Southern Africa Explorer - 33 Days

33 days
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CAMPING SAFARI: Take in the natural wonders, incredible wildlife and rich culture of Southern Africa on this 33 day overland camping safari. Journey from Cape Town to Victoria falls via Namibia and Botswana, before discovering the best of Mozambique. Go in search of the Big Five on game drives in Chobe, Etosha, Hwange & Kruger National Parks. Cruise the C...
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Overview

Trip type
Operator does not provide
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Cape Town - Begin your adventure in South Africa's 'Mother City' with a township tour before departing for the Western Cape
    • Fish River Canyon - Admire this colossal canyon, which scars the Earth for 160km, second only in size to the USA's Grand Canyon
    • Namib-Naukluft National Park - Climb to the top of Dune 45 for tremendous views, discover barren Deadvlei and marvel at Sesriem Canyon
    • Swakopmund - Relax in this coastal German colonial town with free time to sit by the pool, go skydiving, dolphin-watching or surfing
    • Etosha National Park - Search for the wildlife which gathers around the limited watering holes in this barren salt pan
    • Okavango Delta - Paddle traditional mokoro canoes through this biodiverse wetland and enjoy an optional scenic flight
    • Chobe National Park - Cruise the Chobe River in search of hippos, elephants and crocodiles, then game drive in search of lions and leopards
    • Livingstone and Victoria Falls - Visit the spectacular Victoria Falls and enjoy a myriad of optional excursions
    • Hwange National Park - Game drive through the Private Concession of Zimbabwe's best game reserve, home to a healthy population of elephants
    • Magaruque Island - Sail on a dhow boat to this beautiful island in the Bazaruto Archipelago, with its powdery-white beaches and turquoise waters

What's this trip about?

    CAMPING SAFARI: Take in the natural wonders, incredible wildlife and rich culture of Southern Africa on this 33 day overland camping safari. Journey from Cape Town to Victoria falls via Namibia and Botswana, before discovering the best of Mozambique. Go in search of the Big Five on game drives in Chobe, Etosha, Hwange & Kruger National Parks. Cruise the Chobe River and explore the Okavango Delta in a mokoro. Climb dunes in Namibia and soak up the sun by the spectacular Indian Ocean coast before ending your adventure in Pretoria.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 16 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityCape Town
End CityPretoria

Destinations

Attractions

  • Cape Town
  • Chobe National Park
  • Etosha National Park
  • Hwange National Park
  • Kruger National Park
  • Livingstone
  • Maun
  • Okavango Delta
  • Windhoek

Min Group Size

  • Min Group Size: 16

Max Group Size

  • Max Group Size: 16

Trip includes

    • Kruger National Park full day and late afternoon game drives in a 4x4 open vehicle with resident guide
    • 32 breakfast, 27 lunch & 25 dinner
    • 29 nights camping in 2-person dome tents, 1 night permanent tented camp in the Okavango Delta, and 2 nights in dorm accommodation in Swakopmund (please refer to the trip notes for details)
    • Escorted by a licensed 2-person crew
    • Transportation in a 24-seater overland truck with camping and cooking equipment
    • Mosi Oa Tunya National Park, Victoria Falls visit
    • Cape Town Township tour
    • Dhow Safari, Vilanculos - Magaruque Island snorkelling
    • Chobe River boat cruise and Chobe National Park game drive in a purpose-built safari vehicle with a resident guide and Fish Eagle (Sunset) Boat Cruise
    • Okavango Delta excursion including mokoro and walking safari
    • Hwange National Park game drive in a 4x4 open vehicle with resident guide
    • Matabo National Park game drive in a 4x4 open vehicle and wilderness walk with resident guide
    • Visit to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins
    • Kalahari Bushman Walk
    • Etosha National Park game drives
    • Spitzkoppe excursion to see Bushmen paintings
    • Sossusvlei shuttle, guided walk and Dune 45 excursion
    • Sesriem & Fish River Canyon visit
    • Sleeping mattress (you will need to bring your own sleeping bag)
    • All road tolls and vehicle taxes

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day : 1 Cape Town

Cape Town – Cederberg. Departing Cape Town early this morning we head east of the city to Cape Flat, one of the Cape Town's local townships, where we meet local people and learn about the local community projects. Then we head out north in our overland truck into the ...

Day : 2 Orange River

Cederberg - Orange River (Namibia). As we journey north, we pass through dry and rocky territory until we reach the Namibian border, crossing at Vioolsdrift. We stop at a campsite for the night beside Gariep (AKA Orange) River, which marks the border between South Afr...

Day : 3 Fish River Canyon

Orange River – Fish River Canyon. This morning is free to spend at leisure or to enjoy the optional canoe safari, if we didn’t have time yesterday. Then we head north to the incredible Fish River Canyon, second only in size to the Grand Canyon in the USA. Stretching o...

Day : 4 Namib Naukluft National Park

Fish River Canyon – Namib-Naukluft National Park. Today we have a long drive as we journey to the edge of Namib-Naukluft National Park, taking in the massive portion of the Namib Desert and the Naukluft mountains. We’ll stop at the edge of the park at our campsite, ready to explore tomorrow.

Day : 5 Namib Naukluft National Park

Namib-Naukluft National Park – Solitaire. Today we explore the Namib Desert! Starting our journey at the mighty Dune 45, one of the tallest sand dunes in the region. Hike to the apex of the dune to admire the incredible view and dazzling sights over the surrounding ar...

Day : 6-7 Swakopmund

Solitaire – Swakopmund. Next stop is Swakopmund, a German colonial town located on Namibia’s famous Skeleton Coast. Rather than camping, we’ll be staying in simple dormitory accommodation in Swakopmund. The rest of day 6 and day 7 are free to spend at leisure, explori...

Day : 8 Spitzkoppe

Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe. We leave coastal Swakopmund today and head into the Damaraland region to Spitzkoppe. Here we see the incredibly well-preserved bushmen paintings and admire the spectacular rock formations reaching 1800 meters above sea level. We witness the ro...

Day : 9-10 Etosha National Park

Spitzkoppe – Estosha National Park. We spend the next two days exploring Etosha National Park. Dominated by a salt pan, this incredible 20,000 square kilometre reserve is home to an abundance of animals and the pan has specially managed watering holes where animals ga...

Day : 11 Windhoek

Etosha National Park – Windhoek. Today we travel to the charming capital of Namibia. Windhoek is a small capital by global standards, with a population of just 470,000 people. The city's German architecture is a reminder of Namibia’s early colonial past. Our camp for ...

Day : 12 Gobabis

Windhoek – Gobabis. We bid farewell to Windhoek as we travel east towards the Botswanan border to the city of Gobabis. Today we meet some of the local San Bushmen. The San culture is one of the oldest surviving cultures in Southern Africa, Here we’ll enjoy a bush walk...

Day : 13 Maun

Gobabis – Maun (Botswana). Today we journey to Maun in Botswana, we will use this as a base for exploring the famed Okavango Delta. If we have time, there will be an opportunity for you to take a scenic flight over the Delta – If we haven’t got enough time today then this opportunity will be offered on day 15 instead.

Day : 14-15 Okavango Delta

Maun – Okavango Delta – Maun. Day 14 we enjoy an overnight excursion into the Okavango Delta in our specialised safari vehicles. Spread across more than 1.6 million hectares, the Delta is a natural wetland that is home to an incredible array of wildlife. We soon reach...

Day : 16 Nata Region

Maun – Nata region. This morning we set off on our drive through a wildlife corridor between the isolated Nxai and Makgadikgadi pans. We’ll make short stops to take in the beauty of some of the region’s towering baobab tree and reach our unfenced campsite in the afternoon. If we are fortunate enough, we’ll see different kinds of wildlife including elephant and antelope.

Day : 17 Chobe National Park

Nata Region – Kasane. Today we head towards north Botswana to Kasane. Kasane is the gateway to Chobe National Park where we enjoy a cruise on the Chobe River. Chobe is home to an array of wildlife including herds of elephants, which you can spot near the water’s edge. Also be on the lookout for hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and the rare African fish eagle.

Day : 18 Chobe National Park

Kasane – Chobe National Park – Livingstone (Zambia). This morning enjoy an open vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park, which is home to all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo), although rhinos are very rare here. Once our game drive ends,...

Day : 19 Livingstone

Today is free for you to spend at leisure and enjoy the optional activities available to book locally. Typically these include rafting, canoeing, bungee, abseiling, gorge swinging, horse riding, scenic flights, and river cruises.

Day : 20 Victoria Falls

Livingstone – Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe). This morning we leave Livingstone and cross enjoy more optional activities or simply relax in our beautiful surroundings. Be sure to visit the Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side for a different perspective and see the Zambezi River plunging over the enormous Batoka Gorge.

Day : 21 Hwange National Park

Victoria Falls - Hwange National Park. Today we head to Zimbabwe’s largest and best-known park, Hwange National Park. In the early 19th century, it was the royal hunting grounds of the Ndebele warrior-king Mzilikazi. Spanning across 14,600 square kilometres, Hwange i...

Day : 22-23 Bulawayo

Hwange National Park – Bulawayo. Our journey continues on day 22 as we head south to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second city. The rest of the afternoon is free to spend at leisure exploring this pleasant city with its broad tree-lined avenues and wide-open spaces. The n...

Day : 24 Masvingo

Bulawayo – Masvingo. Today we journey toward the east of the country to the small town of Masvingo. Nearby is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southern Africa: the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. We camp nearby with ample time to explore the ruins a...

Day : 25 Into Mozambique

Masvingo – Bandula area (Mozambique). Our day starts very early as we begin our 400 km journey into Mozambique. Our first stop along the way is Mutare and if time permits, we will stop at the spectacular Birchenough Bridge. Crossing the border into Mozambique we make our way to the Bandula area near the Chicamba Dam. We’ll settle in our campsite that is located within a 550-hectare conservancy.

Day : 26-27 Vilanculos

Bandula – Vilanculos area. We leave Bandula and head to the spectacular Indian Ocean coast. We stop in the small town of Vilanculos, gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Here we gather our luggage and snorkels for tomorrow’s island trip and board our traditional dhow ...

Day : 28-29 Tofo

Vilanculos area – Tofo. The morning of day 28 we head further down the scenic coast through Inhambane to Tofo, our base for the next 2 nights. Tofo is a beautiful little beach town with open beaches, the slow-paced atmosphere is a great place for us to relax. Check ou...

Day : 30 Bilene

Tofo - Bilene. Today we journey south of Tofo to Bilene, our last coastal stop in Mozambique. Bilene is famous for the Uembje Lagoon (or San Marthino lake) where you can try out one of the best loved activities in Bilene - snorkelling! Our campsite for the evening is located on top of the dunes overlooking the stunning lagoon.

Day : 31-32 Kruger National Park

Praia do Bilene - Hazyview - Kruger National Park (South Africa). From Bilene we cross the border into South Africa and head for our camp in Hazyview, just outside Kruger National Park, southern Africa’s game reserve. The national park and the surrounding reserves ar...

Day : 33 Pretoria

Hazyview – Pretoria. We leave Kruger behind and make our way to Pretoria where our incredible African adventure comes to an end late afternoon/ early evening, as we bid farewell to our guide and our fellow travellers. Please note: We recommend that you spend the n...

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,895
Price per day$148
Last Updated: 1/6/2025
Departure Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
29 Mar 2025
30 Apr 2025
$6,225
26 Apr 2025
28 May 2025
$6,225
24 May 2025
25 Jun 2025
$6,225
21 Jun 2025
23 Jul 2025
$6,225
19 Jul 2025
20 Aug 2025
$6,225
16 Aug 2025
17 Sep 2025
$6,225
13 Sep 2025
15 Oct 2025
$6,225
11 Oct 2025
12 Nov 2025
$6,225

Departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. Prices are per person when there are 2 people sharing a tent/room. Solo travellers will be matched up and share a tent/room with another solo traveller of the same gender.

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with On The Go Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International flights and visas
    • Sleeping bag - please bring your own
    • Tipping - an entirely personal gesture
    • Optional activities (prices listed in Trip Notes)
    • Airport transfers - can be booked on request
    • Local payment - $670, paid in USD

Accommodation

Camping
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
18 and over. Anyone over 65 to complete a Tour Suitability Form.Maximum age 75.
Additional Information
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Trip ID
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