Day 1: Depart Northern South Africa

This morning you depart Cape Town bright and early, as you make your way North via the N7. After leaving the beautiful Cederberg Mountains, drive through extensive citrus orchards to Vanrhynsdorp, where you can have a quick lunch break. Tonight you stay in Springbok, the last major city in Namaqualand off the Namibian border.

565 km

 

Day 2: The lonely Richtersveld

In the morning you drive through the beautiful landscapes of the Richtersveld and over the Orange River to Noordoewer, the border crossing to Namibia. Your destination for the day is the second largest canyon in the world, the impressive Fish River Canyon. The bizarre landscape turns out to be, given the size of the sublime deserted, authoritative impressive sand and rock formations, created by centuries of erosion, as one of the hidden wonders of nature. Adventure starts as you conquer the Richtersveld, which is accessible only by jeep. You will be rewarded with the most incredible landscapes that will put your vehicle to the test for the first time before you reach Ai Ais in the National Park. You can relax in the afternoon and enjoy all the beautiful surroundings your accommodation has to offer. 

244 km / F

 

Day 3: The second largest canyon in the world

You drive to a small post called Hobas, the entrance to Gondwana National Park, and another 10km from there to the edge of the canyon. Pack up something delicious to drink and eat, leave your car behind and take an impressive walk along the rim of the canyon to a vantage point about one and a half kilometres away. There, you can have a small picnic and enjoy spectacular views over the Fish River Canyon, one of Africa's least visited attractions. Back in Hobas you continue North. This dirt road takes you through some of the breathtaking landscapes of the Gondwana National Park, where many indigenous species have been reintroduced. Tonight you get to stay in a charming hotel.

427 km / B, D

 

Day 4: The Enchanting Namib Desert

As you travel West, towards the actual Namib Desert, the landscape becomes drier and lonelier. About 50 km after the impressive Tsarishoogte Pass, you finally reach the gateway to the Namib Naukluft Park, the second largest nature reserve in Africa. There you have to pay the parking fees before you are taken to your camp situated near the entrance of the Namib Desert. The word "Namib" comes from the Nama language and means "far place". The Namib stretches over 2,000 km along the Atlantic coast, from the Carunjamba River in Angola, to Northern Namibia and down to the Olifants River in the Western Cape / South Africa. 167 km / B

 

Day 5: Morning play of colours in the dunes

On a morning trip to the Namib Desert your off-road vehicle will have something to accomplish again. You have to leave before dawn to reach the Sossusvlei car park in time for sunrise and watch the wonderful shadows on the dunes. Sossusvlei is a salt-clay pan surrounded by high, red dunes in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in the south of the Namib Desert. In the parking lot you have to turn your four-wheel drive, then the adventure can begin! Your first goal is the Dead Vlei. Park your car there in the shade of a camel thorn tree and walk along the well-marked path over some dunes to Dead Vlei. With its partly dead camel thorn trees for centuries, it offers breathtaking photo opportunities. Back at the car you drive the loop to the actual Sossusvlei, which supplies every few years one of the driest areas of the earth with water.

80 km / SC

 

Day 6: The “Spitzkoppe” in Namibia

After packing up your tent, you head in a Northwestern direction towards Twyfelfontein. On your way there, you can make a quick stop at Namibia’s most famous mountain, Spitzkoppe. The Spitzkoppe is a group of bare granite formations in the Namib Desert between Usakos and Swakopmund. Tonight you stay in a beautiful lodge situated on a hilltop, offering breathtaking views. 

782 km / D

 

Day 7: The animal-rich Etosha National Park

In the morning, after breakfast, you will have the opportunity to visit world-famous "Bushman" petroglyphs, situated a few kilometres from the lodge. Ancient rock carvings can be found in Twyfelfontein in the Kunene region, basically, in the middle of nowhere. A 45-minute guided tour brings you more understanding about the culture and way of life of the San people. After the tour, you drive Northwest, towards the Southern gate of the world famous Etosha National Park. In the middle of the park, you find the Halali Rest Camp where you will be staying for the next two nights. The campsite’s pool offers you a welcoming refreshment. For dinner you can enjoy some brilliantly cooked game meat in the beautiful restaurant. 

258 km / B

 

Day 8: A day in the bush

Today you can spend in the fascinating Etosha National Park. You can discover the Etosha pan by either driving yourself there, or by booking a guided trip organised by your camp (optional). The Etosha Park offers you incredible sightings of wildlife. The park has 114 mammal, 340 bird, 110 reptile and 16 amphibian species, offering a wide diversity. At night, you can observe the animals coming for a drink at the waterhole right by your campsite. 

SC

 

Day 9: In the footsteps of the Bushmen

You leave the park through the Namutoni Gate towards the East and drive for about two hours through remote bush areas to a village called Tsintsabis. After Namibia's independence, Reinhard Friedrich transferred a piece of land to the Bushmen and became familiar with their way of life. During a short optional walk with Mr. Friedrich on the Muramba Bushman's Trail, you'll learn about the Bushmen's culture and their ability to survive in nature. You then make your way North, towards Rundu, where the Caprivi Strip starts. The three-hour drive takes you through rural areas with the typical thatched rondavels where the hospitable Kavango people live. You will spend the night in a relaxed, informal atmosphered lodge. Situated on the peaceful Okavango River, opposite the Angolan border. In the late afternoon, you can take a short, romantic boat trip on the Okavango (optional).

390 km / D

 

Day 10: The wild Caprivi Strip

After breakfast, you make your way East, heading towards the original area of the Caprivi Strip. If you pass the numerous, traditional round huts or elephant herds and other wild animals cross your way during the drive, the "real Africa feeling" quickly sets in. You stay in a beautiful lodge located right in the Caprivi Strip.

402 km / B, D

 

Day 11: Elephants in Chobe National Park

In the morning, you drive South, making your way to the famous Chobe National Park with its fascinating wildlife and known to have one of the highest elephant numbers in the world. After crossing the border to Botswana in Ngome, you drive through the park to your accommodation situated in Kasane. Since the park is not fenced in, you may encounter wild animals throughout your trip today. The next two nights you will be staying in a spectacular lodge. 

316 km / B, D

 

Day 12: A safari in Chobe National Park

In the morning before breakfast, you drive with a ranger in an open 4x4 vehicle on a safari through the 26 000 km ² sized Chobe National Park. With a bit of luck, you will see some herds of elephant, lions, leopards, wild dogs, horse antelopes, sable antelopes, hippos, the rare red Letchwe, sitatunga’s as well as crocodiles. In addition, you can observe a variety of bird species and many other species on the riverside. You will return in time for your scrumptious, buffet breakfast. At lunchtime and in the afternoon you can relax by the pool and lodge, before taking a sunset cruise on the Chobe River, which gives you a complete different viewing of the park. Your ranger will introduce you to the peculiarities of the river’s fauna, from the bream to the unique tiger fish as you glide slowly through fascinating landscapes towards a breathtaking sunset.

B, D

 

Day 13: The legendary Victoria Falls

In the morning, you leave Kasane and head in a Eastern direction to cross the border to Zimbabwe. After a very short drive, you will arrive at the Victoria Falls city. For the following two nights, you will be staying at the legendary Victoria Falls Hotel, a beautiful old colonial hotel with a breathtaking view of the famous 128-foot Victoria Falls Bridge connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia. With the excursion to the mighty Victoria Falls, another highlight of the tour awaits you (optional). A walk of about 2 km will take you from the hotel to “Mosi Oa Tunya”, meaning “the smoke that thunders”, as the locals like to call it. 

95 km / B

 

Day 14: Walk to Zambia

After breakfast, you embark on a legendary walk form your hotel, over the famous Victoria Falls bridge. The Zambian side offers you a complete different angle of the natural spectacle. Be sure to bring your cameras along! This afternoon is available for you to relax and review all your unforgettable experiences thus far. 

25 km / B

 

Day 15: The largest salt pan in the world

Today you leave the Victoria Falls and drive back to Botswana via the Kazungula Border Post. From Kazungula you drive South, where you might spot elephants migrating to Botswana. In the late afternoon in Nata you will reach the Makgadikgadi Pans, the largest salt pan in the world. A safari in the park will introduce you to huge dimensions of the pan, where you can enjoy the fiery African sunset before returning to your camp at the lodge. 

402 km / B

 

Day 16: The small capital of Botswana

After breakfast, you drive from Nata, to the old railroad settlement now know as Francistown and on to Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. Botswana's largest city has only 230,000 inhabitants and was declared a capital in the mid-1960s. Tonight you stay in a comfortable guest house in the city centre.

637 km / SC

 

Day 17: Diamond Search at the Big Hole

From Gaborone it is only a short drive to the border crossing, making your way back to South Africa. The trip will take you through Mafeking (Mahikeng), the capital of the North West Province and. From here, you travel 364 km to Kimberley, the capital of the Northern Province. Kimberley is due to the diamond mines and the siege during the Second Boer War, a major importance in South African history. After checking in at your cozy hotel in the old mining town, you'll have plenty of time to visit the famous Big Hole, also known as the Kimberley Mine. The diamond mine was mined above and below ground; The hole is considered the largest hand-dug hole in the world.

511 km / B

 

Day 18: The endless expanse of the Great Karoo

In the early morning after breakfast, head Southwest into the Karoo. "Karoo" is an ancient word of the Bushmen for "Great Thirsty Land." A ride on the carotene gravel roads provide you with a true “Karoo” atmosphere. A breathtaking variety of succulents, bushes, shrubs and other plant species (9,000 so far counted) and a number of wild antelope species are your constant companions. Your destination is in the heart of the Great Karoo: Beaufort West, the birthplace of world-famous cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard. In the afternoon you visit the Karoo National Park. This is a small part of the endless expanse and unique landscape of the Great Karoo. From there it is only a short distance to Beaufort West with its beautiful Cape Dutch, Victorian and Karoo architecture. In the evening an unforgettable barbecue in the steppe await you (weather permitting). Tonight you get to stay in a comfortable guest house.

493 km / B, D

 

Day 19: The sparkling stars of Africa

After breakfast, you can visit the Christiaan Barnard Museum, which will give you insight into the dazzling life of Beaufort West's most famous historian. Today you drive West, through the open expanses of the Karoo to Sutherland, the "star-watching capital" of South Africa. In Sutherland you stay in a cosy guesthouse. A hobby astronomer gives you exciting insights into the incredible world of the universe in the night sky and lets you look through his telescope!

215 km / B

 

Day 20: Back in Cape Town

In the morning you can visit SALT (The Southern African Large Telescope), which is funded by grants from the international community. An interesting tour will introduce you to exploring the star systems in the Southern Hemisphere. SALT can image stars, galaxies and quasars that are about one million times too small for the human eye - which is about the size of a candle flame on the moon. At lunchtime you will reach Matjiesfontein, a place where time seems to have stopped. After a short walk through the village, you travel in a South-Western direction, over some breathtaking passes including the Bains-Kloof Pass, as you make your way back to Cape Town. 

 

312 km / B

 

 

Travel price : on request

Travel dates : on request

 

We are happy to make you an additional offer including a rental car.

 

* Prices quoted are for bookings of at least 2 adults. Prices for single travellers on request only.

* The travel price excludes general increases in transport costs and currency fluctuations.

* We reserve the right to change the travel program.

 

Included:

• 19 nights in selected guest houses, lodges or in your own tent
• Meals as described (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner, SC = self-catering)
• All mentioned activities (except optional program items)
• Detailed, English, personal travel guide with exact directions, distances, road map, excursion tips and restaurant recommendations
• African Kombi Tours Emergency Phone Number - Available 24/7

Excluded:

 

• Long distance flights to and from South Africa
• Transport, rental car price for off-road vehicles, fuel costs, tolls, if necessary, administration fee for additional services on site, accidents or misdemeanors, additional driver's fee
• Meals / meals and drinks, excluding breakfast and dinner on the specified days
• All entrance fees for optional excursions (booked directly through African Kombi Tours), parking fees, nature conservation fees, entrance fees to museums, gratuities and expenses of a personal nature
• Visa costs Zimbabwe
• travel insurance