Self-Launched Southern Africa: Cape Town, Kruger & Zimbabwe
11 days · South Africa & Zimbabwe
G Adventures charges £4,650
No-markup version: ~£1,025 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 11-day version of G Adventures' tailor-made Cape Town–Kruger–Hwange–Victoria Falls route, built from budget hostels, backpacker lodges, self-booked day tours and local transport. You'll still hit Boulders Beach penguins, the Panorama Route, open-vehicle Big Five safaris in Kruger and Hwange, and a guided walk to the Zimbabwean side of Victoria Falls — but you'll book it all yourself for roughly a third of the private-tour price. Costs are backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cape Town & settle into the City Bowl
Cape Town
Land at Cape Town International and skip the private transfer — take the MyCiTi bus (R100-ish) or an Uber/pool car (~£10-13) into the City Bowl or Green Point. Check into a hostel dorm or private twin at a backpacker spot like a Long Street or Observatory hostel. Spend the afternoon wandering V&A Waterfront and Company's Garden, then grab a boerewors roll and craft beer on Bree Street. Buy a MyCiTi 'myconnect' card (£3) — it'll pay for itself fast.
🚌Uber or MyCiTi bus from the airport (~£10-13)
🛏Backpacker hostel dorm or budget twin, City Bowl/Green Point (~£15-20pp)
- →V&A Waterfront wander
- →Company's Garden
- →Bree Street food & drink
- →Buy MyCiTi travel card
Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope & Boulders Beach penguins
Cape Town
Book the classic Cape Peninsula day tour through GetYourGuide or a local operator (many Cape Town hostels run their own at ~£40-50pp including transport). You'll drive Chapman's Peak Drive, stop at Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (entry ~£18), then visit the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach (entry ~£10). Bring a packed lunch — the Cape Point café is pricey. Alternative if you have a group: hire a car (~£25/day plus fuel) and split it.
🚌Shared day-tour minibus (~£40-50pp)
🛏Same Cape Town hostel (~£15-20pp)
- →Chapman's Peak Drive
- →Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point
- →Boulders Beach penguin colony
Fly to Johannesburg & transfer to Hazyview (Kruger gateway)
Cape Town → Hazyview
Book a budget one-way flight Cape Town–Joburg on FlySafair, Lift or Kulula (~£50-80 if booked ahead). From OR Tambo, take the shuttle bus to Nelspruit/Mbombela (~£15, 4.5-5 hrs) then a local minibus taxi or shuttle on to Hazyview (~£8, 1 hr). Alternatively, book a Joburg–Hazyview backpacker shuttle direct (~£25-30). Overnight in a Hazyview backpacker lodge or the Kruger-area rest camps if you'd rather self-drive in — Hazyview is cheaper and better for budget eats.
🚌FlySafair/Lift flight (~£50-80) + shuttle to Hazyview (~£25-30)
🛏Backpacker lodge / budget guesthouse, Hazyview (~£15-22pp)
- →Budget domestic flight
- →Shuttle transfer via Mbombela
- →Settle into Hazyview
Full-day Big Five safari in Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park
Kruger is self-bookable but you need wheels or a tour. Cheapest good option: a shared open-vehicle day safari from Hazyview (~£60-75pp including park fees and a guide) booked via GetYourGuide or your lodge — this beats the private-vehicle version. If you're comfortable driving, hire a car (~£25-30/day), buy the R535 conservation fee (~£24/week) and self-drive Phabeni or Numbi gate — brilliant and far cheaper for groups. Full day out: elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and, if lucky, leopard.
🚌Shared open safari vehicle or self-drive car
🛏Same Hazyview lodge (~£15-22pp)
- →Full-day Kruger game drive
- →Phabeni/Numbi gate area
- →Big Five spotting
Second Kruger day — sunrise drive
Kruger National Park
Book a second safari day, or do a dawn self-drive (gate opens at sunrise and the first hour is the best wildlife window). A guided morning drive from Hazyview costs ~£50-60pp; a self-drive park day costs just the car hire, fuel and an entry fee if you haven't already paid the weekly conservation fee. Afternoon: chill by the lodge pool, restock supplies at the Hazyview Pick n Pay.
🚌Shared safari vehicle or self-drive car
🛏Same Hazyview lodge (~£15-22pp)
- →Sunrise game drive
- →Self-drive park loops
- →Rest & resupply
Panorama Route back to Johannesburg
Hazyview → Johannesburg
Rather than a private vehicle, book the Joburg–Hazyview backpacker shuttle in reverse and ask to stop along the Panorama Route (~£25-30), or hire a car for the day (~£25-30) to do Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes (entry ~£3-5 each) and the Three Rondavels at your own pace. Fuel is cheap in ZA (~£0.80/litre). Arrive Joburg late afternoon; overnight in a hostel in Melville or Maboneng — much cheaper and more fun than the airport belt.
🚌Shuttle with Panorama Route stops (~£25-30) or shared car hire
🛏Johannesburg hostel dorm, Melville/Maboneng (~£14-18pp)
- →Blyde River Canyon
- →God's Window
- →Bourke's Luck Potholes
- →Three Rondavels
Fly to Victoria Falls & transfer into Hwange National Park
Johannesburg → Hwange National Park
Fly Joburg–Victoria Falls on Fastjet or Air Zimbabwe (~£70-100 one way, book early for the cheap seats). Get a Zimbabwe visa on arrival (Kaza/single entry, ~£40-45 for UK/EU/US passports — pay in USD cash). From Vic Falls, take a shared shuttle or local combi to Hwange Main Camp / Dete (~£8-12, 2 hrs). Stay in a budget safari lodge or self-catering camp near the park, then do an afternoon game drive (lodge-booked, ~£30-40pp).
🚌Fastjet/Air Zimbabwe flight (~£70-100) + shared shuttle to Hwange (~£10)
🛏Budget safari lodge / camp near Hwange (~£25-35pp)
- →Cross into Zimbabwe
- →Settle into Hwange-area lodge
- →Afternoon game drive
Full day of Hwange safaris (am + pm)
Hwange National Park
Hwange is bigger than Kruger and brilliant for elephant — including the famous Presidential herd — plus white rhino, sable antelope and wild dog. Book morning and afternoon drives through your lodge (~£30-40pp each). Painted-dog sightings love the Sinamatella side. Entry/park fee is often included in lodge rates in Hwange, so confirm when booking. Bring a fleece — Hwange mornings can be genuinely cold.
🚌Lodge 4x4 safari vehicles
🛏Same Hwange lodge (~£25-35pp)
- →Morning game drive
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Elephant & white rhino spotting
Final Hwange drive, on to Victoria Falls & the Zimbabwean side
Hwange → Victoria Falls
One last morning drive, then the shared shuttle back to Victoria Falls (~£10, 2 hrs). Check into a backpacker spot like Shoestring Lodge or Sprayview (~£18-25pp). Walk to the Zimbabwean side of the falls — entry is US$50 (~£40) for international visitors — and follow the rainforest trail for the full 1.7km of viewpoints (allow 2-3 hrs). Evening: book a budget Boma-style dinner-and-drumming experience via GetYourGuide (~£30-35pp) or find a cheaper local Zimbabwean restaurant in the Victoria Falls town centre.
🚌Shared shuttle (~£10)
🛏Victoria Falls backpacker lodge (~£18-25pp)
- →Morning Hwange game drive
- →Victoria Falls rainforest walk (Zim side)
- →Boma dinner & drumming
Adrenaline or wildlife day in Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
Free day — pick your own adventure. Whitewater rafting the Zambezi is ~£120-130pp via a local operator (book at your lodge — Wild Horizons and Shearwater are the main outfits). A 12-minute helicopter flip is ~£130-150pp. Cheaper options: a Zambezi sunset cruise (~£30-40pp) or a day trip into Chobe National Park in Botswana (~£130-140pp, requires passport and possibly yellow fever paperwork). Backpacker's pick: sunset cruise plus a swim at the Devil's Pool if seasonal (~£80).
🚌Local operators pickup / walkable town centre
🛏Victoria Falls backpacker lodge (~£18-25pp)
- →Whitewater rafting or sunset cruise
- →Optional helicopter flip
- →Optional Chobe day trip
Depart Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls
No included transfer — book a shared airport shuttle (~£8-10) or a taxi (~£15) for your flight out of Victoria Falls airport. If you're continuing to Zambia, the border crossing to Livingstone is walkable from town and a taxi over the bridge is ~£10. Keep a little USD cash for departure taxes and tips.
🚌Shared airport shuttle (~£10)
🛏N/A
- →Departure / onwards travel to Zambia or Botswana
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,025 | £4,650 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,625 per person (78%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,025
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 Southern Africa: Cape Town, Kruger & Zimbabwe cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,025 per person for 11 days in South Africa & Zimbabwe. 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 £4,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,025 — a saving of roughly £3,625 (78%) per person.
How long is the South Africa & Zimbabwe trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through South Africa & Zimbabwe.
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, 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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