Essential Botswana
Essential Botswana
Essential Botswana
9 Days Starting in Johannesburg and ending in Victoria Falls
Visiting: Johannesburg, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Maun, Okavango Delta Pan Handle, Kwando River (Caprivi Strip), Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls
Tour operator:
Tour code:
UBYB
Specialist Group:
18-30 Somethings
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 22
Age range:
18-35 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Time to break out your best Attenborough impression – you’re going on a safari. This trip doesn’t skimp on the savannah, but it mainly follows the rivers and watering holes that sustain life (human and wild) throughout Africa. Drive across the sands of the Kalahari Desert in search of rhinos, then spot elephants and warthogs while you cruise down the Okavango Delta in a dugout mokoro canoe. Camp on the floodplains of the Kwando River, and search for wildlife in Chobe National Park.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Johannesburg
Location: Johannesburg
Accommodation: Hotel
Sawubona! Welcome to South Africa. Touch down in Jo’burg (as the locals like to call it). You’ve got a free day before you join up with your crew at a 6 pm welcome meeting tonight. We recommend visiting the eye-opening Apartheid Museum to start your journey with some crucial history before meeting up with your group.
After your important meeting this evening, why not head out for an optional group dinner and get to know your newfound travel crew? Your leader can point you in the right direction with bar and restaurant recommendations.
Day 2: Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Location: Khama Rhino Sanctuary
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
See ya South Africa – cross the border into Botswana and travel toward the Khama Rhino Sanctuary. It sits on the Kalahari Desert, and is an old hunting area transformed into a conservation project. It now protects what’s left of Botswana's black and white rhino populations, but there are plenty of other beasties hanging around too – zebras, giraffes, leopards, ostriches and wildebeest, all of which chill out around many natural waterholes. Not only do you get to check out awesome animals here, but you’ll also be benefitting local communities and helping protect the white rhino. When the sun begins to set, hop in a jeep to see the rhinos at their most active. About 35 rhinos roam around this 400 ha community-based reserve. Don't forget your binoculars, or you'll be getting them confused with big rocks.
Included Activities:
-
-
Day 3: Maun
Location: Maun
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Get up real early, jump aboard the truck and head to Maun. Catch up on your beauty sleep or play some roadtrip games to get know your crew better. This journey also includes a free massage service (meaning the road might get a little bumpy). In Maun there’s the chance to stock up on any supplies you might need for the journey ahead – maybe hats, sunscreen and scarves (for the morning chill and the afternoon sun). Maun’s the gateway to one of the world's most renowned and complex ecosystems, the Okavango Delta. This is a one-of-a-kind kinda place – a 16,000 sq km maze of wetlands made up of meandering waterways, green islands, lush plains and loads of wildlife. You might see hippos, crocodiles, elephants and big cats. But honestly it's not really the animals that are the main attraction – it's the incredibly diverse ecosystem and atmospheric waterscapes. Tonight you'll stay on the outskirts of Maun at a simple campsite with shared facilities, wi-fi and optional upgrades.
Optional Activities:
-
Day 4: Okavango Delta Pan Handle
Location: Okavango Delta Pan Handle
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Make your way to the north-western part of the Okavango Delta, close to the Pan Handle. Now’s the time to find out everything about your fellow travellers – you’ll be old mates by the end of it. Leave the truck at some secure parking and take a 4WD transfer for the last 12 km. Your destination for the next two nights sits on the edge of the Guma Lagoon area. Set up camp and relax on the edge of the lagoon for the rest of the afternoon, then fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush at night – is that noise a hippo or your mate snoring?
Day 5: Okavango Delta Pan Handle
Location: Okavango Delta Pan Handle
Accommodation: Camping (with basic facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Today, you get to paddle the mighty Okavango Delta. There's nothing more relaxing than feeling the African sun on your face as you lie back in a mokoro (traditional dugout canoe), while your expert poler propels you down calm waters through papyrus and reed beds to lily covered lagoons and islands. Watch out for elephants, lechwe, warthogs, sitatunga and other plains game in the open. Stop at one of the islands for a swim before returning to camp. If you are interested in the culinary side of Southern Africa, feel free to join your cook for an in-depth cooking class while they prepare tonight's meal.
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
Day 6: Kwando River (Caprivi Strip)
Location: Kwando River (Caprivi Strip)
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
This morning, transfer in the 4WDs back to the truck and then make your way to the border to cross into Namibia. Your next camp is on the banks of the Kwando River, in the Caprivi Strip. This strip of land is sandwiched between Botswana and Angola and connects with Zambia and Zimbabwe at its end. Take the opportunity to discover your new surroundings on our favorite mode of transportation - a mokoro. On your return, maybe relax at your camp or jump on one of the optional activities, like the late afternoon boat trip, or a game drive in Mudumu Game Park (look out for buffalo, elephants, antelope and zebras). You can also take a village tour, or join in on a fishing trip – the locals will give you the heads up on the best spots.
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
Day 7: Chobe National Park
Location: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
This morning, zip over to the edge of Chobe National Park, further through the Caprivi Strip and back into Botswana. Botswana's first national park is perhaps best known for its high concentration of elephants, which can often be seen swimming in the Chobe River. The river also attracts wallowing hippos, lots of birdlife, crocodiles sunning themselves and cheetahs and lions venturing out for a drink. When you arrive, you can head out on an optional late afternoon boat cruise on the river. A sunset cruise is an ideal way to spend the afternoon and toast to another day in Africa. Or, just kick back at camp with a book and relax.
Day 8: Chobe National Park
Location: Chobe National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Today, you'll head out on a 4WD game drive in Chobe National Park. There's a huge range of wildlife here, all packed into one tiny area, making it unlike anywhere else in the world! Huge herds of buffalo and elephants are often seen roaming around the savannah, matched by the size of the local lion prides. An estimated 70,000 Kalahari elephants roam the park, too – these majestic beasts are the largest known subspecies of elephant in the world. As well as these fantastic creatures, you might also see zebras, impalas, wildebeest, giraffes, lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, warthogs, baboons, monkeys and heaps of birds!
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
Day 9: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Meals Included: breaksfast
This morning there will be time to join an optional game drive in the Chobe National Park. Then, it’s on to the town of Victoria Falls this afternoon. Cross the border into Zimbabwe and arrive in the early afternoon. Before your trip officially ends, your leader will provide a quick orientation walk through town. There is so much to discover in Victoria Falls that it's highly recommended you stay a few extra days. If you'd like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent.
Included Activities:
-
Optional Activities:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What's Included
-
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (6 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights), Hotel (1 night) -
Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Entrance
-
Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Sunset Game Drive Open Vehicle
-
Okavango Delta - Mokoro Safari
-
Mukolo Camp - Mokoro Safari
-
Chobe National Park - Open Safari Vehicle Morning Game Drive
-
Victoria Falls - Leader-led orientation walk
-
Meals
8 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 dinners
What's Not Included
-
Tipping and Gratuities
-
International Travel
Included Activities
Khama Rhino Sanctuary - Open Safari Vehicle Game DriveOkavango Delta - Mokoro Safari & Nature WalkNgepi - Village visitVictoria Falls - Leader-led orientation walk
Transport
Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. In Southern Africa some departures may use vans and luggage trailers subject to group size and vehicle availability. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air.There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you.African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times.
Accommodation
Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied.The type and variety of accommodation are determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some, we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others, we also use hotels. In Africa, it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities, so we use hotel accommodations and eat out in local restaurants.There may be the occasional night stop when we stay on the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite, which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case, there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD 40-100 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly, and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the night's accommodation. The day-by-day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability).Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same-sex rooms.Campsites do have facilities, but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in Western countries. For example, the bathroom facilities can be very basic. Toilet paper is rarely provided, and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all.At times, there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately, these cannot be used without the purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip.
Important Information
1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.2. This trip finishes upon arrival in Victoria Falls on Day 9. Please do not book any flights until after 9pm this evening.3. Border crossing delays in the region can be sporadic and difficult to predict. What takes an hour one day may take four hours the next. This may affect the order of activities in the itinerary. We understand this uncertainty can be frustrating, and we strongly recommend packing a bit of patience and flexibility.
Mode of Transport
Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. In Southern Africa some departures may use vans and luggage trailers subject to group size and vehicle availability. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air.There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you.African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times.
Accommodation
Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied.The type and variety of accommodation is determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others we also use hotels. In Africa it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities so we use hotel accommodation and eat out in local restaurants.There may be the occasional night stop, when we stay in the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD60-120 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the nights accommodation. The day by day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability).Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same sex rooms.Campsites do have facilities but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in western countries. For example the bathroom facilities can be very basic. There is rarely toilet paper provided and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all.At times there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately these cannot be used without purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear, or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip.
Check out our Q&As
-
Is this trip right for you
This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent, occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of Africa's iconic wildlife. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows, which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
The African wild comes alive at sunrise, so there will be some early starts for game drives. The thrill of spotting your first lion or rhino is well worth the early start!
This trip can be partnered with other adventures into a ‘combo’, which means that some of your fellow travellers may carry on to further destinations at the end of this tour. If you’d like to spend more time in Africa, have a look at the combo itinerary: Real Southern Africa (UBYSC). -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
-
How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
-
Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
-
What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
-
Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
Reviews of this operator
Save on this tour
Request your exclusive discount code now and unlock savings for your next adventure!
Send me one now.1 Select your preferred date
2025 Mar
2025 Apr
2025 May
2025 Jun
2025 Jul
2025 Aug
2025 Sep
2025 Oct
2025 Nov
2025 Dec
2025 Jan
2026 Feb
2026 Apr
2026 May
2026 Jun
2026 Jul
2026 Aug
2026 Sep
2026 Oct
2026 Nov
2026 Dec
2026
Saturday - Sunday
Feb 08, 2025 - Feb 16, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Mar 22, 2025 - Mar 30, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Apr 19, 2025 - Apr 27, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Apr 26, 2025 - May 04, 2025Saturday - Sunday
May 17, 2025 - May 25, 2025Saturday - Sunday
May 31, 2025 - Jun 08, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Jun 14, 2025 - Jun 22, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Jul 12, 2025 - Jul 20, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Jul 26, 2025 - Aug 03, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Aug 16, 2025 - Aug 24, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Sep 06, 2025 - Sep 14, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Sep 27, 2025 - Oct 05, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Oct 18, 2025 - Oct 26, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Nov 01, 2025 - Nov 09, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Nov 15, 2025 - Nov 23, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Dec 13, 2025 - Dec 21, 2025Saturday - Sunday
Jan 10, 2026 - Jan 18, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Feb 21, 2026 - Mar 01, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Apr 18, 2026 - Apr 26, 2026Saturday - Sunday
May 02, 2026 - May 10, 2026Saturday - Sunday
May 16, 2026 - May 24, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Jun 06, 2026 - Jun 14, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Jun 20, 2026 - Jun 28, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Jul 04, 2026 - Jul 12, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Jul 18, 2026 - Jul 26, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Aug 01, 2026 - Aug 09, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Aug 08, 2026 - Aug 16, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Aug 22, 2026 - Aug 30, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Sep 05, 2026 - Sep 13, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Sep 19, 2026 - Sep 27, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Oct 03, 2026 - Oct 11, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Oct 17, 2026 - Oct 25, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Nov 07, 2026 - Nov 15, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Nov 21, 2026 - Nov 29, 2026Saturday - Sunday
Dec 12, 2026 - Dec 20, 2026Book with Confidence
-
Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
-
Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
-
Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
-
Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
-
Terms and Conditions
Enquire for huge savings
Rated 5* on Trust Pilot & ABTA Protected.