9 Days | Travel from Zimbabwe to South Africa via bewitching Botswana
Soak up the sights and sounds of peaceful waterholes, meandering creeks and mighty rivers on this refreshing African adventure. Some of the continent's most iconic animals call Southern Africa home, including elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and ostriches. Explore the remote waterways of the extraordinary Okavango Delta in Botswana, be awed by the thunder of Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls and travel down the Chobe River at sunset as animals come out to play. The contrast of Africa's wild plains and bustling cities makes for an enriching and thrilling travel experience.
Start: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Finish: Johannesburg, South Africa
Theme: Overland, Wildlife
Destinations: Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Ages: Min 15
Group size: Min 1 - Max 16
Highlights
Inclusions
Meals
8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners
Transport
Overland vehicle, Boat, Mokoro, Open Safari Vehicle
Accommodation
Permanent Tented Overland Camp (1 night), Camping with facilities (2 nights), Hotel (2 nights), Basic Camping with no facilities (2 nights), Guesthouse (1 night).
Activities
Chobe National Park - River cruise
Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Visit
Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
Okavango Delta - Sunrise Walk
Okavango Delta - Brewery Tour
Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Sunset Game Drive Open Vehicle
Soweto - Cycle tour
Add on activities
Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight of the Angels (12 mins - Excludes US$25 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD150
Victoria Falls - Flying fox - USD50
Victoria Falls - Gorge swing - USD103
Victoria Falls - Canoe trail (full day) - USD185
Victoria Falls - Village & township tour - USD61
Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight (25 mins - Excludes US$30 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD284
Chobe National Park - Open Safari Vehicle Morning Game Drive - BWP580
Johannesburg - Gold Reef City And Heritage Mine Tour - ZAR360
Johannesburg - Museum Africa - ZAR40
Johannesburg - Apartheid Museum - ZAR100
Mhoro! Welcome to Zimbabwe. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. Please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time for this, consider arriving a day early so you are able to attend. If you are going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting. If you are arriving earlier, we recommend you use your free time to partake in one of the many optional activities offered in and around Victoria Falls.
We recommend Shear Water activity centre to book any optional activities. We have not risk assessed all activities and only those listed in our trip notes are recommended. It is against company policy for leaders to facilitate the booking of any activities that have not been risk assessed or do not adhere to our company’s Responsible Travel policy and ethos. This includes organising transport to and from these activities in our vehicles.
Accommodation
Permanent Tented Overland Camp (1 night)
Meals
There are no meals included on this day.
Add on activities
Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight of the Angels (12 mins - Excludes US$25 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD150
Victoria Falls - Flying fox - USD50
Victoria Falls - Gorge swing - USD103
Victoria Falls - Canoe trail (full day) - USD185
Victoria Falls - Village & township tour - USD61
Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight (25 mins - Excludes US$30 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD284
Special information
You may also notice businesses offering an optional 'Walk with the Lions' experience. We ask all travellers to avoid this activity as it is contrary to our Responsible Travel policy. While wildlife viewing is a big part of many of our itineraries, we strive to only view animals in their natural habitats and to do so with the greatest level of respect. The lion walking industry directly contributes to the captive breeding and canned hunting of lions.
Travel to Chobe National Park in Botswana (approximately 3 hours) via the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, one of The Intrepid Foundation projects. Here you can learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict and their role in anti-poaching. There may also be a chance to meet any rescued or orphaned wildlife currently in their care.
Chobe, the first national park to be established in the country, is perhaps best known for its high concentration of elephants, which can often be seen swimming in the Chobe River. The river also attracts wallowing hippos, a variety of birdlife, and crocodiles which like to sun themselves by the water's edge. Cheetahs and lions also come down to drink. In the late afternoon you will embark on a scenic sunset cruise on the Chobe River guided by an expert local guide – a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Your camp, located outside of the park, has flush toilets, showers, intermittent WiFi and optional accommodation upgrades.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Included activities
Chobe National Park - River cruise
Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Visit
There's time for a morning game drive for those who would like to further explore this beautiful park (this is optional). As well as elephants, you might see some of Chobe's other noble creatures – from giraffe and zebra to impala and tsessebe. Then it's time to head to Maun (approximately 10–11 hours). This town is the gateway to one of the world's most famous and most complex ecosystems, the Okavango Delta.
Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Dinner
Add on activities
Chobe National Park - Open Safari Vehicle Morning Game Drive - BWP580
Travel into the unspoiled wilderness for an adventurous camping experience. The Okavango Delta is unlike anything in the world – a 16,000 square kilometre maze of wetlands made up of meandering waterways, green islands, lush plains and prolific wildlife. The delta is filled with a diversity of flora and fauna that includes hippos, crocodiles, elephants and big cats. But it's not the animals that are the main attraction – it's the incredible ecosystem. You'll explore the waterways by mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe navigated by friendly local 'polers'. You'll also spend some time exploring on foot with your experienced and knowledgeable guides. Camp on a remote island in the heart of the wild. Toilets will be dug and there are no showers. Hear the nocturnal creatures of the African bush come to life as the sun goes down.
Accommodation
Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
It's an early start this morning as you venture out for a sunrise walk, hoping to catch a glimpse of some elephants and perhaps the fascinating and rather noble-looking Cape buffalo. Return to camp to enjoy some breakfast and reflect on the morning's viewing with your fellow travellers. As it warms up, you'll have the rest of the day to relax. You might like to take a refreshing swim. There is also the option of an afternoon walk or another mokoro trip. You may notice that the mokoros of today are made with fibreglass but retain their original shape – this strikes a balance between tradition and sustainability.
Accommodation
Bush camp (no facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Okavango Delta - Sunrise Walk
After taking down your camp, it's time to return the mokoro to the poling station and board the vehicle once again. Travel back to Maun (approximately 2–3 hours). Today, we will tour a local brewery that uses millet grown by small-scale farmers in their beer production. By doing so, they support these farmers' efforts to coexist with elephants and promote an inclusive economy. This initiative not only promotes sustainable farming practices but also contributes to the region's wildlife economy, adding to the benefits.
The price of the optional scenic flights will vary depending on the number of travellers that participate.
Travel to the Khama Rhino Sanctuary (approximately 9–10 hours). On the edge of the Kalahari Desert, the Khama Rhino Sanctuary is a community-based conservation project staffed by local village residents. Built in a former hunting area to protect Botswana's only remaining populations of both black and white rhinos, the sanctuary is also home to other wildlife including zebras, giraffes, leopards, ostriches and wildebeest, all of which can be seen around the many natural waterholes. Visiting this project benefits local communities and contributes to the protection of the highly endangered white rhinoceros. In the evening, head out on a dusk game drive in an open safari vehicle with an expert local ranger to see the rhinos (this will be replaced by a dawn game drive if the group arrives at the sanctuary too late). Your camp tonight has shared facilities and optional upgrades.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Sunset Game Drive Open Vehicle
Cross the border into South Africa and travel on to Soweto, which is located in the Johannesburg area (approximately 10–11 hours). Johannesburg is a sprawling city of remarkable contrasts. As you come into town you'll likely see opulent mansions alongside tin-roof shacks, and verdant city parks alongside the concrete. About half of Jo'burg's 3 million residents live in Soweto and its surrounding areas. Enjoy a relaxing evening upon arrival.
Accommodation
Guesthouse (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Take to the streets of Soweto on a bicycle and learn about the Soweto uprising and the resistance against apartheid. It's interesting to see how the community has changed and developed into what it is today. You'll also visit a former migrant workers' hostel and stop at many other local landmarks. Your cycling adventure should finish up at around 3 pm today. With no further activities planned, your trip comes to an end at this point. No accommodation is provided for tonight, but this can be arranged when you book this trip. If you are departing, it's best to book a flight for 8 pm or later.
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Included activities
Soweto - Cycle tour
Add on activities
Johannesburg - Art Gallery - ZAR60
Johannesburg - Gold Reef City And Heritage Mine Tour - ZAR360
Johannesburg - Museum Africa - ZAR40
Johannesburg - Apartheid Museum - ZAR100
Summary
Why you'll love this trip
A sunset cruise is the ultimate way to soak up the ambience of the Chobe River. Keep an eye out – and a camera at the ready – for elephants, cheetahs and lions frolicking on the shore.
Experience the untouched wilderness of Botswana's Okavango Delta, staying on a remote island bush camp. As night falls, the sounds of the African bush are like nothing else.
Support local conservation efforts by joining local rangers in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, the only place left in Botswana where both black and white rhinos reside.
Cycle through the colourful streets of Soweto with a local and hear firsthand about the townships’ rough but inspired history.
By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Foundation partner, Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust. Donations help employ a team of Community Guardians who collaborate with locals to find sustainable solutions to human-wildlife conflict and conservation in Southern Africa.
Is this trip right for you?
This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent (unless you’re on an Original or Comfort style trip), occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the ‘big five’. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie.
Camping out in the amazing Okavango wilderness means digging a bush toilet and going without a shower. It's all part of the delta experience.
You will need a reasonable level of fitness for the cycle tour in Soweto, as the town isn't totally flat.
The African wild comes alive at sunrise, so there will be some early starts for game drives. The thrill of spotting your first lion or rhino is well worth any loss of sleep!
As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
Some passengers on this trip will have been travelling together prior to the start of your trip. To see what you're missing out on check out our Experience Southern Africa trip.
You may also want to check out Experience Southern Africa trip if you have more time to explore in southern Africa.
Important notes
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This trip includes a mixture camping and other accommodation. While camping, tents, sleeping mats and sleeping bags will be provided and set up for you by our crew.
3. This trip finishes in Soweto on Day 9 after our cycle adventure. Please don't book any international flights until after 8pm this evening.
4. Border crossing delays in the region have been sporadic and difficult to predict. What takes an hour one day may take four hours the next. This may affect the order of activities in the itinerary. We understand this uncertainty can be frustrating, and we strongly recommend packing a bit of patience and flexibility.
