Zanzibar to Vic Falls
19 Days Starting in Zanzibar and ending in Victoria Falls
Visiting: Stone Town, Zanzibar Northern Beaches, Mikumi National Park, Iringa, Chitimba, Lake Malawi, South Luangwa National Park, Petauke, Lusaka, Harare, Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls
Tour operator:
Tour code:
YXORC
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 22
Age range:
15-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Dive into a lesser-known Africa on this 19-day trip from the east of Tanzania through Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Begin on the pristine beaches of Zanzibar's northern coastline, then travel through rolling savanna and wide-open plains on a series of game drives and hikes. Get close to incredible wildlife in remote nature reserves and embrace local hospitality in the regional cities and traditional villages. Take on this eye-opening African overland adventure with a local crew to guide you to the best of the region, all shared with a small group of travellers ready to explore.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Stone Town
Location: Stone Town
Accommodation: Hotel
Welcome to Zanzibar! Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 2 pm where you'll meet your group leader and fellow travellers. Aside from this important meeting, there are no planned activities for the day and you are free to explore on your own. Filled with pristine white-sand beaches, winding cobblestone alleyways and fragrant bazaars, Zanzibar has had a colourful history – everything from slave traders to Arabian sultans and fruit exporters. The sight of traditional dhows sailing along the coast evokes what the island must have been like in centuries ago. The old part of Zanzibar's main city is known as Stone Town, and the best way to see this is on foot, exploring the markets, shops, mosques, palaces and courtyards. When the sun is setting, why not grab a drink from a bar overlooking the seafront. A seafood curry at a local restaurant is also a great choice. You'll spend the night in Stone Town at a basic inn.
Optional Activities:
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Day 2: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Location: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Accommodation: Bungalow
Meals Included: breaksfast
Once checked out of your Stone Town accommodation, consider booking in to an optional guided tour of the island's spice plantations, learning all about the history of this town's spice trade. You will have the opportunity to smell and taste various spices, such as cinnamon, vanilla and ginger, plus sample some teas made with these spices too. After lunch, head to the Northern Beaches, where white sands and sparkling blue seas await. This is the Indian Ocean at its best.
Optional Activities:
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Day 3: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Location: Zanzibar Northern Beaches
Accommodation: Bungalow
Meals Included: breaksfast
Enjoy free time in this beautiful archipelago today. There are many ways you can spend your day – perhaps talk to your leader for any recommendations they might have. Snorkelling in search of exotic fish is an excellent option, or you could take a traditional dhow boat on the water. You might also like to feast on a sumptuous lunch of grilled local seafood, or just relax in a hammock underneath a coconut tree with a good book. It's totally up to you!
Optional Activities:
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Day 4: Stone Town
Location: Stone Town
Accommodation: Hotel
Enjoy a sleep in and maybe one last dip in the warm waters of Zanzibar's northern beaches. After check-out at your accommodation, transfer back to Stone Town for a cruisy afternoon of free time. Maybe grab an octopus curry or biryani for dinner with your crew. There’s long day of driving ahead tomorrow, so be sure to relax in the island vibes tonight.
Optional Activities:
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Day 5: Mikumi National Park
Location: Mikumi National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Embrace an early start to catch a 7.30 am ferry to the mainland, then make tracks for Mikumi. It’s approximately an 8-hour drive to your first camp spot, but you’ll get a great look at all that renowned Tanzanian landscape on the way. Gaze out at vast plains dotted with baobab and tamarind trees and maybe catch a glimpse of some of the elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions and leopards that call the park home. Once you arrive at your camp spot, your leader will show you the ropes (literally) and help you set up and get comfortable for your night in the tent.
Day 6: Iringa
Location: Iringa
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Wake up early this morning to head off on a 4WD game drive into Mikumi National Park with local expert guides. This less touristed park is home to impressive numbers of elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, wildebeest and impalas – and maybe even a predator or two if you're lucky! Afterwards, we'll drive to Iringa (approximately 5 hours) and set up camp on the grounds of a farmhouse on the outskirts of this pleasant settlement. The area is filled with natural bush land which can make it a bird watchers paradise. Make the most of this rural setting by doing some stargazing before you retire for the night.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Chitimba
Location: Chitimba
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Enter Malawi and travel to your campsite at Chitimba (approximately 10–12 hours). Malawi, the ‘warm heart of Africa,’ is dominated by its lake, which covers almost a fifth of the country and provides a livelihood for many Malawian people. Fishermen, fish traders and canoe and net makers all ply their trade on Lake Malawi. A common sight is that of a fisherman in a bwato (a dugout canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk) fishing on the still lake at the break of day.
Day 8: Lake Malawi
Location: Lake Malawi
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Travel from Chitimba to Kande Beach on the shore of Lake Malawi (approximately 6 hours). There will be a chance to stop at a shop or market for any supplies you might need along the way. Enjoy a relaxing getaway from the commercialism and crowds with a few days on the lake’s more peaceful beaches. Your campsite at Kande Beach is right on the shore of Lake Malawi.
Optional Activities:
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Day 9: Lake Malawi
Location: Lake Malawi
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Enjoy free time today and soak up your idyllic surrounds. As well as chilling out on the lake’s sandy shores, make sure you take the opportunity to meet some local Malawians – easily some of the friendliest people in Africa.
Optional Activities:
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Day 10: South Luangwa National Park
Location: South Luangwa National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Journey through southern Malawi and enter Zambia, continuing to South Luangwa National Park (approximately 9–10 hours). There will be border crossing formalities on the way, and a chance to stock up on goods at a shop or market and visit an ATM. The concentration of animals around the Luangwa River and its lagoons is some of the highest in Africa. Take in the beautiful scenery and the abundance of wildlife, watching out for colourful birds and herds of elephants.
Day 11: South Luangwa National Park
Location: South Luangwa National Park
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Rise early for an exhilarating morning game drive in a 4WD with a local guide, then head back to the camp for lunch (as this is the hottest part of the day).
Return to the park for another Game Drive late this afternoon
Alternatively, an optional village walk is another good option, if you'd like a snapshot of daily life in the local community.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 12: Petauke
Location: Petauke
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
After breakfast, pay a visit to a workshop where local craftswomen take snare wire recovered from poaching traps and transform it into jewellery inspired by the African bush. The women will show you around their purpose-built workshop and give you a chance to try coiling or hammering the wire yourself. For each sale made, a donation is given to anti snare patrols dedicated to the conservation of the region. After your visit, head further south to Petauke (approximately 6 hours).
Included Activities:
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Day 13: Lusaka
Location: Lusaka
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Head for your camp just south of Lusaka City (approximately 6 hours). Arrive, stretch your legs and take a stroll to discover the town. Though it's fast developing, Lusaka retains a strong African feel, and the locals are usually up for a chat.
Day 14: Harare
Location: Harare
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Travel to Harare today (approximately 8–9 hours). The first part of your journey takes you to the border with Zimbabwe. After crossing, continue to Harare. There will be a chance to explore the town, stock up on whatever you need at a market or shop and use an ATM.
Day 15: Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo
Location: Great Zimbabwe Ruins / Masvingo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Drive to Masvingo (approximately 5–6 hours). This colonial settlement – the oldest in Zimbabwe – makes the perfect base for exploring the ruins of Great Zimbabwe. The ancient city, now a World Heritage site, was first constructed in the 11th century and is believed to have been the seat of power for a monarch. Spend a few hours exploring this intriguing site before heading off to camp.
Included Activities:
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Day 16: Bulawayo
Location: Bulawayo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
Travel to Bulawayo (approximately 5–6 hours). Known locally as the 'City of Kings', Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city. There is some impeccable colonial architecture to take in here. Enjoy free time this afternoon to explore town. You might like to browse some local markets or chat with the locals. The Natural History Museum and National Art Gallery are also worth checking out.
Optional Activities:
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Day 17: Bulawayo
Location: Bulawayo
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Get ready for the experience of a lifetime – tracking rhinos on foot with an expert guide! Matobo National Park, known for its black and white rhinos, is also home to other wildlife like klipspringers, leopards, warthogs, and springhares. You'll learn all about these unique animals from your guide. You'll also gain insights into the local plants and trees, including wild pear and paperbark and discover San paintings and the fascinating rock formations.
Matobo National Park is an important site of spiritual and cultural significance for the local people, and there are many places in the park where important ceremonies still take place.
Included Activities:
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Day 18: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Accommodation: Camping (with facilities)
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
Depart Bulawayo and make the 6-hour drive towards Victoria Falls. Stretching 1.6 kilometres wide and falling 108 metres into a narrow gorge below, the falls for which the area is named are a sight to behold. Although a visit to the falls themselves is optional, it is highly recommended. The entrance fee to the falls is not included, as groups that book ahead are required to tour the site with a local guide, and we feel that seeing these waterfalls should be an uninterrupted sensory experience. In the wet season, the spray created from this feat of nature can rise 400 metres and can often be seen from kilometres away. It’s no wonder that the local name for Victoria Falls is Mosi oa Tunya, or the 'Smoke that Thunders'. Though dry season travellers should not despair! You’ll get an unobstructed view of the falls and the chance to see the islets in the river below. Your leader will take you to a local activity centre where a range of activities will be on offer.
Optional Activities:
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Day 19: Victoria Falls
Location: Victoria Falls
Meals Included: breaksfast
With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave the camp at any time. That being said, you may like to try some of the optional activities on offer here, and so, we recommend that you schedule any flights for later in the day. If you would like to spend more time in Victoria Falls, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Optional Activities:
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What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (2 night), Bunglow (2 nights), Camping with facilities (14 nights) -
Mikumi National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
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South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
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South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive
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South Luangwa - Jewellery workshop Project
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Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
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Matobo National Park - Rhino Tracking, Park Visit & San Rock Paintings
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Meals
17 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 13 dinners
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South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Evening Game Drive
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South Luangwa - Anti-Poaching Jewelery Project
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Included Activities
- South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
- Petauke - Jewellery workshop project
- Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
Transport
- Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. 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. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/Kenyan 3 pronged outlet.
- 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 starts with a welcome meeting at 2pm on Day 1 in Stone Town. This trip ends on Day 19 and you are free to leave at any time.
- 3. This trip is a combination of YXON and YXOR of our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on Day 4.
- 4. Please note the Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.
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. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. 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. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/Kenyan 3 pronged outlet.
- 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
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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 the Big Five. 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
As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Terms and Conditions
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