This luxurious itinerary combines several iconic locations in Botswana and Zimbabwe—Okavango Delta, Savute, Chobe, and Victoria Falls. Your first week will be spent on safari in Botswana, with four days on the Zambezi Queen luxury riverboat.  From here, you'll be on your way to  Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls to see this world wonder, ending the journey with a different safari experience in Hwange National Park.

Highlights

  • Embark on a safari in the famous Okavango Delta region
  • Get close to wild animals in Chobe National Park
  • Enjoy sightseeing and adventure activities at the iconic Victoria Falls
  • Explore Zimbabwe’s unspoiled wilderness in Hwange National Park

Brief Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1 Arrive Maun - Flight to Okavango Delta Okavango Delta
Day 2 Okavango Delta Safari & Activities Okavango Delta
Day 3 Flight - Okavango Delta to Savute Chobe Savute
Days 4-5 Explore Chobe Savute - Savute Safari Chobe Savute
Day 6 Flight - Savute to Kasane and Transfer to Zambezi Queen Chobe National Park
Days 7-8 Explore Chobe - Zambezi Queen Chobe National Park
Day 9 Transfer - Chobe to Victoria Falls Victoria Falls
Day 10 Explore Victoria Falls and Activities Victoria Falls
Day 11 Transfer - Victoria Falls to Elephants Eye Hwange National Park Hwange National Park
Days 12-13 Explore Hwange - Elephant's Eye Hwange National Park
Day 14 Transfer - Hwange to Victoria Falls Airport  

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Maun - Flight to Okavango Delta

Room at Xugana
Room at Xugana Island Lodge

Today, you'll arrive at the Maun airport and get assisted in the check-in for your flight to the Okavango Delta. The time of this flight will be set closer to the date but will allow for your international flight arrival. You may have up to three stops at other camps en-route to your lodge for other passengers. Please note there is a very strict luggage allowance of a total of 44 lbs (20 kg) per person to be in soft bags. You will be met at the airstrip and then transferred to the camp. 

The camp where you'll be staying is located in the Xugana Lagoon—one of the most spectacular permanent water sources in the delta. The rooms are dotted along the shore on raised decks to give each a private optimal view of the lagoon.

Day 2: Okavango Delta Safari & Activities

Boat Cruise
Boat Cruise in Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is home to many rare and endangered species such as the cheetah, the African dog, and white rhinoceros. It is one of the best places in Africa to experience a wide range of wild animals and engage in birdwatching. Today, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy activities such as game drives, boat cruises, and mokoro (dugout canoe) safaris. Other activities include fishing, birdwatching, and helicopter flights over the delta (additional fee).

One of the site's most unique characteristics is the annual flooding from the River Okavango, which occurs during the dry season. The result is a perfect example of nature's and biology's wonders where native plants and animals synchronize their biological cycles with these rains and floods. 

Day 3: Flight - Okavango Delta to Savute

Elephant in front of Savute Lodge
An elephant in front of Savute Lodge

It's time to board your flight from the delta to Savute—a wild corner of the Chobe National Park. The time will be set closer to the date, and you'll get notified in camp. The same rules apply as before, with up to three stops at other camps and a strict luggage allowance.

Plan your trip to Botswana
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
There you will be picked up and transferred to the Savute Safari Lodge, overlooking the Savute Channel. The Savute Channel has a mysterious reputation as it floods and disappears—it seems almost at will. The marsh and river landscape brings in a diverse range of wildlife and is known mainly for intense predator encounters and incredible game viewing. For almost 30 years, the Savute Channel was dry but started to flow again in recent years, which has made it one of the best places in Africa to experience wildlife. 

Days 4-5: Explore Chobe Savute - Savute Safari

Lion at Savute
Lion at Savute

Good morning Savute!

You'll wake up to the wild surroundings in Savute this morning and enjoy your breakfast at the lodge, facing the channel and a waterhole that draws in the thirsty game. Game drives are on the agenda, and you'll get a chance to snap unique photos, come face to face with wild animals, and watch African birds soar over the habitat. Few places in Africa can compete with the birdwatching experience here where the elegant eagles and falcons welcome you from above.

Day 6: Flight - Savute to Kasane and Transfer to Zambezi Queen

Zambezi Queen
Zambezi Queen

Today you'll fly to Kasane, and the flight will be timed to allow you to meet your onward transfer to the Zambezi Queen. You will be met and transferred to the Namibian border and then on to the boat. Please be aware that the departure is from Namibia, so you must have a Namibian Visa as you will be crossing into this country. The boat will sail and dock for your three-night cruise. 

Days 7-8: Explore Chobe - Zambezi Queen

Elephants on the shore
Elephants on the shore

You will be spending three nights aboard the Zambezi Queen, and your activities today are water-based tender boat activities such as cruises, fishing, and birdwatching, as well as a land-based cultural tour. You can also arrange for a game drive into Chobe National Park for an additional fee, which is recommended on the last morning to save on transfer time and additional border crossings.

Day 9: Transfer - Chobe to Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge
Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

It's time to transfer from Chobe to Victoria Falls and the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. Here you are checked into a two-bedroom safari suite that is adjacent to the main lodge where you have access to facilities such as the pool, restaurants, deck, and bar. There is also have a lounge area, a veranda, and dining areas.

Day 10: Explore Victoria Falls and Activities

Elephant Encounter
Elephant Encounter

Good morning Zimbabwe! 

Today, you will explore the natural wonder and the world's most giant curtain of water—Victoria Falls. You do not need a guide to see the falls as the paths are clear and well signposted. However, if you prefer one, we can arrange one for you. You can see the falls at any time as they open from 6 am and close at 6 pm.

For more adventure on the water, you can go white water rafting, which is a full-day experience, including lunch and refreshments at the end. You can also have an elephant encounter where you get to meet a herd of elephants and their handlers and walk through the bush with them. A recommendation is to visit the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and have lunch on their deck. They have a vulture culture every day at 1:00 pm where you can watch the vultures be fed from a hide right up close and listen to an informative talk on them.

Day 11: Transfer - Victoria Falls to Elephants Eye Hwange National Park

Elephants Eye
Elephants Eye

Today, you have the morning to do an early activity or see the Victoria Falls—if you haven't done so already. You will then be picked up at 10:00 am from your accommodation and transferred 2.5 hours to Hwange, where you will be greeted and transferred to the lodge. The lodge lies on a private concession adjacent to the park with no fences, which means the game is free to move between them. They also have a separate gate into the park, only five miles (8 km) from the lodge.

Days 12-13: Explore Hwange - Elephant's Eye

Breakfast!
Breakfast!

On your second day in Zimbabwe, you'll explore the Hwange National Park—one of Zimbabwe’s most unspoiled wilderness areas. You will be conducted to game drives, walks with experienced guides on the concession, and have the opportunity to relax at the spa inside the Elephant's Eye Lodge.

You'll experience the warm African hospitality at a Boma dinner lit by lanterns and a roaring fire. Meals are prepared at different locations around this eco-lodge—all so that you can revel in the natural beauty of these natural surroundings. In front of the camp, a waterhole draws elephants in, and romantic sundowners at breathtaking viewpoints are simply part of everyday life here.

In the evening, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy night-time game drives and sleep under the stars at a secluded open-air star bed next to a waterhole (additional fee). 

Day 14: Transfer - Hwange to Victoria Falls Airport

Lionesss relaxing in Hwange National Park
Lioness relaxing in Hwange National Park

It's your final day and time to leave Hwange and say goodbye to your animal friends and Zimbabwe. Today you will be transferred to Victoria Falls Airport and check-in for your international flight.

Goodbye!/Chisarai zvakanaka!/Lisale kuhle!

Map

Map of Ultimate Safari in Botswana & Zimbabwe - 14 Days
Map of Ultimate Safari in Botswana & Zimbabwe - 14 Days