Compare 12 Day South Africa, Vic Falls & Botswana Across Africa Safari by Ker & Downey Africa vs Wildlife Odyssey: South Africa, Botswana & Zimbabwe 2022 by Tauck

Days 1 - 3: Cape Town

We may be biased but we can think of nowhere better to start your dream African safari than Cape Town. Offering the very best in cuisine, culture, entertainment, art and adventure and framed by the iconic Table Mountain, Cape Town is riding high right now as one of the world’s best cities.

After arrival at Cape Town International Airport, where you will be met by your Ker & Downey local representative, you will be transferred to the Clarendon Bantry Bay, situated in an exclusive suburb of Cape Town on the Atlantic Seaboard.

Our Cape Town based travel team is standing by to help plan your perfect Cape Town experience. From the perfect afternoon picnic in Kirstenbosch Gardens to a half-day helicopter tour of the Cape Peninsula, insider tips on the latest pop-up markets and stores to which of Cape Town’s award-winning restaurants we frequent ourselves, we love nothing more than showing our guests the best the city has to offer and incorporating those small details into your tour planning.

Activities And Services

Cape Malay Cooking

Recommended

Cape Point Tour Half Day

Cape Winelands

Included

Accommodation, Breakfast, Transfers to and from Cape Town International Airport and your luxury boutique hotel.

Meals other than mentioned, sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned, gratuities, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature.

Days 4 - 6: Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve

On your fourth day you will be transferred from your hotel in Cape Town to Cape Town International Airport where you will depart on the internal flight to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (the cost of this flight is not included in the tour price).

Hidden among a cluster of indigenous trees on the banks of the Msuthlu River, Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp offers its guests superior exclusivity in an intimate environment. This enchanting camp is found in the Sabi Sands Private Game Reserve, who's gates open onto the unsurpassed wilderness of the Kruger National Park. It is the smallest of the Sabi Sabi lodges, providing you with a homely ambiance in a fairy-tale setting of seclusion.

Explore the plains that surround you on a morning and evening game drive, where you stand the chance to see the Big 5 among an assortment of other safari animals. A nature walk through the park led by a professional guide will give you a different prospective of the wilderness.

Activities And Services

Sabi Sabi Game Drives

Optional

Birdwatching at Sabi Sabi

Recommended

Starlight Bush Dinner

Included

Accommodation, all meals, beverages (only local house brands), scheduled activities (game drives and guided walks), emergency medical evacuation cover and all inter-camp transfers via scheduled air transfers (KMIA - Lodge - JNB(Incl)).

Excluded

Meals other than mentioned, beverages (Private collection wines, premium brands), sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned (Flight: CTIA - KMIA (Excl)), gratuities, laundry, curio shop purchases, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature

Days 7 - 8: Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

On the 7th day you will be transferred back to the Sabi Sabi lodge airstrip for you scheduled flight (cost included) to OR Tambo Intl for your flight to Victoria Falls Intl (cost excluded).

Once landing at Victoria Falls Intl you will be met and transferred to Victoria Falls River Lodge. Built on raised wooden decks, the 13 luxurious tents all boast beautiful views of a river and the African bush and come with their own private plunge pools. The luxuriously furnished rooms are a fusion of European and African decor and make for an excellent location to explore the quaint town of Victoria Falls and the impressive Falls themselves.

Included in your stay is a rain forest canopy tour. This memorable canopy tour consists of 9 different slides that will take you through thick riverine vegetation over the Zambezi River. Zip over gorges and above the trees as you explore this beautiful region in a thrilling and breathtaking way.

Activities And Services

Rainforest Canopy Tour

Optional

Wild Horizons Elephant Back Safari

Recommended

Victoria Falls Bridge Tour

Included

Accommodation, breakfast, road transfer from VFA to the lodge and to your next lodge on the day of departure.

Excluded

Meals other than mentioned, sightseeing and activities other than specified, transfers other than mentioned, gratuities, visa costs, travel insurance and any items of a personal nature.

Days 9 - 11: Chobe River Front

On your ninth day, you will be collected from The Royal Livingstone Hotel and transferred by road to Chobe Game Lodge, situated on the banks of the Chobe River, inside the Chobe National Park.

All of the rooms at Chobe Game Lodge are river-facing, with spacious decks and air-conditioning, as well as a complimentary mini-bar. And because Chobe Game Lodge is located within the Park, you will get to set off just as the gates to the park open, which means you are out and about before any of the other visitors to the park.

The Chobe area is famed for its big population of elephants, and this is where you will be sure to tick off the first of the big five safari favourites. You will have the option of enjoying a boat cruise on the Chobe River, as well as daily game drives, guided nature walks and tours of the local community. Accept the warm and jovial human touch that Africans are so well known for, through the professional staff and the vibrant communities.

Activities And Services

Chobe Game Lodge game viewing

Optional

Chobe Game Lodge birding experience

Recommended

Chobe Game Lodge boat cruises

Included

Accommodation (As per Itinerary), All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), Beverages (Refreshments, local spirits and house wines (Excl: Premium Brands)), Scheduled activities (Morning and afternoon game drives, mid-morning and sunset cruises on a safari boat), Laundry service, Emergency medical evacuation insurance, National Park fees, All transfers to and from the lodge.

Excluded

Meals other than specified, Premium brand drinks, Gratuities, Sightseeing and activities other than specified, Visa fees, Travel insurance, Flights and transfers other than specified, Any items of a personal nature.

Day 12: Departure

On your last day of the tour, you will wake early for your final game drive and African bush sunrise, before returning to camp. You will be collected and transferred the short distance to Tubu airstrip before flying on to Maun airport for your onward journey orinternational flight home.

Included

Transfer back to Tubu airstrip and air transfer to Maun international airport for your onward journey.

Exclude

International flight & departure taxes.

Day 1 Arrive Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Tour begins: 5:00 PM, Old Drift Lodge. A transfer is included upon arrival from the airport to the Old Drift Lodge, a tented camp on the banks of the Zambezi River upstream from iconic Victoria Falls. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Old Drift Lodge

PORTOFCALL : Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Day 2 Natural Wonders of Victoria Falls

Join our local guide for a walking tour of Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Explore trails that offer different perspectives of the magnificent falls, considered the largest waterfalls in the world. Have lunch with a view of the Zambezi River before heading to an elephant sanctuary for a private visit with a family of elephants out in the bush, patiently waiting for the treats you'll bring.  The Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Clinic is renowned for promoting environmental conservation in Southern Africa, and operates a medical care facility and orphanage dedicated to the health and welfare of Africa's wildlife. Tour the facility and meet the naturalists and doctors who work here, learning about their efforts to protect animals injured by traps, snares and poachers and meeting the wildlife they have rescued. The evening is yours to enjoy as you wish, dining at the hotel at your leisure.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Old Drift Lodge

PORTOFCALL : Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Day 3 Chobe National Park

Cross into Botswana this morning en route to your lodge in Chobe National Park. An afternoon game drive with an expert safari guide introduces you to the locals, furred, feathered and fleet-footed. Botswana's first national park, Chobe attracts large herds of elephants and Cape Buffalo that frequent the Chobe River; lions, antelopes and hippos linger near lagoons; and numerous bird species and zebras favor the floodplains. Enjoy dinner at the lodge this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge

Day 4 A Game Drive and a Motorboat Safari

Rise early for a game drive that spies wildlife starting their day in the bush as dawn breaks over the park. Wildlife whisperers, your guides follow tracks and interpret signs that lead to animal sightings out of nowhere and everywhere. See the ever-present impala, puku antelopes and majestic giraffes snacking on treetops more than 16 feet high, and look for lions, wild dogs and leopards on the hunt. Return to your lodge for lunch, then join us on a private motorboat safari aboard a skimmer boat along the Zambezi River. Watch for birds, elephants, hippos and herd animals stopping by for a drink while crocodiles lie in the water or on the shore, along with other thirsty predators. Dine indoors or out at your lodge tonight.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge

Day 5 Local life on the Chobe River

Meet the people native to Botswana when you visit a local village this morning. Learn about their daily lives and deep-rooted cultural traditions and see baskets hand woven to perfection. Depending on the season, ride aboard a safari vehicle or a skimmer boat in search of up close wildlife sightings that never get old. Enjoy panoramic views of the Chobe River from the elevated boardwalks at your lodge during your free time, a great spot to watch the ever-changing wildlife parade across the river, on the islands and the surrounding floodplains, before night falls with an awe-inspiring starlit sky, dining at your leisure.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Chobe Game Lodge

Day 6 South Africa's Kruger National Park

Take a final morning game drive in Chobe National Park before driving to the airport for a flight to Johannesburg, followed by another flight to your safari lodge in the Timbavati Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park. Stay in a thatched roof cottage that has its own private verandah for animal sightings – a watering hole on property is a favorite gathering place for visiting wildlife – and enjoy dinner as you please.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge

Day 7 Game Drives in Kruger National Park

Set off in search of Africa's Big Five – lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos – along with wild dogs, hippos, cheetahs and herd animals with your expert guides. Morning and afternoon game drives offer ample opportunities to see predators and prey in their natural habitat. Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves, is world-renowned and is home to hundreds of species of animals and birds, including vultures, storks and eagles.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge

Day 8 Walk with the Animals

Rise early for a game drive followed by a nature walk unlike any you have experienced before. Join your safari guides on a walking safari that offers an opportunity to learn about the bush and its fascinating fauna and flora from the ground up. Follow in the tracks of Africa's wildlife as your guide shares tracking tips with you, seeking out signs and scents that reveal which animals have passed this way before you. Catch a glimpse of smaller game, like impalas or gazelles, or see elephants lumbering on distant landscapes. Walking safaris are only permitted on private lands and not in Africa's national parks. Enjoy an afternoon game drive and join us under the stars for a private dinner tonight.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : &Beyond Ngala Safari Lodge

Day 9 Fly to Cape Town

Take a final game drive this morning before flying to Cape Town for a three-night stay. Your hotel, painted pink for peace in 1918, is nestled on a lush garden estate at the foot of Table Mountain. Dinner is at your leisure in the hotel tonight.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa

Day 10 Choices in Cape Town

A choice of sightseeing excursions today includes a tour of the Cape Winelands with tastings at two prestigious wineries, along with a wine pairing luncheon that tempts with regional fare and time to explore the quaint streets of Franschhoek. Or, join us for an artisan and culinary tour of Cape Town, stopping to meet a jewelry designer who makes pieces from prison fences from Robben Island. Take a cooking lesson in making traditional Cape Malay appetizers before lunch at a hidden gem of a restaurant and visit an art gallery featuring the works of South African artists. Your local guide enriches your tour with insights about Cape Town's history and highlights. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa

Day 11 Helicopter Highs over Cape Town

Experience a bird's-eye view of Cape Town as you soar over the city aboard a helicopter that follows the coast to see Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles, Chapman's Peak and the bays and towns that line the shores of the Cape Peninsula. Spend the remainder of the day exploring the waterfront delights of Victoria & Albert Waterfront, a mecca for shopping, art galleries, restaurants and entertaining street performers. Tauck's shuttle will bring you back to the hotel at your convenience this afternoon. Tonight, join us for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, renowned for its local culinary fare.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa

Day 12 Journey Home

Tour ends: Cape Town. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included to Cape Town Airport from Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel. Allow three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Cape Town, South Africa