Cape to Vic Falls Grand Explorer Safari
21 Days
An epic accommodated journey through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe covering Fish River Canyon, the wildlife in Etosha Pan National Park, the Okavango Delta, Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert and the amazing Victoria Falls!
Limited participation:
On our accommodated adventures we will require a limited amount of participation from you. The guides will, when required, do the meal preparation and will ask for you for a bit of help cleaning up afterwards (on rotation). Where restaurant meals are included in the itinerary, obviously these will be served by the lodge and do not require your assistance. When everyone gets involved in the safari it makes the entire tour more successful.
from NZD $6750pp
Home » 21 Day Cape to Vic Falls Grand Explorer Safari (2024)
Itinerary Highlights
- Enjoy a full day Cape Peninsular tour
- Quad Biking or Sand Duning in the Swakopmund
- Mokoro (dug-out canoe) through the Okavango Delta
- White Water Raft through Victoria Falls
- Game Drives through some of Africa's largest national parks
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Cape Town
- Day 2: Cederberg
- Day 3: Gariep River
- Day 4: Fish River Canyon
- Day 5-6: Namib Desert
- Day 7-8: Swakopmund
- Day 9: Damaraland
- Day 10-11: Etosha National Park
- Day 12: Windhoek
- Day 13: Kalahari
- Day 14-15: Okavango Delta
- Day 16: Maun
- Day 17: Makgadikgadi Pans
- Day 18-19: Chobe National Park
- Day 20: Zimbabwe/Victoria Falls
- Day 21: Departure
Day 1: Cape Town
Cape Town is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, with the majestic Table Mountain providing its central focus. Departing, after a tour briefing, from Cape Town at 08:00am we visit Hout Bay harbour en route to Cape Point Nature Reserve and then the African Penguin colony at Boulders
Beach. We sample some of Cape Town’s culinary wonders at a local restaurant in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (own expense).
Day 2: Cederberg
The Cederberg is a massive rock wilderness with giant sandstone boulders that have been sculpted by wind and rain into bizarre and artistic shapes. We head north to the Cederberg and explore the rugged landscape on foot before relaxing in chalets for the evening.
Day 3: Gariep River
We make our way into the more arid regions and upon entering Namibia, we stay at a lodge on the Gariep River. Namibia’s southern border river flows quietly and peacefully and the river valley is hardly affected by tourism. The riverbed is sandy, the water clean and clear. Time free for swimming and
relaxing or you can venture down the river in canoes (own expense).
Day 4: Fish River Canyon
The Fish River Canyon, situated along the lower reaches of the Fish River, is one of the most impressive natural beauties in the southern part of Namibia. With its depth of up to 550 meters, the Fish River Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world. We make our way to the canyon in the
afternoon to marvel at the sheer grandeur of the enormous canyon.
Day 5-6: Namib Desert
The parched Namib Desert has endless orange dunes blown into sharp ridges by the sand-shifting wind and at Sossusvlei they form a gateway into the Namib Desert. We will walk to Sossusvlei, explore Sesriem Canyon and from the comfort of our lodge outside the national park watch dramatic sunsets over the world’s highest sand dunes. (If you prefer not to do the 4km walk to Sossusvlei there is an optional own expense 4WD transfer).
Day 7-8: Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a popular seaside resort with a slightly nostalgic atmosphere, characterized by numerous colonial buildings. In terms of flora, both the Welwitschia Mirabilis and the Kokerboom grow on the stony plains of the Namib and many beautiful specimens surround this coastal town. Swakopmund is also the adventure activity capital of Namibia. Day free to explore the town or try dune boarding or sea kayaking (own expense).
Optional activities:
Sand boarding, Skydiving, Ocean canoe safari, Scenic flights (additional cost)
Day 7: Breakfast & Lunch included
Day 8: Breakfast included
Day 9: Damaraland
Namibia is a land of great contrasts and Damaraland demonstrates this with stark plains, petrified forests and ancient valleys leading to rocky outcrops and the soaring peaks of the Brandberg Massif Mountains.
Day 10-11: Etosha National Park
Once a vast lake fed by the Kunene River, the pan that is Etosha NP dried up thousands of years ago when the river waters chose a new course. Etosha is big game country. We take game drives around the huge pan to find the elephants, herds of antelope and lions around the waterholes. We stay at a lodge on the outskirts of the national park.
Day 12: Windhoek
This pretty town, beautifully situated in a valley, combines the architecture of a modern city with numerous buildings in the style of the German colonial era. The charm of the city of Windhoek lies in its harmonious blend of African and European cultures and the friendliness of its people. We visit the cosmopolitan capital and enjoy a restaurant meal (own expense).
Day 13: Kalahari
Crossing into Botswana we overnight in huts in the heart of the Kalahari. We take a walk with the local Bushmen to learn fascinating bush skills.
Day 14-15: Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta is the only inland delta in the world: the annual flood of fresh water, spreads over 15000sq km of the Kalahari sand in a maze of lagoons and channels. We journey to the western floodplains of the Okavango Delta to our lodge overlooking a permanent lagoon, where we enjoy a game walk, a mokoro excursion and the amazing birdlife in this pristine wilderness area.
Day 16: Maun
Making our way around the Okavango we head to Maun where we have an evening meal at a local restaurant (own expense).
Day 17: Makgadikgadi Pans
The shimmering saltpans of Makgadikgadi are the size of Switzerland and most of the time appear as a glaring, white, endless plain. When the rain comes a dramatic change takes place as the pans come to life with frantically feeding water birds and great herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok.
Day 18-19: Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is famous for large herds of elephant and buffalo. We explore the national park on a morning game drive and spend the rest of the day on the river, enjoying lunch on our cruise boat with spectacular wildlife viewing.
Day 20: Zimbabwe/Victoria Falls
Magnificent Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. David Livingstone ‘discovered’ the falls in 1885 and named them after his Queen. The scene he encountered was a mile-wide (1.6 km) sheer basalt fault line over which the mighty Zambezi tumbled to a depth of 100m, creating a cloud of spray. The falls are also the centre of a wide range of activities, including white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi, scenic flights or a 111m bungy jump (own expense).
Day 21: Departure
The tour ends today after breakfast at 08:00am at the hotel.
Dates | From | Special Offer |
---|---|---|
18 Dec 2024 - 07 Jan 2025 | NZD $6750pp | Contact us |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Suggested Accommodation
City | Accommodation |
---|---|
Cape Town | City Lodge V&A Waterfront or similar |
Cederberg | Highlanders Lodge or similar |
Orange River | Felix Unite Camp or similar |
Fish River Canyon | Seeheim Hotel or similar |
Namib | Desert Camp or similar |
Swakopmund | Hotel Pension a la Mer or similar |
Brandberg | Brandberg White Lady Lodge or similar |
Etosha National Park | Tarentaal Guest House or similar |
Windhoek | Terra Africa Guesthouse or similar |
Central Kalahari Game Reserve | Ghanzi Trail Blazers or similar |
Okavango Delta | Guma Lagoon Camp or similar |
Maun | Sedia Riverside Hotel or similar |
Makgadikgadi Pans | Nata Lodge or similar |
Chobe National Park | Thebe River Safaris or similar |
Victoria Falls | Shearwater Explorer Village or similar |
Whats included?
- Accommodation in camps or hotels and lodges
- Park/Entrance fees
- Scheduled activities as per itinerary
- Services of a professional guide
- Land transportation
- Meals as specified
What’s not included?
- International & internal airfares
- Arrival/departure taxes or reciprocity fees, visa fees where applicable
- Optional activities (please ask us for full details)
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Any items not listed as included
Notes
This tour is operating with a maximum number of 12 passengers.
The minimum age is 12 years.
Please note: Accommodation specified in the itinerary is a guide only and is subject to availability.
- Limited participation:
On our accommodated adventures we will require a limited amount of participation from you. The guides will, when required, do the meal preparation and will ask for you for a bit of help cleaning up afterwards (on rotation). Where restaurant meals are included in the itinerary, obviously these will be served by the lodge and do not require your assistance. When everyone gets involved in the safari it makes the entire tour more successful.