks · Cultural activities · Guided walk · Photography · Quad biking · Safaris
Where you can stay: Camping · Lodges
Stay in & near Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
Jack's Private Camp
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · Meerkat · Black backed jackal
Price on request
Inside park
Meno a Kwena
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · African elephant · Baobab
Price on request
Inside park
San Camp
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · Meerkat · Baobab
Price on request
Inside park
Jack's Camp
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · Aardvark · Baobab
Price on request
Inside park
Camp Makgadikgadi
Makgadikgadi Pans
Savanna biome · Plains zebra · Blue wildebeest
30.8 km away
When to visit Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Most of the rain at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park falls from December to March, peaking in January at about 149 mm. The dry season runs from April to October, with little or no rain. October is the hottest month, with average highs of about 34°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 10°C.
| Month | Rain (mm) | Average high (°C) | Average low (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 149 | 31 | 22 |
| February | 107 | 31 | 21 |
| March | 69 | 30 | 21 |
| April | 15 | 29 | 18 |
| May | 1 | 27 | 14 |
| June | 4 | 25 | 11 |
| July | 1 | 24 | 10 |
| August | 0 | 28 | 13 |
| September | 1 | 32 | 17 |
| October | 5 | 34 | 21 |
| November | 40 | 33 | 22 |
| December | 105 | 32 | 22 |
Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 912 m above sea level. Weather data from Open-Meteo.com (opens in a new tab) (ERA5), CC BY 4.0.
Getting there
6 stays we sell in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Tap a pin for the listing.
20.5071° S, 24.8111° E2,000 km from Cape TownOpen in Maps (opens in a new tab)
Why book here
Your stay helps keep Makgadikgadi Pans National Park wild
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.
- Built into every booking
- A conservation share
- Where it goes
- Local causes & communities
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park: your questions
Where is Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is in Botswana.
How do you book a stay in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
Botswana's Department of Wildlife and National Parks charges park entry fees per person per day plus a vehicle fee, payable in advance or at the gate. Public campsites inside the parks are run by private concessionaires and must be pre-booked, often months ahead for the dry season. Lodges and camps are on private concessions; request the ones listed on this page on Spekboom.
When is the rainy season at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
Most of the rain at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park falls from December to March, peaking in January at about 149 mm. The dry season runs from April to October, with little or no rain. October is the hottest month, with average highs of about 34°C, and July the coolest, with average lows of about 10°C. Averages for 2005 to 2024 at the park's centre point, about 912 m above sea level.
When is the best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
The best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is Dry season.
What is there to do at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
Popular activities at Makgadikgadi Pans National Park include game drives, stargazing, bush walks, cultural activities, guided walk, photography, quad biking, safaris.
Where can you stay in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park?
Places to stay inside Makgadikgadi Pans National Park include Camp Kalahari, Jack's Private Camp, Meno a Kwena, San Camp and Jack's Camp. Request them on Spekboom and pay once your dates are confirmed. Lodges just outside the park are listed too. Every booking funds conservation.
Parks near Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
The closest parks and reserves. Distances run centre to centre, as the crow flies.
Khwai Concession
North-West District, Botswana
Khwai ConcessionConcession · 185 km
Community concession bordering Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana
Moremi Game ReserveGame Reserve · 208 km
Rich biodiversity including wild dogs
Chobe National Park
Chobe District, Botswana
Chobe National ParkNational Park · 222 km
Largest elephant population in Africa
Part of
Other parks and reserves that share something with Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.
National parks in Southern and East AfricaNational parks and reserves in BotswanaAll protected areas