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Southern Africa: Namibia and Victoria Falls
12 days, Windhoek to Victoria Falls
Itinerary
Day 1Windhoek
Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.
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.
Airport Transfer
You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.
Day 2Windhoek/Sesriem
Leave the Namibian capital behind and travel to Sesriem. Enter the breathtaking Namib-Naukluft National Park searching for the creatures that call this land home. Arrive at our lodge and unwind by the pool as the sun casts a fiery glow over the desert landscape.
Take in the desert scenery around Sesriem and Sossusvlei and keep an eye out for wildlife as you pass by towering dunes and camel thorn trees.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 3Sesriem
Head out into one of Africa’s largest national parks and explore the Namib desert, the oldest desert in the world. Take pictures of camel thorn trees against the backdrop of massive dunes and visit the Sesriem Canyon.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
4x4
Roads? Where this rough-and-ready vehicle's going, we don't need roads.
Sossusvlei Dunes Visit
This area is famous for its high, red sand dunes. This clay and salt pan is surrounded by the dunes, making it a spectacularly beautiful sight with a remote and isolated feel.
Sesriem Canyon Visit
Enjoy a short stop at Sesriem Canyon, a small canyon typical of the area. The Tsauchab River flows through the canyon every five to ten years, and this creates the nearby salt and clay pan of Sossusvlei.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 4Sesriem/Swakopmund
Pass through desert landscapes as the group travels towards the coastal city of Swakopmund and search for wildlife along the way. Embark on a 4x4 drive through the desert with a local and learn how the bushmen survived in this harsh environment.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Living Desert Tour
Hop into a 4x4 vehicle and set out into the desert. An expert guide will point out signs of animal life and emphasize survival in the harsh desert landscape for both humans and animals.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 5Swakopmund
Take advantage of a free morning in Swakopmund and opt for a scenic flight over the Namib desert. Tour the Mondesa township with a local guide and visit the local market to learn about traditional foods. Then, visit an arts and crafts shop to speak with the locals and search for a special piece to take home. Tonight enjoy dinner at a family-run establishment.
Explore the town's unique mix of German and African culture and opt to visit curio shops, the museum and restaurants. Optional activities include sandboarding, or if you're feeling brave, skydiving.
Free Time
Enjoy a free morning in the historic coastal town of Swakopmund.
Mondesa Township Walk
Visit the community of Mondesa Township with an expert resident guide. Learn about its daily life, history and traditions through an immersive experience with the welcoming people that live here. Visit its lively market for an introduction to traditional foods like wild spinach, mopane worms, and dried kapenta fish. Also visit an arts-and-crafts shop that helps train the township’s youth in traditional crafts. Drop by a shebeen (tavern) to enjoy a favourite drink, and meet some local residents. Finally, continue on to a nearby family run establishment for dinner and local entertainment.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Swakopmund Skydiving
Buckle up your harness, practice your exit, then take a plane up and over the dunes of the Namib Desert. Take a deep breath, leap out and freefall with an instructor before he opens the parachute. Admire the view over the dunes as you descend and land safely back on the ground. Wow!
Skeleton Coast Scenic Flight
4800NAD per personTake in amazing views of bird life, shipwrecks, and one of the largest seal colonies in the world over the northern coastline. On the way back, see Namibia's highest mountain, Damaraland, and the picturesque Spitzkoppe rock formations from above.
Forbidden Coast Scenic Flight
4600NAD per personFly over the moon landscape, the Kuiseb river bed, and the fabulous dune formations to Conception Bay. This aerial view gives you great views of the seal colonies, flamingos, and shipwrecks below.
Sandboarding in the Namib Desert
700NAD per personHead out into the desert, grab a board, and surf the sand dunes. Choose to lie down headfirst, or stand up, surfer-style.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 6Swakopmund/Palmwag
View some of Africa’s largest concentrations of petroglyphs in Twyfelfontein, which also happens to be Namibia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. End today’s journey at our lodge in the Palmwag nature reserve.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Prehistoric Rock Engravings Guided Tour
Step back in time to see prehistoric rock engravings made during the early Stone Age. Their exact origin is uncertain, but these works depicting animals and hunters are probably the work of Bushmen or Nama artists estimated to have lived near Twyfelfontein at least 5,000 years ago. Marvel at the more than 2,500 rock carvings and paintings and understand why this is Namibia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 7Palmwag/Etosha National Park Area
Relax and unwind this morning at the lodge or opt to go on a guided walk into the reserve searching for desert-adapted creatures. Then, travel to Etosha National Park and settle into the lodge located just outside this wildlife sanctuary.
Free Time
Enjoy a free morning at the lodge, and opt for a safari walk or drive.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 8Etosha National Park Area
Etosha is home to some of the largest populations of lions, elephants, and other endangered species, which you will be able to search for on a full-day safari into the park. Eat lunch at one of the rest areas and take a swim to cool off before hopping back in the vehicle to continue looking for the wildlife that Africa is famous for.
After the vast desert, Etosha National Park offers a contrast of wide open grasslands, a massive salt pan that covers 4731km² and tall camel thorn trees intermixed with Mopani trees. Because of the park's diverse vegetation and natural waterholes, a lot of wildlife flocks here and the chances of observing elephants, lions, giraffes, and antelope are high. Depending on the season you could see flamingos in the salt pans and other migratory birds.
Etosha Open Vehicle Wildlife Safari Drive
Set off in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with a naturalist guide in search of the stunning wildlife in the park. Wildlife often come to the many watering holes to drink, so keep your eyes peeled for many animals on the move.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 9Etosha National Park Area/Windhoek
Today, embark on a visit to the Cheetah Conservation Fund for a tour of the facility to learn about the conservation and outreach work being done to protect this magnificent animal. Enjoy a drive through the grounds to see some of the rehabilitated cheetahs before travelling back to Windhoek for your final night.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Cheetah Conservation Experience
The Cheetah Conservation Fund is a global field research and education facility founded by Dr. Laurie Marker. Tour the centre and learn about the important conservation and community outreach work they perform as one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. One of the program’s researchers will give us a lecture before we head out on a cheetah drive to view some of these incredible creatures up close in their natural habitat. Conclude the experience by sitting down as a group for lunch on the veranda that overlooks the magnificent Waterberg Plateau.
Meals included:
Breakfast | LunchDay 10Windhoek/Victoria Falls
Hop on a flight to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, home to one of the most powerful waterfalls in the World. Go grocery shopping in a bustling market and then help a local family prepare the dinner you will share together as they tell stories about local life and culture.
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.
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.
Meals included:
Breakfast | DinnerDay 11Victoria Falls
Tour the magnificent Victoria Falls today, then opt for a scenic sunset cruise on the Zambezi River, soar above the falls in a helicopter, or take a day trip to Chobe National Park.
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 11 HideShow
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 12Victoria Falls
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.