Botswana Highlights: Self-Launched Victoria Falls, Okavango Delta & Chobe Safari
10 days · Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia (Caprivi Strip)
Intrepid Travel charges £3,320
No-markup version: ~£1,520 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Intrepid's 10-day Botswana Highlights loop out of Victoria Falls, covering the same ground: Victoria Falls, Elephant Sands, the Okavango Delta (mokoro safari + island bush walk), the Namibian Caprivi Strip and Divundu (Living Museum of the Khwe, Okavango River cruise), and Chobe National Park. Instead of a guided group truck, you piece it together with the excellent network of local safari shuttles, shared 4x4 transfers, African coach/van services, and community camp and lodge bookings. You stay in camping/lodge equivalents (tented camps, self-catering chalets, community campsites), self-book mokoro trips and Chobe game drives directly with Maun and Kasane operators, and see the same wildlife for roughly a third to a half of the tour price. Note: distances are long and roads are potholed — budget realistic travel days, or pay a little extra to fly Maun–Kasane/Odibo if you want to skip the worst driving.
Day-by-day
Arrive Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) — falls and wildlife trust
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly or bus into Victoria Falls (VFA) and settle into a budget lodge or backpackers in Victoria Falls town (e.g. camp/hostel options around £15-25/night for a dorm, £35-55 double). Walk to the Victoria Falls Rainforest Park entrance (~US$45 entry, pay at gate) and do the falls viewpoints yourself at your own pace. In the afternoon, book a visit to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (direct or via a local operator, ~£15-25) — the community wildlife/non-profit equivalent of the included activity on the tour. Swap cash to US$ (accepted everywhere here) and pick up a local SIM (Econet/NetOne, ~£3-8).
🚌Airport shuttle/transfer to town ~US$10; everything in town is walkable or a short taxi (~US$3-5)
🛏Backpackers/budget lodge, Victoria Falls town
- →Victoria Falls Rainforest Park self-guided walk
- →Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust visit
- →Falls viewpoint circuit
Victoria Falls to Elephant Sands via Kazungula & Chobe Forest Reserve
Elephant Sands, Botswana
Take a shared/low-cost transfer across the Kazungula border into Kasane (the Kazungula Bridge crossing is straightforward; visa fees for Zimbabwe/Botswana payable at the border). Pre-book a seat on a Kasane–Nata shuttle or shared safari-transfer minibus and ask to be dropped at Elephant Sands (~40 km north of Nata) — most Kasane-Nata operators do a drop-off here for ~US$30-45. Check into Elephant Sands lodge's own campsite or budget chalet. Self-book their elephant-watering-hole-facing camping and do a guided bush walk through their private conservancy (~US$25) — this is exactly the operator-run activity the tour uses. Elephants often wander right through camp in the evening.
🚌Shared transfer Victoria Falls→Kasane ~US$20-30; Kasane→Nata/Elephant Sands shared shuttle ~US$30-45
🛏Elephant Sands campsite / budget chalet (Botswana Pula ~£10-20)
- →Kazungula border crossing
- →Elephant Sands private conservancy guided bush walk (booked direct)
Elephant Sands to Maun
Maun, Botswana
Long travel day on the A3 south — the same drive the tour makes. Catch a shared Nata–Maun bus/minivan (leave early; ~5-6 hrs, ~£10-15) or a pre-booked backpacker shuttle. Arrive Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, and check into a backpackers/campsite (e.g. Maun backpackers/camp cabins ~£12-25/night). In the afternoon shop and book your Delta trip for the next two days directly with a Maun mokoro operator (community trust or independent poler, typically £90-150 pp for a two-day/one-night mokoro + island camping trip including meals). Optionally book a scenic helicopter flight over the Delta (~US$250) for tomorrow or in place of it.
🚌Shared bus/minivan Nata→Maun ~£10-15 (5-6 hrs); pre-booked shuttle ~£20-25
🛏Maun backpackers / self-catering camp
- →Scenic transfer through Botswana cattle country
- →Book mokoro & Chobe safari directly in Maun
Maun to the Okavango Delta (Guma Lagoon side)
Okavango Delta (Guma Lagoon / panhandle)
Join your pre-booked 4x4 transfer from Maun into the Delta panhandle to Guma Lagoon (or a similar poler-owned camp), about 2-3 hrs, arranged as part of your two-day mokoro package. Guma Lagoon has its own boat station and campsite/chalets with self-catering — a close equivalent to the tour's basic Delta lodge. Afternoon is free for a swim, lagoon-side sunset and a self-catered braai. Alternatively take the public/budget route: a shared 4x4 to Sepopa/Etsha and a boat shuttle across to the lagoon.
🚌4x4 transfer Maun→Guma Lagoon (included in mokoro package) or shared 4x4 + boat shuttle ~£35-60
🛏Guma Lagoon campsite / basic self-catering chalet
- →Delta panhandle arrival
- →Lagoon-side sunset braai
Okavango Delta mokoro safari and island walk
Okavango Delta
Full day on the water with your poler-guide: paddle through papyrus beds and lagoons in a traditional mokoro (the same experience the tour includes), take a nature/bush walk on a Delta island to spot zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and birds, and finish with a sunset cruise on the lagoon. Bring your own water, snacks and sun protection — Delta camps are basic. If you want the highlight without camping overnight, many Maun operators sell this as a day trip (~£75-95). Overnight back at Guma Lagoon camp.
🚌Mokoro and boat provided by poler-operator (included in package)
🛏Guma Lagoon campsite / basic chalet
- →Mokoro safari through papyrus and lagoons
- →Guided nature walk on a Delta island
- →Sunset boat cruise on the Okavango
Okavango Delta to the Caprivi Strip (Divundu, Namibia)
Divundu / Okavango River, Namibia
Travel day out of the Delta and over the Namibia border into the Caprivi Strip. Easiest self-launched route: 4x4 back to Maun, then a Mohembo-border shuttle/minibus via Shakawe to Rundu or Divundu — this is long and awkward, so the pragmatic option is a shared Safari Air/budget flight Maun→Katima Mulilo or Kasane→Katima (~£130-180) then a shared taxi to Divundu (~£20-30). Spot game along the Mahango Game Reserve road and arrive on the Okavango River. Stay in a riverside campsite or budget lodge in Divundu (e.g. community camp/chalet ~£15-30) and self-cater or eat at the camp kitchen.
🚌4x4 back to Maun + shared transfer via Mohembo border (~£40-60), or budget flight + shared taxi (~£150-210)
🛏Divundu riverside campsite / budget lodge
- →Cross into Namibia via Mohembo/Shakawe
- →Mahango Game Reserve roadside wildlife
- →Okavango River sunset
Divundu & the Caprivi Strip — Khwe Living Museum and river cruise
Divundu, Namibia
Morning visit to the Living Museum of the Khwe near Divundu (entry ~NAD 150-250, ~£7-12; a self-bookable community project — call ahead or ask your lodge to arrange a guide). Join the hands-on activities the tour offers as extras: arrow forging, papyrus bracelet braiding, and a short guided bush walk with a Khwe tracker (~£10-20 total). In the late afternoon take a sunset boat cruise on the Okavango River (Divundu lodges run these, ~£25-35, watch for hippo and elephant on the banks). Second night in Divundu.
🚌Local guide pickups/lodge shuttle; walks on foot
🛏Divundu riverside campsite / budget lodge
- →Living Museum of the Khwe
- →Khwe arrow forging & papyrus bracelet braiding
- →Guided bush walk with local tracker
- →Sunset Okavango River cruise
Divundu to Kasane (Chobe National Park)
Kasane, Botswana
Travel the Caprivi east: shared taxi or minibus Divundu→Katima Mulilo (~£8-12, 2-3 hrs), then a shared taxi or cross-border shuttle Katima Mulilo→Kasane via Ngoma bridge (~£15-25). Check into a Kasane backpackers/lodge or campsite (dorm ~£15-20, double/camp ~£30-45). In Kasane town you can walk down to the riverfront and see elephant and hippo from the shore, or pay to swim/relax at a lodge pool. Book your Chobe game drive and sunset cruise for tomorrow directly with a Kasane operator (or buy your own Chobe park entry at the gate — park fees ~BWP 120 + vehicle fee).
🚌Shared taxi Divundu→Katima Mulilo ~£10; shared shuttle/taxi Katima Mulilo→Kasane ~£20
🛏Kasane backpackers / campsite
- →Ngoma border crossing
- →Kasane riverfront wildlife spotting
- →Book Chobe safari direct in Kasane
Chobe National Park — game drive and river cruise
Chobe National Park, Kasane
Full safari day, matching the tour's included activities. Morning: open 4x4 game drive in Chobe National Park (bookable via Klook/GetYourGuide or any Kasane operator; a 3-hr morning drive ~£40-60 including park fees — Chobe has the largest elephant population on earth, plus lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe and sable). Afternoon: sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River (~£30-45) for huge elephant herds and hippo. Consider swapping one to a full-day drive into the park's Savuti side for more predator sightings if your budget allows. Self-catered dinner or a cheap local braai in Kasane.
🚌Operator 4x4 pickup from Kasane accommodation; boat cruise from Kasane jetty (both included in activity price)
🛏Kasane backpackers / campsite
- →Open-vehicle morning game drive in Chobe
- →Chobe River sunset cruise
- →Optional Savuti extension
Kasane to Victoria Falls — falls, rafting or a last look
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Cross back over the Kazungula border to Victoria Falls on a shared minibus/taxi/shuttle (~US$20-30, 1.5-2 hrs). If you have time before your flight: revisit the falls in the early light, book a white-water rafting day on the Zambezi (~£100-120) or a canoe trip, take a Victoria Falls Bridge tour (~US$68), or just stroll the town and visit the craft market. Fly home or continue independently from VFA/LVI. This mirrors the tour's final day, which returns you to Victoria Falls.
🚌Shared shuttle/minibus Kasane→Victoria Falls ~£18-25; airport transfer ~£8-10
🛏Not included on final day (or last night backpackers if needed)
- →Optional Zambezi white-water rafting
- →Victoria Falls Bridge tour
- →Craft market and town wander
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,520 | £3,320 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,800 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,520
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Botswana Highlights: Self-Launched Victoria Falls, Okavango Delta & Chobe Safari cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,520 per person for 10 days in Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia (Caprivi Strip). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £3,320 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,520 — a saving of roughly £1,800 (54%) per person.
How long is the Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia (Caprivi Strip) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia (Caprivi Strip).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, backpacker trip through Botswana, Zimbabwe & Namibia (Caprivi Strip), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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