Cape Town to Victoria Falls is one of the world’s great journeys. Starting in Cape Town, the most cosmopolitan city in South Africa, this trip travels through the spectacular desert landscape of Namibia, wildlife-rich game parks in Namibia and Botswana and finally to the mighty Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border. This is an adventure through the heart of the most dramatic scenery in southern Africa, with rich culture, diverse wildlife and the opportunity to take part in numerous activities along the way.
See Victoria Falls to Cape Town for a reverse itinerary with camping.
Activity Areas
Culture
Multi-Country Culture Holidays
Multi-Country Holidays
Natural Wonders
Region & Country & City
Africa: Botswana, Cape Town, Chobe National Park, Etosha National Park, Fish River Canyon, Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia, Okavango Delta Tours, Sossusvlei, South Africa, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Included in the Price
All accommodation: 19 Classic nights (16 hotel/lodge, 3 guesthouse) - All breakfasts, four lunches, one dinner - Immersive itinerary with all transport (purpose-built overland truck) and listed activities - Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure - Group arrival and departure transfers available
Not Included In The Price
Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.
Map
Itinerary
Day 1 Adventure starts in Cape Town
Welcome to Cape Town, a culture-filled port city beautifully placed between mountain and sea. This afternoon, there may be the opportunity for an optional excursion (ticket not included) up Table Mountain via cable car, if the weather is good. The views across the city on a clear day are incredible. If the weather is not good, we have a free afternoon with the opportunity to explore the buzzy V&A Waterfront.
Around 6pm, say howzit to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome by arranging a group dinner.
Want to explore Cape Town further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Day 2 Hike to the Cape of Good Hope • See the penguins of Boulders Beach • Tour a wine farm
We generally begin with a drive along the spectacular Chapman’s Peak drive (occasionally this drive is closed so we have to go around it) via Houtbay. Continuing to the Cape Point Nature Reserve, we have time to hike to the lighthouse and then along the boardwalk to the Cape of Good Hope. We then take a short visit to the Boulders Beach penguin colony and enjoy lunch.
In the late afternoon, we visit a wine farm – the area surrounding Cape Town is renowned for its wine and we get a chance to sample some of the local produce.
'The order of activities in Cape Town is flexible as everything can be weather dependent.
Day 3 Journey through the Western Cape • Stay in the Olifants River Valley
We leave Cape Town and travel through farmlands of citrus, maize, cattle and sheep as we start the journey towards Namibia. Our first stop is in the fertile Olifants River Valley, providing a glimpse into the agricultural lifestyle of the Western Cape.
Day 4 Cross into Namibia • Unwind beside the Orange River
Today we drive to Orange River (five hours plus one-hour border crossing), where the southern border of Namibia meets South Africa. There is free time to relax this afternoon. Our accommodation for the night has a picturesque riverbank setting.
Day 5 Paddle along the Orange River • Walk the rim of Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon on earth
In the morning, we enjoy a canoe trip on the Orange River. It is not tough on the water and the trip gives us the chance to see the flora and fauna of the region as we drift by. We then take a three-hour drive to the second largest canyon on earth: Fish River Canyon. The views from the canyon rim are spectacular and there is time for a short walk along it in the afternoon.
Day 6 Travel beside Namib-Naukluft National Park • Arrive in Sesriem
We have a day’s travel along the edge of the Namib-Naukluft National Park to Sesriem, where we stay overnight outside the park.
Day 7 Travel beside Namib-Naukluft National Park • Discover Sesriem Canyon
We leave our lodge early to spend the morning at the Sossusvlei dunes, one of the great sights of Africa. While we cannot enter the park until sunrise, the early morning light on the dunes is still a spectacular sight and worth getting up for. Those feeling energetic have the opportunity to climb Dune 45.
We enjoy a picnic breakfast at the dunes and take a 1.2mi (2km) walk into the Hiddenvlei area (optional one-way shuttle transfer instead). If we’re lucky, we may see gemsbok, ostriches or black-backed jackals among the dunes, an irresistibly photogenic scene! In the afternoon, we visit Sesriem Canyon.
Day 8 Cross the Namib’s desert landscapes • Watch flamingos at Walvis Bay
We have a long, spectacular drive through Namib-Naukluft National Park to Swakopmund via Walvis Bay to see flamingos in their thousands (in season: summer). This national park, one of the largest in the world, is home to one of the driest and oldest deserts on earth. It contains some of the finest desert scenery in Africa with towering, jagged rock formations and incredible lunar landscapes.
Day 9 Choose a Swakopmund adventure
Swakopmund is the adventure sports capital of Namibia, and we have a full day here to enjoy the optional adventure activities on offer: go on a dolphin cruise or township tour or take a flight over the desert! Alternatively, explore the German-style town and visit some of the excellent cake shops.
Day 10 Walk beneath Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia • View the ancient White Lady rock art
We leave the Atlantic coast and head inland towards Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia. We enjoy a walk through Valley 45 for approximately two hours to the White Lady rock painting which, along with several other small paintings and engravings, are thought to have been left by indigenous San people at least 2,000 years ago. It can be a challenging walk with rocky terrain and stream crossings – we recommend wearing hiking boots!
Day 11 Enter Etosha National Park • Search for wildlife on an afternoon game drive
In the morning, we drive north to Etosha National Park where some of the best wildlife viewing in the world can be found. We should arrive at Etosha, which means the Great White Place of Dry Water, in time for a late afternoon game drive before arriving at our camp where there is a waterhole for game viewing at night.
Day 12 - 13 Track wildlife across Etosha • Watch animals gather at the waterholes
We have two days to really enjoy this fabulous park with its mixed forest and grassland centred around a large saltpan. Etosha is home to a great variety and number of animals, which are easy to find as they congregate at different times around the waterholes. There are waterholes next to the excellent campsites, and it is not uncommon for us to spend all night watching a gala performance of animals: wildebeest, zebras, impalas, springbok, kudu, elephants, giraffes, lions and even rhinos are all common sights here. Take plenty of patience and you will be rewarded by one of the greatest game spectacles in southern Africa. Etosha is also a good place for birds, with plenty of waterbirds on the lakes and weaverbirds and hornbills in the trees. While in Etosha, we move our camps (between Okaukuejo, Halali or Namutoni) but the itinerary is kept flexible depending on where the animals are.
Day 14 Journey through northern Namibia • Reach the Okavango River
We have a long drive through local villages to the Okavango River – the main watercourse supplying the Okavango Delta.
Day 15 Glide along the Okavango by mokoro • Visit a riverside community
We take a mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) ride from our camp on the Okavango River. Please note, the river may be flooded in March/April and we may have to substitute our mokoros for a boat. The birdlife is prolific and, at certain times of the year, so is the game. Gliding through the waterways by mokoro is the ideal way to absorb the tranquillity of the place. We also have the option of a village tour to meet the local community.
Day 16 Cross the Caprivi Strip • Enter Botswana’s Chobe region
Drive through the Caprivi Strip and into Botswana to the Chobe National Park area in Kasane, home to huge numbers of elephants and hippos.
Day 17 Track Chobe’s wildlife by 4x4 • Cruise among elephants on the river
Today we have an early morning game drive in Chobe National Park and an afternoon boat ride on the Chobe River where it is possible to view huge herds of elephants coming down to drink as well as many other types of game. For bird lovers, the river provides a home for the majestic African fish eagle and several species of brightly coloured bee-eaters. The area surrounding the Chobe River typically has the highest concentration of wildlife within the park as animals congregate here, particularly in the dry season (April to October).
Day 18 Cross into Zimbabwe • Arrive at Victoria Falls
We drive to Victoria Falls after a leisurely breakfast, a small town on the Zimbabwean side of the glorious Victoria Falls (entrance own expense US$58). The waterfall itself is majestic, the activities enthralling and the scenery of the Upper Zambezi beautiful.
Day 19 Choose your Victoria Falls adventure
Today you have a free day to enjoy the numerous activities on offer such as flights over the falls, white-water rafting, game viewing, or crossing into Zambia to see the falls from a different side (please note, you need a Zambian visa if you wish to see the falls from the other side).
Day 20 Adventure ends at Victoria Falls
You’ve cruised the wildlife-rich waterways of the Okavango River, spotted iconic safari animals and seen the mountainous dunes of Sossusvlei, but now our adventure comes to an end.
Alternatively, if you’d like more time to experience the wonder that is Victoria Falls, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
