Northern Experience
SMALL GROUP TOURS
24 day tour from £5,650pp
Why we love this tour
Spend 3 weeks exploring the highlights of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, experiencing the wildlife, culture and scenery only Africa can deliver. From marvelling at the Victoria Falls to the breathtaking magnitude of Namibia’s dunes and big game interaction, this tour combines all the comforts of hotel and lodge accommodation with an unforgettable safari experience.
If you are looking for multiple bucket list ticks in one holiday, this is a great option and great value for the places visited. With a superb itinerary, largely 4* lodges and small groups of 4 to 12 people, we love what this trip offers.
Tour Highlights
- Discover the magic Cape Town and Swakopmund
- Climb some of the highest sand dunes in the world in Sossussvlei
- Spot game in Etosha National Park and the Caprivi region
- Wind your way through the waterways of the Okavango Delta by mokoro and experience night drives in Moremi
- See Africa's largest concentration of elephants on the Chobe River and Hwange, and feel the power of the mighty Victoria Falls
Days 1-8 | Cape Town, Windhoek, Sossussvlei & Swakopmund
We start this tour in Cape Town exploring the delights of the Mother City and the stunning Cape Peninsula, before flying onto Namibia. After a night in Windhoek, we'll make our way to the Namib Naukluft National Park where we visit the world’s highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei and Deadvlei. These dunes, which can reach heights of over 300 m, are absolutely spectacular and provide for a fantastic photo opportunity. We also stop to view the Sesriem Canyon, which was carved millions of years ago by the Tsauchab River.
On our way to Swakopmund we stop in the small town of Walvis Bay where you may spot a variety of birds including flamingo’s in the lagoon. We arrive at the charming coastal town of Swakopmund where you will have the opportunity to partake in optional activities or alternatively just soak up the atmosphere of this little quaint German town and enjoy its beauty and beaches.
Days 9-13 | Etosha, Rundu, Caprivi & Divundu
Leaving the cold Atlantic coastline behind us, we continue our journey towards Namibia’s best-known highlight of the north – Etosha National Park. We fill the next two days with game drives in the hopes of spotting lion, leopard, elephant and rhino as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra and the numerous types of antelope the park has to offer. Our nights are spent at the flood-lit waterholes or viewpoints encountering the park’s various nocturnal animals that come to drink.
Departing from Etosha we drive further north to the town of Rundu. Here we visit the Mbunza Living Museum, a traditional cultural school and communal business for the local Kavango people who make a living from fishing, tending cattle and cultivating crops. Moving onto the western Caprivi region, on the banks of the Okavango River, you'll enjoy a sunset cruise to Popa Falls, and a game drive in the Greater Bwabwata National Park, which extends from the Kavango River in the west to the Kwando River in the east and incorporates the Mahangu Game Reserve. Elephant, roan, kudu and buffalo are amongst the animals likely to be seen as well as prolific birdlife.
Days 14-18 | Maun, Moremi & Nata
We leave the Caprivi and travel south to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. Our Botswana guides take us on a mokoro excursion where we will float in these traditional dug-out canoes through the thick vegetation of the Okavango Delta discovering a variety of birds and wildlife. Unlike other deltas, it flows into the Kalahari Desert without ever reaching the coast. Once we reach the Greater Moremi region, we embark on a night game drive in the private concession – a fantastic opportunity to spot some nocturnal animals that are more difficult to encounter during the day. We go on game drives in open 4×4 vehicles and we will explore the Moremi Game Reserve on morning and afternoon game drives hopefully spotting a variety of game that frequent this region. This large area is renowned for its concentration of mammals and it is not unusual to see many different types of wildlife during just one game drive.
We leave the bush behind and travel east towards the Makgadikgadi Pans, once a large river fed lake, however the pans are now saline and empty. In the afternoon we visit the Nata Bird Sanctuary, where we get the opportunity to enjoy the magnificent view over the Sowa pan, which is part of the Greater Makgadikgadi Pans.
Days 19-24 | Chobe, Hwange & Victoria Falls
From Nata we head north to Kasane, the gateway to the Chobe National Park which is the second largest national park in Botswana and covers 10,566 square km, and has one of the greatest concentrations of elephant found on the African continent. You will get to see the wildlife on a morning game drive, with the hope of spotting big game up close and also the possibility of an encounter with one of the large predators, and an afternoon cruise on the Chobe River - a truly unforgettable experience and one of the best ways to view the animals as they come down to drink, as well as the spectacular African sunset.
We make our way across the border into Zimbabwe and onto Hwange National Park where we spend the next two nights. Hwange National Park is one of Africa’s finest havens for wildlife and is home to vast herds of elephant, buffalo, and zebra and has a very large concentration of giraffe. It is also home to many predators and endangered species plus varied birdlife. Continuing our trip, we turn northwards to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe where you will visit the mighty Victoria Falls and enjoy a relaxing sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River to round of this awesome trip!
- Starts: Cape Town
- Ends: Victoria Falls
- Dates: This tour operates from Apr to Dec on selected scheduled dates
- Group size: Min 4, Max 12
- Accommodation Type: mid-range lodges/hotels
- Age restrictions: 12+ (note under 16's not allowed on mokoro)
Includes
- 23 nights accommodation
- 23 Breakfasts, 15 Lunches, 10 Dinners
- Internal flight Cape Town-Windhoek
- All road transfers
- Park fees and activities as stated in the detailed itinerary
- Services of a tour guide
- Take Me To Africa goody bag
Excludes
- International flights
- Meals and activities not stated
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Pre or post tour accommodation
- Gratuities and spending money
- Items of a personal nature
Key Facts
Tour Dates
Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|
05/08/2023 | 28/08/2023 |
11/09/2023 | 04/10/2023 |
05/10/2023 | 28/10/2023 |
11/11/2023 | 04/12/2023 |
05/12/2023 | 28/12/2023 |
08/04/2024 | 01/05/2024 |
19/05/2024 | 11/06/2024 |
03/06/2024 | 26/06/2024 |