Self-Launched Southern African Sojourn: Cape Town to Johannesburg via Victoria Falls, Chobe & the Okavango
15 days · South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana
Globus charges £8,030
No-markup version: ~£2,480 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Globus's 15-day private southern Africa tour — Cape Town's Table Mountain, Cape Point and penguins, a Big Five private reserve near Kruger, Johannesburg and Soweto's Apartheid history, Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta. You swap the private guide and chauffeur for hostels, backpacker lodges, self-booked day tours, intercity flights, shared safari shuttles and public boats/mokoros — hitting the same highlights for roughly a third of the brochure price. Costs are approximate backpacker rates and assume a mid-range-plus budget build (dorm or budget private rooms and small-group safaris) rather than camping-only. Book game drives and Falls activities a few days ahead via GetYourGuide/Klook or direct with the lodge.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa
Land at Cape Town International, take the MyCiTi bus or an Uber (~£12-15) into the City Bowl. Check into a hostel in Green Point or Gardens, pick up a local SIM/eSIM, and ease into the jet lag with a wander around the V&A Waterfront and a sunset drink on Signal Hill. Pre-book tomorrow's Cape Peninsula tour tonight via GetYourGuide so you're not scrambling at 7am.
🚌Uber from airport ~£12-15; walk/MyCiTi locally
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Green Point / Gardens (~£18-25/night)
- →Airport transfer and city orientation
- →V&A Waterfront stroll
- →Signal Hill sunset
Cape Peninsula day tour: Table Mountain, Boulders Beach & Cape Point
Cape Town, South Africa
Join a small-group Cape Peninsula day tour (GetYourGuide/Viator, ~£50-65) covering the cable car up Table Mountain (cable car ~£18 return, own ticket), Chapman's Peak Drive, a stop at Boulders Beach to see the African penguins (SANParks entry ~£8) and Cape Point with the funicular (~£8). Lunch is at your own cost at a seafront spot in Simon's Town or Hout Bay (~£10-14). You're replicating the operator's private-guide day for a fraction of the price — same viewpoints, minus the private vehicle.
🚌Small-group minibus day tour
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Cape Town
- →Table Mountain cable car
- →Chapman's Peak Drive
- →Boulders Beach penguins
- →Cape of Good Hope & Cape Point funicular
Free day: Winelands or Hermanus whales
Cape Town / Stellenbosch / Hermanus
Pick one optional: a Stellenbosch/Franschhoek wine-tasting day tour (~£45-60 including tastings) or, if you're here between June and November, a Hermanus whale-watching trip (~£50-70). Alternatively stay local — hike Lion's Head at sunrise (free), explore Bo-Kaap, and eat your way round the Old Biscuit Mill or a Cape Malay spot in the Bo-Kaap (~£12).
🚌Tour minibus or local MyCiTi/Uber
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Cape Town
- →Optional Cape Winelands wine tour
- →Optional Hermanus whale watching (Jun-Dec)
- →Lion's Head hike
- →Bo-Kaap food walk
Fly to Hoedspruit / Kruger, transfer to Greater Kruger bush camp
Greater Kruger National Park area
Fly Cape Town to Hoedspruit (Eastgate) on a budget airline — book early, roughly £90-130 one-way — then take a shared lodge shuttle or pre-arranged transfer (~£25-35) to a budget safari camp or bush lodge in the Greater Kruger conservancies (Makalali/Guernsey Road area). Settle in, then head out on an afternoon/evening game drive with a ranger and tracker (~£40-55 including park/conservancy fees). Dinner at the lodge.
🚌Budget flight ~£110; shared transfer ~£30
🛏Budget safari tent or rondavel, Greater Kruger (~£45-60/night half board)
- →Budget flight to Hoedspruit
- →Shared transfer to bush lodge
- →Afternoon/evening game drive
Full day in the bush: morning & afternoon game drives
Greater Kruger National Park area
Classic safari rhythm: wake before dawn for a morning game drive, back for brunch and a siesta, then out again in the late afternoon with a sundowner stop. Your lodge package typically bundles two drives plus all meals (~£75-110/day at a budget lodge). This is the Big Five country — lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo.
🚌Lodge 4x4 game vehicles
🛏Budget safari tent or rondavel, Greater Kruger
- →Morning game drive
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Sundowner in the bush
Second full bush day
Greater Kruger National Park area
Another two-drive day, or swap one for a guided bush walk if the lodge offers it (~£20-30 extra). Spend the midday heat by the pool with a book — exactly the 'optional activities' the brochure lists, just without the private-guide markup. Ask about a night drive if you want to see the nocturnal side.
🚌Lodge 4x4 game vehicles
🛏Budget safari tent or rondavel, Greater Kruger
- →Morning game drive
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Optional guided bush walk
- →Pool and downtime
Morning drive, then to Johannesburg
Greater Kruger → Johannesburg
Squeeze in a final sunrise game drive, then take the lodge shuttle back to Hoedspruit and fly to Johannesburg (~£60-90 one-way). Check into a hostel in Maboneng or Braamfontein, and in the evening walk to Mandela Square in Sandton or grab dinner in Maboneng's food spots (~£12).
🚌Shared transfer ~£30; flight ~£75; Gautrain/Uber ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Maboneng/Braamfontein (~£20-28/night)
- →Final morning game drive
- →Flight to Johannesburg
- →Mandela Square / Maboneng evening
Johannesburg & Soweto history day
Johannesburg, South Africa
Do a self-launched version of the operator's private sightseeing day: catch the Rea Vaya bus or an Uber to the Apartheid Museum (entry ~£8) or Constitution Hill (~£7), then take a shared minibus-taxi or small-group Soweto tour (~£35-45) covering Vilakazi Street, Mandela House (~£5) and a local lunch in Soweto (~£10). Guides are easy to book via GetYourGuide or directly through Soweto backpacker hostels.
🚌Uber / minibus taxi / small-group tour transport
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Johannesburg
- →Apartheid Museum or Constitution Hill
- →Soweto walking/minibus tour
- →Mandela House
- →Lunch at a Soweto restaurant
Fly to Victoria Falls, sunset Zambezi cruise
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly Johannesburg to Victoria Falls (VFA) on a budget carrier — roughly £110-160 one-way booked ahead — and take a shared taxi to a backpacker lodge in the Falls village (~£5). Sort your KAZA UniVisa at the border/airport (~£40-50). In the late afternoon join a sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£40-50 including drinks and snacks) — the same experience the brochure sells as an included activity.
🚌Flight ~£135; shared taxi ~£5
🛏Backpacker lodge, Victoria Falls town (~£18-25/night)
- →Flight to Victoria Falls
- →KASA UniVisa
- →Zambezi sunset cruise with drinks
Victoria Falls walk & optional extras
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Walk the Falls yourself along the Rainforest Trail — entry ~£25-30 for a multi-entry pass, and it's a fully self-guided path with viewpoints and signs, saving the private-guide fee. In the afternoon pick an optional: a helicopter flip over the Falls (~£120-160), a village cultural visit (~£25), or a Devil's Pool/swim if in season. Grab dinner in town (~£10).
🚌Walk / shared taxi
🛏Backpacker lodge, Victoria Falls town
- →Victoria Falls Rainforest Trail walk
- →Optional helicopter flight
- →Optional village visit
Cross into Botswana and Chobe National Park
Kasane / Chobe, Botswana
Take a shared shuttle or minibus from Victoria Falls to Kasane (~£15-25, about 1.5 hours including the Kazungula border crossing). Dump your bags at a Kasane backpacker lodge or campsite, then head out on an afternoon Chobe game drive or a boat safari on the Chobe River (~£35-50 including park fees) — the river cruise is the classic way to see the huge elephant herds up close.
🚌Shared shuttle ~£20; boat/game drive vehicle
🛏Kasane backpacker lodge or safari tent (~£25-35/night, often half board)
- →Border crossing to Botswana
- →Afternoon Chobe game drive or river boat safari
Full day in Chobe
Kasane / Chobe, Botswana
Book a morning and afternoon activity — alternate a game drive with a river cruise to see the park from both sides (~£70-95 for both including park fees). Kasane lodges usually do affordable poolside lunches (~£8). Optional: an extra night drive or a Chobe sunset cruise if you want more time on the water.
🚌Lodge safari vehicles and boats
🛏Kasane backpacker lodge or safari tent
- →Morning game drive
- →Afternoon Chobe River boat safari
- →Poolside downtime
To the Okavango Delta (Maun)
Maun / Okavango Delta, Botswana
Take a shared minibus or bus from Kasane to Maun (~£30-40, 6-7 hours) or, if time is tight, a short flight (~£150). Book a 2-night mokoro camping trip in the Delta through a Maun operator (~£180-250 all-in, including transfers, guide, polers, food and camp gear). You'll transfer out to the Delta by 4x4 and mokoro in the afternoon, then do a late-afternoon bush walk or mokoro ride as the light drops.
🚌Shared bus ~£35; operator 4x4 transfer
🛏Delta bush camp (tented, all-in with mokoro trip)
- →Bus/transfer to Maun
- →4x4 and mokoro transfer into the Delta
- →Afternoon mokoro or bush walk
Full day in the Okavango Delta
Okavango Delta, Botswana
A full day of Delta life: sunrise mokoro poling through the reeds, a guided bush walk on an island, and an afternoon game activity — your operator stitches these together as a package. Wildlife is everywhere but it's the water and the quiet that define the Okavango. Sundowners by the fire and a simple camp dinner included.
🚌Mokoro and 4x4 with guide
🛏Delta bush camp
- →Morning mokoro excursion
- →Guided island bush walk
- →Afternoon game activity
- →Campfire sundowners
Out of the Delta and home from Maun or Johannesburg
Maun → Johannesburg
Mokoro and 4x4 back to Maun in the morning, then fly Maun to Johannesburg (~£130-180 one-way) to connect onward home — or add a couple of extra days in Maun. If your international flight leaves Joburg the same day, book an evening departure to leave buffer for the Delta transfer delay.
🚌4x4 ~£15; Maun-Johannesburg flight ~£155
🛏Onward travel (or optional Joburg airport hotel ~£45)
- →Mokoro transfer back to Maun
- →Flight to Johannesburg
- →Onward international flight
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£2,480 | £8,030 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £5,550 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£2,480
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 African Sojourn: Cape Town to Johannesburg via Victoria Falls, Chobe & the Okavango cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £2,480 per person for 15 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 Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £8,030 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £2,480 — a saving of roughly £5,550 (69%) per person.
How long is the South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 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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