17 Day Botswana and Zimbabwe Safari

Day 1 – 2: Deception Valley Private Reserve, Botswana

Your exciting journey starts in Maun, where your experienced guide will pick you up at your resort at 7:30 in the morning. To reach a private reserve on the Central Kalahari Game Reserve’s northern edge, you must travel 120 kilometers. After you arrive, you will receive a safari briefing to inform you about the logistics of your trip before setting up camp. Experience the outdoor as you get ready to camp.

The following two days will be spent exploring the area, including safari drives and a wildlife walk conducted by a local San tracker. They will impart detailed bush expertise and provide you with information about their distinctive and fascinating culture. Additionally, safari drives will be included in your exploration of the region, which is home to a diverse array of desert-adapted animals, including oryx, springbok, and eland, as well as predators like lion, brown hyena, and cheetah. Enjoy the huge open expanses, the starry night skies, and the unbroken beauty.

Meals: Breakfast, 2x Lunches, 2 x Dinners
Accommodation: Camp – Deception Valley Private Reserve
Route: Maun – Deception Valley Private Reserve
Travel Distance: 120km, 4h
Please Note: You will need to pre-night in Maun and buy refreshments for your safari the day before it begins because the first day’s safari begins at 07:30. With pre-safari arrangements (accommodation, transfers), please contact your consultant for additional information

Day 3 – 5: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

You will awaken early in the morning and move toward the untamed nature of Botswana’s biggest wildlife reserve. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve’s northern uninhabited wilderness will be explored over the course of the following three days. Camping takes place in a designated, private area with out-of-door restrooms.

Meals: 3 x Breakfasts, 3 x Lunches, 3 x Dinners
Accommodation:  Camp: Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Route: Kalahari Private Reserve – Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Travel Distance: 80km, 3-4h (including game drive)

Day 6: Makgadikgadi, Botswana

Your final morning in the Kalahari is today. After breaking camp, you’ll have a leisurely drive to the Makgadikgadi region. In Khumaga hamlet, a camp with a view of the Boteti River is where you will spend the night. It is situated on the edge of the Makgadikgadi National Park. Take a game drive into Makgadikgadi National Park in the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Comfortable Lodge – Makgadikgadi
Route: Central Kalahari Game Reserve – Boteti River Camp
Travel Distance: 180km, 4 – 5 hours (including game drive)

Day 7: Okavango Delta, Botswana

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast where after you will head to Maun town to buy supplies for the rest of your safari, including drinks. You will encounter your fellow polers from the neighborhood with their mekoro (traditional dugout boats) once you have arrived at the Delta’s edge. During the calm transfer that will take you deeper inside the Delta, you will quietly cruise over reed-lined rivers and floodplains and take in the breathtaking scenery of this special place. On the islands and floodplains of the Okavango, you will spend two days and two nights camping in the wilderness and using the island as a base for guided nature walks and mokoro excursions.

It is important that you must pack a smaller bag  with everything you’ll need for the two days on the island and leave your larger luggage in the trailer. Mekoro, which are unable to hold large baggage, are used to transport passengers from the mainland to the island where they will be staying. While you are on the island, your major luggage will be kept securely.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: Okavango Delta 
Route: Boteti River Camp – Okavango Delta
Travel Distance: 210km, 5 hours

Day 8: Okavango Delta, Botswana

Explore the islands and canals of the Okavango Delta on mokoro expeditions and nature hikes.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: Okavango Delta

Day 9: Maun, Botswana

You will start moving away from the Okavango Delta’s waterways and toward its drier areas, where you will camp and rest before entering the reserve the following day. Lunch can be had at the campsite. You can choose between a 30-minute ride in a helicopter without windows or doors and a 45-minute scenic flight over the Delta in the afternoon, both of which provide breathtaking views. Both activities must be reserved during the safari and paid for in USD solely in cash, your guide will confirm the rates. You get a bird’s-eye view of the area when flying over the Okavango, and it’s even possible to see big game creatures like elephants, giraffes, and hippos. You will spend the night at a campsite with permanent restrooms just outside of Maun.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Khwai Guest House or similar (Campsite outside Maun)
Route: Okavango Delta – campsite outside Maun
Distance: 50 km, 1.5 – 2 hours

Day 10: Western Moremi Game Reserve (3rd Bridge/ Xakanaxa Area), Botswana

Early in the morning you will reach the Moremi Game Reserve, one of Botswana’s best wilderness locations, which includes both marsh and dry areas. The following three days will be spent exploring this area and sights while seeking out the huge diversity of wildlife and birds that it is known for. Game drives will often take place in the early morning as the sun rises and in the late afternoon as the sun sets. You will return to camp for lunch and a nap after your morning game drives. You’ll switch campsites on Day 12 so you may explore a different part of this expansive park. Camping will take place in exclusive, designated areas with bush restrooms.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: Western Moremi Game Reserve
Route: Campsite outside Maun – Western Moremi
Distance: 100km, 5 – 7 hours

Day 11: Western Moremi Game Reserve (3rd Bridge/ Xakanaxa Area), Botswana

Due to the Chobe River providing water throughout the year, northern Chobe is an extremely rich game park. Elephants and buffalo are frequently observed in large herds. There are many predators in this area due to the high density of herbivores. The Chobe Elephant Camp offers the opportunity to engage in both a game drive and a boat cruise within the Chobe National Park, providing a unique opportunity to experience this amazing area both on land and in the water.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: Western Moremi Game Reserve

Day 12: North – East Moremi Game Reserve / Khwai Concession, Botswana

The Khwai River region (North-east Moremi / Khwai Concession) is reached after a transfer or game drive from Western Moremi. Enjoy more game drives to explore this diverse and beautiful area.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: Moremi Game Reserve

Day 13: Southern Chobe National Park (Savuti/ Zwei Zwei), Botswana

Your next stop will be Chobe National Park, which is known for its spectacular and varied landscapes. You will go through the drier part of Savuti, where bull elephants may be seen all over the plains, while you continue your search for wildlife. The call of the magnificent African Fish Eagle will then be heard as you travel north to the Chobe River, where your game drives will meander along the river’s banks. Day 13 will be spent in the Savuti region, and Days 14 and 15 will be spent in the northern region of the park, nearer to the riverbank. Camping will take place in private designated locations with bush ablutions.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camping:  Southern Chobe National Park
Route: Eastern Moremi – Savuti
Distance: 120km, 7 – 8 hours

Day 14: Northern Chobe National Park, Botswana

From the Southern Chobe National Park to the Chobe River Floodplain, take a transfer game drive to tour the northern Chobe National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: National Chobe National Park
Route: Savuti – Chobe River
Distance: 170km, 5 – 6 hours

Day 15: Northern Chobe National Park, Botswana

Safari drives to discover the floodplain and northern Chobe.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Camp: National Chobe National Park

Day 16: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

You will travel to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side after a brief morning game drive (a visa is necessary), where you will spend the night at a cozy lodge. There will be time to view the rumbling Victoria Falls and go shopping in the afternoon.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Comfortable Lodge: Victoria Falls
Route: Chobe River – Victoria Falls
Distance: 100 km, 3 hours

Day 17: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Finally, after a delectable breakfast, your unforgettable safari comes to an end. For further information about activities in Victoria Falls, such as white water rafting down the Zambezi Gorge, canoeing on the upper Zambezi, and helicopter flights over the falls, ask your tour guide.

Meals: Breakfast

Onward Travel Plans

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