Things to Do in Botswana in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
December Weather in Botswana
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
90°F (32°C)
High Temp
65°F (18°C)
Low Temp
2.8 inches (71 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
⚠ Sudden afternoon thunderstorms can flood dirt roads and airstrips. Transfers between camps may delay. Pack patience.
⚠ High humidity plus heat taxes the unacclimated. Drink water constantly. Pace activities. Seek shade.
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + December flips Botswana into green season. The land erupts from khaki into emerald. Okavango channels stay open to mokoro, now ringed by new grass and wildflowers. Zebra and antelope pour in. Huge numbers.
- + Early rains glue the dust to earth. Air scrubs clean. Photography sharpens. Makgadikgadi sunsets mirror pink and orange in rain pools. Visibility soars.
- + Shoulder season hush falls between winter crowds and full rains. Sightings stay yours. Lodges bend bookings. Flexibility wins.
- + Birdlife explodes. Carmine bee-eaters return. Wattled cranes land. Crimson flashes cut the sky. Weaver chatter fills acacia. Nests sway.
Considerations
- − Heat hits 32°C by afternoon. Humidity 70%. Northern Chobe and Savuti swelter. Plan drives at dawn. Escape at dusk.
- − Ten days of rain. Brief storms. Dirt tracks turn slick. Self-drive grows tough. Remote camps cut off. Check conditions.
- − Green season scatters game. Animals roam wide. Water everywhere. Patience required. Guides earn keep.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
December in Botswana smells like wet iron. The first storms have just cracked open the Kalahari, and Gaborone's pavements steam. One minute the sun nails shadows to the red sand. The next, thunder growls overhead. Nights drop to a cool 19°C. Locals string Christmas lights between jacarandas while the bush waits for real rain. This is the pause before the green flood, and the country feels taut, half awake, half dreaming.
Gaborone City Tour (Half Day tour)
guided_experienceA half-day Gaborone City Tour costs moderate pula and starts early. You will walk the flagstone government enclave, eye-level with the Three Dikgosi statues, then duck into a market alley where vendors shout prices above the hiss of grilling maize. The National Museum is best on a weekday morning. You will have the exhibits to yourself.
Multiday Tour From Gaborone: 2 day Gaborone Experience
day_tripStretch it to two days and the Multiday Tour From Gaborone lets you breathe. Climb Kgale Hill at dawn, quartzite cool under your palms, city grid giving way to mopane. Eat seswaa under acacia shade.
Insider tip: Pack a light rain jacket; December showers arrive like slammed doors.
Around Gaborone Adventure
otherThe Around Gaborone Adventure is expensive, full day, early start. You will trace 4,000-year-old finger-smears at Manyana rock paintings, then track bird calls along the Notwane Dam. Expect thorn grass, thorn history, thorn sun.
Insider tip: Closed shoes are not negotiable. You will still find red dust in your socks weeks later.
No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Literary Tour (Mma Ramotswe Tour)
guided_experienceNo.1 Ladies Detective Agency Literary Tour: half day, moderate, late-afternoon light. You will sip bush tea on a veranda that could be Mma Ramotswe's own and drive the red roads McCall Smith describes.
Insider tip: Read book one first. The guide's jokes land harder. You will smell dust, diesel, and that particular herb bite that means Botswana.
Half Day Tour from Gaborone (Manyana Village Visit)
guided_experienceHalf Day Tour to Manyana Village: moderate, morning departure. San paintings stare back at you, ochre bison and dancers under a sandstone brow.
Insider tip: Villagers may invite you inside. Bring soap or pencils, not cash. Stories echo off the rock.
This month: The shelter stays cool even at noon.
1 Night Madikwe Game Reserve
other1 Night Madikwe Game Reserve: 2 days, 1 night, expensive. You will cross the border at Pioneer Gate and be in lion country by lunch. December foliage is thick, so rhinos appear like grey ghosts.
Insider tip: Patience wins.
This month: The bush does not do weekends.
Where to Stay in Botswana in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Late December
Christmas & New Year's Celebrations
Botswana Christmas skips malls. Family, church, choir rule. Villages echo a cappella. Cities host giant braais. Seswaa and bogobe scent the air. Lodges mix roast with game. New Year stays house-party quiet.
Packing Checklist
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View Botswana Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Flying into Maun, the first smell is often the sweet, smoky scent of burning mopane wood. It signals the evening braai. You have arrived.
When it rains in the bush, listen. Heavy drops on thatch sound like Africa's own lullaby. Frogs answer within minutes. Savor it.
December sees many Batswana return from cities to home villages for holidays. Rural areas buzz. Internal flights and长途 buses fill fast. Book early.
Do not dismiss a lodge outside prime dry-season zones. In December, water spreads and animals follow. You may get the sighting to yourself.
Avoid These Mistakes
Do not pack only for heat. Day-to-night swings are big. Pre-dawn drives in open vehicles are cold. Bring a jacket.
Do not self-drive in Moremi or Chobe without serious 4x4 skills and recovery gear. December mud is slick and unforgiving. Tow ropes help.
Avoid over-scheduling. Afternoon heat and rain slow the day. Leave space for a siesta or storm-watching from your deck. Breathe.
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