The Etosha, Delta & Chobe Trail South 12-day journey links Victoria Falls, Botswana’s wildlife-rich waterways and Namibia’s vast salt pans in one seamless southbound safari route. Beginning at the thundering Victoria Falls, optional guided walks, sunset Zambezi River cruises and scenic flights showcase one of Africa’s most iconic natural wonders before crossing into Botswana to explore the Chobe River by boat, where elephants, hippos and abundant birdlife gather along the banks. Continue into the Okavango Delta, with mokoro excursions through reed-lined channels and open-vehicle game drives in Moremi Game Reserve and the Khwai Conservation Area revealing predator-rich floodplains and diverse wetland habitats. The journey culminates in Namibia’s Etosha National Park, where guided safari drives across shimmering salt pans and savannah landscapes offer sightings of lion, elephant, rhino and a variety of plains game. This multi-country African safari captures the dramatic transitions between river, delta and desert ecosystems across Southern Africa’s most celebrated wildlife regions.

Highlights

This Etosha, Delta & Chobe Trail route is available in two travel styles: Explorer (camping) and Classic (accommodated). Both follow the same expertly guided itinerary, travelling through Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, 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

 

Revelling with an extra day in Etosha National Park, this tour encompasses Namibia’s esteemed park alongside Botswana’s crown jewel, the Okavango Delta, and Victoria Falls, without compromise to our tried-and-tested routes. Prepare to be swept away by lunar-esque to reed-filled landscapes, flourishing with wildlife and safari sightings galore.

Start with the drumbeat of Victoria Falls, locally revered as “Mosi-oa Tunya” or “the Smoke that Thunders,” where the Zambezi River plunges into the Batoka Gorge. Whether you chase thrills with optional adventure activities or opt for serene walks along the rainforest trails, Victoria Falls is a memorable beginning.

Crossing into Botswana, we descend into the verdant riverbanks of Kasane and the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) – an incredible cross-border conservation effort spearheading the protection of five countries’ wildlife havens reliant on the Kavango and Zambezi rivers. The lifeblood of this region, the Chobe River, invites us on an afternoon cruise to liaise with grunting hippos from the shallows and birdlife chirping from overhanging branches.

From the waterways of Chobe, we travel south past the salt flats of the Makgadikgadi Pans and onward to the Moremi Game Reserve and the Khwai Conservation Area. Trading our truck for a 4×4 safari vehicle, we plunge into the wilds of Moremi’s thickets for a full day safari, looking to spot the many species hunkering in acacia woodland and grasses. Awaiting us the next day is an outing like no other. Climbing into traditional dugout canoes called mokoro, we sojourn into the Okavango Delta’s waterways within Khwai, breathing in the natural splendor around us as our local guides navigate through the reeds.

Bidding goodbye to Khwai, we head towards Namibia’s border. Those craving a panoramic perspective may take an optional flight above the mosaic of channels and floodplains. Arriving in Divundu, the Kavango River brings a moment of perfect tranquillity with birds and elephants on a boat cruise.

Our venture delivers us to the highlight of Etosha National Park, where wildlife roams the baked white salt pans for watering holes. Upon arrival, you’ll delve into the lunar-esque landscape on a sunset safari. This is the perfect time for rarer nocturnal sightings. A full-day safari follows, with a platter of possibilities like “ghost” elephants coated in the clay and lions stalking the waterholes from the shade. Another afternoon safari on our Nomad vehicle arises, giving you another chance to spot wildlife before travelling to Namibia’s desert encompassed capital, Windhoek, where we wrap up our expedition with goodbyes and exceptional memories.