Kenya to Cape Town
Kenya to Cape Town
Kenya to Cape Town
48 Days Starting in Nairobi and ending in Cape Town
Visiting: Nairobi, Mto wa Mbu, Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park, Serengeti National Park, Serengeti National Park / Mto wa Mbu, Usambara Mountains, Dar es Salaam, Stone Town, Zanzibar Northern Beaches, Mikumi National Park, Iringa, Chitimba, Lake Malawi, South Luangwa National Park, Petauke, Lusaka, Harare, Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Bagani, Okavango Delta, Grootfontein, Grootfontein/San people, Etosha National Park, Spitzkoppe, Swakopmund, Sesriem, Sossusvlei/Konkiep River, Fish River Canyon, Orange River, Western Cape, Cape Town
Tour operator:
Tour code:
YXOAC
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 22
Age range:
15-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
Travel from Kenya to Cape Town through some of Africa’s most incredible sights on this jaw-dropping 48-day overland journey. Explore Kenya’s bustling capital, keep your eyes open for the Big Five in the vast savannas of the Serengeti, hike through lush mountain terrain and traverse sprawling desert plains in Namibia. Sample unique flavours, meet warm and welcoming local communities, relax beachside in Zanzibar, and prepare for an unforgettable southbound adventure through some of Africa's best.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi
Location: Nairobi
Accommodation: Hotel
Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village.
Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Mto Wa Mbu
Location: Mto wa Mbu
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Depart early for Mto wa Mbu in your overland truck. The trip includes a border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania, so be sure to have your passport handy. While you're on the road, there will be a stop at an ATM and a market or shop to stock up on any supplies you might need for the coming days. Arrive in Mto wa Mbu and acquaint yourself with this delightful small village – it's a fascinating snapshot of small-town African life, situated well off the tourist trail.
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park
Location: Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Get up early, put your camping and personal gear into a six-person jeep and head out for an excursion into the Serengeti via the Ngorongoro Crater. Enjoy a safari in the crater, spending 3 to 4 hours exploring this incredible, perfectly intact volcanic caldera. Watch for black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor offers excellent game viewing all year round (some 30,000 animals live here) and the photo opportunities are unrivalled. Next, it's on to the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. Green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season, this is perhaps the quintessential image of Africa – the home of thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators. Your campsite is within the Serengeti itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Serengeti National Park
Location: Serengeti National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Awake at dawn and embark on a game drive. You will head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch at around 11 am. After spending the middle of the day relaxing, just like the animals do, head out again as the day begins to cool. You'll return from this second game drive in time for dinner. There's also the option of a balloon ride over the park this morning – in place of some of today’s game drives. If you have pre-booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, getting some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, indulge in a five-star bush breakfast, then be returned to camp.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 5: Serengeti National Park / Mto Wa Mbu
Location: Serengeti National Park / Mto wa Mbu
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Rise with the sun and enjoy another game drive as you leave the Serengeti in your dust. Jump back into your overland vehicle and head for Mto wa Mbu. Once camp is set up, join the local community for a guided stroll around the farming areas, milling machine, and local homes and farmlands. After, we'll share a local dinner in town and if time permits you may have the oppertunity to watch how it's made with a local cooking demonstration.
After setting up camp, we'll take a guided stroll through the farming areas, milling machines, and local homes and farmlands, getting to know the local community and their way of life. Later, we'll enjoy a scrumptious local dinner in town. If time permits, you might even get to witness a local cooking demonstration and see how it's made.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Usambara Mountains
Location: Usambara Mountains
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Prepare yourself for a long travel day heading for the Usambara Mountains. Stretch your legs during a brief supply stop in Arusha, then jump back in the vehicle and watch the ever-changing scenery, read your favourite book or get to really know your fellow travellers. Your base will be Lushoto – an old German colony and home to the Wasambaa people. This highland town sits at approximately 1400 metres and this evening you'll camp in the grounds of one of the oldest hotels in Africa.
Day 7: Usambara Mountains
Location: Usambara Mountains
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Explore the beautiful Usambara Mountains today – a lovely unspoilt area of Tanzania. Unlike the coast and the north, very few tourists visit this part of the country, so it has a freshness that can be hard to find elsewhere. As beautiful as the surrounding mountains and rainforests are, however, the real jewels here are the local people and villages. You'll experience some hospitality on a visit to some of the small local communities. From your base, you will take a walk out to the gorgeous Irente viewpoint. It's best to pack some water and snacks in a day pack for this trip. On your way back, visit a local cultural project based at an Irente farm and enjoy a picnic lunch.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Dar Es Salaam
Location: Dar es Salaam
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Leaving the mountains behind, travel further south to the coastal town of Kipepeo Beach in Dar es Salaam. Your camp at Kipepeo is by the beach, so make the most of it – perhaps take a stroll along the shore after you arrive and settle in.
Day 9: Stone Town
Location: Stone Town
Meals Included: breaksfast
Catch a ferry to Africa's 'Spice Island' of Zanzibar. Filled with pristine white-sand beaches, winding cobblestone alleyways and fragrant bazaars, Zanzibar has had a colourful history – everything from slave traders to Arabian sultans and fruit exporters. The sight of traditional dhows sailing along the coast evokes what the island must have been like in centuries ago. The old part of Zanzibar's main city is known as Stone Town, and the best way to see this is on foot, exploring the markets, shops, mosques, palaces and courtyards. Explore the many charms of Stone Town, the historic part of Zanzibar's main city, with a local guide. Taste the local delicacies and gain insight into daily local life living on Zanzibar.
When the sun is setting, why not grab a drink from a bar overlooking the seafront. A seafood curry at a local restaurant is also a great choice. You'll spend the night in Stone Town at a basic inn.
Optional Activities:
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Day 10: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Location: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Accommodation: Bungalow
Meals Included: breaksfast
Once checked out of your Stone Town accommodation, consider booking in to an optional guided tour of the island's spice plantations, learning all about the history of this town's spice trade. You will have the opportunity to smell and taste various spices, such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, plus sample some teas made with these spices too. After lunch, head to the Northern Beaches, where white sands and sparkling blue seas await. This is the Indian Ocean at its best.
Optional Activities:
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Day 11: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Location: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Accommodation: Bungalow
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy free time in this beautiful archipelago today. There are many ways you can spend your day – perhaps talk to your leader for any recommendations they might have. Snorkelling in search of exotic fish is an excellent option, or you could take a traditional dhow boat on the water. You might also like to feast on a sumptuous lunch of grilled local seafood, or just relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book. It's totally up to you!
Optional Activities:
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Day 12: Stone Town
Location: Stone Town
Accommodation: Hotel
Spend a final morning relaxing on the sandy northern beaches before returning to Stone Town for an afternoon and evening at leisure. Maybe ask you leader where to grab a urojo, a unique and delicious street treat made from potatoes and noodles stewed in a stock of tumeric, mango, flour and more. Or maybe grab a sugarcane juice and have a wander. You've got a long day of driving ahead tomorrow, so make the most of your free time while you can!
Optional Activities:
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Day 13: Mikumi National Park
Location: Mikumi National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Embrace an early start to catch a 7.30 am ferry to the mainland, then make tracks for Mikumi. It’s approximately an 8-hour drive to your first camp spot, but you’ll get a great look at all that renowned Tanzanian landscape on the way. Gaze out at vast plains dotted with baobab and tamarind trees and maybe catch a glimpse of some of the elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions and leopards that call the park home. Once you arrive at your camp spot, your leader will show you the ropes (literally) and help you set up and get comfortable for your night in the tent.
Day 14: Iringa
Location: Iringa
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Wake up early this morning to head off on a 4WD game drive into Mikumi National Park with local expert guides. This less touristed park is home to impressive numbers of elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, wildebeest and impalas – and maybe even a predator or two if you're lucky! Afterwards, we'll drive to Iringa (approximately 5 hours) and set up camp on the grounds of a farmhouse on the outskirts of this pleasant settlement. The area is filled with natural bush land which can make it a bird watchers paradise. Make the most of this rural setting by doing some stargazing before you retire for the night.
Included Activities:
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Day 15: Chitimba
Location: Chitimba
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Enter Malawi and travel to your campsite at Chitimba (approximately 10–12 hours). Malawi, the ‘warm heart of Africa,’ is dominated by its lake, which covers almost a fifth of the country and provides a livelihood for many Malawian people. Fishermen, fish traders and canoe and net makers all ply their trade on Lake Malawi. A common sight is that of a fisherman in a bwato (a dugout canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk) fishing on the still lake at the break of day.
Day 16: Lake Malawi
Location: Lake Malawi
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Travel from Chitimba to Kande Beach on the shore of Lake Malawi (approximately 6 hours). There will be a chance to stop at a shop or market for any supplies you might need along the way. Enjoy a relaxing getaway from the commercialism and crowds with a few days on the lake’s more peaceful beaches. Your campsite at Kande Beach is right on the shore of Lake Malawi.
Optional Activities:
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Day 17: Lake Malawi
Location: Lake Malawi
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Enjoy free time today and soak up your idyllic surrounds. As well as chilling out on the lake’s sandy shores, make sure you take the opportunity to meet some local Malawians – easily some of the friendliest people in Africa.
Optional Activities:
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Day 18: South Luangwa National Park
Location: South Luangwa National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Journey through southern Malawi and enter Zambia, continuing to South Luangwa National Park (approximately 9–10 hours). There will be border crossing formalities on the way, and a chance to stock up on goods at a shop or market and visit an ATM. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River and its lagoons is some of the highest in Africa. Take in the beautiful scenery and the abundance of wildlife, watching out for colourful birds and herds of elephants.
Day 19: South Luangwa National Park
Location: South Luangwa National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Rise early for an exhilarating morning game drive in a 4WD with a local guide, then head back to the camp for lunch (as this is the hottest part of the day).
Return to the park for another Game Drive late this afternoon
Alternatively, an optional village walk is another good option, if you'd like a snapshot of daily life in the local community.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 20: Petauke
Location: Petauke
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast, pay a visit to a workshop where local craftswomen take snare wire recovered from poaching traps and transform it into jewellery inspired by the African bush. The women will show you around their purpose-built workshop and give you a chance to try coiling or hammering the wire yourself. For each sale made, a donation is given to anti snare patrols dedicated to the conservation of the region. After your visit, head further south to Petauke (approximately 6 hours).
Included Activities:
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Day 21: Lusaka
Location: Lusaka
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Head for your camp just south of Lusaka City (approximately 6 hours). Arrive, stretch your legs and take a stroll to discover the town. Though it's fast developing, Lusaka retains a strong African feel, and the locals are usually up for a chat.
Day 22: Harare
Location: Harare
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Travel to Harare today (approximately 8–9 hours). The first part of your journey takes you to the border with Zimbabwe. After crossing, continue to Harare. There will be a chance to explore the town, stock up on whatever you need at a market or shop and use an ATM.
Day 23: Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo
Location: Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Drive to Masvingo (approximately 5–6 hours). This colonial settlement – the oldest in Zimbabwe – makes the perfect base for exploring the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The ancient city, now a World Heritage site, was first constructed in the 11th century and is believed to have been the seat of power for a monarch. Spend a few hours exploring this intriguing site before heading off to camp.
Included Activities:
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Day 24: Bulawayo
Location: Bulawayo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Travel to Bulawayo (approximately 5–6 hours). Known locally as the 'City of Kings', Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city. There is some impeccable colonial architecture to take in here. Enjoy free time this afternoon to explore town. You might like to browse some local markets or chat with the locals. The Natural History Museum and National Art Gallery are also worth checking out.
Optional Activities:
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Day 25: Bulawayo
Location: Bulawayo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Get ready for the experience of a lifetime – tracking rhinos on foot with an expert guide! Matobo National Park, known for its black and white rhinos, is also home to other wildlife like klipspringers, leopards, warthogs, and springhares. You'll learn all about these unique animals from your guide. You'll also gain insights into the local plants and trees, including wild pear and paperbark and discover San paintings and the fascinating rock formations.
Matobo National Park is an important site of spiritual and cultural significance for the local people, and there are many places in the park where important ceremonies still take place.
Included Activities:
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Day 26: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Depart Bulawayo and make the 6-hour drive towards Victoria Falls. Stretching 1.6 kilometres wide and falling 108 metres into a narrow gorge below, the falls for which the area is named are a sight to behold. Although a visit to the falls themselves is optional, it is highly recommended. The entrance fee to the falls is not included, as groups that book ahead are required to tour the site with a local guide, and we feel that seeing these waterfalls should be an uninterrupted sensory experience. In the wet season, the spray created from this feat of nature can rise 400 metres and can often be seen from kilometres away. It’s no wonder that the local name for Victoria Falls is Mosi oa Tunya, or the 'Smoke that Thunders'. Though dry season travellers should not despair! You’ll get an unobstructed view of the falls and the chance to see the islets in the river below. Your leader will take you to a local activity centre where a range of activities will be on offer.
Optional Activities:
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Day 27: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Today is a free day to enjoy the many activities on offer. If you are interested in the optional helicopter flight (12 minutes or 25 minutes) we endorse the following operator only: Zambezi Helicopter co CAA Zimbabwe. Your local leader can help you arrange this, so feel free to ask them or find out more information at the activity centre.
Day 28: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today you have the option of visiting the magnificent Victoria Falls. Spanning about a mile wide across and falling 108 m into a narrow gorge below, the spray from the falls can sometimes be seen from kilometres away. In the dry season, the view of the falls is unobstructed by spray and it's possible to see little islets in the river below. To fully understand the sheer force of this staggering curtain of water, it needs to be experienced in person. It's no wonder that the local name Mosi oa Tunya means the 'smoke that thunders'. Alternatively, your leader will be able to recommend a range of other activities that are available.
Optional Activities:
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Day 29: Chobe National Park
Location: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
This morning is free for you to continue enjoying all that Victoria Falls has to offer. Afterwards, travel to Chobe National Park in Botswana via the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, one of The Intrepid Foundation’s projects. Here you can learn about the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict and the Trust’s role in anti-poaching. There may also be a chance to meet any rescued or orphaned wildlife currently in their care. Continue your journey to Botswana's first national park, which is famous for its high concentration of elephants, so keep an eye out! They can often be seen swimming in the Chobe River.
Included Activities:
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Day 30: Chobe National Park
Location: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Rise and shine for an early-morning game drive. Adventuring through the park, you will get the opportunity to get up close to the wildlife – with luck you will spot a variety of animals and any number of exotic birds. As well as the Chobe icon, the elephant, the river also attracts hippos and crocodiles – the latter like to sun themselves by the water's edge. Cheetahs also come down for a drink. The birdwatching is excellent here too – look out for eagles, kingfishers and marabou storks, among hundreds of other species. In the afternoon perhaps take an optional cruise down the Chobe River – one of the best ways to enjoy the park's animals.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 31: Bagani
Location: Bagani
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Today you will enter Namibia, driving from Kasane to Ngoma Bridge, and on to your camp at Bagani. Enjoy the journey, watching the scenery change with towns, trees and skies rolling past you. Bagani is the homestead of the local Mbukushu kings. You will have the opportunity to stop at an ATM and a market or shop today.
Day 32: Okavango Delta
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation: Camping (without facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Drive across the border into Botswana and head south along the Okavango Panhandle (the narrowest part of the delta) to Seronga. Here you'll leave your vehicle and join your transport for the journey into the delta. Take a boat across the swamps to Gao Island to meet your mokoro team and start exploring the Okavango Delta with them. Each mokoro (small dugout canoe) takes two people and is poled along through the waterways by a local tribesman. Reeds and lily pads line the streams, and birds startled by the mokoros rise out of the long grasses. Punting along, you'll hear hippos occasionally piercing the peaceful atmosphere with their grunts. On the first night here, you'll camp on an island well away from civilisation.
Included Activities:
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Day 33: Okavango Delta
Location: Okavango Delta
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Continue your trip around the delta and then return to Gao Island before heading to the relative civilisation of Umvuvu Camp. This camp usually has hot showers, and there's a small bar at which you can relax and perhaps enjoy a refreshing sundowner. Today there is an option to take a nature walk with your guide. This is a great chance to discover the beautiful natural surrounds, gain some insight into the history of the local area and look out for animals such as giraffe, zebra and elephants.
Included Activities:
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Day 34: Bagani
Location: Bagani
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Cross the border back into Namibia and return to Bagani to camp for the night. Various boat trips and guided hikes are possible from Bagani, so if you're feeling active, get out and make the most of it. Those who are feeling bold might even be able to challenge the local kids to a soccer match – don't expect to win though! Retire to your camp in the evening and enjoy this welcome break from the road.
Optional Activities:
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Day 35: Grootfontein
Location: Grootfontein
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Drive to your camp situated 50 km outside of Grootfontein. The town of Grootfontein, part of the Otavi Triangle, tends to get very green in the warmer months but dries out markedly in the winter. If it's springtime, you'll likely see jacarandas in bloom.
Day 36: Grootfontein/San People
Location: Grootfontein/San people
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Embark on a 180-km (112-mile) round-trip to visit the San people. The oldest inhabitants of southern Africa, the San, have lived in this region for at least 20,000 years. Listen to their stories and songs and learn how those who still adhere to a traditional way of life emphasise the importance of living in harmony with the environment.
Included Activities:
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Day 37: Etosha National Park
Location: Etosha National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Travel to Etosha National Park this morning. While Etosha National Park is home to a wide range of southern Africa's wildlife, including the big carnivores and five rare or endangered species: black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-dik. Game viewing in Etosha is relatively easy due to the man-made waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is difficult to see through, but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to usually allow for some sightings. Embark on an optional evening game drive here in the evening, then spend the night at Namutoni. Accommodation upgrades are on offer here.
Optional Activities:
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Day 38: Etosha National Park
Location: Etosha National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Enjoy a full-day game drive in Etosha National Park. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, which means significant numbers of elephants, antelope and other herbivores reside here. The park is also home to some 340 species of birds – keep an eye to the sky where you might spot a soaring eagle. Tonight, you will stay at the particularly spectacular Okaukuejo Camp. The camp overlooks a floodlit waterhole visited by many different species throughout the day and night. Upgrades are not available at this location tonight.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 39: Spitzkoppe
Location: Spitzkoppe
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Travel to the mountain of Spitzkoppe today. The wild lands around this superb granite peak are some of Namibia's most stunning. The mountain itself is 700 million years old and 1987 m (6519 ft) high. Although you shouldn't try to climb to the top, the area is rich in plant life and with some bush paintings to be found. Be sure to look out for the sunset from your bush camp this evening – the landscape is known to take on dazzling hues of orange and red.
Optional Activities:
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Day 40: Swakopmund
Location: Swakopmund
Accommodation: Chalet
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Continue to the town of Swakopmund. Be dazzled by the sight, sound and smell of thousands of olive-coloured seals on the shores of Cape Cross while you're travelling up the eerie Atlantic Coast. You'll be able to stop along the way to access an ATM and market if you need some supplies.
Included Activities:
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Day 41: Swakopmund
Location: Swakopmund
Accommodation: Chalet
Surrounded by the massive dune fields of the Namib Desert on three sides, and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, Swakopmund is an example of the extraordinary German culture that's found in all major settlements in Namibia. It's worth wandering around town to admire the beauty of the Germanic architecture and take advantage of some excellent souvenir shopping.
Optional Activities:
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Day 42: Swakopmund
Location: Swakopmund
Accommodation: Chalet
Today is another free day to enjoy this fun beachside town. If you're after a dose of history and culture, you can stop in at the lighthouse and visit the Swakopmund Museum. Active types and thrillseekers might like to take advantage of the many outdoor activities on offer – this town is the adventure sports mecca of Namibia.
Optional Activities:
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Day 43: Sesriem
Location: Sesriem
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Drive to Sesriem, your base for exploring the incredible Namib Desert region. The most famous part of the Namib Desert is its vast dune fields, the most spectacular of which are found near the Sesriem Canyon. This canyon was formed when the Tsauchab River carved a gorge 30 metres into the gravel deposits about 15 million years ago. Now, the river flows out to the dune fields that stretch for hundreds of miles up the coast and dries up in a clay pan at Sossusvlei. The dunes – the highest in the world – are stunning, with magnificent flaming tones created by the brightly coloured sands.
Day 44: Sossusvlei/Konkiep River
Location: Sossusvlei/Konkiep River
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Wake up before dawn and scramble to the top of the dunes for a dramatic sunrise view across a vast sea of sand. The colour changes are simply incredible and provide a spectacular setting for your brunch. Afterwards you will jump in the back of a pickup truck for a trip to Sossusvlei, the incredible salt and clay pan just nearby. Enjoy some time to explore this incredible and mysterious desert oddity. Later, continue to your camp past the small town of Bethanie. Your camp has basic facilities, with showers, flush toilets, wi-fi and optional upgrades.
Included Activities:
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Day 45: Fish River Canyon
Location: Fish River Canyon
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Check out the town of Bethanie before heading further south into the vast desert lands of Namibia towards Fish River Canyon. At 500 m deep and over 160 km long, Fish River Canyon is one of the very largest canyons in the world. During the dry season, the riverbed tends to dry out completely, leaving only a few puddles. In the wet season, after the summer rains, the river can turn into a spectacular raging torrent. At any time of year there are remarkable photographic opportunities here as you watch the colour of the granite rocks change as the sun goes down.
Included Activities:
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Day 46: Orange River
Location: Orange River
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Departing Fish River Canyon, travel to Noordoewer in southern Namibia. Pitch your tent on the scenic banks of the Gariep (Orange) River, which stretches 2200 kilometres (1367 miles) – the longest river in Lesotho. The river’s source is high up in the Drakensberg mountain range, and it flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay in South Africa. The Orange River is responsible for transporting diamonds and creating the deposits that can be found along the Namibian coast.
Optional Activities:
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Day 47: Western Cape
Location: Western Cape
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Depart your camp first thing in the morning and head to Klawer, a town named after the Afrikaans word for a wild clover blooming after rainfall. The surrounding countryside is beautiful, and if there's time, you’ll have the opportunity to explore some of it. Perhaps take a delightful walk around the nearby mountains and farms before settling in for a relaxing evening.
Optional Activities:
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Day 48: Cape Town
Location: Cape Town
Meals Included: breaksfast
Head to Cape Town this morning, where your trip will come to an end. With its stunning coastline, modern cityscape, nearby mountains and a plethora of vineyards within reach, this is one of Africa's most exciting cities. There's no accommodation provided for tonight, but this can be arranged – please enquire at the time of booking this trip.
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights), Camping (with facilities) (36 nights), Hotel (3 night), Bunglow (2 night), Camping (without facilities) (1 night), Cabin (3 nights) -
Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
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Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
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Serengeti National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
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Irente - Lushoto hike
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Irente - Local lunch
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Mikumi National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
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South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
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South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive
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South Luangwa - Jewellery workshop Project
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Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Included Activities
- Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
- Serengeti National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
- Serengeti National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
- Serengeti National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
- Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
- Irente - Lushoto hike
- Irente - Local lunch
- South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
- Petauke - Jewellery workshop project
- Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
- Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Visit
- Chobe National Park - Dawn Open Safari Vehicle Game Drive
- Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
- Okavango Delta - Nature Walk
- Grootfontein - San Bushman cultural experience
- Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
- Cape Cross Nature Reserve - Cape Cross seal colony
- Sossusvlei - 4x4 Tour
- Sesriem - Sand dunes visit
- Fish River Canyon - Canyon entrance
Transport
- Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/Kenyan 3 pronged outlet.
- There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you.
- African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times.
- South Africa has a law whereby the cross border transport agency does not allow foreign-registered vehicles to enter the country. We will be working with a local South African operator for the South African section of this tour who will be providing the services of an alternative vehicle* and driver vetted by Intrepid. Your Intrepid leader and cook will still accompany you on this section and your itinerary will remain unaffected.
- *The vehicle used on this section will be an overland vehicle similar in style to an Intrepid vehicle. However for smaller groups which don't require a large vehicle, smaller land cruiser style vehicles may be used.
Accommodation
- Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied.
- The type and variety of accommodation are determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some, we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others, we also use hotels. In Africa, it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities, so we use hotel accommodations and eat out in local restaurants.
- There may be the occasional night stop when we stay on the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite, which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case, there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD 40-100 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly, and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the night's accommodation. The day-by-day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability).
- Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same-sex rooms.
- Campsites do have facilities, but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in Western countries. For example, the bathroom facilities can be very basic. Toilet paper is rarely provided, and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all.
- At times, there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately, these cannot be used without the purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip.
Important Information
- 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 33 (Camping) and Days 40,41,42 (Chalet) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 2. An optional sunrise balloon ride in the Serengeti National Park is possible on this itinerary. Please see the itinerary above for full details of this activity. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and we recommend you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.
- 3. This trip is a combination of YXOF, YXON, YXOP and YXOR of our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on Days 9,12 and 27.
- 4. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.
- 5. This trip starts in Nairobi on Day 1 at 6pm. This allows time after the welcome meeting to explore Nairobi.
- This trip finishes upon arrival in Cape Town on Day 48. Please do not book any flights until after 7 pm this evening.
Mode of Transport
- Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/Kenyan 3 pronged outlet.
- There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you.
- African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times.
- South Africa has a law whereby the cross border transport agency does not allow foreign-registered vehicles to enter the country. We will be working with a local South African operator for the South African section of this tour who will be providing the services of an alternative vehicle* and driver vetted by Intrepid. Your Intrepid leader and cook will still accompany you on this section and your itinerary will remain unaffected.
- *The vehicle used on this section will be an overland vehicle similar in style to an Intrepid vehicle. However for smaller groups which don't require a large vehicle, smaller land cruiser style vehicles may be used.
Accommodation
- Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied.
- The type and variety of accommodation is determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others we also use hotels. In Africa it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities so we use hotel accommodation and eat out in local restaurants.
- There may be the occasional night stop, when we stay in the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD60-120 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the nights accommodation. The day by day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability).
- Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same sex rooms.
- Campsites do have facilities but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in western countries. For example the bathroom facilities can be very basic. There is rarely toilet paper provided and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all.
- At times there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately these cannot be used without purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear, or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent, occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the Big Five. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
Camp in the Serengeti National Park itself without fences between you and the animals. Your leader will brief you on the safety measures the group will need to take for the two nights spent in the park.
As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
We use mokoros (small dugout canoes) to pass through the shallow waterways of the Okavango Delta to get to our campsite for the night. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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