A two-week 4x4 loop from Maun: the baobabs of Nxai Pan, the rhinos of Khama, the elephants of Chobe, the Savuti marshes and the lagoons of Moremi. In the north, everything happens in deep sand, fully self-sufficient, with campsites booked months in advance.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Maun | Start |
| Days 3 to 4 | Nxai Pan (South Camp) | 177 km · 4h05 |
| Day 5 | Khumaga (Boteti River) | 154 km · 3h50 |
| Day 6 | Khama Rhino Sanctuary | 382 km · 4h55 |
| Day 7 | Nata | 417 km · 5h10 |
| Days 8 to 10 | Kasane | 308 km · 3h45 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Savuti | 162 km · 4h50 |
| Day 13 | Khwai (North Gate) | 75 km · 3h30 |
| Days 14 to 15 | Xakanaxa (Moremi) | 35 km · 2h |
| Day 16 | Back to Maun | 89 km · 4h30 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to October, the dry season: tracks passable, wildlife gathered at waterholes and the Delta flood at its peak from June to August; September and October are very hot. From November to April, rain and muddy tracks, Moremi sometimes closed for a few days, but plenty of zebras at Nxai Pan.
🚗 177 km · 4h05 of driving from Maun
The tarmac A3 eastwards; from the park gate, about 35 km of thick sand to South Camp.
🚗 154 km · 3h50 of driving from Nxai Pan
Back west on the A3 to Motopi, then the tarmac B300 south; the last kilometre is on a track.
🚗 382 km · 4h55 of driving from Khumaga
The B300 to Rakops, then the A14 via Mopipi and Letlhakane to Serowe; no reliable fuel at Rakops.
🚗 417 km · 5h10 of driving from Khama Rhino Sanctuary
The A14 to Palapye, the A1 to Francistown, then the A3 to Nata: main tarmac roads, with livestock on the verges.
🚗 308 km · 3h45 of driving from Nata
The tarmac A33 north via Pandamatenga; elephants and livestock on the road, so never drive at night.
🚗 162 km · 4h50 of driving from Kasane
Tarmac to Kachikau, then very deep sand to Ghoha Gate, in low range. Fill up in Kasane: no reliable filling station until Maun.
🚗 75 km · 3h30 of driving from Savuti
Sand to Mababe Gate, by the Marsh Road or the Sand Ridge Road, then a track to North Gate.
🚗 35 km · 2h of driving from Khwai
Sand track via Dombo through Moremi; during the flood, this section may be under water: go via South Gate instead.
🚗 89 km · 4h30 of driving from Xakanaxa
With 10 days, go one-way from Maun to Kasane: Maun 1 night, Xakanaxa 2, Khwai 1, Savuti 2, Kasane 3, dropping the 4x4 off in Kasane, with a one-way fee depending on the rental firm. You skip Nxai Pan, the Boteti, Khama Rhino and Nata.
| Camping-equipped Hilux for 2, high season 2026 | ≈ €196 a day (N$3,655, 16 to 24 days, Bushlore) |
|---|---|
| Same 4x4, 20 July to 15 August | ≈ €209 a day (N$3,900) |
| Same 4x4, 20 March to 30 June | ≈ €155 a day (N$2,895) |
| Hilux with rooftop tent, low season 2027, 16 days or more | ≈ €174 a day (US$198, Tawana) |
| Zero excess, tyres and windscreen included | ≈ €25 a day (N$460, Bushlore) |
| Vehicle | Diesel 4x4 pick-up (Hilux, Land Cruiser) with rooftop tent, fridge and kitchen; low range essential. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | In Maun or Kasane (Bushlore and Tawana depots); as a loop to avoid one-way fees. |
| Minimum rental | 8 days at both Bushlore and Tawana. |
| Insurance | N$30,000 excess at Bushlore (≈ €1,600), doubled for a rollover or an animal hit at night. |
| Water and tyres | Water damage never covered; tyres and windscreen only with the most expensive option. |
| Age and card | 21 to 25 depending on the rental firm, one or two years' driving experience; Visa or Mastercard, no Amex. |
⚠️ Even with zero excess at Bushlore, a rollover or an animal hit at night costs 30,000 rand; water damage is never covered.
Required according to France Diplomatie (September 2026). Rental firms also ask for a credit card in the driver's name.
Right-hand drive. Livestock, wild animals and pedestrians by the roadside, especially outside towns.
80 km/h on other roads according to the WHO; 40 km/h in national parks.
50 mg per 100 ml of blood since 2013; 0.25 g/l for public transport drivers.
France Diplomatie strongly advises against it. At Bushlore, an animal hit at night doubles the excess.
Especially between Kachikau and Ghoha. Reinflate as soon as you are back on tarmac.
No off-road driving, no getting out of the vehicle without permission, camping on your booked pitch only.
Submersion beyond the wading depth is excluded from every option at Bushlore. In flood, go round.
France Diplomatie advice for long journeys, with a second vehicle if possible.
In the front and the back, according to France Diplomatie.
≈ €1.35 a litre of diesel (20.93 pula, 21 September 2026); petrol 18.21 pula
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 1,799 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €170 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
Fill up in Maun, Nata and Kasane. No reliable filling station between Kasane and Maun via Savuti and Moremi: about 450 km, mostly sand.
| Roads | No tolls on the route |
|---|---|
| Chobe and Moremi | 270 pula (≈ €17) per adult per day |
| Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi | 190 pula (≈ €12) per adult per day |
| Botswana-registered vehicle | 30 pula a day at Chobe, 20 in the other parks |
| Foreign-registered vehicle | 115 pula a day at Chobe, 75 in the other parks |
| Children | Free under 8, half price from 8 to 18 |
| Camping in the parks | Paid to the operator: about US$40 per adult at South Gate, 50 at Khumaga |
| Increase to 500 pula | Planned for 1 April 2026, postponed on 31 March 2026 |
| Park gates | 06:00-18:30 from April to September, 05:30-19:00 the rest of the year |
|---|---|
| Moremi | Possible closure for one to two weeks between January and March |
| Xakanaxa-North Gate track | Sometimes under water during the Delta flood |
| Boteti at Khumaga | Neither ford nor ferry possible at mid-flood: 80 km detour |
| Nxai Pan tracks | Difficult after heavy rain, from November to April |
Allow 14 to 16 days for the Nxai Pan, Khama Rhino, Chobe, Savuti and Moremi loop: our version has 15 nights from Maun, 8 of them camping in the parks. With 10 days, go one-way from Maun to Kasane via Moremi, Khwai and Savuti, dropping the 4x4 off in Kasane.
For two in 2026: a camping-equipped 4x4 at N$2,895 to 3,900 a day from Bushlore, so about €2,500 to €3,350; park entry fees about 5,700 pula (≈ €370); park campsites US$40 to 50 per person per night; diesel about €470 for some 2,500 km including safaris.
Yes, as soon as you leave the tarmac: it is required in the national parks, and the Kachikau-Ghoha stretch towards Savuti is the sandiest of their trip according to Ostrich Trails. Take a pick-up with low range and deflate the tyres in sand. The main A1, A3 and A33 roads are tarmac.
Yes, before you leave: without a confirmed booking, entry is refused. Each campsite has its own operator: SKL for Savuti, Khwai and Khumaga, Kwalate for South Gate and Xakanaxa, Xomae for Third Bridge and Nxai Pan. Entry fees are paid separately at the gate, to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
Not in the parks: you must be at your campsite or out of the park before the gates close, around 18:30 from April to September. Elsewhere, France Diplomatie strongly advises against it: livestock and wild animals on the road. At Bushlore, an animal hit at night doubles the excess, to 60,000 rand.
An International Driving Permit, presented with your national licence (France Diplomatie, 15 September 2026). Rental firms also ask for a Visa or Mastercard credit card in the driver's name.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/botswana · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
