Things to Do in Gaborone in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
Low Season · Budget Friendly
November Weather in Gaborone
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
90°F (32°C)
High Temp
63°F (17°C)
Low Temp
2.3 inches (58 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is November Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + November lands between dusty dry season and full summer furnace. Mornings open at 17°C (63°F) and top out at 32°C (90°F) by mid-afternoon. Hike Kgale Hill without melting.
- + Rain arrives in short, theatrical bursts. Acacia leaves flip green; 2.3 inches (58 mm) falls in 20-minute afternoon cloudbursts, not all-day drizzle.
- + Tourists stay away. You'll share Gaborone Game Reserve with more warthogs than tour buses. Guesthouses keep mid-week availability. No haggling needed.
- + Wildlife viewing punches above its weight. Elephants drift to the dam as natural pans dry. Short grass lets you spot kudu from Mokolodi Nature Reserve's 4×4 tracks.
Considerations
- − UV index hits 8 daily. Pale skin burns in under 15 minutes. Shade is scarce on the granite whalebacks ringing the city.
- − Air-con units in older budget hotels wheeze through November humidity. Need cold rooms to sleep? Screen carefully or pay for newer builds.
- − Annual Letlhafula cultural festival sometimes lands in late November. Room rates leap 30-40% that weekend. Book early if your dates clash.
Best Activities in November
Top things to do during your visit
Kgale Hill Sunrise Hikes
Start at 5:30 AM when granite is cool enough to grip and wild sage scents the air. By 6:15 you're at the first viewpoint watching the sun lift off the Kalahari haze. Tin roofs glint below. The dam looks like polished steel. November mornings stay almost windless, so the 1.5 km (0.9 mile) climb won't dust your camera.
Booking Tip: No guide required. Taxis to the trailhead from the CBD run at 5 AM if you pre-arrange. Bring 1 L (34 oz) of water per person. Shade is zero until the summit.
Gaborone Game Reserve Self-Drive Safari
The reserve's 5 km (3.1 mile) loop needs 90 minutes. Rhino sightings are nearly guaranteed in November. They wallow in shrinking waterholes at 10 AM while others linger over breakfast. Impala rutting calls echo through thorn trees. The noise lands between a creaky gate and a lion with hiccups.
Booking Tip: Grab a map at the entrance gate. Stay inside your vehicle. Rhinos stay calmer yet still charge. Best photo light is 7-9 AM; gate opens at 6:30 AM sharp.
Mokolodi Cheetah Encounter & Night Drive
November midday heat sends visitors indoors. Rehab centre ambassador cheetahs wake at 4 PM walks. You stand three metres away while they purr like outboard motors. The night drive (7-10 PM) reveals porcupines, springhares and, with luck, a leopard calling from the fever-tree ridge.
Booking Tip: Reserve the combo ticket 48 hours ahead. Groups cap at eight vehicles. Pack a fleece. Temperatures slide to 18°C (64°F) after sunset.
Gaborone Dam Kayak Sunset Paddle
November evenings give mirror-calm water and technicolor sunsets that bounce off the dam wall. You glide past fishing villages where crews haul tilapia in mosquito-net seine. Fish eagles whistle overhead. The air carries wood smoke and wet soil. The first petrichor follows the day's storm.
Booking Tip: Trips depart from the Yacht Club at 4:30 PM and dock by 7 PM. No experience needed. Balance and sunscreen suffice. Check the booking widget below for operators supplying sit-on-top kayaks.
Main Mall Craft & Food Walking Tour
Temperatures beneath the jacarandas drop 5°C below the tarmac. Good for slow browsing. November is when mopane worms, a protein-rich delicacy, appear dried in paper cones. They taste like smoky mushrooms if you beat the visual. Sand artists build Kalahari scenes using crushed ochre and glue.
Booking Tip: Arrive at 9 AM before craft stalls pack up. Guides are optional, but a local storyteller will decode basket-weave patterns and translate Setswana food names.
Where to Stay in Gaborone in November
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for November travellers.
November Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Late November (exact weekend announced in September)
Letlhafula Cultural Festival
A harvest-themed blast of Setswana music, dance and food takes over the National Stadium grounds. Expect military-precision dance troupes, sorghum-beer tasting and enough seswaa (shredded beef) to veil the air in campfire smoke. Visitors can join dikgafela rain-prayer songs. Rhythmic clapping ricochets off stadium walls.
Packing Checklist
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Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Gaborone Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Locals dub November "Mopane month." Supermarkets stack dried worms beside the biltong counter. Grab a snack pack; they're pre-spiced and addictive with beer.
The new Gaborone-Broadhurst BRT lane opened 2025. It's clean, punctual and costs half a combi taxi fare. But service ends at 7 PM. Plan dinner transport.
Street vendors outside Main Mall swap pula for smaller USD notes at bank rates. Ask for "tens and fives" if safari camps prefer cash tips.
City power cuts follow a published schedule. Ask guesthouse reception for the "loadshedding timetable" so you can charge devices before 2-4 PM slots.
Avoid These Mistakes
Assuming November is peak safari season is wrong. Some agents push December rates early. Compare calendars before booking.
Hiking Kgale after 9 AM without water is foolish. The climb is short but the sun is unfiltered and no kiosk waits at the top.
Waiting until dusk to apply bug spray. Malaria risk is low in the city but mosquitoes start biting at sunset in November humidity
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