20 Day Cape Town to Victoria Falls Safari (3/4 Accommodation) (Accommodated)

Day 1 – 2: Cape Town, South Africa

Day 1 has a pre-departure meeting at 18h00 at the hotel in Cape Town. Situated against the iconic Table Mountain which was chosen as one of the New 7 Natural Wonders of the World.

Departing on Day 2 from the Breakwater Lodge at around 08h00 we take a winding route of the gleaming peninsula. Your tour of the peninsula takes you along the Atlantic coastline via Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak to the Table Mountain National Park (Cape Point) – a National World Heritage Site. Here, you will have the chance to explore Cape Point before we return along the Indian Ocean coastline to the Waterfront Hotel. Then you can look forward to a morning or afternoon cable car ride up Table Mountain (weather dependent).

Dinner this evening will be at your own expense at one of the wonderful V&A Waterfront restaurants.

Accommodation: Breakwater Lodge or similar (2 Nights)
Meals: Breakfast on Day 2
Included Highlights: Cape Town, Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope
Optional Activities: Dinner at the Waterfront

Day 3: Cape Town – Namaqualand, Northern Cape

Leaving Cape Town, we make our way through the Namaqualand region where we will take in the beautiful surrounds of Van Ryns Pass.  If you travel during the months of August to October you will witness an explosion of colour from the wildflowers of this region. We overnight at the foot of the Van Ryns Pass.

There is an optional activity of wine tasting at the Guesthouse (own expense).

Accommodation: Highlanders Lodge or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities: Wine Tasting at a Guesthouse in Namaqualand

Day 4: Namaqualand – Augrabies Falls National Park, Northern Cape

Departing from the Little Karoo we make our way north into the Augrabies National Park passing through an area that is abundant with wine farms. The mighty Orange River flows 56 metres to the deep gorge below and the locals call it ‘Aukoerebis’ or ‘place of great noise’. The afternoon is spent at your leisure enjoying these great falls.

Accommodation: Kakamas Hotel or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast
Included Highlights: Augrabies Falls National Park

Day 5 – 6: Augrabies Falls National Park – Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Namibia

We make our way north into the Kalahari and the incredible Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Spreading over 3.6 million hectares, this is one of the biggest reserves in Africa. Because of the minimal plant life in the region, spectacular predator sightings are frequent here, including that of the renowned black mane lion. We embark on a game drive to our lodge.

Our nights are spent admiring the star-studded African sky by means of a telescope available on the viewing deck of our lodge.

Accommodation: Kgalagadi Lodge or similar (2 Nights)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Experience the Kalahari Desert at Kgalagadi, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – Morning and Afternoon Game Drives

Day 7: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – Fish River Canyon, Namibia

Departing the Kalahari area we make our way west, across the border into Namibia to our beautifully located lodge. In the afternoon or early next morning we visit the glorious Fish River Canyon.

The Fish River is the longest interior river in Namibia and runs sporadically, typically flooding in the late summer.

Accommodation: Canyon Village or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Fish River Canyon

Days 8 – 9: Fish River Canyon – Sesriem, Namibia

Our travels carry us northward through changing surroundings to our lodging situated on the Namib Desert edge, thought by plenty of geologists to be one of the oldest deserts in the world. The next morning is an early start that takes us 55 kilometres through the dune belt whilst the sun rises above us. The spectacular transforming colours make for incredible photographic opportunities. We embark on a 5 kilometre trek to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. The name Sossusvlei is of mixed origins and basically means ‘dead end marsh’. Sossusvlei gained this name due to the fact that it is a drainage basin without outflows for the ephemeral Tsauchab River. The pan holds rainwater to create a lake and because of the mass amounts of clay in the ground, water is retained for ages at a time.

In the afternoon we embark on a brief trek through the Sesriem Canyon, which is a natural canyon formed by the Tsauchab River in the local sedimentary rock, around a kilometre long and up to 30 metres in depth. A section of the canyon always holds water, which various animals make use of.

Accommodation: Desert Quiver Camp or similar (2 Nights)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Sossusvlei and Deadvlei walk, Sesriem Canyon Hike

Days 10: Sesriem – Swakopmund, Namibia

Today we journey to Walvis Bay to see the incredible gathering of flamingos. The wetlands of Walvis Bay include lagoons, mudflats, shoreline and salt works, which make up the single most significant coastal wetland in southern Africa for travelling birds. The wetland acts as a dry-season haven for migrating animals such as the Greater and Lesser flamingos, Plover, Grebe and African Black Oystercatcher.

We then reach Swakopmund in the afternoon, a charming coastal town with dominant German influence and with majority of its population German-speaking. Established in 1892 as the primary harbour for German South-West Africa, Swakopmund is German for ‘mout of the swakop’ as it is located at the Swakop River mouth. Our afternoon, as well as the next day, is spent exploring this beautiful town or participating in the myriad of Optional Activities available here, such as dolphin cruises or scenic flights over the enormous Namib Desert.

Accommodation: The Delight or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities: Swakopmund Township Tour and Dolphin Cruise, Scenic Flight over Namib Desert

Day 11: Swakopmund – Damaraland, Namibia

We depart from the coast today and make our way inland, through the Damaraland area. The name ‘Damaraland’ was given to the north-central portion of Namibia and inhabited by the Damara people, an ethnic group that forms 8.5% of the population in Namibia. The area is an enormous and jagged landscape with mountain ranges interrupted by broad gravel plains which transform into sandy, vegetated riverbeds and hot, arid valleys.

Our lodge is located on a mountain summit that gives incredible vistas of the encircling regions. Spend your afternoon basking in the glory of our surroundings, or just unwind next to the pool.

Accommodation: Ugab Terrace Lodge or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Damaraland

Day 12 – 13: Damaraland – Etosha National Park, Namibia

We travel to Etosha National Park today, where we take the Kiboko vehicle on our first game drive. Thousands of wild species, including giraffes, cheetahs, leopards, lions, elephants, springboks, zebras, kudus, giraffes, blue wildebeest, and zebras, call this park home, making it one of Africa’s most significant reserves and game sanctuaries. Day 13: From our lodge, which is situated just outside the park entry, we take part in a full day of wildlife drives in open 4×4 vehicles.

Accommodation: Etosha Village or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Game drives in Etosha National Park, Full Day Game Drive in Etosha National Park

Day 14: Etosha National Park – Okavango River, Namibia

Departing from Etosha we make our way into the Caprivi where we overnight amongst the trees and foliage of this region. The Caprivi Strip is a thin protrusion of Namibia in the east that is around 450 kilometres long, between Botswana in the south, Angola and Zambia in the north, and the Okavango area to the west.

In the afternoon you can partake in an optional boat cruise along the sparkling Okavango River. It is the fourth longest river network in southern Africa, flowing south-eastward for about 1,600 kilometres. It starts in Angola, where it is called the Cubango River. Further south it creates part of the border that divides Angola and Namibia, and then runs into Botswana, emptying into the Moremi Game Reserve.

Accommodation: Hakusembe Safari Lodge or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Optional Activities: Okavango River Afternoon Boat Cruise

Days 15 – 16: Okavango Delta, Botswana

We continue to the Caprivi and cross over into Botswana in our safari vehicle to the edge of the Okavango Delta. On Day 17, we take a 30 minute boat ride into the delta. During our time here, we glide along the waters on mokoros and take a few game walks.

Accommodation: Swampstop chalets or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast x2, Lunch, Dinner x2
Included Highlights: Game Walks, Mokoros Ride & Boat Trips in the Okavango Delta

Day 17 – 18: Okavango Delta – Chobe River, Botswana

Today we cross over the Caprivi Stripin Namibia and cross back into Botswana via Chobe National Park and spend the night on the banks of the river. Spend time admiring the stunning landscape and wildlife of this region. Day 18 we relax on a morning game drive & a sunset game-viewing cruise on the Chobe River.

Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Highlights: Morning Game Drive and Sunset Game Viewing Cruise on the Chobe River

Day 19: Chobe River – Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, more famously known as Victoria Falls, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Park spreads over 66 kilometres from the Songwe Gorge beneath the Falls in a northwest arc along approximately 20 kilometres of the banks of the Zambian River. We will cross the Zimbabwean border to the Falls.

There are plenty of optional activities available including elephant-back safaris, picturesque microlight/helicopter flights, white water rafting or bungee jumping from a spectacular height of 111 metres. A visit to the Falls will be at your own expense, as well as dinner this evening.

Accommodation: Cresta Sprayview Hotel or similar (1 Night)
Meals: Breakfast
Optional Activities: Victoria Falls – Helicopter Flight

Day 20: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

The tour winds to an end after breakfast.

Meals: Breakfast

Onward Travel Plans

Due to circumstances beyond our control while on tour (such as border crossings, traffic, breakdowns and delays, etc), the end time on the last day cannot be guaranteed. Therefore we strongly recommend you stay the night and fly out the next day. Please consult with your booking consultant.