Embark on an extraordinary 21-day small group experience through Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa, beginning in the pristine Okavango Delta. From Maun, explore the Khwai region by traditional mokoro canoe, gliding through lily-covered channels, before thrilling game drives in Moremi Game Reserve, home to elephants, big cats, and diverse birdlife. Continue to the wildlife-rich Chobe National Park for a scenic Chobe River boat cruise, famous for large elephant herds and hippos. In Zimbabwe, witness the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls, “The Smoke That Thunders,” then venture into Hwange National Park for sunrise safaris and a visit to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre. Discover the granite landscapes of Matopos National Park, track rhino on foot, and explore the ancient Great Zimbabwe Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Mapesu Private Game Reserve, uncover San rock art and track cheetah and wild dog on guided walks. Cross into South Africa for Big Five encounters in Timbavati and Kruger National Park, and scenic highlights along the Panorama Route, including God’s Window and Blyde River Canyon —completing your 21-day Delta, Zimbabwe & Kruger odyssey of a diverse and unforgettable Southern African safari journey.

Highlights

This Delta to Zanzibar route is available in two travel styles: Explorer (camping) and Classic (accommodated). Both follow the same expertly guided itinerary, travelling through Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania while offering different accommodation experiences.
Explorer is our authentic camping option, providing a spacious dome tent (2.4m x 2.4m) with a 5cm-thick mattress. Travellers will need to bring their own sleeping bag and participate in certain camp duties, creating a hands-on overland adventure.
Classic offers greater comfort, with accommodation in permanent tents, guesthouses, lodges and hotels along the route, while maintaining the same immersive safari and overland experience.

Classic Tents

 

Permanent Tents

 

Hotels & Resorts

 

Lodges & Guesthouses

This unforgettable journey begins in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where we descend from Maun into a living mosaic of water and reeds. In the Khwai region, a mokoro safari transports you through lily-covered channels, revealing the untouched beauty of the Delta. Full-day game drives in Moremi Game Reserve follow, weaving through wetlands and savannas alive with elephant herds, elusive cats, and hidden forest dwellers.

From the Delta’s stillness, we shift to the Chobe River for a boat cruise where elephants and hippos gather along the banks in a stirring display of life on water’s edge. Crossing into Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls greets us with roaring grandeur. Known as “The Smoke That Thunders,” it offers both awe and adrenaline-packed activities before we venture into the vast wilderness of Hwange National Park.

In Hwange, sunrise safaris awaken the senses to rustling brush and birdsong, with sightings of giraffe, sable antelope, and, with luck, lion or wild dog. A visit to the Painted Dog Conservation Centre highlights the critical efforts to protect these endangered predators and their ecological role.

The landscape then shifts to the surreal granite formations of Matopos National Park. Here, massive boulders perch like ancient sculptures above valleys rich in wildlife and San rock art. If conditions allow, we track rhino on foot, a rare and exciting experience.

Next, we travel east to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, where stone towers and walls recall an empire once central to trade across Africa and beyond. Southward, the Mapesu Private Game Reserve reveals a remote, untamed terrain of baobab-dotted hills. At Kaoxa Rock Shelter, ancient San paintings speak across time, and guests set out on guided walks to track endangered species like cheetah, rhino, or wild dogs.

Crossing into South Africa, golden-hour safaris in Phalaborwa lead to a morning bush walk in Timbavati, where the Big Five move through the dense thickets. We then follow the spectacular Panorama Route, pausing at God’s Window, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, and the Blyde River Canyon.

A final full-day open-vehicle safari in Kruger National Park offers one last communion with the wild before we return to Johannesburg, carrying home memories carved by nature, culture, and the timeless splendor of Africa.