Hire a car at Maun Airport without a credit card, with full cover included and the deposit on your debit card.
What a week costs in Maun
| Car | Maun Airport |
|---|---|
| Small car | from €454 |
| Midsize car | from €535 |
From prices per week for a seven-day rental, all-inclusive, with the deposit on your debit card. Your price depends on your dates and how early you book. Updated 9 November 2026. About this price
Why hire a car in Maun?
Maun, on the Thamalakane River at the southern edge of the Okavango Delta, is the tourism capital of Botswana. From here, routes lead north into the Moremi Game Reserve and east to the Nxai Pan and Makgadikgadi Pans. With your own car you can explore the parks around the Delta at your own pace.
Maun International Airport lies within the town and serves mainly as the gateway to the Okavango Delta. For more destinations, see car hire in Botswana.
Exploring the Okavango and the pans by car
Moremi Game Reserve and the Delta
The Okavango Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; one of its highlights is a trip by mokoro, the traditional dug-out canoe. Moremi Game Reserve is the only officially protected area of the Delta, with black and white rhino reintroduced in recent years, and it is a favourite with self-drive campers. Its South Gate is about 135 kilometres from Maun. Roads and campsites in Moremi are sometimes closed; check the current state of the roads with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, whose reservations office is on Sir Seretse Khama Road next to the police station in Maun.
Four-wheel drive is required in Botswana's national parks and reserves. If you plan to drive into a park, choose a 4x4 in the search and check its rental conditions before you book.
Nxai Pan and the Makgadikgadi
Nxai Pan National Park, about 175 kilometres east of Maun, lies some 50 kilometres off the Nata to Maun road. Baines' Baobabs, seven giant baobab trees, stand about 30 kilometres from its entrance. On the other side of the main road, the Makgadikgadi Pans Game Reserve has good game viewing in the wet season, when zebra and wildebeest migrate west towards the Boteti River. The Botswana Tourism Organisation advises carrying at least 100 litres of fuel and 20 litres of water per person on expeditions into the remote parks.
Driving in Botswana
Botswana drives on the left. Your own licence is valid for up to 90 days; bring an International Driving Permit as well. The speed limit is 120 km/h on tarred roads, 60 km/h in towns and villages and 40 km/h in the parks. Outside the towns, stray wildlife and livestock make driving dangerous, especially after dark. In remote areas filling stations may only take cash.
Best time to hire a car in Maun
Maun is hot for most of the year: October is the hottest month, with average highs of about 35°C, and even in June and July the days reach about 26°C, while the nights drop to around 8°C. Almost all the rain falls from November to March. The Botswana Tourism Organisation names April to October as the best months, and game viewing is best in the dry season from May to October. The floodwater of the Delta usually reaches Maun around mid-May or the beginning of June. Nxai Pan is at its best from December to April, if the rains are good.
| Season | Average highHigh | Average lowLow | Rain a monthRain per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| SummerDec to Feb | 32°C | 20°C | 95 mm |
| AutumnMar to May | 30°C | 15°C | 32 mm |
| WinterJun to Aug | 27°C | 9°C | 0 mm |
| SpringSep to Nov | 34°C | 18°C | 22 mm |
Averages measured at Maun, 1971 to 2000 (World Meteorological Organization climate normals).
One-way trips from Maun
You can also return the car somewhere else. These are the measured routes from Maun.
| To | Car hire from | One-way fee | Total, about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | €454 | P9,587about €667 | €1,121 |
| Windhoek | €454 | P13,514about €940 | €1,394 |
| Walvis Bay | €454 | P13,514about €940 | €1,394 |
Seven days, airport to airport, all-inclusive rates without a credit card. The car hire is paid when you book; the one-way fee is paid in local currency when you collect the car, so its euro amount and the total are approximate. Measured on 2 November 2026. All one-way routes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does car hire in Maun cost without a credit card?
A week of all-inclusive car hire in Maun: a small car from €454 and a midsize car from €535. That is the total for seven days, with the deposit on a debit card. Updated 9 November 2026.
How much is the deposit in Maun?
About €209 (P3,000), held on your debit card when you collect the car. Updated 9 November 2026.
Can I hire a car in Maun without a credit card?
Yes. Choose Maun Airport in the search above. We show you the cars that let you leave the deposit on a debit card.
Do I need a 4x4 in Maun?
For Moremi, Nxai Pan and the other parks, yes: four-wheel drive is required in Botswana's national parks and reserves.
When is the best time to visit Maun?
The Botswana Tourism Organisation names April to October; the dry season from May to October is best for game viewing.
