Southern Africa Safari Experience — Self-Launched
18 days · South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana
G Adventures charges £6,870
No-markup version: ~£1,885 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, semi-independent version of the 18-day Johannesburg–Victoria Falls–Chobe–Okavango route, swapping G Adventures' safari lodges and private touring vehicle for hostels, budget bush camps, backpacker shuttles, shared 4x4 day tours and self-booked safari drives. You still get Kruger, Karongwe, Victoria Falls, Hwange, Chobe and a mokoro trip into the Okavango Delta — but you book each safari as a day trip or short package through local operators (GetYourGuide, Klook, or the lodges themselves), use Baz Bus/shared transfers between towns, and fly Maun-bound locally. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP; expect camping/budget lodge mixes and self-catering where possible. Best done in the May–September dry season for wildlife. Budget extra for park fees, tips and a yellow fever certificate if arriving from an endemic country.
Day-by-day
Arrive Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa
Land at O.R. Tambo, take the Gautrain or a metered taxi/airport shuttle to a hostel in Maboneng or Melville (approx £6-10). Spend the afternoon acclimatising, buy a local SIM, stock up on ZAR and groceries, and eat at a neighbourhood braai spot. Book your Panorama Route/Kruger shuttle for tomorrow tonight.
🚌Gautrain + walk/taxi from airport (~£8)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Maboneng/Melville
- →Settle in and SIM/cash run
- →Maboneng street art walk
- →Braai dinner
Panorama Route to Graskop/Hazyview
Graskop / Hazyview, South Africa
Take a Baz Bus or shared backpacker shuttle (approx £30-40) from Johannesburg toward the Panorama Route, or join a one-day Panorama Route tour from Joburg if you prefer door-to-door (~£55). Stop at Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes and God's Window; entrance fees are small (~£3-5 each). Overnight in a budget lodge or backpackers in Graskop or Hazyview, the gateway to Kruger.
🚌Baz Bus or backpacker shuttle (~£35)
🛏Backpackers/budget lodge in Graskop or Hazyview
- →Blyde River Canyon viewpoints
- →Bourke's Luck Potholes
- →God's Window
Full-day Kruger National Park safari
Kruger National Park
Book a full-day open-vehicle safari into Kruger through your hostel or GetYourGuide (~£90-110 including park fees; self-drive entry is cheaper at ~£30 park fee plus car hire if you're a confident driver). Spend the day seeking the Big Five across savanna and scrub, with a picnic lunch stop. Pre-book a shared transfer to Karongwe or Hoedspruit for tomorrow.
🚌Open safari vehicle (included in day tour)
🛏Backpackers/budget lodge near Kruger gate
- →Full-day Kruger game drive
- →Big Five spotting
- →Bush picnic lunch
Greater Kruger → Karongwe area & cheetah conservation
Karongwe / Hoedspruit, South Africa
Shared shuttle or minibus to the Hoedspruit/Karongwe area (~£35). In the afternoon, join a small-group or self-booked carnivore conservation talk and sunset drive with a local reserve or the Endangered Wildlife Trust's outreach programmes (many lodges offer these as add-ons, approx £45-70). Learn about cheetah metapopulation work and Big Cats Initiative-funded research.
🚌Shared shuttle (~£35)
🛏Budget safari camp or bush lodge near Hoedspruit
- →Carnivore conservation talk
- →Sunset game drive in private reserve
Big Five day in a private reserve
Karongwe / Greater Kruger
Book morning and afternoon open-vehicle drives in a private Greater Kruger reserve (day rate approx £70-90 including fees) — these reserves allow off-road tracking and guided walks that Kruger doesn't. Relax on the deck between drives, then enjoy a self-arranged South African braai dinner with your camp-mates.
🚌Reserve open safari vehicle
🛏Budget safari camp near Hoedspruit
- →Morning game drive
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Braai dinner
Last drive, back to Johannesburg
Hoedspruit → Johannesburg
One more dawn drive if your camp offers it (often ~£35), then the shared shuttle back to Johannesburg (~£35). Overnight near the airport or in Melville, and pre-book your flight to Victoria Falls (fastjet/Airlink, roughly £110-150 one way booked in advance).
🚌Shared shuttle to Joburg (~£35)
🛏Hostel or airport-area budget hotel
- →Optional dawn drive
- →Free evening in Johannesburg
Fly to Victoria Falls + village homestay dinner
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Fly to Victoria Falls (VFA) and settle into a backpackers or budget guesthouse in town (~£20-25). In the afternoon join a community/village walk through a local operator (GetYourGuide from ~£35) which typically includes market shopping and a home-cooked Zimbabwean dinner with a host family — the independent equivalent of the Ncube family dinner.
🚌Domestic flight (~£130) + airport shuttle (~£8)
🛏Backpackers or budget guesthouse, Victoria Falls town
- →Village walk with market visit
- →Zimbabwean family dinner
Victoria Falls self-guided walk
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Walk down to the falls and tour the rainforest trails yourself — entry is about £25-30 for international visitors. Bring a raincoat or rent one; the spray is brutal and wonderful. Do the route in reverse (start at Livingstone Way end) to have the viewpoints to yourself early. Afternoon free: curio market, colonial-era hotel for a sundowner.
🚌Walk
🛏Backpackers or budget guesthouse, Victoria Falls town
- →Victoria Falls rainforest trail (self-guided)
- →Curio market
- →Sunset at a riverside bar
Zambezi adventure day
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Pick your adrenaline: sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£45-55), zipline/gorge swing over the Zambezi (~£45), white-water rafting below the falls (~£100-120), or the Devil's Pool on the Zambia side if water levels allow (book well ahead). Book direct with operators or via GetYourGuide/Klook. Clean-clothes-and-beer kind of evening.
🚌Walk / local operator transfers
🛏Backpackers or budget guesthouse, Victoria Falls town
- →Sunset river cruise or rafting
- →Gorge swing/zipline
- →Optional Devil's Pool
Victoria Falls → Hwange National Park
Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Take a shared shuttle or minibus to Hwange (~£25-35, ~3-4 hrs). En route or on arrival, visit the Painted Dog Conservation centre near Dete — entrance and guided talks are cheap (~£8-15) and directly support African wild dog rehabilitation. Settle into a budget restcamp (Hwange Main Camp) or nearby lodge, and take an afternoon drive in your lodge's private concession.
🚌Shared shuttle (~£30)
🛏Hwange restcamp chalet or budget lodge
- →Painted Dog Conservation centre visit
- →Afternoon concession game drive
Hwange full-day wildlife
Hwange National Park
Hwange holds roughly half of Zimbabwe's elephants — book morning and late-afternoon drives with a park-registered operator (~£60-80 combined, park fees ~£20/day). Alternatively hire a self-drive 4x4 (from ~£55/day shared) and explore the waterholes around Dete Vlei and Sinamatella. Nights are made for the camp deck and the watering hole visitors.
🚌Open safari vehicle or self-drive 4x4
🛏Hwange restcamp chalet or budget lodge
- →Morning and afternoon game drives
- →Elephant herds around waterholes
- →Wild dog and birding
Hwange → Kasane, boat safari on the Chobe
Kasane, Botswana
Cross the border at Kazungula into Botswana (~£25-35 shared transfer plus border formalities; pay the £20ish Botswana tourism levy if not already included). Settle into a Kasane backpackers or camp (~£20-25) and take an afternoon Chobe River sunset boat cruise (~£30-40) — hippos, crocodiles, bathing elephants and stunning light.
🚌Shared transfer + border crossing (~£30)
🛏Kasane backpackers or budget bush camp
- →Border crossing to Botswana
- →Chobe River sunset boat cruise
Chobe National Park open-vehicle safari
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Book a full-day or half-day open-vehicle safari into Chobe (~£60-90 plus ~£18 park fee), known for the largest elephant concentration on earth. Morning is best for big cats, late afternoon for elephant herds on the floodplain. Your camp can arrange this, or book through GetYourGuide.
🚌Open safari vehicle
🛏Kasane backpackers or budget bush camp
- →Full-day Chobe game drive
- →Elephant herds and big cats
Kasane → Maun
Maun, Botswana
Long travel day: take the local bus via Nata to Maun (~£18-25, 6-8 hrs) or a shared shuttle. Arrive in Maun — the gateway to the Okavango — and check into a backpackers (Old Bridge Backpackers area is the classic). Book tomorrow's mokoro trip and your onward bush-flight/safari logistics tonight.
🚌Bus/shuttle Kasane–Maun (~£22)
🛏Maun backpackers
- →Road trip across Botswana
- →Plan Okavango logistics
Okavango Delta mokoro excursion
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Book a 1-2 day mokoro trip through a Maun operator (~£90-130 all-in for a guided day trip including transport, poler, meals and camp fee). Glide through reeds in a traditional dugout canoe, spot birds, sitatunga and elephant tracks, and walk with your guide on a delta island. Some operators include an Okavango Wilderness Project talk — ask when booking.
🚌4x4 transfer + mokoro
🛏Maun backpackers (or bush camp if doing the overnight version)
- →Mokoro canoe safari
- →Guided delta island walk
- →Birding and wildlife spotting
Moremi / Delta flight or second delta day
Maun / Okavango Delta
Option A: scenic light-aircraft flight over the delta (~£110-140, 45 mins) for the aerial view. Option B: a day trip into Moremi Game Reserve from Maun (~£150-180 including park fees). Option C: a second mokoro day with motorboat transfer deeper into the delta. Whichever you choose, this is the flexible day to pad out your safari count.
🚌Light aircraft or 4x4
🛏Maun backpackers
- →Optional delta scenic flight
- →Optional Moremi game drive
- →Optional second mokoro day
Maun — culture, markets and rest
Maun, Botswana
Slow day. Visit the Maun market, the Nhabe Museum, or join a Botswana storytelling session and traditional Setswana dinner through a community tourism project (~£25-35). Shop for crafts, sort the last of your cash, and say goodbye to your safari companions over a sundowner by the Thamalakane River.
🚌Walk / local combi taxi
🛏Maun backpackers
- →Maun market and Nhabe Museum
- →Storytelling session
- →Traditional Setswana dinner
Depart Maun
Maun, Botswana
Fly out of Maun International (MAU). If you're heading home via Johannesburg, the Air Botswana/Airlink connection is the easiest route; some travellers continue overland to Namibia or the Caprivi. Final breakfast, final debrief with your hostel, and off you go.
🚌Airport transfer (~£8)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,885 | £6,870 |
| Duration | 18 days | 18 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £4,985 per person (73%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,885
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 Southern Africa Safari Experience — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,885 per person for 18 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £6,870 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,885 — a saving of roughly £4,985 (73%) per person.
How long is the South Africa, Zimbabwe & Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 18 days, covering 18 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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