Cape Town to Victoria Falls

20 days
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4.9 /5
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Based on over 1000 Verified Reviews.

Highlights

  • Taste wine in South Africa's Cederberg region
  • Admire the dramatic Fish River Canyon
  • Meet an indigenous Himba tribe in Namibia
  • Search for adventure in Swakopmund
  • Spot wildlife in Etosha National Park
  • Explore the magnificent Okavango Delta
  • Sleep in a green, baobab wonderland
  • Take a cruise down the Chobe River
  • Marvel at the awe-inspiring Victoria Falls
  • Go white-water rafting down the Zambezi River

Overview

Spend almost three weeks on an adventure-filled overland safari, travelling from Cape Town, heading north to explore all the natural wonders of Namibia and Botswana before spending two days in Zimbabwe.

Visit Namibia’s Fish River Canyon – the second largest canyon in the world – before experiencing the desert landscapes at Sossusvlei. You’ll also get to know some of Namibia’s local tribes and communities. In Swakopmund, you can enjoy a range of adventure activities before doing some Big 5 game viewing in Etosha National Park.

In Botswana, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the magnificent Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park and even sleep beneath giant baobab trees at Planet Baobab. End off your adventure with a visit to the mighty Victoria Falls where you can experience the many thrilling activities on offer.

Summary

  • Tour Duration: 20 Days

Accommodations Visited

Camping

19 Nights
Day to day

Itinerary

Detailed breakdown

Days 1-2: Journey north to the Orange River | 19 Nights

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Depart from Cape Town and visit an indigenous !Kwattu museum on the way to Piketberg, where you'll be tasting local wines before settling for the night in the picturesque Cederberg region. Explore the Northern Cape and beautiful Namaqualand before crossing the Namibian border and gazing over the mighty Orange River that divides the two countries.

Day 3: Admire the magnificent Fish River Canyon

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Begin the morning with a canoe ride down the nearby Gariep River before you travel north to the great Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. Walk along the rim of the canyon to appreciate the vast beauty of this natural phenomenon. Continue your journey to Ai-Ais, one of Namibia's hot-water springs, where you can relax in the pools.

Days 4-5: Conquer Dune 45 in Sossusvlei

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Today is a bit of a long driving day as you journey into the remote hinterland of Namibia. There’ll be an opportunity to stop along the way to stock up on some supplies for the day, such as water or biltong – South African dried meat. Set off in the afternoon to visit the smaller, but just as intriguing Sesriem Canyon. If you don’t mind the potential of bugs, tonight is an excellent night for sleeping out under the stars beside the fire. Explore the next day the desert landscape at Sossusvlei, climb the ancient dunes and make the most of the many photo opportunities in this stark desert environment.

Days 6-7: Enjoy adventure in Swakopmund

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After exploring Sossusvlei even further on foot, take a dramatic drive across the Namib-Naukluft National Park, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and making a stop at the quiet seaside town of Walvis Bay. Drive north along the coast to reach the adventure-centric destination of Swakopmund. This small, yet vibrant town offers a range of fun activities like quad biking, sand boarding and sky diving.

Day 8: Explore Spitzkoppe

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It's time to leave all the trappings of modern life behind you and drive inland to the mysterious Spitzkoppe. The Spitzkoppe consists of the core of an ancient volcano that had the outside layers eroded away and is a sacred site of the San people. You camp in the wild for the night; the stars in Namibia are so bright that you'll want to reach out and touch them.

Day 9: Interact with traditional Himba people

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Leave the coast behind once again as you travel further north toward Kamanjab, admiring more of the vast Namibian landscape along the way. Get the chance to meet the semi-nomadic Himba people, easily recognisable by their unique style of hair and dress.

Days 10-11: Unique Game Viewing in Etosha

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An early rise sees you on your way to Etosha National Park for some excellent game viewing on these wide open plains. Overnight at either Okaukuejo or Halali bungalows, both of which boast flood lit waterholes close by, extending your game viewing adventures into the evening.

Day 12: Buy authentic African carvings

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Head back south to Namibia's capital, Windhoek, passing a classic African craft market on the way where indigenous Namibian people sell authentic handmade arts and crafts. Take a short driving tour through the capital city and spot the European looking buildings that are reminiscent of its history as a German colony.

Day 13: Experience the small town of Ghanzi

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Depart from Namibia and cross into Botswana. Take in the remarkable scenery as you drive toward Ghanzi, a small town in the west of the country. Enjoy evening entertainment in the form of traditional tribal dances by members of the local San community.

Days 14-16: Be immersed in the Okavango Delta

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Travel north-east to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta - the largest inland delta in the world. Spend the night here and prepare for an unforgettable excursion to the Delta. Depart early the next morning in small planes and admire this rich stretch of land from the air before arriving at Moremi Crossing, your tented camp. From here, take a nature walk and learn about the area from a local expert. In the afternoon, relax on a guided boat cruise and, if the water level allows, go on a traditional mokoro trip.

Day 17: Get lost in a tree-lover's paradise

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Enjoy yet another scenic air trip back to Maun and spend the afternoon driving east through the lush scenery as you make your way to Planet Baobab, near Gweta. As the name suggests, you will spend the evening beneath the majestic baobab trees and you can choose to go on an optional Baobab Bush Walk to further explore this green wonderland.

Day 18: Cruise along the Chobe River

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Follow a picturesque road north to Kasane in the Chobe National Park, passing many parks and conservation areas along the way. An included sunset river cruise along the Chobe River will let you unwind and take in the beautiful surroundings. Hippos, buffalo and elephants are often seen on the riverbanks so keep your eyes peeled for them.

Day 19-20: Marvel at the wonder of the Victoria Falls

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An optional early morning game drive will give you the chance to experience the magical Chobe National Park from the ground before you cross into Zimbabwe and reach the much-anticipated Victoria Falls National Park. Choose from a range of exhilarating activities on the Zambezi River or take walk around the park to gaze at this natural wonder of nature. Have one last breakfast together the following morning before the tour comes to an end. We recommend staying an extra night to fully experience this magnificent waterfall.

Inclusions tick icon

Inclusions

  • Bushmen tribal dance in evening
  • Craft market en-route and short city tour in Nomad truck
  • Game drives in Nomad truck
  • Guided walk with Nomad guide through Spitzkoppe
  • Hike along the rim of the Fish River Canyon
  • Hike into Sesriem Canyon
  • Stop off in Walvis Bay to view flamingos
  • Sunrise hike up Dune 45, explore Sossusvlei on foot
Exclusions tick icon

Exclusions

  • International flights
  • Airport taxes
  • All meals and drinks not specified
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature
Listing icon

Traveller Reviews

Cape Town to Victoria Falls
MB

Mark Bridgeman

"You were right, we had such a great time and it really was a holiday of a lifetime."
MK

Mary King

I just want to thank you for booking the Nomad Tours for us. We had no problem finding the office in Cape Town. The whole trip went very smoothly. We really enjoyed our upgrade to the accommodated. All the room/tents are very nice. My husband an d I had a very enjoyable time visiting all the places!
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CCF

ci ci fan

The guides were great, the food was good considering the conditions and the tour itself was fantastic. There was always something great to do everyday, despite how much ground we had to cover. My favourite was the sand dunes of namibia and all the an imal safaris but it was really all fantastic. Really couldn't have been better.
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MH

Mel Howard

"The Nomad tour was great, so many highlights… I wish I was still there. A lot of the accommodation was better than I expected, and Moremi Crossing in the Delta was definitely a highlight. I would definitely recommend this tour to others."
WH

Wendy Hale

Hello Gelle, We had the most incredible time. From the start to finish was amazing. I could not say which was the best highlight of our holiday as there were so many wonderful experiences. We did a Cape Tour and a Winery Tour whilst in Cap e Town. And at Vic Falls we did a helicopter ride over the falls, and I did the zip line over the gorge. (brave me).. Our tour had a Malaysian man, an elderly Swiss lady and 6 Russians.. they were the only problem as they all did not speak English and would not listen to the guides instructions. They did finish the tour in Windehoek, so the final part of our travels went very smoothly. The guys from Nomad were exceptional. Nothing was a problem for them.. Can’t wait to do another adventure. I think East Africa could possibly be our next destination. Thank you for your assistance with our booking. You also made our experience in Africa a good one. I was going to Skype you earlier in the week, but have been suffering Jet lag. Once again Thank you, and I will definitely contact you again to organize our next travel arrangements.
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EW

Erwin Willems

Yvonne she took over the Willemse seats for this trip . My husband and I toured from Cape Town to Vic Falls and we had the time of our lives! I suppose a lot has to do with expectations, when camping in such remote areas of Africa, I was expecti ng instant macaroni every evening :-). Our chef GLADMAN surprised us every day with delicious fresh meals, and the lunches were always nice too. We have not been ill / sick once. GLADMAN kept us healthy! Our driver and tourguide DZINGIRAI (Gladman also did a bit of the driving and explanations but they seemed to have clear roles) was terrific as well. The roads are bad a lot of times, especially in Namibia, but that is not something DZINGI could help! In fact, we were lucky to have him and he kept sore bums to a minimum:-) DZINGI kept us in one piece on the African roads for which we thank him! Some people are hard to please, and they don't seem to get the full picture. The chef got a lot of applauses for his diners, on the very last evening my husband and I reminded them to applause for the driver too! I don't want to be negative, because I myself was not negative at all. We got clear explanations every evening, about what the plan was for the next day. It was luxurious not having to find out anything ourselves and just enjoy the trip. You can tell DZINGI and GLADMAN had done this tour many times before, they know their way around. They organised such cool things for us, like having diner at the Fish River Canyon. We were the only truck there in the evening and it was really special. DZINGI was also very clever for example getting visas for Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a chaos at the border when we got there, but DZINGI had us do all the paperwork a day in advance and then drove there to get the visas. So we were the quickest of all trucks in crossing the border. For us each day on the tour was a treat and we were just really really busy enjoying ourselves and taking in everything. Future travellers I would defintely recommend to take this tour. Just be happy to be in Africa and sit back and relax, and you will have an unforgetable time!
Show more down arrow
EW

Erwin Willems

Yvonne she took over the Willemse seats for this trip . My husband and I toured from Cape Town to Vic Falls and we had the time of our lives! I suppose a lot has to do with expectations, when camping in such remote areas of Africa, I was expecti ng instant macaroni every evening :-). Our chef GLADMAN surprised us every day with delicious fresh meals, and the lunches were always nice too. We have not been ill / sick once. GLADMAN kept us healthy! Our driver and tourguide DZINGIRAI (Gladman also did a bit of the driving and explanations but they seemed to have clear roles) was terrific as well. The roads are bad a lot of times, especially in Namibia, but that is not something DZINGI could help! In fact, we were lucky to have him and he kept sore bums to a minimum:-) DZINGI kept us in one piece on the African roads for which we thank him! Some people are hard to please, and they don't seem to get the full picture. The chef got a lot of applauses for his diners, on the very last evening my husband and I reminded them to applause for the driver too! I don't want to be negative, because I myself was not negative at all. We got clear explanations every evening, about what the plan was for the next day. It was luxurious not having to find out anything ourselves and just enjoy the trip. You can tell DZINGI and GLADMAN had done this tour many times before, they know their way around. They organised such cool things for us, like having diner at the Fish River Canyon. We were the only truck there in the evening and it was really special. DZINGI was also very clever for example getting visas for Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a chaos at the border when we got there, but DZINGI had us do all the paperwork a day in advance and then drove there to get the visas. So we were the quickest of all trucks in crossing the border. For us each day on the tour was a treat and we were just really really busy enjoying ourselves and taking in everything. Future travellers I would defintely recommend to take this tour. Just be happy to be in Africa and sit back and relax, and you will have an unforgetable time!
Show more down arrow
EW

Erwin Willems

Yvonne she took over the Willemse seats for this trip . My husband and I toured from Cape Town to Vic Falls and we had the time of our lives! I suppose a lot has to do with expectations, when camping in such remote areas of Africa, I was expecti ng instant macaroni every evening :-). Our chef GLADMAN surprised us every day with delicious fresh meals, and the lunches were always nice too. We have not been ill / sick once. GLADMAN kept us healthy! Our driver and tourguide DZINGIRAI (Gladman also did a bit of the driving and explanations but they seemed to have clear roles) was terrific as well. The roads are bad a lot of times, especially in Namibia, but that is not something DZINGI could help! In fact, we were lucky to have him and he kept sore bums to a minimum:-) DZINGI kept us in one piece on the African roads for which we thank him! Some people are hard to please, and they don't seem to get the full picture. The chef got a lot of applauses for his diners, on the very last evening my husband and I reminded them to applause for the driver too! I don't want to be negative, because I myself was not negative at all. We got clear explanations every evening, about what the plan was for the next day. It was luxurious not having to find out anything ourselves and just enjoy the trip. You can tell DZINGI and GLADMAN had done this tour many times before, they know their way around. They organised such cool things for us, like having diner at the Fish River Canyon. We were the only truck there in the evening and it was really special. DZINGI was also very clever for example getting visas for Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a chaos at the border when we got there, but DZINGI had us do all the paperwork a day in advance and then drove there to get the visas. So we were the quickest of all trucks in crossing the border. For us each day on the tour was a treat and we were just really really busy enjoying ourselves and taking in everything. Future travellers I would defintely recommend to take this tour. Just be happy to be in Africa and sit back and relax, and you will have an unforgetable time!
Show more down arrow
EW

Erwin Willems

Yvonne she took over the Willemse seats for this trip . My husband and I toured from Cape Town to Vic Falls and we had the time of our lives! I suppose a lot has to do with expectations, when camping in such remote areas of Africa, I was expecti ng instant macaroni every evening :-). Our chef GLADMAN surprised us every day with delicious fresh meals, and the lunches were always nice too. We have not been ill / sick once. GLADMAN kept us healthy! Our driver and tourguide DZINGIRAI (Gladman also did a bit of the driving and explanations but they seemed to have clear roles) was terrific as well. The roads are bad a lot of times, especially in Namibia, but that is not something DZINGI could help! In fact, we were lucky to have him and he kept sore bums to a minimum:-) DZINGI kept us in one piece on the African roads for which we thank him! Some people are hard to please, and they don't seem to get the full picture. The chef got a lot of applauses for his diners, on the very last evening my husband and I reminded them to applause for the driver too! I don't want to be negative, because I myself was not negative at all. We got clear explanations every evening, about what the plan was for the next day. It was luxurious not having to find out anything ourselves and just enjoy the trip. You can tell DZINGI and GLADMAN had done this tour many times before, they know their way around. They organised such cool things for us, like having diner at the Fish River Canyon. We were the only truck there in the evening and it was really special. DZINGI was also very clever for example getting visas for Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a chaos at the border when we got there, but DZINGI had us do all the paperwork a day in advance and then drove there to get the visas. So we were the quickest of all trucks in crossing the border. For us each day on the tour was a treat and we were just really really busy enjoying ourselves and taking in everything. Future travellers I would defintely recommend to take this tour. Just be happy to be in Africa and sit back and relax, and you will have an unforgetable time!
Show more down arrow
EW

Erwin Willems

Yvonne she took over the Willemse seats for this trip . My husband and I toured from Cape Town to Vic Falls and we had the time of our lives! I suppose a lot has to do with expectations, when camping in such remote areas of Africa, I was expecti ng instant macaroni every evening :-). Our chef GLADMAN surprised us every day with delicious fresh meals, and the lunches were always nice too. We have not been ill / sick once. GLADMAN kept us healthy! Our driver and tourguide DZINGIRAI (Gladman also did a bit of the driving and explanations but they seemed to have clear roles) was terrific as well. The roads are bad a lot of times, especially in Namibia, but that is not something DZINGI could help! In fact, we were lucky to have him and he kept sore bums to a minimum:-) DZINGI kept us in one piece on the African roads for which we thank him! Some people are hard to please, and they don't seem to get the full picture. The chef got a lot of applauses for his diners, on the very last evening my husband and I reminded them to applause for the driver too! I don't want to be negative, because I myself was not negative at all. We got clear explanations every evening, about what the plan was for the next day. It was luxurious not having to find out anything ourselves and just enjoy the trip. You can tell DZINGI and GLADMAN had done this tour many times before, they know their way around. They organised such cool things for us, like having diner at the Fish River Canyon. We were the only truck there in the evening and it was really special. DZINGI was also very clever for example getting visas for Zimbabwe. It was a bit of a chaos at the border when we got there, but DZINGI had us do all the paperwork a day in advance and then drove there to get the visas. So we were the quickest of all trucks in crossing the border. For us each day on the tour was a treat and we were just really really busy enjoying ourselves and taking in everything. Future travellers I would defintely recommend to take this tour. Just be happy to be in Africa and sit back and relax, and you will have an unforgetable time!
Show more down arrow