Journeys: Explore Kruger & Victoria Falls
9 days, Johannesburg to Victoria Falls
Itinerary Notes
Please note that if you opt to go on the Chobe National Park Full Day Excursion then your visit to Victoria Falls will happen on the final morning of tour. Please book any onward travel no earlier than 11AM.
Itinerary
Day 1Johannesburg
Arrive at any time. Transfer to hotel. Enjoy a traditional South African braai (barbecue) welcome dinner.
Our accommodation is in the Rosebank area, just north of central Johannesburg. The hotel is conveniently located, should you have additional time. Taxi's can be easily arranged to get you around.
If you are interested in spending more time in Johannesburg, it is recommended to book pre-accommodation to enjoy the sights of the city at your own leisure.
Arrival Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting
The adventure begins tonight. Feel free to explore before your welcome meeting, but make sure you’re back in time to meet the group. Check for the meeting time on the welcome note at the hotel. After introductions, your CEO will review the details of your tour. Please note that normal check-in times apply at our start hotels, but you can usually store your luggage for the day if you arrive early.
Your Foodie Moment: Traditional South Africa Braai (Barbecue)
Enjoy a spread of grilled meats, vegetables, homemade salads, and the opportunity to taste some of the South African flavours after your welcome meeting.
Accommodation
Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.
Safari Club SA (or similar)
Meals included:
DinnerDay 2Johannesburg/Greater Kruger Area
Enjoy a full day scenic drive along the famed Panorama Route with stops at Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window. Continue to our tented camp located near the Kruger National Park and this evening enjoy a delicious South African dinner in the boma.
Today is a very long driving day; however, we will make many stops along the way at sites along the Panorama Route.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Panorama Route Scenic Drive
Enjoy a scenic drive along the famed Panorama Route. You’ll see magnificent mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, and waterfalls. There will also be stops at Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes, and God's Window.
Accommodation
Muluwa Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 3Kruger National Park
Enjoy a morning wildlife safari drive through Kruger National Park in an open vehicle. Take in views of the abundant wildlife including elephants, lions, and giraffe. In the afternoon, opt to extend your safari drive or head back to the lodge where you can take a short nature walk or relax on the deck with views of the surrounding area.
At over 19,000 sq km (7,500 sq mi), South Africa’s Kruger National Park is one of the largest and most impressive animal reserves in the world. With 147 species, Kruger has more species of large mammals than any other park on the continent.
Safari Vehicle
Get a better view and take better snapshots aboard this off-road ride.
Kruger National Park Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive - Half day
Hop in a 4x4 safari vehicle and get yourself one step closer to the surrounding nature. Be ready to spot elephants, giraffes, hippos, lions, zebras, and many other species in this impressive South African national park.
Free Time
Opt to take an optional afternoon safari drive or nature walk.
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Muluwa Nature Walk
100ZAR per personHead out on a guided walk to explore the extensive estate of the Muluwa Lodge. Enjoy the diverse scenery of the Lowveld, and keep an eye out for the 'plains' wildlife that graze close to the lodge.
Kruger National Park - Afternoon Safari Extension
500ZAR per personAfter an included lunch in the National Park, continue your safari drive in 4x4 safari vehicles.
Accommodation
Muluwa Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 4Greater Kruger Area/Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Continue on to a private nature reserve in the Greater Kruger area. This afternoon, meet with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Cheetah Metapopulation Project who will share information about their efforts to protect cheetahs and other carnivores. This National Geographic-sponsored project is part of the Big Cats Initiative. After, the researcher will join us on our evening wildlife safari drive.
For the next two days, enjoy ranger-led morning and evening wildlife safari drives in an open safari vehicle in Karongwe Nature Reserve. Search for buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinos – Africa's famed Big Five. With over 9,000 hectares (22,240 acres) of supreme African bushveld, Karongwe Private Game Reserve is home to many creatures, and our safari drives provide several opportunities for wildlife viewing.
We use various accommodations within the reserve (the location is based on availability). During your time here, you will either stay in lodge rooms or very comfortable permanent tents (both of equal quality and with similar amenities).
Wildlife safari drives are conducted with qualified wildlife rangers and local expert trackers who will share their vast experience of the African bush.
On some occasions, if space is unavailable, we may need to change accommodations or even use a different private reserve. In such a case, be assured we will choose other lodges or comfort camps (of equal quality) within the Greater Kruger area.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Carnivore Conservation Experience
Meet with a researcher from the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Cheetah Range Expansion Project. Listen to a talk about cheetahs here and the important research this project is doing. We will also discuss conservation within parks and reserves in South Africa and National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative. You will then be accompanied by the researcher on a wildlife safari drive to give you more insight into cheetahs and other carnivores.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Karongwe Portfolio - Chisomo Safari Camp (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5Karongwe Private Game Reserve
Enjoy early morning and afternoon safari drives with our local guides, searching for buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions, and rhinos – Africa's famed "big five". In our down time, relax at the camp, take a walk around the grounds, or enjoy a cool drink on the deck.
Wake up before the sun (around 5am) and sip your morning coffee before heading out on a morning wildlife safari drive. Return to the lodge for brunch and some leisure time. Converse on the deck, walk the grounds and gardens, and enjoy high tea. Following tea, it's time for a late afternoon safari drive. After spotting tons of wildlife, it’s time to return to camp and freshen up before dinner.
Karongwe Private Reserve Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
Jump into a safari 4x4 and keep your eyes open for fantastic wildlife encounters. Wildlife safari drives are conducted with qualified wildlife rangers and local expert trackers; both will share their vast experience of the African bush.
Free Time
Relax and enjoy some down time between wildlife safari drives.
Accommodation
Karongwe Portfolio - Chisomo Safari Camp (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6Karongwe Private Game Reserve/Johannesburg
After one last wildlife safari drive, head back to the city. In the evening, enjoy dinner at our local guest house.
Karongwe Private Reserve Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
Jump into a safari 4x4 and keep your eyes open for fantastic wildlife encounters. Wildlife safari drives are conducted with qualified wildlife rangers and local expert trackers; both will share their vast experience of the African bush.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Accommodation
Safari Club SA (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Johannesburg/Victoria Falls
Fly to Zimbabwe and meet our local CEO. Gain insight into what life is like here with a walk through a local market and dinner at a family homestead. Meet our host, learn their history, and discuss daily life and culture in Zimbabwe. Share stories as you enjoy a traditional Zimbabwean dinner.
The mist off Victoria Falls can rise to a height of more than 400m (1312 ft). Local tribes used to call the falls Mosi-o-Tunya or “the smoke that thunders.” Explorer and missionary David Livingstone renamed the falls after Queen Victoria when he first saw them in 1855.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Zimbabwean Family Dinner
Flatter Ncube is the head of her family which includes two sisters and numerous children. She’s the youngest of a family of 10 and, now in her early 40s, lives in the village she was raised in near Victoria Falls. There she takes care of her extended family on their homestead, which she and they have been proudly building by hand, brick by brick, for years. Flatter’s story highlights that life isn’t easy in Africa, but despite its challenges, there is much love and laughter and a strong sense of family here.
Visit Flatter’s homestead in her rural village; meet her and some of her family, and walk with some of them throughout the property, among the fruit and vegetable plants the family grows for consumption. (They even plant hot chillies among the vegetables to discourage nosy elephants.) Then help the family prepare a traditional Zimbabwean dinner, which we'll all eat together outside on the property, weather permitting. Ingredients for the meal will have been hand-selected earlier in the day, at the bustling and friendly local village market.
This experience offers great insight into typical African life, and ultimately reinforce how we all really want and need the same things in life: a stable home full of love, a good education, and plenty of opportunity for our children.
Accommodation
Cresta Sprayview Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 8Victoria Falls
Enjoy a morning tour of the beautiful Victoria Falls, then the rest of the day is free to explore the area. Take part in a river safari, cultural tours, whitewater rafting, canoeing, or a helicopter ride over the falls.
If you have an activity planned for this morning, we will reschedule your Falls tour for this afternoon, or tomorrow morning.
Victoria Falls Tour
Head out for an unforgettable experience at Victoria Falls. Explore the rainforest and learn about the geology, history, and local legends of this world wonder. After your immersion, get up close to the falls and discover the beauty of “the smoke that thunders.” Be sure to have your camera ready!
Optional Activities - Day 8 HideShow
Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
57USD per personClimb aboard and cruise along the beautiful Zambezi River. Enjoy some snacks, drinks, a festive atmosphere, and gorgeous views of the sunset. It's the ideal way to end an eventful day in Victoria Falls.
Please note that National Park Fees are included at 10 USD per person.
Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 25min
284USD per personYou don't want to miss the opportunity to see Victoria Falls from above. Watch the Zambezi River make its way toward the gorge and form the largest waterfall in the world. During your 25 minute ride, you will have time to take in the incredible views over the falls, Livingstone Island, and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park while snapping as many pictures as you like. This extended ride also includes time flying over the vast and towering walls of the Batoka Gorge. You may be lucky enough to see some giraffes and elephants in the surrounding landscape and even catch a rainbow over the falls. Includes pick-up and drop-off from hotel and a 25min flight.
Please note there is a cost for an additional park fee paid for on-site at time of the activity.
Canoeing the Zambezi
160USD per personOpt to canoe above the Falls on the upper Zambezi for a unique and tranquil bird and animal sighting experience.
Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15 Mins
You don't want to miss the opportunity to see Victoria Falls from above. Watch the Zambezi River make its way toward the gorge and form the largest waterfall in the world. During your 15-minute ride, you will have time to take in the incredible views over the falls, Livingstone Island, and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park while snapping as many pictures as you like. You may be lucky enough to see some giraffes and elephants in the surrounding landscape and even catch a rainbow over the falls. Includes pick-up and drop-off from hotel and a 12-15min flight.
Please note there is a cost for an additional park fee paid for on-site at time of the activity.
Zambezi Bungee Jump
168USD per personGet the adrenaline pumping with a bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge over the Zambezi River. Hear the rush of Victoria Falls as you enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.
Victoria Falls Whitewater Rafting
120USD per personTake the opportunity to go whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River while Victoria Falls roars above. Depart in the morning and navigate through the canyon that forms the famous falls. The dramatic rapids will fill you with excitement and complete your experience. Includes a full-day of rafting on class III-V rapids, transfers, and lunch.
Please note: River conditions and activity pricing vary depending on the seasons. High water season is from about February to July. Low water season generally runs from August to January each year - this is when the Zambezi is at its very wildest. The "closed season" is dependent on the season’s rains, and usually is from March to April; during this time rafting on the river is not permitted. Additionally, this activity requires passengers to hike down and up the Batoka Gorge (approx. 45 minutes each way) to access the river; an average level of fitness is required.
This activity price excludes a $10 park entrance fee.
Accommodation
Cresta Sprayview Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Victoria Falls
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.
Optional Activities - Day 9 HideShow
Standard Zambezi River Sunset Cruise
Jump on a boat and cruise on the beautiful Zambezi River. Enjoy some snacks, drinks, a festive atmosphere, and, of course, gorgeous views of the sunset.
Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 25min
284USD per personYou don't want to miss the opportunity to see Victoria Falls from above. Watch the Zambezi River make its way toward the gorge and form the largest waterfall in the world. During your 25 minute ride, you will have time to take in the incredible views over the falls, Livingstone Island, and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park while snapping as many pictures as you like. This extended ride also includes time flying over the vast and towering walls of the Batoka Gorge. You may be lucky enough to see some giraffes and elephants in the surrounding landscape and even catch a rainbow over the falls. Includes pick-up and drop-off from hotel and a 25min flight.
Please note there is a cost for an additional park fee paid for on-site at time of the activity.
Microlight Flight over Victoria Falls
360USD per personTake a 12-15 Microlight flight over the falls to get an unparalleled, unobstructed view of the spectacular gorge that the Zambezi River has carved into the surrounding landscape over thousands of years.
Please note that this activity takes place in Livingstone, Zambia and visa fees are not included in the price of this activity.
Canoeing the Zambezi
160USD per personOpt to canoe above the Falls on the upper Zambezi for a unique and tranquil bird and animal sighting experience.
Full Day Excursion to Chobe National Park
Depart Victoria Falls in the morning for a full-day guided tour of Chobe National Park in Botswana - a wildlife-abundant region covering about 11,700km² of the Northern Kalahari. Begin your adventure with a cruise down the Chobe River, taking in the sweeping views and witnessing the wildlife grazing along the riverbank. Enjoy an included lunch on land before boarding 4x4 safari vehicles for an afternoon wildlife safari drive with an expert guide. Keep an eye out for lions, elephants, and buffalos. Transfer back to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, arriving in the early evening. Please note that this activity includes two border crossings between Zimbabwe and Botswana. The ordering of activities is susceptible to change.
** Please note that you need to get a double-entry visa or a Univisa when arriving in Zimbabwe to ensure you can return again without needing to pay an extra visa fee.
Victoria Falls Helicopter Ride - 15 Mins
You don't want to miss the opportunity to see Victoria Falls from above. Watch the Zambezi River make its way toward the gorge and form the largest waterfall in the world. During your 15-minute ride, you will have time to take in the incredible views over the falls, Livingstone Island, and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park while snapping as many pictures as you like. You may be lucky enough to see some giraffes and elephants in the surrounding landscape and even catch a rainbow over the falls. Includes pick-up and drop-off from hotel and a 12-15min flight.
Please note there is a cost for an additional park fee paid for on-site at time of the activity.
Victoria Falls Whitewater Rafting
120USD per personTake the opportunity to go whitewater rafting on the Zambezi River while Victoria Falls roars above. Depart in the morning and navigate through the canyon that forms the famous falls. The dramatic rapids will fill you with excitement and complete your experience. Includes a full-day of rafting on class III-V rapids, transfers, and lunch.
Please note: River conditions and activity pricing vary depending on the seasons. High water season is from about February to July. Low water season generally runs from August to January each year - this is when the Zambezi is at its very wildest. The "closed season" is dependent on the season’s rains, and usually is from March to April; during this time rafting on the river is not permitted. Additionally, this activity requires passengers to hike down and up the Batoka Gorge (approx. 45 minutes each way) to access the river; an average level of fitness is required.
This activity price excludes a $10 park entrance fee.