Cape Town to Botswana: Self-Launched Southern Africa Overland

Land at Cape Town International and take the MyCiTi bus or a metered Uber/taxi (~£12-15) into the City Bowl rather than a private transfer. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Gardens/Green Point. Spend the afternoon walking the Company's Garden, Bo-Kaap's colourful streets and the V&A Waterfront, and pick up a local SIM (Vodacom/MTN, ~£6 for data). Book tomorrow's Cape Peninsula tour online tonight via GetYourGuide or a local operator.

🚌MyCiTi bus or Uber from airport (~£12)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, City Bowl/Gardens (£15-20)

• →Bo-Kaap self-guided walk
• →Company's Garden and V&A Waterfront stroll
• →Buy local SIM and load data

Join a shared day tour (small-group minivan, ~£55-65 via GetYourGuide or a Cape Town operator) covering Chapman's Peak Drive, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, Boulders Beach penguins and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden — essentially the same stops G Adventures includes. Alternatively hire a car for the day (~£30 plus fuel) and drive yourself; the route is easy and signposted. Entrance fees to Cape Point and Boulders are included in most tours or ~£15-18 extra self-drive. Back in town by early evening.

🚌Shared minivan day tour or self-drive hire

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (£15-20)

• →Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point
• →Boulders Beach penguin colony
• →Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
• →Chapman's Peak scenic drive

Pick your own adventure. Hike Platteklip Gorge up Table Mountain (free, 2-3 hrs, steep) or take the cable car (book online, ~£20 return) for the views. If you'd rather drink wine, take the Metrorail train to Stellenbosch (~£2.50, 1 hr) and book a couple of cellar-door tastings independently (~£10-15 each), or join a shared Winelands tour from ~£45. Stay another night in town.

🚌Cable car or Metrorail to Stellenbosch (~£2.50-20)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse (£15-20)

• →Table Mountain hike or cable car
• →Stellenbosch wine tasting by train
• →Optional Two Oceans Aquarium (~£10)

Fly Cape Town–Johannesburg on a budget carrier (FlySafair/Kulula, ~£50-70 booked a few weeks out; the overnight Intercape bus at ~£25 is the budget alternative). Take the Gautrain or an Uber from OR Tambo to a hostel in Maboneng or Melville. In the afternoon, do a self-guided or small-group Soweto tour — a shared Vilakazi Street/Vilakazi + Hector Pieterson Museum walk is ~£35-40 booked locally, or ride the Rea Vaya bus to Vilakazi Street yourself and pay the museum entry (~£4). Dinner at a local braai spot in Melville (~£10).

🚌FlySafair flight (~£55), Gautrain/Uber (~£8)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Maboneng/Melville (£20-25)

• →Budget flight CPT–JNB
• →Soweto and Vilakazi Street tour
• →Hector Pieterson Museum
• →Braai dinner in Melville

Rent a car in Joburg (~£28/day plus fuel, split if travelling with others) or take a backpacker shuttle such as the Baz Bus/private shuttle to the Kruger area (~£40). Drive the Panorama Route with stops at God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes and Blyde River Canyon viewpoints (~£5 in entrance fees). Overnight in a budget safari tent or backpackers lodge near Hoedspruit or Hazyview (~£22-30), which is the equivalent of G's tented camp. Self-cater dinner or eat at the lodge braai.

🚌Car hire or private shuttle from Johannesburg

🛏Backpackers lodge or safari tent, Hazyview/Hoedspruit (£22-30)

• →Panorama Route scenic drive
• →God's Window, Bourke's Luck Potholes, Blyde River Canyon

Book a full-day open-vehicle safari with a Hazyview-based operator (roughly £75-95 including park fees and pickup — G Adventures includes the day drive, so this is the direct swap). Alternatively, self-drive into the park with your own car: pay the ~£22 conservation fee at Orpen/Phabeni gate and drive the S1/S3 loops, which is very doable and much cheaper. Look for elephant, lion, giraffe, zebra and rhino. Return to the lodge for sundowners on the deck.

🚌Operator open safari vehicle or own car

🛏Backpackers lodge or safari tent (£22-30)

• →Kruger National Park open-vehicle full-day safari
• →Big Five wildlife spotting
• →Optional self-drive alternative with conservation fee

Drive or shuttle ~1 hr to a private reserve in the Greater Kruger area (Karongwe, Klaserie or Balule). Book a two-night budget safari package at a private reserve camp — shared safari tents/chalets with morning and afternoon game drives included run ~£95-130 per person per night all-in including meals and drives, which replaces G's private reserve stay. Afternoon game drive with rangers and trackers, keeping an eye out for cheetah, wild dog and leopard.

🚌Self-drive or reserve transfer (~£15)

🛏Budget safari tent/chalet at private reserve, half-board (£95-130 all-in)

• →Transfer to private game reserve
• →Afternoon open-vehicle game drive

Up before sunrise for a morning game drive, back for brunch, siesta by the pool or a guided bush walk with an armed ranger, then an afternoon drive into sunset. This mirrors G's two-drive day at Karongwe — booking a reserve package gives you the same ranger-led access without the group markup. Ask your camp whether a conservation/research talk (cheetah or wild dog projects) is on while you're there.

🚌Reserve safari vehicles

🛏Budget safari tent/chalet, full board (£95-130 all-in)

• →Sunrise game drive
• →Guided bush walk
• →Sunset game drive

Final morning game drive, then drive or shuttle back to Johannesburg (~5 hrs, or fly Hoedspruit–JNB ~£60 if short on time). Check into a Joburg hostel, return the hire car, and eat at a budget guesthouse or Neighbourgoods-style market spot. Sort your Zimbabwe visa/e-visa and USD cash (Vic Falls runs largely on USD cash) before tomorrow's flight.

🚌Shuttle or hire car return, or HDS–JNB flight (~£40-60)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Johannesburg (£20-25)

• →Morning game drive
• →Return drive/shuttle to Johannesburg
• →Prepare USD cash and Zimbabwe e-visa

Fly JNB–Victoria Falls on Fastjet/Airlink (~£90-130 one-way). Take a shared taxi from the airport into town (~£8). Check into a budget lodge or backpackers in the Vic Falls village (~£18-25). Swap G's village-and-home-cooked-dinner experience for a community tourism visit booked locally (e.g. a half-day village walk with a community guide, ~£20) or simply shop the bustling market and eat sadza and stew at a local eatery (~£5). Get your Zimbabwe visa on arrival (US$30-55 single, ~£25-45 depending on nationality).

🚌Fastjet/Airlink flight (~£105), shared taxi (~£8)

🛏Budget lodge or backpackers, Victoria Falls town (£18-25)

• →Flight to Victoria Falls
• →Local market visit
• →Optional community village walk with local guide

Walk to the falls and self-guide the rainforest trail — entry is US$50 (~£40) on the Zimbabwe side, or book the guided version for roughly the same price. Afternoon at leisure: swim in the Devil's Pool if in season, or relax. In the evening, book a Zambezi sunset cruise directly with a local operator (~£40-50 including drinks) — the same experience as G's optional Riversong cruise but booked yourself, often cheaper via Klook or a lodge concierge.

🚌Walk/shared taxi locally

🛏Budget lodge or backpackers (£18-25)

• →Victoria Falls rainforest walk (US$50 entry)
• →Zambezi River sunset cruise (~£45)
• →Optional helicopter flight (~£120-230)

Choose your own adrenaline: white-water rafting on the Zambezi (~£95, full day, book with a local rafting company), bungee or bridge swing (~£130), zipline (~£40), or a relaxing float and river walk. Book direct with operators in town the day before, or via GetYourGuide. Keep the evening free for drinks at a backpackers bar and sorting tomorrow's border crossing.

🚌Walk/shared taxi

🛏Budget lodge or backpackers (£18-25)

• →Optional white-water rafting
• →Optional zipline, bungee or bridge swing
• →River walk beneath the falls

Take a shared taxi or minibus to the Kazungula border (~£10) and cross into Botswana into Kasane (border formalities, ~£1). Check into a Kasane backpackers or budget lodge (~£20-28). Book a Chobe boat safari for late afternoon (~£35-45 with a local operator) — this replaces G's included Chobe boat safari. Botswana entry levy ~£20 (US$30) payable at the border.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus across border (~£11)

🛏Backpackers or budget lodge, Kasane (£20-28)

• →Kazungula border crossing
• →Chobe River boat safari

Book a full day of game drives in Chobe with a local Kasane operator (~£45-60 for a half-day open-vehicle drive with park fees) — Chobe has one of Africa's densest elephant populations and strong chances of lion, leopard and buffalo. Or self-drive into the park with the hired 4x4 and pay the ~£12 conservation fee. Sunset over the Chobe River is the highlight.

🚌Operator safari vehicle

🛏Backpackers or budget lodge, Kasane (£20-28)

• →Open-vehicle game drive in Chobe National Park
• →Chobe Riverfront wildlife viewing

Long travel day. Fly Kasane–Maun via Air Botswana (short hop, ~£90-120 one-way) or take an overland bus/minibus via Nata (Kasane–Nata ~£12, Nata–Maun ~£12, 8-9 hours total). Arrive in Maun, gate-way to the Delta, and settle into a backpackers (~£18-25). Stock up on supplies and confirm your mokoro trip for tomorrow.

🚌Air Botswana flight (~£100) or bus via Nata (~£24)

🛏Backpackers in Maun (£18-25)

• →Air hop or overland bus to Maun
• →Evening at Maun backpackers

Join a 3-day/2-night mokoro camping trip with a Maun-based operator (~£180-220 all-in including meals, guide, mokoro, park fees and transfers) — the direct self-booked equivalent of G Adventures' included delta excursion and tented camp nights. Paddle into the delta by traditional mokoro with a poler-guide, camp on an island, and do a guided bush walk in the afternoon looking for elephant, giraffe, zebra and birdlife.

🚌4x4 transfer + mokoro

🛏Delta bush camp, comfortable tent (included in trip package)

• →Mokoro canoe into the Okavango Delta
• →Island bush walk
• →Delta wildlife and birdlife spotting

Full day in the delta: sunrise walk, birdwatching (pelicans, fish eagles, cranes), navigating reed channels by mokoro, and a spot of fishing or swimming (water-level dependent). Evenings around the campfire with your poler-guide, who will share stories about the delta's ecology and wildlife. This is the closest independent equivalent to G's 'learn about the Wilderness Project at a research camp' moment.

🚌Mokoro and walking

🛏Delta bush camp, comfortable tent (included)

• →Morning bush walk
• →Mokoro paddling
• →Campfire evening with guides

Return by mokoro and 4x4 to Maun by mid-afternoon. Spend the last night at a Maun backpackers with a fire and a braai (~£10), swapping stories with other travellers. Optional afternoon scenic flight over the delta (~£85-100) if you want the aerial view. Book your onward flight/trip out of Maun for the next day.

🚌Mokoro + 4x4 transfer (included)

🛏Backpackers in Maun (£18-25)

• →Return to Maun
• →Optional scenic flight over the delta (~£90)
• →Final night braai and fire stories

Use this as a buffer day (flights in and out of Maun are notoriously variable). Visit the Nhabe Museum or a local craft co-op, and take a short day trip to Moremi Game Reserve if time and budget allow (~£90-110 with operator). Alternatively, rest and plan onward travel — Maun connects easily to the rest of southern Africa. Spend the evening packing and reflecting on the trip.

🚌Walk/shared taxi

🛏Backpackers in Maun (£18-25)

• →Optional Moremi Game Reserve day trip
• →Nhabe Museum and craft co-op
• →Onward travel planning

Fly or bus out of Maun toward your onward destination (Gaborone, Johannesburg or Windhoek are the easiest connections). If you're continuing, a Maun–Gaborone flight is ~£70-90, or the overnight bus ~£20. If not, this is your last full day before flying home. Spend the morning at a coffee shop or the airport lounge and settle up.

🚌Maun onward flight or bus

🛏Backpackers or airport hotel (£18-25)

• →Onward transport from Maun

Depart Maun by your pre-booked flight. Your trip ends here — but with an itinerary you planned and booked yourself, you can extend easily by adding Namibia's Caprivi Strip or the Okavango Panhandle if you still have time and budget.

🚌Airport transfer (~£8)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Airport departure