Self-Launched Botswana Safari & Victoria Falls Adventure

Fly into Maun Airport (MUB) — most routes connect via Johannesburg (OR Tambo). A taxi from the airport to the town centre takes around 5 minutes and costs roughly £3–5. Check into your guesthouse or lodge and spend the evening relaxing, grabbing dinner at a local spot, and planning your Delta logistics for tomorrow. Audi Camp and Old Bridge Backpackers are both well-located, sociable options popular with independent travellers heading into the Delta.

🚌Fly into Maun (MUB) via Johannesburg. Taxi from airport to town: ~£4

🛏Old Bridge Backpackers or Audi Camp, Maun — dorm ~£12/night, twin chalet ~£25–30/night per person

• →Arrive at Maun Airport (MUB)
• →Short taxi transfer to guesthouse (~£4)
• →Explore Maun town centre and Thamalakane River
• →Book mokoro and Delta camp package directly in Maun (many operators at Old Bridge or Audi Camp) — shop around, expect ~£80–100pp for a 2-night Delta package including poler, camp and mokoro

Your Delta operator will arrange a shared 4x4 transfer from Maun out to the water's edge (roughly 2 hours), where your mokoro poler will meet you. Glide upstream through papyrus-lined channels in a traditional dugout canoe for 2–3 hours to reach a basic fly-camp on a Delta island. This is the heart of the experience — watching elephants wade the shallows as the sun sets, with hippos gurgling nearby. Dinner is cooked over a campfire by your poler/camp crew. Sleep in a basic tent under an enormous African sky.

🚌Shared 4x4 from Maun to Delta edge: ~£15pp (arranged by Delta operator)

🛏Basic fly-camp tent on Okavango Delta island — included in Delta package (~£80–100pp total for 2 nights)

• →Shared 4x4 transfer from Maun to Delta access point (~£15pp)
• →3-hour mokoro journey with local poler guide
• →Arrive at island wilderness fly-camp
• →Sundowner and wildlife watching at camp
• →Campfire dinner with poler/camp crew

Early wake-up for coffee and a light breakfast before crossing a channel by mokoro to the mainland for an extended bushwalk safari of 3–4 hours. Your poler acts as your guide, tracking wildlife, reading footprints and pointing out bird species, plants and insects. You're likely to encounter giraffe, zebra, elephant, impala and buffalo on foot — an experience far more immersive than a vehicle-based game drive. Return to camp for brunch and rest during the midday heat. In the afternoon, take a leisurely mokoro ride to a safe swimming spot, then drift through quieter channels at sunset watching nocturnal wildlife emerge.

🚌Mokoro transport within the Delta (included in package)

🛏Basic fly-camp tent on Okavango Delta island (Night 2 of Delta package)

• →Early morning bushwalk safari with poler guide (3–4 hrs)
• →Wildlife tracking — giraffe, elephant, buffalo, impala, birds
• →Brunch at camp and afternoon downtime
• →Afternoon mokoro ride to wild swimming spot
• →Sunset mokoro drift through Delta channels
• →Campfire dinner under the stars

Rise at dawn for one last breakfast in the bush, then take your final mokoro journey back through the channels to the 4x4 pickup point. The drive back to Maun takes about an hour. Shower, recharge and explore Maun at leisure this afternoon. Marc's Eatery is a highly recommended local restaurant — a great reward after days in the wilderness. Pick up any supplies for the next leg of the trip eastward to Nata.

🚌4x4 return transfer to Maun: included in Delta package

🛏Old Bridge Backpackers or Audi Camp, Maun — twin chalet ~£25–30pp

• →Dawn breakfast in the bush
• →Final 1.5–2hr mokoro journey back to 4x4 pickup
• →4x4 transfer back to Maun (~1hr)
• →Afternoon at leisure — craft shops, Thamalakane River walk
• →Dinner at Marc's Eatery, Maun (~£10–12)

Head east from Maun towards Nata — about 300km, a 4-hour drive along the A3 highway. The most practical self-launched option is to rent a car in Maun (4x4 recommended for any off-road sections) or join a shared shuttle/overland truck that runs this route — ask at your hostel, as several overlanding companies accept day passengers. Arrive at Nata Lodge, a popular campsite surrounded by woodland birds. In the late afternoon, take an optional excursion to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (~£10–15pp entrance), the largest salt flats on Earth. Sundowners by the pool afterwards.

🚌Shared shuttle or self-drive Maun–Nata: ~£15–25pp. Alternatively, rent a 4x4 in Maun (~£50–70/day shared between 2–3 travellers)

🛏Nata Lodge — campsite pitch ~£10–12pp, or budget chalet ~£30pp

• →Drive or shared shuttle Maun to Nata (~300km, 4hrs) — ~£15–25pp in shared transport
• →Check in at Nata Lodge campsite
• →Optional visit to Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (~£10–15pp entrance)
• →Birdwatching at camp (Meyer's parrots, grey-headed bushshrikes)
• →Sundowners at the pool

After breakfast at Nata Lodge, continue north on the A33 towards Kasane — another 4-hour, ~300km drive. Kasane sits at the confluence of four countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It's the gateway to Chobe National Park, famed for the highest density of African elephants on the planet. Check into your campsite on the banks of the Chobe River, then head out on an afternoon game drive with one of Kasane's many local operators. Bookable directly on arrival or in advance via GetYourGuide — expect to pay around £40–55pp for a 2–3 hour afternoon 4x4 game drive. Sundowners at the riverside before a campfire dinner.

🚌Shared shuttle or self-drive Nata–Kasane: ~£15–25pp

🛏Chobe Campsite or Thebe River Safaris Camp, Kasane — camping ~£12–18pp per night

• →Drive or shared transfer Nata to Kasane (~300km, 4hrs)
• →Check in at Chobe Campsite or Thebe River Safaris Camp
• →Afternoon 4x4 game drive in Chobe National Park (~£40–55pp) — book directly in Kasane
• →Wildlife spotting: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe
• →Sundowners on the Chobe River bank

A pre-dawn start (4:30–5am) for a 3-hour morning game drive deep into Chobe — this is when predators are most active and elephant herds gather at the river. Operators in Kasane run these daily; book the day before at your camp or directly with a local outfit such as Chobe Under Canvas or Pangolin Photo Safaris. Return to camp for brunch and a rest in the heat of the day. In the late afternoon, join a sunset boat cruise on the Chobe River (~£25–35pp, bookable locally) — one of the most wildlife-dense waterways in Africa, with Namibia on the opposite bank. Watch elephant swim across the river as the sun drops. This is genuinely bucket-list stuff.

🚌Game drive vehicle and boat included in activity bookings

🛏Chobe Campsite or Thebe River Safaris Camp, Kasane — camping ~£12–18pp

• →Pre-dawn morning 4x4 game drive in Chobe National Park (3hrs, ~£40–50pp)
• →Wildlife spotting: elephant herds at river, lion, wild dog, hippo, crocodile
• →Return to camp for brunch and afternoon rest
• →Sunset river cruise on the Chobe River (2hrs, ~£25–35pp)
• →Watch elephant and buffalo cross the river at dusk

Pack up and head west out of Kasane — it's only ~80km to the Zimbabwe border at Kazungula (via the new Kazungula Bridge). The border crossing is straightforward; a Zimbabwe KAZA UniVisa costs USD50 and covers Zambia too. From the border, it's a short drive to Victoria Falls town. Check into your guesthouse and get your bearings. In the afternoon, walk to Victoria Falls National Park (entrance ~£20–25pp, payable in USD on arrival) and spend a couple of hours exploring the viewpoints along the cliff edge. The sheer thundering scale of Mosi-oa-Tunya ('the Smoke that Thunders') needs to be experienced to be believed. Celebrate the crossing with dinner at a local restaurant in Vic Falls town.

🚌Shared shuttle or self-drive Kasane–Victoria Falls: ~£10–20pp. KAZA UniVisa at border: ~£40pp

🛏Shoestrings Backpackers or Victoria Falls Backpackers — dorm ~£12–15pp, private room ~£25–35pp

• →Drive or shared shuttle Kasane to Victoria Falls (~80km, 1.5hrs)
• →Kazungula Bridge border crossing into Zimbabwe (KAZA UniVisa ~USD50/~£40)
• →Check in at accommodation in Victoria Falls town
• →Victoria Falls National Park afternoon visit (~£20–25pp entrance, USD)
• →Explore cliff-edge viewpoints and walking trails
• →Celebratory dinner in Vic Falls town (~£10–15)

A free day to choose your own adventure. Victoria Falls offers an extraordinary menu of optional activities, all bookable directly through your lodge or local operators. Thrill-seekers can tackle white-water rafting on the Zambezi (Grade 5 rapids, ~£90–100pp), bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge (~£100pp), or try a zip line over the gorge (~£50pp). For a more relaxed experience, join a sunrise or sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£30–40pp) and watch elephant and hippo from the water. A game drive in Zambezi National Park (~£40–50pp) can be booked locally. Or simply wander back to the Falls for more viewpoints — a different perspective each hour as the mist shifts. All activities are payable locally in USD.

🚌Walk or local taxi within Victoria Falls town (~£2–3)

🛏Shoestrings Backpackers or Victoria Falls Backpackers — dorm ~£12–15pp, private room ~£25–35pp

• →White-water rafting on the Zambezi — Grade 5 rapids (~£90–100pp, book locally or via GetYourGuide)
• →OR: Bungee jump from Victoria Falls Bridge (~£100pp)
• →OR: Sunrise/sunset Zambezi River cruise (~£30–40pp)
• →OR: Game drive in Zambezi National Park (~£40–50pp)
• →Explore additional Falls viewpoints at own pace (included with yesterday's park entry ticket if still valid)
• →Browse local craft markets in Vic Falls town

Check out and transfer to Victoria Falls International Airport (VFA) for your onward flight. Taxis from town to the airport are easy to arrange through your guesthouse and take about 10 minutes (~£5–8). Flights from VFA connect to Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Cape Town. If you have time before your flight, grab a final breakfast in town or at the airport. If you're extending your trip, Livingstone (Zambia) is just across the border and easily reached on foot or by taxi for another angle on the Falls and further adventures.

🚌Taxi to VFA airport: ~£6pp

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Final breakfast in Victoria Falls town
• →Taxi to Victoria Falls Airport (VFA, ~10 mins, ~£5–8)
• →Optional: walk across Victoria Falls Bridge into Zambia for a final view
• →Depart from VFA — connections via Johannesburg, Nairobi or Cape Town