The Great Southern Africa Safari — Self-Launched
21 days · South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana
G Adventures charges £10,050
No-markup version: ~£2,650 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 21-day self-launched version of G Adventures' National Geographic "Great Southern Africa Safari", running Cape Town to Maun across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana. You'll do the same headline experiences — Kirstenbosch and the Cape Peninsula, Soweto, the Panorama Route, Kruger, a private Big Five reserve, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Chobe and the Okavango Delta — but booking directly with local lodges, guides and shuttle operators instead of a group departure. Expect roughly £2,400–2,900 per person for ground costs (excluding international flights), against a headline operator price of ~£10,050. Budget extra for internal flights (roughly £450–650) if you fly Joburg–Victoria Falls and Maun–Joburg/Gaborone. Costs are approximate and vary by season — book Kruger and Okavango lodges months in advance.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Land at CPT and take the MyCiTi bus or a metered Uber into the City Bowl or Sea Point (~£12-18). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in Green Point or Observatory. Afternoon free to wander the V&A Waterfront and stock up on a SIM (Vodacom/MTN tourist SIM ~£10 for 10GB).
🚌Uber/taxi from CPT airport ~£15
🛏Hostel private twin or budget guesthouse, City Bowl/Green Point (£20-30pp)
- →V&A Waterfront walk
- →Waterfront food market dinner
Bo-Kaap, Kirstenbosch & Cape Peninsula
Cape Town, South Africa
Do the operator's Day 2 loop self-booked: morning walk through Bo-Kaap's colourful streets (free), then a guided Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden walk — book a garden-guided walk direct from SANBI (~£8 entry plus £12 for a specialist garden guide, or join a free volunteer-led walk most mornings), then take the City Sightseeing Peninsula bus or join a small-group Cape Peninsula day tour via GetYourGuide (~£55-70) covering Boulders Beach penguins (£8 entry) and Cape Point/Cape of Good Hope (£18 entry).
🚌GetYourGuide Cape Peninsula small-group day tour ~£60
🛏Hostel private twin or budget guesthouse (£20-30pp)
- →Bo-Kaap self-walk
- →Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden guided walk
- →Boulders Beach African penguins
- →Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope
Free day: Table Mountain or Winelands
Cape Town, South Africa
Pick your own: Table Mountain cable car return ~£22 (book online, go at opening to beat queues), or a Winelands day — the Winelands Wine Route shuttle/Wine Tram from Stellenbosch costs ~£25-35 with tastings at 3-4 estates. Cheaper option: hop the Metrorail to Stellenbosch (~£2) and walk between town-centre tasting rooms.
🚌Uber or train, £5-30 depending on choice
🛏Hostel private twin or budget guesthouse (£20-30pp)
- →Table Mountain cable car (optional)
- →Stellenbosch winelands tasting (optional)
- →Sea Point promenade sunset walk
Fly to Johannesburg & Soweto tour
Johannesburg, South Africa
Budget flight CPT-JNB on FlySafair or Lift (~£45-70 booked ahead, bag included on Lift). Check into a hostel in Maboneng or Melville. Afternoon: self-book a Soweto small-group tour via GetYourGuide or Klook (~£35-45) covering Vilakazi Street, Mandela House Museum (£5 entry) and the Hector Pieterson Memorial. Or DIY: Gautrain + Rea Vaya bus to Soweto and join a local guide at the Mandela House.
🚌Flight CPT-JNB ~£55; Gautrain/Rea Vaya ~£4
🛏Hostel private twin, Maboneng/Melville (£18-25pp)
- →Soweto township tour
- →Mandela House Museum
- →Hector Pieterson Memorial
Panorama Route to the Kruger area
Graskop / Hazyview, South Africa
The operator drives this in a coach; you have two options. Cheapest: Baz Bus or a scheduled shuttle JNB–Hazyview (~£30-40, 6-7hrs) and take a local driver for the Panorama stops. Better value: book a shared Panorama Route transfer tour from Johannesburg to Hazyview via GetYourGuide (~£70-85) hitting Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes (£3) and God's Window (£3). Overnight in a Hazyview backpackers or guest lodge.
🚌Shared Panorama Route transfer JNB-Hazyview ~£78
🛏Hazyview backpackers or guest lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Blyde River Canyon
- →Bourke's Luck Potholes
- →God's Window viewpoint
Full-day Kruger National Park safari
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Book a full-day open-vehicle safari with a Hazyview operator (Elephant Herd Safaris, Wild Wings, or via GetYourGuide) ~£75-95 including park entry (~£25 conservation fee for international visitors) and lunch. Alternatively take a SANParks guided sunrise drive (~£30) plus self-drive if you hire a car.
🚌Operator 4x4 pickup included in safari cost
🛏Hazyview backpackers or guest lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Full-day open-vehicle game drive in Kruger
- →Big Five spotting
Into a private Big Five reserve (Karongwe)
Karongwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Transfer to Karongwe or a similar Greater Kruger private reserve (Karongwe River Lodge, Kuname, Chisomo). Book a 2-night safari package directly with the lodge — packages typically include two game drives daily, meals and ranger/tracker teams, from ~£150-220pp per night sharing. First afternoon drive with a ranger and tracker.
🚌Lodge transfer from Hazyview ~£30
🛏Karongwe safari lodge, tented/chalet, full board (£180pp)
- →Afternoon game drive with ranger and tracker
Karongwe: morning & afternoon drives
Karongwe Private Game Reserve, South Africa
Standard lodge rhythm: 05:30 wake-up, sunrise drive, brunch, siesta, 16:00 afternoon drive into dusk with sundowners. Ask your ranger about local carnivore research and cheetah conservation — the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Cheetah Metapopulation Project works in this landscape, and rangers can explain the programme. Evening boma braai at the lodge.
🚌Included in lodge package
🛏Karongwe safari lodge, full board (£180pp)
- →Sunrise game drive
- →Afternoon/sunset game drive
- →Boma braai dinner
Final drive & back to Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Morning game drive, breakfast, then a shuttle/baz bus back to Johannesburg (~£35-45, 5-6hrs) or a shared transfer arranged by the lodge. Evening in Maboneng or Melville — Braamfontein's Neighbourgoods Market on Saturdays is a great cheap feed.
🚌Shared shuttle Karongwe-Johannesburg ~£40
🛏Hostel private twin, Maboneng/Melville (£18-25pp)
- →Morning game drive
- →Johannesburg neighbourhood evening
Fly to Victoria Falls & village dinner
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly JNB–VFA on Fastjet or Airlink (~£130-190). Get a KAZA UniVisa at the airport (~£40, covers Zimbabwe and Zambia, 30 days). Check into a Victoria Falls backpackers (Shoestrings, N1 Hotel) or budget lodge. Book a community village visit and home-cooked dinner through a local operator — Community Tours Zimbabwe or the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit contacts run homestay dinners ~£25-35, or simply ask your guesthouse to connect you with a family. Note: the operator's village dinner is a National Geographic highlight; a locally-booked community experience gets you the same thing, paid directly to the household.
🚌Flight JNB-VFA ~£160; airport transfer ~£8
🛏Victoria Falls backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Village visit and Zimbabwean family dinner
- →Sunset over the Zambezi
Victoria Falls guided tour
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Self-book a guided walk of the falls on the Zimbabwe side via GetYourGuide or at the gate (~£25-35 including park entry of $50 USD). The rainforest walk takes 2-3 hours. Afternoon: free — swim at the Devil's Pool if water levels allow (seasonal, ~£90 via Livingstone Island, Zambia side) or relax at the backpackers.
🚌Walkable / short taxi ~£3
🛏Victoria Falls backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Guided Victoria Falls rainforest walk
- →Viewpoints on the 'Smoke That Thunders'
Free day at Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Choose your own: Zambezi sunset cruise (~£40-55), zipline/gorge swing (~£45-60), white-water rafting in season (~£90-110), or a day trip to Chobe if you haven't got it later (skip it — you'll do Chobe properly on Day 16). Cheapest good day: hike to the falls' lower viewpoints and the Victoria Falls Bridge for free, then a beer at the Lookout Café.
🚌Taxi ~£5
🛏Victoria Falls backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Zambezi sunset cruise (optional)
- →Zipline or gorge swing (optional)
- →Victoria Falls Bridge walk (free)
Transfer to Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Take a shared shuttle or private transfer VFA–Hwange Main Camp (~£35-50, 2.5hrs), arranged by your Hwange lodge. Book two nights at a Hwange camp inside or just outside the park — options range from self-catering rondavels at Main Camp (~£25pp) to mid-range safari camps (~£140-200pp full board). Afternoon at a waterhole hide, which is where Hwange's enormous elephant herds come to drink.
🚌Shared transfer VFA-Hwange ~£45
🛏Hwange self-catering rondavel or mid-range safari camp (£60-120pp)
- →Waterhole wildlife watching
- →Optional Painted Dog Conservation visit
Hwange game drives & painted dog conservation
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Book game drives directly with your camp or with a Hwange-based operator (~£40-60 per drive). Visit the Painted Dog Conservation centre near Hwange Main Camp (~£10 donation/entry) to see the rehabilitation facility and learn about African wild dog conservation — the same organisation the operator's highlight moment supports. Self-launchers can donate directly.
🚌Camp game-drive vehicle included
🛏Hwange safari camp (£60-120pp)
- →Morning and afternoon game drives
- →Painted Dog Conservation centre visit
Hwange to Kasane, Botswana
Kasane, Botswana
Cross into Botswana: shared transfer Hwange–Kasane via the Kazungula border (~£40-55, 3hrs). Pay the Botswana tourism levy (~£24) at the border. Overnight in a Kasane guesthouse or backpackers. Late afternoon: book a Chobe river sunset cruise for tomorrow, or catch one today (~£30-40).
🚌Shared transfer with border crossing ~£48
🛏Kasane guesthouse or backpackers (£25-35pp)
- →Border crossing to Botswana
- →Chobe River sunset cruise (optional)
Chobe National Park safari & boat safari
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Book Chobe direct with a Kasane operator (Chobe Safari Lodge activities desk or via GetYourGuide): a combined game drive + boat safari day costs ~£95-120 including park fees (~£20). Chobe has Africa's largest elephant population — 50,000+ in the dry season — and the riverfront drive-and-cruise combo is the best value safari in the region.
🚌Operator pickup included
🛏Kasane guesthouse or backpackers (£25-35pp)
- →Open-vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park
- →Chobe River boat safari
Kasane to Maun
Maun, Botswana
Options: Air Botswana flight Kasane–Maun (~£130-170, 1hr) or the long overland route via Nata (~£35-45 by shared combi, 8-9hrs). Most self-launchers fly to save a day. Overnight in Maun at a backpacker lodge (Old Bridge Backpackers, Sitatunga Camp) and book your Delta trip for tomorrow.
🚌Flight Kasane-Maun ~£150 (or combi ~£40)
🛏Maun backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Travel day
- →Maun riverside evening
Okavango Delta mokoro excursion
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Book a 1-night or day mokoro trip direct with a Maun operator — Old Bridge Backpackers, Delta Rain, or a community-run trust. A full-day mokoro plus motorboat excursion is ~£70-100 including park fees and poler guide; a 1-night fly-camp with mokoro is ~£150-200. Glide through reed channels spotting birds, hippos and elephant, with a guided bush walk on an island.
🚌4x4 transfer to Delta put-in included
🛏Maun backpackers, or Delta bush camp if overlanding (£20-30pp / £150 night camping)
- →Mokoro canoe excursion
- →Guided island bush walk
- →Motorboat Delta channels
Okavango Wilderness Project immersion
Maun, Botswana
The operator's National Geographic highlight is the Okavango Wilderness Project. Self-launchers can engage with it by visiting the Maun-based research and education centres (ask at the Nhabe Museum or the Okavango Research Institute in Maun for talks/tours), or book a Delta trip with a guide trained through the project's Ngamiland guiding programmes. Cost: donation + local guide fee ~£20-30.
🚌Local taxi ~£5
🛏Maun backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Okavango conservation talk/centre visit
- →Sunset boat on the Thamalakane River
Maun: storytelling & traditional dinner
Maun, Botswana
Book a Botswana storytelling and traditional Setswana dinner experience through your lodge or a Maun community tourism operator (~£20-30) — expect seswaa (pounded meat), bogobe (sorghum porridge) and morogo greens, with local storytellers sharing Setswana history and Delta folklore. Free afternoon to relax by the river, or hire a bike to visit Maun's craft market.
🚌Local taxi/bike ~£4
🛏Maun backpackers or budget lodge (£20-30pp)
- →Setswana storytelling and traditional dinner
- →Maun craft market
- →Optional scenic flight over the Delta (~£70-90)
Depart Maun
Maun, Botswana
Fly out of Maun (MUB) — usually via Johannesburg or Gaborone on Air Botswana or Airlink. If you have a spare day, a 45-minute scenic flight over the Delta (~£70-90) is the best-value splurge in Botswana. Airport transfer ~£10.
🚌Airport transfer ~£10; onward flight separate
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Delta scenic flight
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£2,650 | £10,050 |
| Duration | 21 days | 21 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £7,400 per person (74%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£2,650
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 The Great Southern Africa Safari — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £2,650 per person for 21 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 £10,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £2,650 — a saving of roughly £7,400 (74%) per person.
How long is the South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 21 days, covering 21 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, culture 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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