AFRICA & NORTHERN AFRICA
Zimbabwe: Hwange, Victoria Falls | Zambia: Kafue or Mosi-oa-Tunya | Botswana: Chobe, Okavango Delta
Small groups of no more than 16 travelers, guaranteed
Elephants drink at a waterhole in Chobe National Park... a village near Hwange National Park welcomes your small group... the cascade of Victoria Falls roars in the distance... you and your travel companions exchange stories around a fire under a star-filled African sky. With 12 nights in tented camps and lodges, and up to 19 game-viewing drives, it's no wonder we call this our "ultimate" safari.
17 days starting from $6,595
including international airfare from New York
Single Supplement: FREE
Departure Dates: Jan-Dec
Activity Level: Moderately Easy
IT'S INCLUDED
- 15 nights accommodation
- International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
- 42 meals—15 breakfasts, 13 lunches, and 14 dinners
- 31 small group activities, including up to 19 game-viewing drives, boat cruises, and walks, plus park fees
- Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader and driver-guides
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, lodge and camp staff, driver-guides, and luggage porters
- Complimentary O.A.T. safari duffel bag and water bottle
- 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next adventure
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U.S.
Depart on an overnight flight to Johannesburg, South Africa.
DAY 2 • Arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa
Arrive in Johannesburg before flying to Victoria Falls tomorrow. Meet your fellow travelers at the hotel, including those on the optional Karongwe Private Game Reserve pre-trip extension.
Southern Sun O.R. Tambo International Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Fly to Victoria Falls • Hwange National Park • Game-viewing drive
Fly to Victoria Falls, then drive to our lodge on a private reserve within Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. Enjoy a short afternoon game-viewing drive.
Meals: B,D | Kashawe Tented Camp or similar
DAY 4 • Hwange • Game-viewing drives
Enjoy morning and evening game-viewing drives and learn how this habitat became an elephant refuge. Meals: B,L,D | Kashawe Tented Camp or similar
DAY 5 • GCF visit: St. Mary's School • A Day in the Life of a Hwange village • Game-viewing drive
Meet with students at St. Mary's Primary school (when in session), supported by 
Grand Circle Foundation. Then, enjoy A Day in the Life of a village near Hwange National Park and tour the community with a village elder, meet a local family, and participate in traditional farming activities. Later, enjoy a game-viewing drive.
Meals: B,L,D | Kashawe Tented Camp or similar
DAY 6 • Livingstone • Controversial Topic: Is Zimbabwe's educational system in crisis? • Kafue, Zambia • Game-viewing drive
On our drive to Livingstone, Zambia, learn about the Controversial Topic of the contemporary crisis in Zimbabwe's educational system. Then, take a light aircraft transfer to Kafue National Park. Later, set out on a game-viewing drive. Please note: Winter departures spend Days 6-8 in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, with minor itinerary changes.
Meals: B,L,D | Lufupa Tented Camp or similar
DAY 7 • Kafue National Park • Conversation about trophy hunting
Enjoy two game-viewing excursions during the early morning and late afternoon when the wildlife is most active. Also, learn about trophy hunting in sub-Saharan Africa with a game ranger and a safari guide. Meals: B,L,D | Lufupa Tented Camp or similar
DAY 8 • Kafue National Park
Two more game-viewing excursions await at Kafue, along with opportunities to fish along the river banks and a sundowner cruise.
Meals: B,L,D | Lufupa Tented Camp or similar
DAY 9 • Fly to Livingstone • Transfer to Chobe National Park • Game-viewing drive
Fly by light aircraft to Livingstone, and travel by road and boat to Chobe National Park. This evening, take a game-viewing drive before dinner.
Meals: B,L,D| Baobab Safari Lodge or similar
DAY 10 • Chobe National Park
Explore Chobe National Park during both morning and afternoon game-viewing drives. Then, meet with local women of Mabele Village, who will show us the intricate craft of basket-weaving.
Meals: B,L,D | Baobab Safari Lodge or similar
DAY 11 • Chobe National Park • Game-viewing drive • Conversation about poaching
Enjoy a full day of game-viewing and join a veteran game ranger for a conversation about whether Botswana should reinstate its "shoot to kill" anti-poaching policy. Then, have a traditional braai (barbecue) served around the campfire. Meals: B,L,D | Baobab Safari Lodge or similar
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Day 5, experience A Day in the Life of a Hwange village and visit one of three local schools supported by Grand Circle Foundation.
DAY 12 • Fly to Okavango Delta • Game-viewing drives
Fly to Okavango Delta, and then enjoy a game-viewing drive before reaching our camp, followed by another game-viewing drive later in the afternoon. Meals: B,L,D | Santawani Camp or similar
DAY 13 • Okavango Delta • Game-viewing drives
Explore the Okavango Delta by mokoro canoe (if conditions permit) in smaller groups, followed by a game-viewing drive. After lunch back in the camp, enjoy an afternoon game-viewing drive in a nearby savannah. Meals: B,L,D | Santawani Camp or similar
DAY 14 • Okavango Delta • Game-viewing drives
Continue your search for wildlife in the Okavango Delta region on a game-viewing drive. This afternoon, set off on another game-viewing drive in the Delta's neighboring savannah aboard open-air safari vehicles. Meals: B,L,D | Santawani Camp or similar
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
Spend 12 nights in tented camps and safari lodges, with most days featuring morning and afternoon game-viewing drives for an authentic African safari experience.
DAY 15 • Fly to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe • Home-Hosted Dinner
Board a flight to Kasane, then transfer by road to Victoria Falls. Then, take a walking tour of Victoria Falls—the largest curtain of water in the world. This evening, visit a nearby village for a Home-Hosted Dinner featuring a typical Zimbabwean family meal, cooked over an open fire.
Meals: B,L,D | Shearwater's Explorers Village or similar
DAY 16 • Victoria Falls • Optional Tours
Today is yours to do as you wish. Or, you can join one of three optional tours: a visit to an elephant orphanage, a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, or a tour of the historic Victoria Falls railway bridge. Later, enjoy a Farewell Dinner while cruising along the Zambezi River.
Meals: B,L,D | Shearwater's Explorers Village or similar
DAY 17 • Return to U.S.
Gather for a talk on the life of David Livingstone before we drive to the airport for your flight home, or continue on to your post-trip extension to Cape Town & the Cape of Good Hope.
Meals: B
Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www.oattravel.com/bot
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension—or both to your adventure.
Karongwe Private Game Reserve: Quest for Southern Africa's Big 5
PRE-TRIP: 4 nights from $2,595
South Africa's private game reserves boast more than 500 bird species and 140 species of mammals, including the famed "Big Five." Enjoy rustic accommodations at Karongwe Game Reserve, staying in a private, isolated area, where you can go off-road in search of elusive wildlife without the crowds.
IT'S INCLUDED
- 4 nights accommodation
- 10 meals—4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners
- 6 game-viewing activities
- Gratuities for your local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
- All transfers
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/bot-gamereserve-2026
Cape Town & the Cape of Good Hope
POST-TRIP: 4 nights from $1,995
Discover the distinct contrast of the cosmopolitan heart of Cape Town and the natural wonders that surround it as you explore Table Mountain, the Cape of Good Hope, and witness the amazing social transformation of the "Rainbow Nation."
IT'S INCLUDED
- Airfare to Cape Town
- 4 nights accommodation
- 6 meals—4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 Home-Hosted Dinner
- 3 small group activities
- Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
- All transfers
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/bot-capetown-2026
ARRIVE EARLY
We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip. Price shown includes accommodations and private airport transfer.
- Arrive early in Johannesburg before your Karongwe pre-trip extension and before your main adventure from $130 per room, per night