Itinerary
- Day 1
Cape Town
You'll arrive in Cape Town with the rest of your day to yourself. If you get in early, there's plenty around the city to check out and explore on your own. At 6 pm you'll meet up with your group leader for a welcome meeting where you'll get the lay of the land and meet your travel crew.
Optional Activities
- Cape Malay Cooking Tour
- Robben Island visit
- Table Mountain aerial cable car ride
- Optional dinner with local leader and travel group
Landmarks/POIs Table Mountain Robben Island - Day 2
Cape Town
This morning is yours to wander around Cape Town at your own pace. Your leader can give you some pointers on what to see. Later in the afternoon, you'll head to Signal Hill in Table Mountain National Park for a light hike. The sunset views over the city and ocean from up there are really nice, and it's a good way to get your legs moving after travel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Light hike to Signal Hill in Table Mountain National Park (weather dependent)
Landmarks/POIs Signal Hill Table Mountain National Park - Day 3
Cape Town to Lamberts Bay to Trawal
You'll travel west along the coast to Lamberts Bay, a small seaside town with white beaches and plenty of wildlife to spot. Grab lunch at a local open-air restaurant where you can eat while looking out at the ocean. After that, you'll head inland toward Trawal to spend the evening around wine farms and the Cedarberg Mountains, giving you a chance to relax and take in the scenery.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Delicious feast at a local open-air restaurant with ocean views in Lamberts Bay)
Included Activities
- Lunch at local open-air restaurant in Lamberts Bay
Landmarks/POIs Lamberts Bay Cedarberg Mountain Range - Day 4
Trawal to Orange River, Namibia
This is a long travel day as you cross from South Africa into Namibia. You'll arrive by afternoon on the banks of the Orange River, the same river that historically transported diamonds to the Atlantic Ocean. The evening is open for you to explore the area at your own pace and get settled into your lodging.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Dinner at local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Orange River - Day 5
Orange River
Start your morning relaxed by the pool or taking in the river views if you prefer to stay put. If you're looking for something more active, you can paddle out on a canoe along the Orange River through the ancient Richtersveld Mountains. Later in the afternoon, you'll visit Fish River Canyon, one of the largest canyons on the planet, with stops at different lookouts where you can photograph the gorge and watch for exotic birds.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Fish River Canyon - Canyon entrance and visits
Optional Activities
- Canoe adventure along Orange River through Richtersveld Mountains
Landmarks/POIs Fish River Canyon Richtersveld Mountains - Day 6
Orange River to Namib Desert
Another long travel day today as you head east toward the Namib Desert, the world's oldest desert. You'll have time to sit back and watch the landscape shift outside your window from start to finish. When you arrive at your desert lodge in the late afternoon or early evening, you can settle in and soak up the quiet and peace of the surroundings.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Dinner at local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Namib Desert - Day 7
Namib Desert
You'll get up early to head to Sossusvlei, an ancient riverbed where you can climb Dune 45 if you want to for panoramic views. After breakfast, you'll explore Dead Vlei, a white clay pan surrounded by giant sand dunes with names like 'Big Daddy' and 'Crazy Dune'. In the afternoon, Sesriem Gorge is next on the list, a narrow canyon carved out by water over thousands of years.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Sossusvlei - Dune 45
- Sesriem - Sesriem Canyon visit
Optional Activities
- Climb to top of Dune 45
- 4WD transfer to Dead Vlei entrance
- Explore Dead Vlei on foot
Landmarks/POIs Sossusvlei Dune 45 Dead Vlei Sesriem Gorge - Day 8
Namib Desert to Swakopmund
You'll drive across the Namib Desert and pass through the impressive Kuiseb Canyon on your way to the Atlantic Coast. By afternoon you'll arrive in Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast. The rest of the day is yours to explore this coastal town, and your leader can point you toward the local activity center if you want suggestions on what to do.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Local activities through activity center in Swakopmund
Landmarks/POIs Kuiseb Canyon Swakopmund - Day 9
Swakopmund
You have a free day to spend in Swakopmund. Since your accommodation is within walking distance of the town center, it's easy to get around. You might stroll along the beach, check out the open-air markets, or visit the local museum. Later in the evening, you'll join your group for dinner at a restaurant your leader recommends.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Beach stroll
- Open-air market exploration
- Local museum visit
- Dinner at local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Swakopmund - Day 10
Swakopmund to Damaraland
You're heading inland to Damaraland, the ancestral region of the Damara people. The terrain here is rugged and ancient with dramatic sunsets and night skies full of stars. This area is home to desert-adapted elephants and plants and animals you won't find anywhere else in the region, making the landscape truly unique.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks/POIs Damaraland Kunene Region - Day 11
Damaraland
Today you'll explore the region with a local guide who can show you around. You'll visit the Petrified Forest to see 280-million-year-old fossilized tree trunks, then stop at Twyfelfontein Heritage Site, which has one of southern Africa's largest collections of ancient rock engravings. You'll also check out the Living Museum to learn about traditional Damara culture and see Burnt Mountain, a 200m volcanic hill. After all that, you'll have free time to cool off by the pool or relax with a book.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Petrified Forest visit
- Twyfelfontein Heritage Site - Bushman paintings
- Living Museum of the Damara
- Burnt Mountain visit
Landmarks/POIs Petrified Forest Twyfelfontein Heritage Site Living Museum of the Damara Burnt Mountain - Day 12
Damaraland to Etosha National Park
You'll travel to Etosha National Park, Namibia's top game reserve. Once you arrive, you'll head out on a short game drive in the afternoon to spot large groups of elephants, antelope, and other wildlife. The evening is free to rest up and get ready for more wildlife viewing tomorrow.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Etosha National Park - Overland vehicle game drive (afternoon)
Landmarks/POIs Etosha National Park - Day 13
Etosha National Park
You'll set out early on a 4WD game drive through Etosha to look for black rhinos, Hartmann's mountain zebras, black-faced impalas, roan antelopes, and tiny Damara dik-diks. The park makes spotting animals relatively straightforward thanks to man-made waterholes and large open pans. Later in the evening, you'll relax, and there's a final group dinner to celebrate the trip so far.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Etosha National Park - 4x4 vehicle game drive
Optional Activities
- Dinner with travel group
Landmarks/POIs Etosha National Park - Day 14
Etosha to Windhoek
Today's a long travel day to Windhoek, Namibia's capital, an old German-influenced city. Settle in with something to read or a podcast to pass the time. After you arrive in the afternoon, you'll have free time to explore spots like Tintenpalast (Ink Palace), Christuskirche Church, or the Genossenschaftshaus. At 6 pm there's a second welcome meeting, and afterward you'll head to a local restaurant for dinner with your crew.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Visit Tintenpalast Ink Palace
- Visit Christuskirche Church
- Explore Genossenschaftshaus
- Dinner at local restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Tintenpalast Ink Palace Christuskirche Church - Day 15
Windhoek to Ghanzi, Botswana
You'll cross the border into Botswana and head to Ghanzi, known as the 'Capital of the Kalahari'. It's another long travel day, so grab a seat by the window to watch the landscape transform or chat with other travelers to get to know them better. When you arrive at your lodge, you can unwind in the Botswana sunshine or cool off in the pool.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks/POIs Ghanzi - Day 16
Ghanzi to Okavango Delta
You're heading to the Okavango Delta, where seasonal flooding creates grassy plains and a rich animal habitat. You'll board speedboats and travel to your home for the next two nights, a houseboat in the Okavango Delta Panhandle. Relax on deck, try board games, and enjoy dinner served by your captain as you watch the sunset and listen to hippos calling on the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Dinner served on the deck of the houseboat with sunset views)
Included Activities
- Okavango Delta - Speedboat cruise to houseboat
Landmarks/POIs Okavango Delta - Day 17
Okavango Delta
After breakfast, you'll take a speedboat and 4WD to a specific spot, then explore the waterways in traditional mokoros, flat-bottomed dugout canoes, with a local guide. You'll do a nature walk around one of the islands in the Delta Panhandle. Back at the houseboat, you can relax, try fishing, or read. In the evening, you'll have a sundowner drink and watch an impressive sunset over the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari with local guide
- Okavango Delta - Nature walk
Optional Activities
- Fishing from the houseboat
Landmarks/POIs Okavango Delta - Day 18
Okavango Delta to Maun
You'll leave the houseboat and head back on speedboats to get to dry land, then drive to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. If you want extra adventure, there's an optional helicopter flight available for a bird's-eye view of the delta. Otherwise, the afternoon is yours to relax by the pool and recharge after your time on the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Helicopter flight over Okavango Delta (bookable through leader)
Landmarks/POIs Maun - Day 19
Maun to Makgadikgadi Pans
You're heading to the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest prehistoric inland salt lake on Earth, now a dry savanna landscape. You'll go out on an open 4WD excursion to spend time with a local meerkat community in their natural habitat. A Kalahari Bushman guide will lead you on a bush walk and share traditional ways of life and their connection to the land. The day ends with a three-course barbecue dinner under baobab trees cooked over coals while you stargaze.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Three-course barbecue dinner under baobab trees, traditionally cooked over hot coals with stargazing)
Included Activities
- Makgadikgadi Pans - Meerkat & Kalahari Bushman experience
- Makgadikgadi Pans - Baobab dinner
Landmarks/POIs Makgadikgadi Pans - Day 20
Makgadikgadi Pans to Chobe National Park
You're traveling to Kasane, which sits on the edge of Chobe National Park. The road between Nata and Kasane, called the 'Elephant Highway', is unfenced, so elephants roam freely between Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Keep your eyes open for elephants along the roadside. You'll arrive and settle into your lodge on the banks of the Chobe River.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks/POIs Chobe National Park Chobe River - Day 21
Chobe National Park
You'll wake early for a dawn game drive in Chobe National Park where you can spot resident elephants drinking at the water's edge, large herds of cape buffalo, and plenty of impalas. Later in the afternoon, you'll take a scenic cruise on the Chobe River to look for bird life like saddle-billed storks, malachite kingfishers, fish eagles, and bee-eaters, plus hippos, crocodiles, and elephant families. After the boat cruise, you'll have a drink and watch the sunset over the river.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Chobe National Park - Open safari vehicle game drive (dawn)
- Chobe National Park - River safari cruise with sunset
Landmarks/POIs Chobe National Park Chobe River - Day 22
Chobe to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
You'll cross the border into Zimbabwe and travel to Victoria Falls, one of the world's most significant natural wonders. You'll arrive in time for lunch on the banks of the Zambezi River. When the falls are in full flow, they form the largest sheet of falling water on the planet. After visiting, the rest of the day is yours to relax or try optional activities. Tonight you'll share a final dinner with your travel crew to celebrate everything you've experienced.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch on the banks of the Zambezi River)
Included Activities
- Victoria Falls - Entrance & visit
- Lunch on banks of Zambezi River
Optional Activities
- Various optional activities in Victoria Falls
- Final dinner with travel group
Landmarks/POIs Victoria Falls Zambezi River - Day 23
Victoria Falls
After breakfast this morning, your adventure comes to an end and it's time to head home. If you'd like to extend your time in the region, reach out to your booking agent before your trip starts to arrange that.
- Meals
- Breakfast
