Self-Launched Southern Africa Safari & Falls: Cape Town to Victoria Falls
11 days · South Africa & Zimbabwe
G Adventures charges £3,400
No-markup version: ~£1,840 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent, self-launched version of G Adventures' 11-day Southern Africa Family Adventure — Cape Town, the Cape Peninsula and penguins at Boulders Beach, a self-drive or shuttle safari in Greater Kruger, the Cradle of Humankind and a braai in Johannesburg, then Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. You book your own guesthouses and safari lodge, use scheduled flights (Cape Town–Nelspruit/Kruger and Johannesburg–Victoria Falls), join shared open-vehicle safari drives through the lodge or park-run operators, and organise local guides in Cape Town, Sterkfontein and Victoria Falls directly. Costs are approximate per-person estimates based on current budget/backpacker rates in GBP; the G Adventures price is not published in the page text, so a typical advertised small-group price for this trip (~£3,400 pp) is used for the savings comparison. Note: internal flights are the single biggest cost here, so book early.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Land at Cape Town International and take an Uber or the MyCiTi bus into the city centre (~£12-18). Check into a guesthouse or hostel in Gardens/Observatory or a budget hotel in the CBD. Spend the evening on Kloof or Bree Street for a cheap dinner — a bunny chow or braai plate costs around £6-8. Sort your SIM (Vodacom/Telkom booths at the airport, ~£8 for a data bundle) and confirm tomorrow's Cape Peninsula tour booking.
🚌Uber from CPT airport ~£15; MyCiTi bus ~£2
🛏Guesthouse or hostel double room, city centre (approx £35-45/night for a twin)
- →Self-transfer from airport via Uber/MyCiTi
- →Kloof Street / Bree Street evening wander
- →Buy local SIM and load data
Cape Peninsula, Boulders Beach & Cape of Good Hope
Cape Town, South Africa
Join a shared small-group Cape Peninsula day tour (book via GetYourGuide or Viator, ~£45-60 pp) or hire a car for the day (~£30 plus fuel — cheaper for two or more). The standard loop runs along Chapman's Peak Drive, stops at Boulders Beach to see the African penguin colony (entry ~£8), then on to Cape of Good Hope and the Cape Point lighthouse (Cape Point entry ~£17). Bring a packed lunch or eat at the snack kiosk at Cape Point. Back in the city by early evening.
🚌Shared day tour minibus, or self-drive hire car ~£30/day plus fuel
🛏Guesthouse or hostel double room, city centre
- →Chapman's Peak Drive
- →Boulders Beach penguin colony
- →Cape of Good Hope photo stop
- →Cape Point lighthouse walk
Table Mountain & free day in Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Hike Table Mountain via the Platteklip Gorge route (free, 2-3 hours up, steep but straightforward) and take the cableway down (~£19 one way, book online to skip the queue), or ride both ways (~£24 return). Afternoon options: Two Oceans Aquarium (~£11), a V&A Waterfront wander, or the hop-on hop-off bus (~£5-10). Book your own guide for the hike only if you want route support — GetYourGuide has guided Platteklip hikes from around £60 pp.
🚌Uber around the city ~£3-8 per trip
🛏Guesthouse or hostel double room, city centre
- →Platteklip Gorge hike up Table Mountain
- →Table Mountain Aerial Cableway
- →Optional: Two Oceans Aquarium
- →V&A Waterfront
Fly Cape Town to Greater Kruger
Hazyview / Greater Kruger, South Africa
Fly Cape Town to Kruger Mpumalanga International (MQP, near Nelspruit) — book direct with Airlink or FlySafair, roughly £80-140 one way if booked ahead. From the airport, take a pre-booked shuttle or a shared transfer to your lodge in Hazyview (about 45 minutes, ~£15-25 pp) rather than an expensive private transfer. Settle in: budget safari lodges and guesthouses around Hazyview run about £40-60 per twin room per night, and many include dinner.
🚌Airlink/FlySafair CPT-MQP ~£80-140; shared shuttle ~£20
🛏Safari lodge or guesthouse, Hazyview (approx £40-60 twin, often with dinner)
- →Domestic flight to Kruger Mpumalanga (MQP)
- →Shared shuttle to Hazyview
- →Evening at the lodge
Full-day safari in Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Book a shared full-day open-vehicle game drive through your lodge or a local operator (~£55-75 pp including park entry, which is about £22 per person per day for international visitors). You'll leave at sunrise and cover savanna, scrubland and riverbanks, with a good shot at all of the Big Five. Pack water, snacks and sun protection; the lodge usually offers a packed breakfast or braai lunch for a small extra charge.
🚌Shared open safari vehicle (included in the game drive price)
🛏Safari lodge or guesthouse, Hazyview
- →Sunrise open-vehicle game drive
- →Full-day Big Five safari
- →Kruger National Park entry
Second safari drive & afternoon at leisure
Greater Kruger, South Africa
Take a half-day morning game drive (~£35-45 pp) to chase down anything you missed — leopard and wild dog are the usual culprits. In the afternoon relax by the pool, or try the Hazyview aerial cable trail / zipline (~£30) or a treetop canopy challenge (~£10-12). Cheap local dinner in Hazyview town, roughly £7-9.
🚌Lodge shuttle or shared vehicle to activities
🛏Safari lodge or guesthouse, Hazyview
- →Half-day morning game drive
- →Optional: Graskop/Hazyview zipline and canopy trail
- →Pool and lodge downtime
Chimp Eden & on to Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Visit Chimp Eden, the Jane Goodall Institute of South Africa sanctuary near Nelspruit (entry ~£20-25 pp; book direct or via a local day-tour operator; it's about 45 minutes from Hazyview). Then travel on to Johannesburg: either fly MQP–JNB (~£50-80, 1 hour) or take the Intercape/Greyhound coach (~£20-30, 5-6 hours). Check into a budget hotel or guesthouse in Rosebank, Melville or Maboneng, roughly £35-50 per twin.
🚌Shared transfer to Chimp Eden ~£15; MQP-JNB flight ~£60 or coach ~£25
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Johannesburg (approx £35-50 twin)
- →Chimp Eden chimpanzee sanctuary visit
- →Flight or coach to Johannesburg
- →Evening in Maboneng or Melville
Cradle of Humankind & Sterkfontein Caves
Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
Book a shared Cradle of Humankind day tour from Johannesburg (~£55-75 pp including transport and entries) or self-drive (~£30/day hire). See the Sterkfontein Caves where 'Mrs Ples' and 'Little Foot' were found (guided cave tour ~£10), and the Maropeng Visitor Centre (~£12). Finish the evening with a proper South African braai — many Joburg guesthouses will set one up, or book a braai experience via Airbnb Experiences for around £25-35 pp.
🚌Shared day tour minibus or self-drive hire car
🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse, Johannesburg
- →Sterkfontein Caves guided tour
- →Maropeng Visitor Centre
- →Traditional braai dinner
Fly to Victoria Falls & tour the Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly Johannesburg to Victoria Falls (VFA) — Fastjet, Airlink or Ethiopian, roughly £100-160 one way booked ahead. Get your Zimbabwe visa on arrival if eligible (USD cash, ~$30-55 depending on nationality — bring USD notes). Check into a guesthouse or lodge in Victoria Falls town (~£40-60 twin). Then walk into the Victoria Falls National Park with a local guide or self-guided (entry ~£25-30 pp) for the afternoon, taking in the viewpoints along the rainforest trail.
🚌Airlink/Fastjet JNB-VFA ~£100-160; airport transfer ~£10; Falls are walkable from town
🛏Guesthouse or lodge, Victoria Falls town (approx £40-60 twin)
- →Flight to Victoria Falls
- →Victoria Falls National Park rainforest walk
- →Zimbabwe visa on arrival
Victoria Falls free day: Zambezi cruise, rafting or helicopter
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Pick your adventure: a sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£40-55 pp), a full-day white-water rafting trip on the Zambezi (~£95-120 pp), or a 15-minute helicopter flight over the Falls (~£120-150 pp). Cheaper alternatives are a walk across the Victoria Falls Bridge toward Zambia (free, bring your passport and check visa rules) or the town market. Book all of these directly with local operators or via GetYourGuide. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant, around £12-18.
🚌Local taxi or operator pickup
🛏Guesthouse or lodge, Victoria Falls town
- →Optional: Zambezi sunset cruise
- →Optional: white-water rafting
- →Optional: helicopter flight over the Falls
- →Victoria Falls Bridge walk
Depart Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Check out and head to Victoria Falls Airport for your onward flight or begin an overland leg to Chobe, Livingstone or Hwange. Local taxi to the airport ~£10. If your flight home is from Johannesburg or Cape Town, note the extra connecting flight leg.
🚌Local taxi to VFA ~£10
🛏None (departure day)
- →Transfer to Victoria Falls Airport
- →Onward travels or start of a post-trip overland extension
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,840 | £3,400 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,560 per person (46%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,840
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 Safari & Falls: Cape Town to Victoria Falls cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,840 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 £3,400 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,840 — a saving of roughly £1,560 (46%) 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, culture 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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