Travel from the Mother City to the wilds of Botswana and Zimbabwe, visiting a wealth of natural and cultural wonders
Encompassing three countries, two Natural Wonders of the World, and a string of unforgettable experiences, this unique adventure unwraps the very best of southern Africa. It begins on the Western Cape of South Africa, where sophisticated Cape Town sits at the foot of Table Mountain and elite vineyards produce award-winning wines. We then hop to Botswana for an adventure in the wilds, scouring Chobe National Park on multiple game drives and discovering the Okavango Delta in mokoro canoes while staying in a wild camp. We end in Zimbabwe, marvelling at the thunderous rush and roar of Victoria Falls – a magnificent curtain of water that draws our adventure to a close.
Highlights
Marvel at Cape Town and beyond from the summit of Table Mountain
Enjoy wine tasting with food pairings at two wineries in Stellenbosch
Explore the Okavango Delta in poler-guided mokoro canoes
Search for elephants and lions on safari in Chobe National Park
Visit the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World
Key Information
Seven nights in hotels, four nights in lodges and two nights of wild camping
Travel by internal flights, boat, private minibus and 4x4 safari vehicles
Countries visited: Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe
What's Included
All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners
All accommodation (see below)
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
What's Not Included
Travel insurance
Single accommodation
Visas or vaccinations
People, Places & Planet
We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice hereand find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.
Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:
People
How this trip helps improve life for local communities.
Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
We employ local site guides in Chobe National Park and several other conservation areas.
In the Okavango Delta, we work with polers from the Poler’s Trust. This is a community-based project formed to create an ecotourism business to benefit everyone in the area. By using these facilities and going on boat tours with the Poler’s Trust, we ensure we are helping the community by providing employment and supporting environmental initiatives.
How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.
By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites.
Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.
Planet
How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.
Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.
Our local partners support the Save Our Sausage Trees initiative in Botswana, which aims to address the issue of depleting forests in the area. The mokoro is a canoe used by the people of the Okavango Delta and it is crafted traditionally from a single mature kigelia Africana tree (or sausage tree). Although increased tourism has had some obvious benefits to the area, it has also brought a higher demand for mokoros and therefore more trees are being cut down. As a wooden mokoro only lasts about five years, there are hundreds of these trees being felled per year and there are not enough trees to sustain this. We have consulted with the Okavango community and have agreed to pay half the price of a fibreglass mokoro if a poler wants to purchase the other half to save the trees.
Tips for sustainable travel on this trip
Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.
Itinerary
Cape Town
Victoria Falls
London
London
Depart London
Depart London.
Arrive in Cape Town
We start the tour with a transfer from the airport for the group arrival flight. We check into the hotel near the V&A Waterfront, the rest of the afternoon is free for optional activities.
Accommodation: City Lodge Hotel Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (or similar)
Day
1
Start Cape Town
Our adventure starts in Cape Town, the Mother City, and the afternoon is free to settle in. If you have time after your arrival, you might want to explore a little. The premier nearby attraction is the V&A Waterfront, a buzzy entertainment district of restaurants, stores and live performances within the oldest working harbour in South Africa. Alternatively, relax after your flight with a cooling dip in the hotel pool.
Accommodation: City Lodge Hotel Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (or similar)
Day
2
Cable car to the top of Table Mountain; visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
This morning, an icon of Cape Town beckons: Table Mountain, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We take the cable car to the summit, where we enjoy a short walk, admiring views over the city and the Atlantic waters of Table Bay from several lookout points. After an hour or so, we take the cable car back down and head to our vehicle.
We then drive around the mountain to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, ranked among the top botanic gardens on the planet. Here, we spend the afternoon exploring the site, which sprawls over the eastern slope of Table Mountain with numerous trails to discover.
Accommodation: City Lodge Hotel Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
3
Explore the Cape Peninsula and spend time with the penguins at Boulders Beach
We check out early and drive straight to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, taking the scenic route through Camps Bay, Hout Bay and Chapman’s Peak. Upon arrival, we embark on a walk (approximately two hours) through the reserve, where elands, springbok, wildebeest, baboons and ostriches roam among the rugged cliffs, unspoiled beaches, shipwrecks and wild flora.
We first walk to the new lighthouse for panoramic views, before visiting the old lighthouse for spectacular cliff views. We then follow a downhill path to the Cape of Good Hope and see a board declaring it the southwestern tip of Africa. In the afternoon, we visit the protected African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. Also known as jackass penguins, this endangered species is the only penguin on the continent. The beach falls under the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area and plays an important part in the conservation of this species. After, we check into our hotel a very short distance away in Simon’s Town harbour.
Accommodation: Simon’s Town Quayside Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
4
Drive to Hermanus; free afternoon
This morning, we depart for Hermanus, taking the scenic Clarens Drive from Gordon’s Bay, past Betty’s Bay and then onto the seaside town, where we check into our hotel.
The afternoon is free to relax and enjoy Hermanus. From July to November, southern right whales are easily spotted from the shore as they frolic in Walker Bay, a whale crier sounding his kelp horn when he spots them off the coast. Those who want can also do a boat-based whale-watching trip. There are also several other activities available, including hikes, river cruises and lagoon-kayaking, all of which are available year-round.
Accommodation: Windsor Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
5
Wine tasting with food pairings at two Stellenbosch wineries
Leaving Hermanus in the morning, we head down Sir Lowrey’s Pass to Stellenbosch, a historic town cradled by the Cape Winelands vineyards. Our first stop is the Waterford Estate, where we enjoy a chocolate and wine-paired tasting. From here, we continue to the Middelvlei Wine Estate for a pairing experience with traditional South African dishes; we enjoy snoek (a type of mackerel) and cottage cheese braaibroodjie (a grilled-cheese sandwich) with Middelvlei Unoaked Chardonnay; boerewors (a spiralled sausage) and mozzarella braaibroodjie with Middelvlei Free-Run Pinotage; and fig and brie braaibroodjie with Middelvlei Shiraz. Soft drinks and vegetarian food options are also available. In the late afternoon, we check into our cottages where we can take a dip in the pool.
Accommodation: San Gabriel Cottages (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
6
Fly to Maun; free afternoon
We depart Stellenbosch after breakfast and transfer to Cape Town International Airport for our flight to Maun, Botswana, which leaves in the morning and takes approximately 2hr 30min. In the afternoon, we shop in Maun for our time in the Okavango Delta – picking up the drinks and snacks we might want – before transferring the last 9mi (15km) to our lodge. Our accommodation is on the banks of the Thamalakane River; after settling in, we have time for a quick river swim before dinner (not included).
Accommodation: Crocodile Camp (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
7
Into the Okavango Delta
We transfer into the Okavango Delta in an open 4×4 game-viewing vehicle, before our local guides take us in traditional dugout canoes called mokoros to our wild tented camp. The Delta forms as rainwater from the Angolan highlands flows out over the flat Kalahari Desert sands, forming a delicate, green oasis for wildlife. Our camp is on a remote island in this dynamic environment and we enjoy bush walks, bird watching and swimming in the clear waters.
Camping with our local guides, we learn more about their lifestyle and culture. The camp will be put up by the polers and we use canvas dome tents with camp stretchers, mattresses, sleeping bags and pillows provided. There is also a gazebo for shade, which doubles as a mess tent. Please note, you only need to take luggage for two nights – bags will be provided.
In the afternoon, we take a two-hour bush walk with the polers. Following animal tracks with the help of our expert guides, we hope to see some of the resident wildlife, which includes zebras, giraffes, elephants and hippos.
Accommodation: Okavango Delta wild camp
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
8
Full day exploring the Okavango Delta by foot and dugout canoe
We wake early for a four-hour sunrise game walk led by the polers, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the resident animals and to recognise their tracks. The polers also share the practical uses of the plants we pass. We return to camp for a well-deserved brunch.
In the afternoon, we take a short sunset cruise on our mokoros, navigating reed-lined waterways decorated with water lilies and keeping an eye out for hippos.
Accommodation: Okavango Delta wild camp
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
9
Morning game walk; return to Maun
We enjoy a two-hour morning game walk, our expert guide pointing out more of the extraordinary animals that live here, before returning to our vehicle by mokoro and transferring back to our lodge in Maun. The afternoon is free to enjoy the swimming pool at the lodge or to take an optional helicopter flight over the Okavango Delta.
Accommodation: Crocodile Camp (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
10
Fly to Kasane; Chobe river cruise
We have an early breakfast to reach Maun Airport for our one-hour flight to Kasane, Botswana. Upon arrival, we are transferred to our lodge on the outskirts of Kasane, where we have lunch.
This afternoon, we take a short transfer to a jetty and embark on a three-hour boat cruise on the Chobe River. This section of Chobe National Park is home to large herds of elephants and buffalos plus rare species, such as puku and roan antelopes, and a fantastic amount of birdlife.
Accommodation: Kwalape Safari Lodge (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
11
Morning and afternoon game drive in Chobe National Park
We have an early morning open-vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park, aiming to arrive when it opens. Our three-hour adventure takes us along the Chobe River and we hope to see iconic African animals, including lions, elephants, hippos and, if we’re very lucky, leopards.
We return to our lodge for brunch and time to relax at the pool or to visit Kasane. In the afternoon, we take a second three-hour game drive in Chobe, allowing us another opportunity to see the spectacular wildlife that lives here.
Accommodation: Kwalape Safari Lodge (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day
12
Drive across the border into Zimbabwe; visit Victoria Falls
Today we cross into Zimbabwe and head to Victoria Falls, arriving in time for lunch in the town of the same name.
In the afternoon, we enjoy a spectacular guided walk through tropical vegetation to the very edge of Mosi oa Tunya (the Smoke That Thunders), known in English as Victoria Falls. Named one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, this magnificent spectacle is one of the largest waterfalls on the planet, falling in a 1.05mi (1.7km) wide sheet.
Accommodation: Rainbow Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
13
Full day at Victoria Falls for optional activities
Today has been left free for you to enjoy all the optional activities available in this region, bookings can be made the day before on arrival into the town. You could white-water raft on the mighty Zambezi River, enjoy a sunset river cruise or take a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls (all own expense).
Accommodation: Rainbow Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day
14
End Victoria Falls
The adventure comes to an end today. However, if you’d like more time to discover this beautiful part of the world, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.
Meals included: Breakfast
Arrive London
Essential Info
Is this trip for you?
This trip is graded Activity Level 1 (Leisurely). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.
This 14-day adventure connects some of the best-known destinations in southern Africa, using two flights (Western Cape to the Okavango Delta; Okavango Delta to Chobe National Park) to significantly reduce journey times. The longest drive is approximately three hours (not including stops) but the rest are typically one to two hours unless there is a game drive. The drives between destinations are in a comfortable minibus or open-sided safari vehicles. Game drives are in open-sided safari vehicles.
The longest walk is a four-hour game walk over relatively flat terrain. The ground can be uneven and we have to navigate vegetation so you need to be steady on your feet. Most other walks are around two hours.
Most nights are spent in hotels or lodges, but there are two nights of wild camping within the Okavango Delta – a highlight for many travelers. This is full-service camping, which means the crew set up camp, cook the food and complete camp chores, so you can fully enjoy the wilderness. We stay in large tents with mattress-topped camp beds and the site has a bush shower and toilet. The shower and toilet are in separate tents with capacity for one person at a time. The crew can heat water on the fire to provide warm water for showers.
The journey into the Okavango Delta is by traditional dugout canoes called mokoros, which sit low in the water and can be difficult to board. Our crew can help if necessary.
Legal note: All group members joining this tour will be asked to sign an indemnity form at the start of the trip. This indemnity form is a requirement of the South African Tourism Service Association, of which our local supplier is a member. As a client of Exodus Travels Ltd, your rights under the Package Travel Regulations (1992) are unaffected, and Exodus remains liable for the actions of our sub-contractors.
Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.
Joining Instructions
Key information
Start hotel: City Lodge V&A Waterfront, Dock Rd & Alfred St, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, 8012 Phone: +27 21 419 9450 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately Airport: Cape Town Airport (CPT)
Getting to the start hotel
The start hotel is approximately 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.
If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.
Flying via Johannesburg
If you are travelling on flights via Johannesburg, please note that you will need to collect your baggage in Johannesburg, even if your bag has been checked all the way through to Cape Town (and even if you are told you do not need to pick it up). After collecting the bag, you are required to clear customs, and you should then drop it off at the bag drop for the onward flight. This only applies to the outbound flight – you do not need to do this at the end of the trip on the return flight.
Catching your return flight
There’s a group departure transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.
Location start: Cape Town Location end: Victoria Falls
Vaccinations and Health
Botswana
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, polio, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you have travelled from (or transited through) a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic. We also suggest you seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which malaria tablets to take.
South Africa
There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.
Malaria prophylaxis is essential if travelling in the greater Kruger area; seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which tablets to take. The rest of South Africa, including the Garden Route, has a low risk of malaria.
Dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes, is also a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so we recommend taking the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Zimbabwe
There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, rabies and tuberculosis. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission or transiting for more than 12 hours through a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Malaria is also a known risk. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above.
Visa
Botswana
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Botswana. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
Please note, if you are transiting through South Africa and are a non-UK passport holder you may require a transit visa. Please check before travelling. Please also be aware that children under the age of 18 must provide a full birth certificate (a short one won’t be accepted) as well as a valid passport. If the child is travelling with only one parent or with another adult, the missing parent (or parents) will have to provide an affidavit giving their consent for the child to travel. If flying via South Africa, you may have to pass immigration between flights and the same regulation is needed for entry into South Africa.
South Africa
Travellers from the UK, US and most (though not all) EU states normally do not need a visa to enter South Africa. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
Please note, all travellers to South Africa who require a visa need at least two consecutive blank pages in their passport (ie a left- and right-hand page) to enable an entry visa to be issued.
Additionally, any child under 18 travelling to South Africa needs to be in possession of an unabridged birth certificate with the names of both parents. If a child under 18 is only travelling with one parent, they will also have to have an affidavit, no less than three months old, from the absent parent confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.
Zimbabwe
Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Zimbabwe. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.
The current charge for a single-entry visa issued on arrival in Zimbabwe is US$55, although this is subject to change. You should bring enough cash with you to pay for your visa on arrival. You should ensure you have small notes as immigration officers may not be able to provide change.
Please note, if flying via South Africa you will probably have to pass immigration there. Children under 18 must have an unabridged birth certificate showing the names of both parents. If the child is travelling with only one parent, they will need to have an affidavit from the other parent, no more than three months old, confirming the child can travel with the other parent; a court order granting full legal guardianship of the child; or a death certificate of the deceased parent.
Food & Drink
All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners are included. These are typically:
Breakfast: Cereals, coffee, tea and toast, and the occasional cooked breakfast
Lunch: Cheese, cold meats, salads, bread or rolls
Dinner: Potjies (stew), braais (barbecue), stir fries, pasta
Where meals are not included, the leader will recommend a restaurant for a group meal. Dinners can cost the equivalent of US$20‐US$30 per person and lunches US$8-US$13.
Please be aware, we need at least two weeks’ notice to deal with special dietary requirements (eg vegetarian or allergies).
Weather
Summer in South Africa is from October to April and winter is from May to September. The Western Cape is typically Mediterranean with a mild climate and can be visited any time of year. Over the year, the temperature typically varies from 9C to 25C (48F to 77F). Winter is wetter than summer but still has warm, sunny days. Strong winds can occur year-round.
There is no best time for game viewing or conditions in the Delta, as the Delta flows year-round, despite the flood periods. The wettest season is January and February, when travel on dirt roads becomes difficult. March to September, although dry and bright, can be cold at night (in June and July it can be chilly on occasions so bring appropriate clothing). Water levels in the Delta will be at their highest in July. Chobe National Park can be visited throughout the year; however, the riverfront area is best visited from May to October when the park is typically driest.
From December to June, water levels in the Zambezi are at their highest, and the spray from Victoria Falls can be seen several miles away as it soars sometimes as much as 150m (500ft) in the air. October and November are the hottest months, and midday temperatures can be very uncomfortable. The rains normally start slowly in late November. December can be wet, but it does not rain for long periods and should definitely not put anyone off travelling, as there is always plenty of sunshine.
Lodges, hotels and wild camping
For this African adventure, we have picked a selection of comfortable accommodations, each well located for our activities. We spend seven nights in hotels, four nights in lodges and two nights of full-service camping.
We mostly stay in three-star hotels and lodges. In Cape Town, we enjoy a privileged spot by the V&A Waterfront, a star attraction in the city, which is packed with a dizzying number of restaurants, shops and buzzy bars. Many of the other hotels and lodges on this trip have lovely views and most have pools.
Wild camping in the Okavango Delta
The highlight stay on this trip for many, however, is our two nights of wild camping in the Okavango Delta. Our neighbours, which you’ll likely hear shuffling around at night, include hippos, elephants and lions, while our away-from-it-all location normally allows us to see a night sky illuminated with stars. To make things easier, our camp is set up for us and all equipment is provided. We sleep in spacious, two-person tents fitted with mattress-topped camp beds and there is a bush shower and toilet, while dinner is taken around our atmospheric campfire.
Optional Single Supplement+USD 945 Available upon Request
Whale Watching Season
Whale Watching Season
Availability
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and is now fully booked, although we may have people holding spaces without payment. Please contact our Sales team for further information.
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Optional Single Supplement+USD 945
Whale Watching Season
Whale Watching Season
Availability
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.
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