The DWNP booking system
All government campsites in Botswana's national parks and game reserves are managed by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP). Bookings are made through their online portal. The system works, but it is slow and the interface is not modern.
You will need to create an account, select your park and campsite, choose dates, and pay online. Payment is in Botswana Pula (BWP). International credit cards are accepted but sometimes declined; have a backup payment method ready.
When to book
- Peak season (July to October), popular sites: 6 to 12 months ahead. Third Bridge in Moremi is the first to fill.
- Peak season, less popular sites: 3 to 6 months ahead.
- Shoulder season (May, June, November): 2 to 4 months ahead is usually sufficient.
- Green season (December to April): Some sites close. Open sites can often be booked 1 to 2 months ahead.
The most popular campsites (book earliest)
- Third Bridge, Moremi: The most sought-after campsite in Botswana. Beautiful channel-side setting, incredible wildlife in camp.
- Xakanaxa, Moremi: Lagoon views, mokoro access, great birding.
- Ihaha, Chobe: River views, elephant sightings from camp, stunning sunsets.
- Savuti Campsite: Waterhole in front of camp, lion and elephant sightings daily.
What if your dates are sold out?
- Check regularly: Cancellations do happen. Check the system every few days.
- Adjust your itinerary: Moving dates by one or two days often opens up availability.
- Use private alternatives: Khwai community campsites and private sites outside parks do not use the DWNP system and may have availability.
- Ask your vehicle operator: Some operators have relationships with the DWNP and can assist with bookings.
Who manages which campsites
It helps to understand that not all Botswana campsites run through one system. The government sites inside the national parks and reserves (Moremi, Chobe, Savuti, and the Central Kalahari) are managed by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Some camps in certain areas are run by private concession operators rather than the government. And the community areas, most notably Khwai, run their own campsites outside the government system entirely. Knowing who controls a site tells you where and how to book it, which is half the battle.
A step-by-step booking walkthrough
For the government sites, the process runs roughly like this. Create an account on the park authority's booking portal. Search by park and by the specific campsite you want, then by your dates. Select the number of people and vehicles. The system holds your selection briefly while you pay online in pula with a credit card. Once payment clears you receive a confirmation that you must print and carry, because there is no signal at the gate to pull it up on a phone. If the card is declined (which happens with some international cards), try a different card or contact the booking office directly.
Costs and how payment works
Government campsite fees are modest, typically in the region of 300 to 400 pula per site per night for non-residents, separate from the daily park entry and vehicle fees you also pay. Community sites like Khwai are often priced per person rather than per site and can work out higher. Payment for government sites is online at the time of booking; community and some private sites may want payment on arrival in cash, so always carry enough pula. Keep every confirmation, because the gate staff check them against your booking.
What you are actually booking
Manage your expectations about facilities. A government park campsite is a cleared pitch with a fire spot, basic pit or flush toilets, and sometimes a cold bucket shower. There is no electricity, no shop, no staff, and no fence, so animals walk through freely. Community sites often add hot donkey-boiler showers and tidier ablution blocks for the higher fee. You are booking a location and the right to be there, not a serviced campground, so you must arrive fully self-sufficient with your own water, food, fuel, and power.
Build your route around availability
The hard truth of Botswana planning is that campsite availability dictates your route, not the other way around. The best sites sell out first, so rather than fixing a perfect itinerary and then trying to book it, check what is actually available for your dates and build the route around the nights you can secure. Book the scarcest, most sought-after sites first (Third Bridge, Xakanaxa, Savuti, Ihaha), then fill in the connecting nights. Shifting your dates by a day or two often unlocks a site that looked fully booked.
Community and private alternatives in detail
When the government sites are full, the community and private options are your lifeline. The Khwai community area, on the doorstep of Moremi's North Gate, offers excellent wildlife and campsites booked outside the government system, which means availability when the park sites are gone. Private campsites outside the park boundaries, around Maun, Kasane, and the Makgadikgadi, give you flexible nights at either end of the trip. These alternatives also tend to have slightly better facilities, so many travellers deliberately build a few of them into the plan.
Letting an operator book for you
If the system defeats you, or your dates are tight, a specialist operator can help. Many self-drive vehicle operators either handle campsite bookings as part of a package or have relationships with the park authority that make securing sites easier. This costs a little more than doing it yourself but removes the single most frustrating part of planning a Botswana trip. For a first trip, or a peak-season trip booked relatively late, it is often money well spent.
A pre-booking checklist
- Fix your rough dates and direction of travel before you start
- List the parks you want and the priority campsite in each
- Have a credit card ready that works for international online payment
- Book the scarcest sites first, then connect the route around them
- Keep one or two flexible days to absorb sold-out nights
- Print every confirmation and keep them together in the vehicle
- Have Khwai and private sites as named backups for any gap