13 Day Best of Namibia, Botswana and Victoria Falls Safari

Your safari begins with collection from Windhoek. Travel north to the private Ongava Game Reserve, a 30,000-hectare wildlife haven bordering Etosha National Park. This prime location offers access to superb wilderness and the chance to see Namibia’s impressive game. Settle into Ongava Lodge, Etosha’s first luxury lodge, offering rock and thatch chalets with private decks and views of the waterhole. The afternoon features your first exciting  within the Ongava Reserve

Today is dedicated to wildlife watching. Visit various waterholes which are magnets for game. Experience the vast, shimmering mirages of the Etosha Pan, known as the “place of dry water,” a 5,000 km2 depression where seeing large herds is a unique African experience. Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives with your guide

Depart Ongava and travel east into Etosha National Park, stopping at waterholes along the way. Etosha East is a protected sanctuary known as one of Southern Africa’s most accessible game reserves, featuring vast plains, savannah, waterholes, and secluded camps. Search for abundant wildlife, including lions, elephants, black rhinos, giraffes, and a variety of birdlife like flamingos and eagles. You’ll stay just outside the park gates at Mokuti Etosha Lodge or similar, located on its own private reserve. Enjoy a full day Etosha game drive

Spend another full day exploring Etosha National Park. Your guide will take you searching for predators, plains game, reptiles, and birds. Game viewing is typically excellent, offering close-up views of animals like springboks, zebras, impalas, giraffes, and gemsboks, plus many birds. You may also spot elephants and lions

Start the day with a morning game drive in Etosha for more wildlife viewing and photo opportunities in the soft light. Afterwards, depart the park through the eastern gate and travel to Rundu in the Kavango region, home to the Okavango people. Stop to visit the Ju/’Hoansi-San community to learn about the San people and their nomadic culture. Continue to your lodge, Hakusembe River Lodge or similar, located on the banks of the beautiful Okavango River.

Drive east along the Okavango River and enter the beautiful Mahango Game Reserve, bordering Caprivi and Botswana. This diverse area features riverine forests, flood plains, magnificent baobabs, and large herds of elephant and red lechwe. It’s known for rare species like buffalo, sable, roan antelope, and sitatunga. Your luxurious accommodation will be at Divava Okavango Resort & Spa or similar, perched on the Okavango River, where you might spot hippos and crocodiles from your chalet deck. Enjoy an afternoon game drive in Mahango Game Reserve.

Our day begins with a journey to the magnificent Okavango Delta, kicking off at the breathtaking Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage site and sacred land of the San people. These iconic hills jut dramatically from the arid landscape, boasting over 4,000 ancient rock paintings—a powerful window into a rich, yet increasingly fragile, San history and culture. After an unforgettable morning exploring this historical gem, we drive to our tranquil base, the secluded Nxamaseri Lodge. Here, you’ll enjoy a two-night stay in one of their eight private chalets, each featuring its own deck for quiet relaxation under the lush forest canopy.

Your morning kicks off with an exhilarating speedboat transfer, weaving through the Delta’s vibrant, papyrus-lined channels to reach the inner lagoons. There, you’ll transfer to traditional mokoro canoes, expertly navigated by local polers for a silent, intimate glide through the pristine waters. This gentle pace is perfect for spotting incredible wildlife, including elephants, hippos, aquatic antelope, and various predators like lions and leopards along the island edges. Mid-morning features a guided bush walk on a secluded island, letting you explore the rich flora and fauna on foot. Following this immersive adventure, you’ll return to Nxamaseri Lodge just after lunch, leaving your afternoon free to relax and fully absorb the Delta’s tranquil atmosphere.

Leave Botswana and return to Namibia. Drive north back towards the Mahango Game Reserve for another short game drive to try and spot animals you may have missed previously. Travel through the Caprivi Strip, with possible stops to learn about local culture or purchase handicrafts. Spend the night at Camp Kwando or similar, offering views of the Kwando River from its thatch lapa restaurant and bar, and chalets with viewing decks.

Drive through Katima Mulilo, the capital of Caprivi, and continue to your lodge beautifully located on the Chobe River. In the early afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on the river. Chobe is renowned for its large numbers of buffalos and elephants, which you hope to see from the boat, alongside hippos and crocodiles. You might even spot lions at the water’s edge. The bird life is rich, and the cruise lasts until sunset. Stay at the exclusive Chobe Water Villas or similar, on the Namibian side of the river

Get ready for a phenomenal wildlife experience in Chobe National Park, Botswana’s second-largest reserve, famous for possessing one of Africa’s highest concentrations of game. Spanning over 10,000 square kilometers of pristine African landscape, Chobe is most renowned for its colossal elephant herds—the largest in body size worldwide. This morning, we’ll dive into the action with an exciting Chobe River cruise, immersing ourselves in diverse habitats to search for iconic animals like majestic elep

After breakfast, transfer across the border into Zimbabwe, the final country of your safari. Enjoy a short drive (approx. 170km) to Victoria Falls, keeping an eye out for wildlife along the way. Arrive at your lodge, Ilala Lodge Hotel or similar, situated close to the falls. Experience the spectacular Victoria Falls tour. Learn about its immense scale, known locally as “The smoke that thunders,” and its status as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The afternoon is open for optional activities. Enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant in Victoria Falls

Enjoy a relaxing breakfast. Depending on your flight schedule, you will be transferred to Victoria Falls International Airport for your departure.