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Stockholm to Botswana's salt pans: Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan

Stockholm → Makgadikgadi Pans → Nxai Pan

Makgadikgadi Pans
"Baobab (Adansonia digitata), parque nacional Makgadikgadi Pans, Botsuana, 2018-07-30, DD 03-08 PAN.jpg" by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
MaunAirview1 (Maun)
Photo: Susanne Mattes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Salt pans, meerkats & baobabs Best season (general guide): Apr–Oct

The Makgadikgadi Pans in northern Botswana are among the largest salt flats in the world. This route spends three nights at the pans and three in Nxai Pan National Park. From Stockholm you'll connect via Johannesburg to Maun. In the dry season, the pans are a white plain that stretches to the horizon. Habituated meerkats live on the edges and can be watched up close with guides.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Makgadikgadi Pans: day one, arrive in Maun, then drive to the pans; day two, meerkats; day three, Quad or walk on the salt. Then spend days four to six in Nxai Pan: day four, drive to Nxai Pan; day five, Baines' Baobabs; day six, game drive.

In the wet season, zebras migrate across the region. Nxai Pan National Park has grassland and the famous Baines' Baobabs, a group of ancient trees named after Thomas Baines. The pan itself is a fossil lake bed. Wildlife includes giraffes, springbok, lions and many birds. April to October is the dry season.

Good to know: A 4x4 or guided safari is needed. Nights are cold in winter.

Maun is the gateway, with flights from Johannesburg and other hubs. Most visitors stay at lodges or camps that arrange game drives and activities, as self-driving on the salt pans requires experience and a well-equipped 4x4. The pans are fragile, so stay on tracks to protect the surface. In the dry season, days are warm and nights cold, so bring warm layers for early drives. Malaria is present in parts of northern Botswana, so ask a travel clinic for advice. Water is scarce, so carry plenty on any drive. Respect park rules on wildlife distances and stay in vehicles unless guides say otherwise.

Safety: Canada advises a high degree of caution in Botswana because of crime (advisory updated 26 May 2026). The US rates Botswana Level 2 (issued 17 Jun 2026).

Sleeping under the stars on the pans, where some camps offer it, is a memorable experience. Ask your camp about options and what to bring.

Suggested outline

  1. Stockholm

    Start

  2. Makgadikgadi Pans

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    Vast salt pans and meerkat colonies.

  3. Nxai Pan

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    Grassland with baobabs and wildlife.

    Nxai Pan
    "Botswana Nxai Pan NP Baynes Baobabs.jpg" by Ralf Ellerich, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Makgadikgadi Pans — Arrive in Maun; drive to the pans· Stockholm → Makgadikgadi Pans (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Makgadikgadi Pans — Meerkats
  3. Day 3 · Makgadikgadi Pans — Quad or walk on the salt
  4. Day 4 · Nxai Pan — Drive to Nxai Pan· Makgadikgadi Pans → Nxai Pan (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Nxai Pan — Baines' Baobabs
  6. Day 6 · Nxai Pan — Game drive
  7. Day 7 · Nxai Pan — Travel home from Nxai Pan· Nxai Pan → Maun (overland), then Maun → Stockholm (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Makgadikgadi Pans

Nearest airport: Maun Search fares · Maun ↗

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