Okavango Delta safari tours: compare all eight options
Three ways to see the Delta
The water is where the Delta begins. A mokoro poled through the channels at water level — the way the BaTawana people have travelled it for centuries — shows you hippos, crocodiles, red lechwe, wading birds, and the silence. The $171 day includes an island lunch and a guided bush walk. That’s the flagship. If you want wheels instead of water, the Moremi game drive ($315) covers the eastern Delta in a 4x4, searching for lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. From the air, you see it all at once: the river fans into a thousand channels, each one a highway the mokoro knows by name. A scenic flight costs $335 doors-off or $521 fixed-wing with hotel pickup. Choose water, wheels, or air depending on what your eyes want to see.
All eight tours at a glance
Price ladder from $171 to $3,000. Sort by experience: on the water (mokoro), on the ground (4x4), from the air (flights), salt pans (meerkats and zebras), or multi-day overland.
Most bookedLunch & transfers includedOkavango Delta: Full-Day Mokoro/Canoe Tour All-Inclusive
Small operatorFull Day Okavango Mokoro Tour
Game driveOkavango: Moremi Game Reserve Guided Safari Adventure
Doors-off flightMaun: 45 Minute Doors-Off Scenic Flight
Scenic flightMaun: Okavango Delta Scenic Flight with Hotel Pickup
Salt pansMakgadikgadi National Park Day Trip
Private helicopterMaun: Okavango Delta Private Helicopter Flight with Transfer
6-day expeditionMaun: 6-Day Okavango, Savuti, Chobe & Victoria Falls Tour
The mokoro: water level, silence
The flagship $171 mokoro is the tour most visitors choose. Full day from pickup in Maun to transfer to the poling station, then into the channels by one-tree dugout canoe. The poler stands at the stern with a long pole; you sit below the waterline looking out at the papyrus and the water birds. An island lunch (wrap, salad, muffin) and a guided bush walk; then pole back. The operator supports local villages. 105 reviews, 4.7 rating. Want an alternative date or time? The $196 full-day mokoro is another small operator with the same itinerary.
Game drive: Moremi reserve
The Moremi game drive ($315) is an 11-hour 4x4 day from Maun into Moremi Game Reserve on the Delta’s eastern side. Moremi was set aside in 1963 by the BaTawana people — the first reserve in southern Africa created by a local community on its own land, not by a colonial government. Search for lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, hippos, red lechwe, and the wild dogs Botswana protects. Fewer vehicles per sighting than bigger safari destinations. 3 reviews, 4.7 rating.
Scenic flights: see the fan shape
Three flight options: doors-off helicopter ($335, 45 min) from Maun without cabin doors for open-air photography over the channels. Fixed-wing scenic flight ($521, 45 min) includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Maun. Private helicopter ($1,287, 45 min) for flexible timing and premium service. All three show the Delta’s anatomy: the river widens into a fan, each channel a thread of water and papyrus spreading into the Kalahari and disappearing. From the ground you see a channel. From the air you understand the system. The tours are too new for a full review history, but the view justifies the price.
Salt pans and meerkats: Makgadikgadi
The Makgadikgadi day trip ($462) combines two experiences: in the green season (November–March), zebra migration viewing on the Makgadikgadi pans. Year-round, meerkats — small social carnivores that stand on their hind legs and watch for predators from the salt flats. One of Africa’s best meerkat-spotting locations. A different landscape from the water and forest: bone-dry salt, sky, and the animals that thrive in it.
Multi-day: Okavango, Savuti, Chobe, Victoria Falls
The 6-day overland camping safari ($3,000) is the only tour on the site that stays overnight. Okavango Delta, then Savuti (an elephant corridor), then Chobe National Park (huge riverfront herds), ending at Victoria Falls. Six days camping, roughly $500 per day, with meals and guide. Too new for reviews, but the itinerary covers Botswana’s four signature landscapes in one route.
Read the detailed tour reviews first
Each tour has a full review with what guests actually experienced, who it suits best, and honest details. Start with the mokoro tour review, the Moremi game drive review, or the scenic flight review. See all tour reviews.
Can’t make these dates?
Browse more available Okavango Delta safari tours and find one that fits your schedule — all with instant confirmation and free cancellation.
Still deciding? Read how much day trips cost, best time to visit, or the complete guide to the Okavango.
Frequently asked questions
Which Okavango tour is most popular?
The mokoro canoe day at $171 — it’s the most-booked with 105 reviews and a 4.7 rating. Full day from Maun, island lunch, guided walk, and the silence of poling through water-level channels. For a 4x4 alternative, book the Moremi game drive at $315.
Can I really see the Delta for $171?
Yes. The mokoro day costs $171 and includes transfer from Maun, a full day poling through the channels, lunch on an island, a guided bush walk, and return transfer. The view is water level, not luxury lodge, but it’s the authentic Delta. Read the cost breakdown comparing $171 day trips to $2,000-a-night lodges.
Which tour should I book if I want to see elephants?
All of them see wildlife, but the Moremi game drive ($315) is built for game spotting in a 4x4, and Botswana holds about 130,000 elephants — the largest population on earth. Mokoro days also see elephants (from the water), but the 4x4 lets you track and approach more actively.
Should I book water, wheels, or air?
Water (mokoro, $171) for silence and water-level intimacy. Wheels (Moremi, $315) for active game spotting. Air ($335–$521) to see the Delta’s entire fan-shaped system at once. Water is the classic; air is the revelation. Read the guide to choosing between them.
Can I book on short notice?
Sometimes, but popular tours sell out. Book 1–3 days ahead through the availability widget to lock in your spot. Most tours have free cancellation to 24 hours before departure.