How To Get To Okavango Delta As Smoothly As Possible

This post may contain affiliate links. View the disclosure for more information.

How to get to Okavango Delta? This question is often asked by travellers aspiring to visit Botswana’s iconic safari destination.

Regardless of where you are travelling from, these are the absolute best ways to get to the Okavango Delta without losing your mind.

Planning a safari trip and dreaming of visiting Botswana’s number one safari destination, but pondering how to get to Okavango Delta?. Especially since the location is so remote?

As someone born and raised in Botswana and who has visited the destination, I can share, from firsthand experience, the absolute best way to get there as smoothly as possible.

I have also travelled internationally, so I understand the questions, concerns, expectations, and challenges visitors face when planning an African safari from abroad.

In this article, you will learn the best ways to reach the Okavango Delta for both local and international travellers, making your journey as easy as possible.

This post is all about how to get to Okavango Delta.

How to get to Okavango Delta

Getting to the Delta can be done by flight, car, self-drive, or a combination of these. However, that depends on where you are travelling from.

As you read through the article, you will realise that regardless of where you travel from, you are likely to end up in Maun, Botswana.

Your next question might be how to get to Okavango Delta from Maun? You can get there by road or plane. I will go over the details below for different parts of the world.

Here are the best ways you can travel to Okavango Delta from different parts of the world.

How to get to Okavango Delta: Local Travellers

Okavango Delta Holidays — Once you are in the country, getting to the Okavango Delta will be so much easier.

If you are already in the country, reaching this legendary destination shouldn’t be overwhelming. However, it depends on where you are in the country.

Okavango Delta From Gaborone

If you are in Gaborone, the capital, the fastest and best way is to fly from Gaborone to Maun.

Then, from Maun, you can either take a charter flight into the Okavango Delta or self-drive if you are comfortable with that.

This is what I will say: if you are a first-timer, arrange for someone to pick you up from Maun Airport.

Furthermore, you can travel to Maun by car or by bus. The bus is the cheapest and least comfortable.

Distance from Maun to Okavango Delta is around 130 km, which varies hugely depending on where your lodge is in the Okavango Delta.

This means driving there is very doable. However, if you want a shorter travel time, there are Okavango flights from Maun that take about 30 minutes.

Kasane to the Okavango Delta

Suppose you are in Kasane and wondering about how to get from Chobe National Park to Okavango Delta, worry not! There are direct flights from Kasane to the Okavango Delta.

However, they are third-party only, not the state-owned regional flights like Air Botswana.

My recommendation is that, if you are taking a charter flight, let your tour operator arrange it for you; it makes the whole itinerary planning seamless.

On the other hand, you can take a direct flight from Kasane to Maun and move on to the Okavango Delta.

Another way to reach the Okavango Delta is by self-drive, which is quite familiar to travellers on a self-drive safari. It is usually part of the itinerary.

How to get to Okavango Delta: International travellers

Fly Okavango — This will be your ride from Maun to the Okavango Delta

From the United States of America

The easiest and most common way of reaching the Okavango Delta from the US is via South Africa, as there are no direct flights.

You can do these in two ways: fly from the US to either Johannesburg or Cape Town, South Africa, and take a direct flight to Maun, Botswana.

You can easily book these via Skyscanner. Then from Maun, you can either drive or fly to the Okavango Delta.

As I mentioned above, from Maun to the Okavango Delta, you will be using small charter planes.

Therefore, for travellers who don’t like tiny planes, driving is doable and quite common.

How to get from Victoria Falls to Okavango Delta

Here is my recommendation: if you are in Victoria Falls and want to go to the Okavango Delta, the absolute best way is to drive or take a shuttle bus from Victoria Falls to Kasane.

It will take about an hour. It took us 55 minutes by a shuttle bus.

Then, from Kasane, you can either take a charter flight or drive to the region. The flight will take about 45 minutes, and the drive will take about 7 hours.

An alternative is to fly to Maun; however, there are no direct flights. This means you will fly to Johannesburg, then fly back from Johannesburg to Maun, Botswana.

We can agree that this will not be a good use of your time, since the trip will take over 20 hours, slightly less if you are travelling from the Zambia side.

I highly recommend paying close attention to your itinerary and activities, because reaching the Okavango Delta via Kasane makes for a perfect itinerary if you don’t mind road travel.

From Europe

Regardless of which European country you are travelling from, there are no direct flights from Europe to Botswana. So the most common way to get there is via South Africa or Ethiopia.

Most of the time, travellers will connect in Johannesburg, South Africa, which is the cheapest and quickest option. From there, take a flight to Maun, then to the Okavango Delta.

For Brits wondering how to get to Okavango Delta from London, the same thing applies. Take a flight from Heathrow International Airport to South Africa.

You can go to Johannesburg or Cape Town, then to Maun.

Several major European airlines operate this route daily. For instance, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, Swiss and Ethiopian Airlines are popular.

How to get to Okavango Delta from Johannesburg

Self drive from South Africa to Botswana — Yes! You can self drive from Johannesburg to Okavango Delta

If you are in South Africa, you can take a direct flight from Johannesburg to Maun, and take a charter flight or drive to the Okavango Delta. This is quick, easy and convenient.

Moreover, if you are an overland explorer, you can drive from Johannesburg to the Okavango Delta crossing via Martin’s drift a and Pioneer Gate.

From China

Suppose you are planning a trip to the Okavango Delta from China and are not sure which is the best way to get there. Well, a similar route to Europe applies.

The most common route is to fly from a major Chinese city, such as Beijing, Hong Kong, or Shanghai, to Johannesburg, South Africa. If you are in Lanzhou, you will likely travel via one of these cities anyway.

Once you are in Johannesburg, take a flight to Maun, Botswana. You can arrange to be picked up from the airport and taken to your lodge in the Delta, or take a bush plane

An alternative route to Botswana for travellers from China is via Ethiopia. You can get a direct flight from China to Ethiopia, then take another flight to Gaborone.

Then from Gaborone to the Delta, either via Maun or Kasane.

From Australia

The best way to travel from Australia to the Okavango Delta is via Johannesburg, South Africa. I’m sure you can already tell that O.R. Tambo International Airport is busy.

Anyway, once you are in Johannesburg, you can take a direct flight to Maun.

Once you are in Maun, you will be as close to the Delta as possible. You can even travel by road to your safari lodge.

Cape Town To Okavango Delta

If you are in Cape Town, travelling to the Okavango Delta couldn’t be easier, as you can take direct flights to Maun.

Although it will be an excruciatingly long journey, you can even drive to Botswana.

This post was all about how to get to Okavango Delta from different parts of the world.