Self-Launched: Best of Africa's Wildlife — Cape Town, Kruger, Hwange & Chobe
16 days · South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana
G Adventures charges £3,950
No-markup version: ~£2,450 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of G Adventures' 16-day Cape Town–Kruger–Victoria Falls–Hwange–Chobe safari, booked as you go rather than as a fixed group departure. You'll ride the cable car up Table Mountain, reach Kruger's Greater Kruger area via an overnight Baz Bus shuttle or budget flight, join shared open-vehicle game drives, catch the mist of Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwean side, and finish with guided Hwange and Chobe River safaris booked direct with local operators. You lose the 14-person group companionship and the included internal flights — so budget for three regional flights (or swap in a very long overnight bus) — but you keep the same parks, the same wildlife, and put roughly £1,300–£1,600 back in your pocket. Costs are rough backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP, not quotes; safari lodges and park fees in Zimbabwe and Botswana are the big variables.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Land at Cape Town International and take the MyCiTi bus or a ~R250 (£11) metered taxi into the City Bowl. Base yourself in a hostel in Green Point or along Long Street — dorms run £15–22 a night. Spend the evening wandering the V&A Waterfront or Bree Street's food strip, and pre-book your Table Mountain cable car ticket online for tomorrow to skip the queue.
🚌MyCiTi bus or taxi from airport ~£10–12
🛏Hostel dorm or private twin, Green Point / City Bowl (approx. £18)
- →Airport transfer to City Bowl
- →Evening walk along V&A Waterfront
- →Pre-book Table Mountain cable car online
Table Mountain & Cape Town coastline
Cape Town, South Africa
Get to the Lower Cable Station early (it opens 08:30) — the cable car is about R420 (£18) return, and hike the contour paths on top for the classic views over the Atlantic Seaboard. Afternoon: pick one of Cape Town's self-bookable options — a GetYourGuide Cape Point full-day tour (~£60), a Hout Bay kayak session (~£65), or simply take the City Sightline hop-on-hop-off bus around the peninsula. Grab a cheap dinner in Bo-Kaap.
🚌Uber/taxi to cableway ~£4 each way
🛏Hostel dorm or private twin, City Bowl (approx. £18)
- →Table Mountain cable car up and down
- →Rim hiking trails on the summit
- →Optional: Cape Point day tour or Hout Bay kayaking
Fly or shuttle to Johannesburg
Cape Town → Johannesburg, South Africa
Book a budget carrier (FlySafair, Lift or Airlink) Cape Town–Joburg, roughly £45–75 one way if booked a few weeks out; the alternative is a 20-hour Intercape/Greyhound coach (~£35) which eats a day. Fly in the morning and use the afternoon to explore Maboneng or the Apartheid Museum. Stay in a hostel in Melville or Rosebank with a free airport shuttle, and stock up on snacks for the Kruger transfer.
🚌Gautrain from OR Tambo to Rosebank ~£8; domestic flight ~£60
🛏Hostel in Melville or Rosebank (approx. £22)
- →Domestic flight CPT–JNB
- →Optional: Apartheid Museum (~£6) or Maboneng precinct walk
Into the Greater Kruger area
Johannesburg → Hazyview / Greater Kruger, South Africa
Skip the private coach. Take a Baz Bus or shuttle service from Joburg to Hazyview (roughly £28–35, 6–7 hours, morning departure), which drops at the backpackers along the R40. Check into a Hazyview backpacker lodge or bush camp (dorms £14–20, safari tents similar) and sort your game drives for the next three days with the lodge or a local operator — a shared open-vehicle morning or sunset drive runs about £40–55 each.
🚌Baz Bus/shuttle ~£32
🛏Backpacker lodge or safari tent, Hazyview (approx. £18)
- →Baz Bus/shuttle Joburg–Hazyview
- →Book shared Kruger game drives with the lodge
Kruger sunrise & sunset game drives
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Big safari day. Do a sunrise open-vehicle drive through Kruger's southern or central circuits (booked through your lodge, ~£45), return for lunch and a rest, then head out again for a sunset drive (~£45) that ends with spotlighting on the way back. Self-cater 'braai' style at the backpackers — buy meat and wood at the Hazyview Spar for about £8 — for the same taste G Adventures' included barbecue gives you.
🚌Included in game drive pickups
🛏Backpacker lodge or safari tent, Hazyview (approx. £18)
- →Sunrise open-vehicle game drive in Kruger
- →Sunset/spotlighting game drive
- →Self-catered braai at the lodge
Full-day Kruger safari
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Book a full-day shared safari in a closed 4x4 with a SANParks-registered guide — GetYourGuide and local Hazyview operators run these at about £55–80 including park entry and a packed lunch. The full day gets you deeper into the park than the two-hour drives, with a good shot at lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. Evening: quiet dinner at the lodge.
🚌Included in safari vehicle
🛏Backpacker lodge or safari tent, Hazyview (approx. £18)
- →Full-day guided safari drive in Kruger National Park
- →Big Five spotting and birding
Panorama Route or second Kruger day
Hazyview / Blyde River Canyon, South Africa
Choose your own adventure. Option A: another 4x4 safari day (~£55). Option B (cheaper and highly recommended): join a shared Panorama Route day trip (~£40) covering God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, the Three Rondavels and Blyde River Canyon — the scenery is spectacular. Self-drive travellers can rent a car in Hazyview for about £30 a day and do the route independently for less.
🚌Shared day-trip minibus ~£40 or self-drive car hire ~£30
🛏Backpacker lodge or safari tent, Hazyview (approx. £18)
- →Optional second Kruger game drive
- →Panorama Route & Blyde River Canyon day trip
Chimp Eden & back to Johannesburg
Umhloti Nature Reserve → Johannesburg, South Africa
Drive or take a shuttle north past Nelspruit to the Jane Goodall Institute's Chimp Eden in the Umhloti Nature Reserve — entry and the guided tour is about R250 (£11) and can be booked direct or via GetYourGuide. From there, continue to Joburg on the afternoon shuttle (~£25). Check back into your Melville or Rosebank hostel and prep for Zimbabwe tomorrow.
🚌Shared shuttle Hazyview–Chimp Eden–Joburg ~£30
🛏Hostel in Melville or Rosebank (approx. £22)
- →Chimp Eden guided sanctuary tour
- →Shuttle to Johannesburg
Fly to Victoria Falls
Johannesburg → Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly Johannesburg–Victoria Falls (VFA) direct with Fastjet, Airlink or CemAir — roughly £110–170 one way depending on when you book; it's the single biggest transport cost of the trip. On arrival, pay the Zimbabwe visa/entry fee (about US$30 for most nationalities, or get the KAZA UniVisa for US$50 if you'll be crossing into Zambia). Hostels and guesthouses in Victoria Falls town run £15–25 a night; walk to the falls' spray plume in the late afternoon.
🚌Flight ~£140 + airport transfer ~£8
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Victoria Falls town (approx. £20)
- →Domestic flight JNB–VFA
- →Zimbabwe visa on arrival
- →Evening walk to the Falls viewpoints area
Victoria Falls day
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Pay the US$50 entry into Victoria Falls National Park and spend the morning on the rainforest walkway — bring a poncho, the spray soaks you. Afternoon options booked direct on the ground: Zambezi white-water rafting (~£120, half day, grade 5), the Bamba Tram, a zipline over the gorge (~£40), or a 15-minute helicopter flip (~£130). In the evening, book the Simunye theatrical show and dinner (~£35) — the equivalent of the tour's included cultural performance.
🚌Walking plus local taxis ~£5
🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Victoria Falls town (approx. £20)
- →Victoria Falls National Park rainforest walk
- →Optional white-water rafting, zipline or helicopter ride
- →Simunye cultural show and dinner
Transfer to Hwange National Park
Victoria Falls → Hwange, Zimbabwe
Take a shared transfer or local bus down the Bulawayo road to Hwange (~2 hours, £15–20 with a shared shuttle; cheaper on a kombi to Hwange town). Stop in at the Painted Dog Conservation centre near Hwange town — entry is about US$10 and the guided visit explains their wild dog reintroduction work. Check into a Hwange lodge or camp; budget campsites and self-catering rondavels run £20–35 per person.
🚌Shared shuttle/bus ~£18
🛏Hwange lodge or self-catering camp (approx. £30)
- →Shared transfer to Hwange
- →Painted Dog Conservation centre tour
Hwange wildlife drives
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Hwange holds Zimbabwe's biggest elephant population, and the waterholes at the eastern pans are where you'll see them in numbers. Book a morning game drive and an afternoon/night drive directly with your lodge — about US$45–60 each including park fees and vehicle. This is self-launched rather than self-guided, so you're still with a licensed Zimbabwean guide every time.
🚌Included in lodge game drives
🛏Hwange lodge or self-catering camp (approx. £30)
- →Morning game drive in Hwange NP
- →Afternoon and night drive with spotlighting
Hwange to Kasane
Hwange → Kasane, Botswana
Cross into Botswana at the Kazungula border — a shared taxi to the border plus a Kasane transfer will run about £25 total; the Botswana tourism levy is US$30 and payable on entry. Kasane is a small, walkable town on the Chobe River. Hostels, guesthouses and riverside campsites run £20–40 per person, with the better-value deals on campsites just outside town. Book tomorrow's Chobe River cruise and game drive with a local operator on arrival.
🚌Shared taxi and transfer ~£25
🛏Kasane guesthouse or riverside camp (approx. £30)
- →Kazungula border crossing
- →Pay Botswana tourism levy (US$30)
- →Book Chobe cruise and game drive locally
Chobe River sunset cruise
Chobe National Park, Botswana
The Chobe River cruise is the best-value wildlife hour-for-hour on the whole trip — book direct with a Kasane operator for about US$40–50, including park fees. Three-hour afternoon cruises get you elephants wading in the shallows, hippo pods and huge numbers of waterbirds. If you want to see four countries at once, the 4 Corners Africa bridge tour or a river cruise that touches the Namibia/Zambia/Zimbabwe borders is about US$70.
🚌Walk or short taxi to the jetty ~£3
🛏Kasane guesthouse or riverside camp (approx. £30)
- →Sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River
- →Optional 4 Corners Africa bridge tour
Chobe morning game drive
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Up early for a shared 4x4 game drive into Chobe's Serondela or Savuti-side sections — about US$50–60 including park entry, with the largest elephant concentration on earth as the headline act. Spend the afternoon at your own pace: a swim, a walk along the riverfront, or a Kasane craft market browse. Last-night dinner at one of the riverside lodges (~£15).
🚌Included in game drive pickup
🛏Kasane guesthouse or riverside camp (approx. £30)
- →Morning 4x4 game drive in Chobe NP
- →Kasane riverfront walk and craft market
Depart from Kasane
Kasane, Botswana
Fly out of Kasane International (BBK) — usually connect via Johannesburg or Gaborone — or cross to Victoria Falls and fly from there, which is often cheaper. Note that G Adventures' tour price excludes international flights too, and that your three regional flights (or their coach equivalents) are the main extra cost of going self-launched. Book the JNB leg and international return early to keep it near the low end of the estimate.
🚌Airport transfer ~£8 plus onward flight (not included in total)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Departure flight from Kasane or Victoria Falls
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£2,450 | £3,950 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,500 per person (38%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£2,450
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.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched: Best of Africa's Wildlife — Cape Town, Kruger, Hwange & Chobe cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £2,450 per person for 16 days in South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana. 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £3,950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £2,450 — a saving of roughly £1,500 (38%) per person.
How long is the South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana.
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 South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana, 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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