Gaborone Weather in December

December: hot and showery

December is summer in Gaborone, and afternoons feel hot and sticky. The high reaches 34°C, with rain on about half the days. Showers can interrupt outdoor plans, while clouds make the long daylight feel less sunny than you might expect.

You can still visit the Three Dikgosi Monument or the National Museum between showers. At Mokolodi Nature Reserve, the green summer landscape is lovely, but wet tracks can make some routes muddy. Save a Kgale Hill hike for a dry spell; slippery paths and heat make a climb less pleasant.

Christmas in Gaborone

Christmas Day and Boxing Day are public holidays, and many people spend them with family. Shops and restaurants may close or keep shorter hours, so don't count on your usual lunch spot being open. New Year's Eve brings celebrations, though Gaborone isn't known for a major fixed December festival.

Travelling with kids? A rainy afternoon at the National Museum is an easier option than getting caught on a muddy trail.

Quieter, with a holiday pause

December is generally a quieter, wetter time for sightseeing than the cooler months from April to August. Accommodation can be less in demand than during the popular dry season, but local travel picks up around Christmas and New Year. Some businesses close, so the city can feel unusually still on the holidays.

For a practical local tip, check conditions at Mokolodi before setting out from Gaborone. Its reserve roads can turn muddy after rain, and a game drive is a better bet than walking when the weather turns. If you want a relaxed city day, stop for seswaa, Botswana's slow-cooked shredded meat, at an open restaurant rather than relying on holiday opening hours.