Okavango Delta Budget Safari Tours

4.8/5 – 166 Okavango Delta Reviews

There is nowhere I’d rather go on safari than in the Okavango Delta. It doesn’t matter how many times I visit this remarkable place, I still feel like it’s my first time. That’s because every time here is different and you never quite know what animals you’re going to see; all you can be quite sure of is that you’re going to see lots of them. Parts of the Delta will be off limits to you if you’re on a budget safari: you can only reach some places by plane and flights are probably too expensive to be included in a budget safari. But there are plenty of places where you can go on a cheap or affordable safari and still enjoy the full Okavango Delta experience.

1-20 of 88 cheap tours, packages and holidays to Okavango Delta

5 Questions About Okavango Delta Budget Safaris

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony is a writer and author of nearly 150 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including Botswana & Namibia and Southern Africa. He writes about Botswana and the wider region for magazines and newspapers around the world. He is also the author of The Last Lions of Africa, which is partly set in Botswana.
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Are there cheap day trips available to the Okavango Delta?

“Maun has lots of safari operators offering day tours and packages to the Delta. If you only have 1 day to visit the Okavango Delta, you won’t get the best of it on a day trip. That’s because whether you fly or drive, you can’t begin traveling before dawn or finish after sunset. This means that you will end up traveling in the first and last couple of hours of daylight (it can take a couple of hours driving to reach the southern areas of the Delta, and flying is not really possible on a budget safari). You will, therefore, miss the best times to go looking for wildlife; these are the times when animals are most active and easiest to see. Despite it not being ideal, you can still have a great trip: even a few hours in the Delta are better than none at all!”

What type of accommodation can I expect on cheap Okavango Delta packages?

“For most budget tours and packages to the Okavango Delta, you will be camping. This comes in many forms. At its most basic, you may sleep in a small tent on a ground mattress. Some campgrounds already have these set up on little wooden platforms, while others will require that you set up your tent on the ground. Another possibility is that the campground may have simple safari tents. These will be a far cry from the luxury safari tents in other tented camps, but they should have real beds, canvas floors, and (possibly) en suite bathrooms. These safari tents will usually be pricier than the simple camping tents. Most campgrounds will have shared facilities, such as a building with separate showers and toilets for men and women, as well as fire pits, and possibly communal cooking and dining areas. None of the camping areas in the Delta have fences, so take care when moving around and follow the advice of your guide at all times. While you’re in town (i.e. Maun), there are also camping areas and simple hotels or lodges; the latter may have rooms with en suite bathrooms, as well as a bar and restaurant area.”

What are the pros and cons of a self-drive Okavango Delta budget safari?

“A self-drive Okavango Delta budget safari is one of the best things you can do in Africa. Not only are many of the self-drive packages and tours much more affordable than other ways of going on safari, but you’ll also experience the most wonderful feeling of freedom as you drive out into the Delta. Although your operator will make all of the arrangements and provide you with an itinerary, all other decisions will be yours. Unlike on a group safari, you’re the one who decides when to move on from each wildlife encounter and when to stay. There aren’t many disadvantages to this kind of safari. No, you won’t have a guide to show you around and explain things to you. And you won’t share the trip with other, like-minded safari travelers, which means you’ll miss out on the camaraderie that sometimes comes from a group safari. But the advantages of traveling in this way more than compensate.”

What are the pros and cons of a budget group trip to the Okavango Delta?

“A budget group safari to the Okavango Delta has many advantages, not least among them the benefits of traveling through one of the best wildlife areas on the planet. Put simply, this is one of the best places possible to go on a safari holiday. You might also have a number of like-minded new friends with whom to share the journey. And you can also enjoy the idea that you have seen one of the world’s most expensive and celebrated safari destinations for an affordable price. At the same time, camping is not for everyone. The only way to manage a cheap or budget safari to the Delta is by camping, you don’t get much choice when it comes to accommodation. Remember also that many areas of the Delta are only accessible if you stay in expensive, exclusive accommodation and travel by plane – this means that there will be parts of the Delta that you simply can’t visit.”

How much does a budget Okavango Delta safari cost?

“Prices for a budget Okavango Delta safari start at around US$100 to US$150 per person per day. Always ask your tour operator for a clear list of what’s included and what’s excluded. These prices should include a guide, vehicle, camping equipment, food and water, and two game drives per day. The price you are quoted by the operator may or may not include park fees, transfers and other activities. You may also be expected to help out around camp: setting up tents and taking them down, cooking meals and washing up. Another factor that can affect the cost of your safari is the season in which you travel, although the difference between high and low season prices is far less at the budget end of the price scale than it is for more expensive safaris.”

Okavango Delta Reviews

4.8/5 166 Reviews

Expert

Stuart Butler –

Stuart is a travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including 'Kenya', 'Rwanda' and 'Tanzania'.

The Most Beautiful Place in Africa

5/5

The Okavango Delta, a huge water world of marshes, shifting channels, shape-changing islands and reed shrouded natural canals is, in my opinion, quite simply the most beautiful corner of Africa. To see it from the air, as you fly into a...

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Expert

Alan Murphy –

Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.

Nature at its finest

5/5

This watery wonderland, surrounded by a parched, cracked countryside, is a wonder to see flying in on a light aircraft. In fact, flying is how most people get around between the lodges, private concessions and public reserves such as Moremi...

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Angels –

Reviewed: Aug 31, 2023

5/5

You feel closer to nature than anywhere else by doing a walking safari. We felt very secure at all times with our guide, even when seeing animals very close, like giraffes, elephants, crocodiles and even lions (we saw two males eating a...

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Alina & Andrzej –

Reviewed: Aug 21, 2023

5/5

We have seen lions, buffaloes, lots (!) of elephants, warthogs, herds of antelopes (different species), hippos in the water and grazing, crocodiles, w wild nature. Mokoro trips and walking safari was exciting.

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Vidyasagar Premkumar –

Reviewed: Aug 31, 2019

5/5

Great wildlife sightings (both predators and plains animals) and birdlife. Delta from the air is magical for photography, with sitatungas in the channel and same as kwando - focus of guiding on what we are there for - wildlife

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Alex Bruce –

Reviewed: Jul 22, 2019

A once in a lifetime trip that did not disappoint.

5/5

From the moment we arrived at Belmond Eagle Island Resort, we were made to feel like royalty. The entire staff greeted us at the entrance in song, followed by refreshments and tour. The accommodations redefine the term "glamping" with our...

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Okavango Delta Budget Safari Tours

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5 Questions About Okavango Delta Budget Safaris

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About Okavango Delta Budget Safaris

Are there cheap day trips available to the Okavango Delta?

What type of accommodation can I expect on cheap Okavango Delta packages?

What are the pros and cons of a self-drive Okavango Delta budget safari?

What are the pros and cons of a budget group trip to the Okavango Delta?

How much does a budget Okavango Delta safari cost?

Okavango Delta Reviews

The Most Beautiful Place in Africa

Nature at its finest

A once in a lifetime trip that did not disappoint.