Moremi Game Reserve protects much of the eastern and central Okavango Delta, including Chief’s Island. It was created in 1963 at the initiative of the local BaTawana community — one of the first reserves in Africa set up by a local people rather than a colonial government — and is named after Chief Moremi III.
Its magic is diversity. Within a single morning’s drive you pass from permanent lagoons with hippo and crocodile to seasonal floodplains full of red lechwe and then into dry mopane woodland with elephant and giraffe. That mix supports an exceptional predator population: Moremi is one of Africa’s best places for African wild dog, and lion and leopard sightings are frequent.
Top things to do: Moremi Game Reserve
Game drives around Xakanaxa and Third Bridge
The classic Moremi circuits run from South Gate through the mopane to the lagoons around Xakanaxa and the floodplains at Third Bridge. These are the best areas for predators and for the big elephant herds of the dry season.
Boat trips on the lagoons
Where water levels allow, motorboat trips on the Xakanaxa lagoons take you into papyrus channels and heronries that vehicles cannot reach — excellent for birders.
A day trip from Maun
If you have no time to camp, a guided day safari from Maun reaches South Gate early and spends the day on the reserve’s tracks. Long but rewarding. Compare the best Moremi tours.
How to get to Moremi Game Reserve
- From Maun by road: about 100 km to South Gate, roughly two hours on a mix of tar and sand. A high-clearance 4x4 is essential inside the reserve.
- By air: lodges inside and around Moremi are reached by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane.
- From Chobe: the sand route via Savuti and Khwai links Moremi with Chobe — a classic self-drive and mobile-safari route.
Insider tips
- Campsites inside Moremi (South Gate, Xakanaxa, Third Bridge, Khwai/North Gate) must be booked in advance and sell out in the dry season.
- Park entry fees are charged per person per day plus a vehicle fee; check current rates with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.
- Tracks can flood in the high-water months, and some crossings become impassable. Never drive into water you have not seen someone else cross.
- Gates open around sunrise and close around sunset; driving after dark is not permitted inside the reserve.
Best tours & safaris: Moremi Game Reserve
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Moremi Game Reserve:
Game drive from €277 Okavango: Moremi Game Reserve Guided Safari Adventure
The best-rated way to see Moremi without committing to a camping safari. You leave Maun early, drive to the reserve’s South Gate and spend the day on the tracks around the floodplains and mopane woodland, with lunch in the bush. It is a long day — but Moremi is one of the finest game reserves in Africa.
- Full day of game driving in Moremi Game Reserve
- Open 4x4 vehicle with a local guide
- Chance of lion, leopard, elephant and wild dog
Camping safari from €1055 From Maun: 3-Day Moremi Game Reserve Safari Tour
Three days is the minimum we would give Moremi, and sleeping in the reserve is what makes it work: you are on the tracks at first light when the predators are moving, and back at camp for the sounds of the night. A mobile camping safari from Maun with guide, vehicle and camp.
- Two nights camping in Moremi
- Early-morning and late-afternoon game drives
- Over 400 bird species in the region
Camping safari from €1345 Okavango Delta Mobile Safari Camping
Four days that combine the delta’s three ways of seeing wildlife — by vehicle, by mokoro and on foot — with nights in a comfortable tented camp. A good-value alternative to the fly-in lodges for travellers who want the full experience.
- Game drives, mokoro trips and guided walks
- Three nights under canvas
- Starts and ends in Maun
Camping safari from €2638 Maun: 6-Day Okavango, Savuti, Chobe & Victoria Falls Tour
The great northern Botswana overland in under a week: from Maun into the delta country, north through the predator territory of Savuti, along the Chobe River and out to Victoria Falls. It solves the logistics of linking the three big sights in one go, which on your own means flights or very long self-drive days.
- Okavango Delta, Savuti and the Chobe riverfront
- Finishes at Victoria Falls
- Camping with a guide and support crew
