8-day Okavango Delta safari from Maun: Moremi and Khwai

Photograph Africa's most diverse wildlife across two game reserves in the Okavango Delta

An 8-day private camping safari from Maun through Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai Community Area, traveling by chartered flight, open-air safari vehicle and mokoro canoe with a professional guide, chef and camp staff. You stay in luxury tented accommodation with private ensuite bathrooms and spend days exploring seasonal floodplains, lagoons and riverine forests where wild dogs, lions, elephants and hippos concentrate. A mokoro excursion on day seven lets you photograph aquatic birds and water lilies at eye level (subject to water levels). All other days run game drives instead if water is too low.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Maun to Moremi Game Reserve

• Fly from Maun to Moremi
• Meet guide at Moremi Game Reserve

Day 2: Explore Moremi Game Reserve

• Explore Xakanaxa region wildlife

Day 3: Moremi Game Reserve exploration

• Continue exploring Xakanaxa region

Day 4: Moremi Game Reserve exploration

• Further explore Xakanaxa region

Day 5: Drive to Khwai Community Area

• Drive through Moremi to Khwai
• Stop at Dombo Hippo pools

Day 6: Explore Khwai area

• Explore Leadwood and Camel Thorn woodlands

Day 7: Khwai exploration with Mokoro safari

• Explore Khwai wildlife areas
• Take Mokoro safari (if water permits)

Day 8: Return to Maun

• Morning game drive to airstrip
• Fly back to Maun

The experience

Moremi Game Reserve, inside the Okavango Delta, holds more animal diversity than any other part of Botswana. Your first day starts with a charter flight north from Maun International Airport over herds of elephants, landing you inside the reserve where a guide meets you at the airstrip. The next three days center on the Xakanaxa region on Moremi's north-eastern side, considered the best wildlife viewing area in Africa for endangered African Wild Dogs. The reserve is also home to at least four lion prides, multiple elephant herds, and lechwe antelopes that graze the seasonal floodplains.

Day five moves you northeast toward Khwai Community Area, a slow drive following the Manuchira Channel (the Khwai River at its eastern end) through mopane tree woodlands. The route passes Dombo Hippo pools where you stop to watch hippos. The eastern forest holds breeding herds of elephants and bull elephants that gather along the riverside to drink and bathe. Khwai itself is predator-rich: the river draws leopards, lions, cheetahs, crocodiles and a high density of hippos, plus red lechwe, impala, zebra and buffalo that move in seasonally. Days six and seven explore the leadwood and camel thorn woodlands and marshy backwater, with day seven offering a mokoro (shallow canoe) safari through bulrushes and marshes at water level, guided by an expert poler who photographs aquatic birds and water lilies. If water levels are too low, game drives replace the mokoro. Your final morning includes one last game drive before breakfast and your charter flight back to Maun.

Throughout the safari, a professional guide delivers safety briefings at every stop and ensures compliance with park rules. A safari chef and camp assistants manage meals and daily needs. Accommodation is luxury tented with beds, linens, towels and private ensuite bathrooms at each camp. Open-air safari vehicles with rear-mounted game viewing seats and canvas canopy provide 360-degree views for photography.

What’s included

• Charter flights from and to Maun.
• open-air safari vehicle with rear-mounted game viewing seats and canvas canopy.
• professional guide.
• safari chef and camp assistants.
• luxury tented accommodation with private ensuite bathrooms.
• meals.
• mokoro excursion on day seven (water level dependent).

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 12:00

AgesAdult (12 to 75 years) · Under 12: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 12 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Wild For Game Safaris

Is this one for you?Early starts and full days of game drives demand stamina and comfort with early mornings. The open-air vehicles and mokoro canoe mean exposure to sun, wind and water, so bring sun protection and be ready for a physically active pace across eight days.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What animals am I most likely to photograph in Moremi Game Reserve?

Moremi is Africa's best reserve for endangered African Wild Dogs, and also holds at least four lion prides, multiple elephant herds, lechwe antelopes, and hippos concentrated in the seasonal floodplains and lagoons of the Xakanaxa region.

How do I get from Maun to the safari camps?

A charter flight from Maun International Airport carries you north over elephant herds to Moremi Game Reserve on day one. A guide meets you at the airstrip. On day eight, a final game drive takes you back to the airstrip for your return charter to Maun.

What is a mokoro safari and when does it happen?

A mokoro is a shallow canoe poled by an expert guide through bulrushes and marshes at water level, letting you photograph aquatic birds, plants and water lilies at eye level. It runs on day seven in Khwai if water levels are high enough. If not, game drives replace it for that day.

What is included in the accommodation?

Luxury tented camps provide beds, bed linen, towels and a private ensuite bathroom at each location throughout the 8 days.

Who travels with me on the safari?

A professional guide leads all activities and delivers safety briefings. A safari chef prepares meals and camp assistants handle daily needs, ensuring the camps run smoothly around your photography schedule.