A Botswana Safari From The Thunder of Victoria Falls to the Silent Okavango Delta

Victoria Falls: The Smoke That Thunders

Arrival & Entry Requirements

After landing at Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA),  proceed through immigration. Most foreign visitors can obtain their tourist visa on arrival (USD 30 per person, single entry) provided passports are valid for at least six months. Please note: Zimbabwe requires all visitors to complete an online visa application prior to travel, available at www.evisa.gov.zw, where payment can also be made.

Once you’ve cleared customs, you will be met by the driver and transferred to Bayete Guest Lodge.

After checking into this tropical, family-run sanctuary, you may enjoy a relaxed lunch at the lodge (payable direct) in the open-air dining area. It is the perfect spot to decompress after your flight.

In the mid-afternoon, your guide will collect you for a 2-hour private tour of the Victoria Falls:

• Included: All transfers and National Park entrance fees are pre-arranged.

• The Experience: Wander the 1.7 km network of rainforest paths as your guide shares the history and geology of this World Heritage site. Be prepared for plenty of spray at the iconic viewpoints!

In the evening, you will be transferred to Dusty Road, an authentic township restaurant. You’ll enjoy a hearty dinner cooked over open wood fires, featuring traditional flavors and local ingredients in a vibrant, soulful atmosphere. After dinner, a transfer will return you to the lodge.

Meals Included: Dinner
Overnight: Bayete Guest Lodge (Bed & Breakfast basis)

Why Victoria Falls?

Locally known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders), the Falls are a raw display of nature’s power. Beyond the sheer volume of the Zambezi plunging into the gorge, the surrounding rainforest—sustained entirely by the waterfall’s eternal spray—is a lush haven for rare flora and vibrant birdlife.

Victoria Falls: Choice of Adventure

Full Day in Victoria Falls

After breakfast at the lodge, the morning is yours to experience the Zambezi and the Falls through a variety of lenses. Depending on your preferred pace, you may choose from the following options:

• 12–13 Minute Helicopter Flight: Known as the "Flight of Angels," this is the only way to appreciate the full scale of the Falls and the jagged Batoka Gorge from above.

• Canoeing Day Trip: A more serene encounter with nature. Paddle along the upper Zambezi, navigating through small channels and spotting hippos, crocodiles, and diverse birdlife in their natural habitat.

• Whitewater Rafting: For those seeking an adrenaline rush, tackle the world-class Grade 5 rapids of the Batoka Gorge below the Falls. It is a high-octane, unforgettable challenge.

If you opt for the Canoeing or Whitewater Rafting, a riverside lunch is included as part of your excursion. For those choosing the helicopter flight or a morning of relaxation, lunch is at your own leisure (payable direct). We recommend exploring the town's small cafes or returning to the peaceful gardens of Bayete for a quiet bite.

As the sun begins to set, make your way to The Lookout Café for dinner (payable direct). Perched 120 meters above the turbulent rapids of the Zambezi, this restaurant offers some of the most remarkable views in Africa. Sip a cocktail as the sky changes color over the Victoria Falls Bridge and the Batoka Gorge.

After dinner, a transfer will return you to the lodge for your final evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast (Lunch included only with Canoe/Rafting)
Overnight: Bayete Guest Lodge (Bed & Breakfast basis)

Why Victoria Falls?

The area is more than just a waterfall; it is a dynamic ecosystem where the river dictates the rhythm of life. Whether viewed from the air or felt through the spray of a rapid, the sheer scale of the Zambezi’s descent creates a landscape that feels both ancient and untamed. It is a place that reminds you of nature's absolute dominance and breathtaking beauty.

Victoria Falls to Chobe: Into the Land of Giants

Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) → Kazungula Border → Kasane (Botswana) → Chobe Enclave

Departure & Border Crossing

After a final breakfast at your lodge, you will be collected for your private road transfer to Botswana.

• The Drive: The journey to the Kazungula Border takes approximately 1 hour.

• Formalities: You will proceed through immigration to exit Zimbabwe and enter Botswana. (Total transfer time to Kasane Airport is approx. 1.5–2 hours, depending on border traffic).

• Transit to Camp: Upon entering Botswana, you will be met by your lodge representative for the final leg of the journey. This 45–60 minute drive travels through local forest reserves, often providing your first wildlife sightings of the trip before you even reach your destination.

Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at the lodge. The main guest area is designed to capture the breeze and offers sweeping views of the plains below, where herds of elephants and buffalo are frequently seen grazing. Take some time to settle into your room or relax by the splash pool before the afternoon’s adventures.

In the late afternoon, join your professional guide for your choice of safari activity:

• Game Drive: Explore the Chobe Riverfront in an open 4x4 vehicle. This area boasts one of the highest concentrations of elephants on Earth, along with lions, leopards, and diverse antelope.

• Canoe Excursion: (Subject to water levels) A quiet, serene way to explore the floodplains and get closer to the smaller wonders of the river system.

• Cultural Visit: Gain insight into local life with a visit to a nearby village to learn about the community's traditions and their coexistence with the surrounding wildlife.

• Boat Cruises (for guests staying a minimum of 2 nights)

Return to the camp as the sun sets over the floodplains. After freshening up, gather around the fire pit to share stories of the day's sightings, followed by a convivial dinner in the open-plan dining area.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Chobe Elephant Camp (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why Chobe Enclave?

Situated on the edge of the Chobe Enclave, this area offers a unique vantage point away from the busier tourist hubs. Its elevated position provides a front-row seat to the "Elephant Highway," allowing you to witness the ancient migratory pulse of Africa’s largest herds from the comfort of a sustainable, soulfully designed sanctuary.

Chobe National Park & Floodplain Explorations

Two Full Days in Chobe Enclave

Over the next two full days, you will immerse yourself in the untamed beauty of the Chobe Enclave. Your stay follows the natural rhythm of the African bush, with the flexibility to choose from a variety of activities that showcase the region’s wildlife and heritage:

• Game Drives: Set out in open 4x4 vehicles to explore the Chobe riverfront and surrounding forests, home to massive elephant herds, lions, leopards, and diverse plains game.

• Boat Cruises: As a guest staying for a minimum of two nights, you can enjoy a scenic cruise. This is a signature highlight, offering a unique water-level view of hippos, crocodiles, and elephants swimming across the river.

• Canoe Excursions: When water levels permit, take a serene paddle along the Chobe floodplains—a silent, immersive way to observe the river’s smaller wonders and vibrant birdlife.

• Cultural Experience: Visit a nearby village to gain insight into local traditions and learn how the community lives in harmony with the surrounding wild environment.

Between your morning and afternoon adventures, return to your ridge-top sanctuary for a hearty lunch and a quiet siesta. The camp’s elevated position is perfect for "armchair safari" viewing, as many animals use the floodplains below as a natural corridor toward the water.

Each evening concludes with a dinner and stories shared around the traditional fire pit under the vast, star-studded Botswana sky.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 
Overnight:: Chobe Elephant Camp (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why Chobe Enclave?

Spending two full days in the Chobe Enclave allows you to move beyond the busier central hubs. Because there are no fences between the enclave and the National Park, you witness the ancient, unrestricted migratory pulse of Africa’s giants from a secluded and sustainable vantage point.

Into the Heart of Savuti

Chobe Enclave → Savuti (Chobe National Park)

Following breakfast, you will be transferred by road to Kasane Airport for your scheduled charter flight to the Savuti region. Enjoy a scenic aerial perspective of Botswana's diverse landscapes as you fly over the vast wilderness of Chobe National Park. Upon arrival at Savuti Airstrip, you will be met by your guide and transferred to camp, with your safari experience beginning from the moment you touch down in this renowned wildlife area.

Arrive at your hilltop retreat by early afternoon for a welcome and orientation. After settling into your room, join the staff for High Tea in the open-plan dining area. You can watch wildlife congregate at the active waterhole on the plains while enjoying home-baked treats and refreshments. During tea, you will meet your professional guide to plan the afternoon's exploration and coordinate your sundowner preferences.

In the afternoon, set out on a game drive utilizing a private network of roads. This elevated terrain and the surrounding marsh provide a sanctuary for diverse wildlife; you’ll have the chance to track herds of elephants and buffalo, alongside giraffe and the region’s resident predators, such as lion and leopard. As the sun begins to set, stop for sundowners at a private hide or beneath a cluster of baobabs to watch the light shift across the vast landscape.

Return to camp to freshen up before your guide escorts you to the Boma for pre-dinner drinks around a bonfire—a time to share the day's sightings with fellow guests under the stars. Dinner follows in the dining area, offering a quiet culinary experience overlooking the moonlit wilderness.

Meals Included: Breakfast, High Tea, Dinner 
Overnight:  Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge (Fully inclusive basis)

Why Savuti?

Savuti is known for its distinct geography and intense predator-prey interactions. Staying on the Ghoha Hills provides a unique sense of scale and solitude, allowing you to observe the movement of animals across the vast terrain from a secluded, elevated position.

Exploring the Wilderness of Savuti

Two Full Days on the Ghoha Hills

Over the next two full days, you will observe the distinct wildlife dynamics and contrasting landscapes of the Savuti region. Your schedule adapts to the natural rhythm of the bush, offering a choice between extended wilderness explorations and quiet relaxation at the lodge:

• Savuti Marsh Excursion (Minimum 2-night stay): Embark on a full-day journey into the heart of the Savuti Marsh, traversing the Savuti Sand Ridge, grasslands, and riverbeds. This landscape is noted for its concentration of wildlife, including the area's famed elephant herds, buffalo, and apex predators. Your route features stops at notable landmarks such as Harvey’s Pan, the Pimple Hills, and a short climb up Quarry Hill to examine historic Bushman rock paintings.

• Morning & Afternoon Game Drives: Utilize the lodge's private road network for shorter, focused safaris. These drives track resident wildlife through changing terrain, timed to coincide with the peak hours of animal movement after sunrise and before twilight.

• High Tea & Sundowners: Conclude your afternoon game drive with refreshments served at the Cathedral of Baobabs or a secluded hide overlooking the lodge’s private waterhole, watching the light shift across the plains as evening approaches.

For those choosing a slower pace, the main thatch deck offers an ideal setting for an "armchair safari." From this elevated vantage point, you can track the movement of animals, such as the resident Ghoha lion pride or migrating plains game, as they approach the active waterhole directly beneath the ridge.

Each evening concludes with dinner featuring African-inspired cuisine, followed by conversation around the campfire in the boma under a clear, unpolluted night sky.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, High Tea, Dinner 
Overnight:  Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge (Fully inclusive basis)

Why Savuti?

Dedication of two full days to Savuti allows for a deeper understanding of an ecosystem shaped by unpredictable water channels and intense wildlife interactions. Staying on the Ghoha Hills offers an elevated perspective that combines wide-angle views of animal movements with a quiet sense of isolation from busier safari routes.

Journey to the Water Wilderness

Savuti → Okavango Delta

Your final morning in Savuti offers flexibility based on your preference and subsequent flight scheduling. You may opt for a restful morning at the lodge, enjoying a full breakfast before your departure transfer, with the potential for a short, final game circuit en route to the airfield. Alternatively, you can choose an early morning departure to a nearby viewing hide, sharing coffee and traditional rusks as the bush awakens, before returning to the ridge for breakfast and your onward journey.

A light aircraft transfer of approximately 45 minutes carries you out of the arid Savuti landscape and over the expanding channels of the Okavango Delta. As the dry terrain gives way to an intricate network of waterways, islands, and floodplains, you will arrive at a private concession within the permanent delta region.

A short boat transfer delivers you to your next destination, situated on a wooded island overlooking a deep-water lagoon. After checking into your chalet, settle in for lunch on the open-air deck, shaded by a canopy of ancient trees. The afternoon transitions into your choice of the lodge's twice-daily activities, exploring the unique aquatic habitat by water or on foot.

As night falls, gather in the dining area for dinner overlooking the moonlit lagoon, followed by evening drinks as the sounds of the delta take over.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight:  Xugana Island Lodge (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why the Okavango Delta?

Transitioning from the ancient hills of Savuti to the deep-water channels of the Okavango Delta highlights the stark ecological contrasts of northern Botswana. Staying on a private island within this permanent water wilderness allows for an intimate exploration of the delta's quiet channels and diverse birdlife, completely removed from vehicle traffic.

Exploring the Permanent Waterways of the Delta

Two Full Days on Xugana Island

Over the next two full days, you will experience the quiet pace of life within the permanent deep-water region of the Okavango Delta. Operating from a private concession, your daily schedule follows the morning and afternoon rhythms of the wetlands, with a selection of water and land-based activities (two per day) led by professional guides:

• Motorboat Safaris: Navigate the deeper channels and winding waterways of the Delta. These excursions allow you to cover greater distances, weaving through papyrus-lined reed beds to explore open lagoons inhabited by hippos, crocodiles, and diverse water birds.

• Mokoro Excursions: Glide silently through the shallower channels and lily-dotted floodplains in a traditional dugout canoe (mokoro). Poled by an experienced guide, this quiet approach provides a close-up perspective of the Delta’s intricate details, such as reed frogs and aquatic flora.

• Guided Walking Safaris: Disembark onto surrounding islands for interpretive bush walks. Accompanied by two professional guides, walking in this water wilderness offers an opportunity to track larger mammalian species on foot and study the local ecology from the ground up.

• Sport & Fly Fishing: Explore the hidden world beneath the water's surface on a catch-and-release basis. Accompanied by expert guidance, you can test your skills against bream, catfish, or the powerful tigerfish. Basic equipment is provided by the lodge, though experienced anglers are welcome to bring their own gear.

Between activities, return to the island to rest. The lodge's multi-level viewing decks and the overwater fire-deck extend directly out over the Xugana Lagoon, providing comfortable vantage points to observe local wildlife and changing light conditions without leaving the camp.

Each day finishes with an evening meal served on the open-air dining deck, followed by drinks around the campfire at the edge of the lagoon.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight:  Xugana Island Lodge (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why Xugana Island?

A two-day stay at Xugana Island offers exposure to the Okavango Delta's primary permanent water site. The absence of standard vehicle safaris shifts the focus toward quieter, water-based exploration, emphasizing the acoustic and visual clarity of a pristine wetland ecosystem.

Shifting Horizons: Deeper into the Wetland

Okavango Delta  → Gunn’s Concession 

Begin your morning with a relaxed breakfast at the lodge, looking out over the quiet lagoon one final time. Afterward, step aboard a motorboat for a scenic farewell transfer along the winding channels back to the local island airfield.

A light aircraft flight of approximately 20 minutes takes you south, providing a brief but striking aerial view of the Delta's changing topography as you move toward the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve. Upon landing, a short transfer brings you to your next destination, an eco-conscious tented camp positioned on a palm-fringed island overlooking the Boro River and the plains of Chief’s Island.

Arrive in time to settle into your Meru-style safari tent, built on raised wooden decks to maximize views of the river. Lunch is served on the spacious, crescent-shaped main deck, where you can watch for elephants or plains game crossing the waterways below.

The afternoon marks your introduction to the concession's wilderness. You will join your guide for the first of your activities, exploring the dynamic environment by water or on foot.

Return to camp at twilight to freshen up before gathering around the campfire for pre-dinner drinks, followed by a meal served under a thatched open-air dining area.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight:  Moremi Crossing (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why Gunn’s Concession?

Positioned directly across from Chief’s Island, Moremi Crossing offers an authentic connection to one of the Delta's most game-rich areas. The camp's sustainable, solar-powered design complements its focus on traditional, low-impact exploration, allowing you to witness the movement of wildlife along the vital Boro River channel with minimal footprint.

Wetlands and Woodlands: A Terrestrial Focus

Two Full Days in the Gunn’s Concession

Over the next two full days, your exploration shifts toward the islands, floodplains, and diverse habitats of the Gunn’s Private Concession, which shares an unfenced boundary with the game-rich southern reaches of the Moremi Game Reserve. While water-based outings remain options during the flood season, your schedule prioritizes land-based tracking and ground-level interpretation, guided by a professional team who read the subtleties of this wilderness:

• Game Drives & Off-Road Tracking: Set out in open 4x4 vehicles with a dedicated guide and tracker team. Navigating through the dry land habitats and along the edges of the floodplains, your team can utilize off-road tracking capabilities to follow fresh footprints, bringing you closer to resident predator prides, wild dog packs, and larger herds of elephants or plains game.

• Night Drives: Venture out after the sun sets to monitor the nocturnal landscape. Using a spotlight, your tracker searches for active predators starting their hunts, alongside smaller, elusive species such as civets, genets, honey badgers, and springhares that are rarely seen during daylight hours.

• Interpretive Nature Walks: Disembark onto Chief's Island or surrounding major landmasses to examine the ecosystem from the ground up. Walking with an experienced tracker allows you to tune into the finer details of the bush—learning to identify animal tracks, understand botanical properties, and note birding behavior that is easily missed from a vehicle.

• Waterway Outings: When desired, complement your land excursions with traditional water activities. You can glide down the quiet channels in a mokoro (dugout canoe) to study the riverine flora and smaller aquatic life, or opt for a relaxed motorboat cruise along the Boro River.

Between your morning and afternoon excursions, return to the crescent-shaped main deck to rest. The camp’s expansive platforms look out across the river channel toward the open floodplains, creating a comfortable space to read, rest, or watch for animals traversing the water corridors below.

Each evening concludes with a relaxed dinner under the thatched dining area, followed by conversation around the open-air fire pit as the sounds of the Delta fill the night.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight:  Moremi Crossing (Fully Inclusive basis)

Why the Gunn’s Concession?

Spending two full days at Moremi Crossing with a land-focused approach provides a comprehensive look at the Delta’s dry-land interfaces. Utilizing a dedicated guide-and-tracker system allows for specialized tracking across varied terrain, balancing the intimate, slow-paced nature of foot safaris with the expansive reach of day and night off-road drives.

Departure from the Delta

Okavango Delta → Maun → International Departure

Enjoy your final morning coffee and a full breakfast on the main deck, watching the morning light filter through the palms along the Boro River. Following breakfast, a short road transfer returns you to the local airfield for your departure.

Your light aircraft flight takes off for a scenic 20-minute journey southward, watching the maze of delta waterways slowly recede into the semi-arid landscapes of mainland Botswana. The flight lands at Maun International Airport, where you will disembark and transition to the main terminal.

This regional bush flight is specifically scheduled to coordinate smoothly with your international check-in times, ensuring a seamless connection to your onward or long-haul flight home.

Meals Included: Breakfast
Overnight: — (In transit / international flight)

Why End in Maun?

Maun serves as the primary gateway to the Okavango Delta, offering efficient infrastructure that bridges remote wilderness camps with global aviation networks. Concluding your journey here allows for a timely, reliable transition from the bush to your international flight home without the need for an unnecessary overnight stay.