Cape Town to Johannesburg: Self-Launched Southern Africa Overland Safari

Land in Cape Town and settle into a dorm in the City Bowl or Green Point. Spend the afternoon on a free walking tour of the historic centre, then hike (or cable car up) Signal Hill or Table Mountain depending on weather. Book your onward coach ticket to the Cederberg/Clanwilliam area today, and pick up a Namibian SIM if you don't have a roaming plan.

🚌MyCiTi bus from airport ~£8; city buses/walking

🛏Hostel dorm, City Bowl (e.g. Long Street or Green Point backpackers) – ~£16

• →Free walking tour of central Cape Town
• →Table Mountain or Signal Hill sunset

Take an early Intercape or Greyhound coach from Cape Town to Clanwilliam (roughly 3–4 hours, ~£15–20), then a local shuttle or shared taxi into the Cederberg. Base yourself at a backpacker lodge or campsite near the Cederberg. In the afternoon hike to rock-art sites or the Sevilla rock art trail. If you want the San culture experience, the !Khwa ttu centre can be visited as a day stop on the Cape West Coast before Clanwilliam – book a shuttle or hire a car for one day.

🚌Intercape coach Cape Town–Clanwilliam ~£18; local shuttle ~£6

🛏Cederberg backpacker lodge or campsite – ~£14

• →Self-guided Cederberg rock art / Sevilla trail hike
• →Optional !Khwa ttu San Culture Centre visit (self-arranged)

Coach or shared shuttle north via Springbok to Vioolsdrif on the Orange River (~5–6 hours). Stay at one of the riverside lodges/campsites near the border. In the afternoon hire a kayak or join a short river paddle trip – operators near Vioolsdrif run 2–3 hour trips for around £18–25. This is also where you prepare for the Namibia border crossing.

🚌Shared shuttle/coach Springbok–Vioolsdrif ~£22

🛏Riverside lodge or campsite near Vioolsdrif – ~£15

• →Orange River kayaking / paddling trip

Cross the Vioolsdrif–Noorsepoort border on foot or with a shared taxi (have your passport and any visa ready). Arrange a pre-booked shuttle or shared 4x4 from the border to Hobas / Fish River Canyon (~3 hours). Check into a rest camp or guesthouse near Hobas. Walk the canyon rim viewpoints for sunset – the second-largest canyon in the world and completely free to view from the rim trails.

🚌Shared taxi across border ~£8; pre-booked shuttle to Hobas ~£25

🛏Hobas rest camp or nearby guesthouse – ~£16

• →Fish River Canyon rim hike and sunset viewpoints

Long transfer day north to Sesriem (~6–7 hours). There's no regular public bus, so the practical budget option is a pre-booked seat on a scheduled shuttle or a shared 4x4 transfer (book through your accommodation or a Windhoek/Swakopmund operator, ~£40–55). Alternatively hire a car in Keetmanshoop and self-drive. Overnight at a campsite or guesthouse in Sesriem village, right at the park gate.

🚌Pre-booked shared shuttle/4x4 transfer ~£48

🛏Campsite or budget guesthouse at Sesriem – ~£18

• →Scenic drive through the Namib buffer zone
• →Sunset over the desert plains

Get up before dawn and drive into the park for sunrise at Dune 45, then continue to the Sossusvlei pan and take the 4x4 shuttle to Deadvlei (shuttle ~£8). Walk Sesriem Canyon on the way back in the afternoon. Park entry is payable at the gate (~£7 per person per day plus vehicle fee). If you're not self-driving, join a shared sunrise tour from Sesriem (~£35–45).

🚌Park shuttle and local transfers ~£14; park fees ~£7

🛏Campsite or budget guesthouse at Sesriem – ~£18

• →Sunrise at Dune 45
• →Deadvlei 4x4 shuttle and walk
• →Sesriem Canyon walk

Transfer west to Swakopmund (~4–5 hours) via Solitaire and the Kuiseb Pass. Check into a backpackers in town. Afternoon free to wander the German-colonial streets, the jetty and the beach. Book your sandboarding or skydiving for tomorrow through your hostel.

🚌Shared shuttle/4x4 Sesriem–Swakopmund ~£35

🛏Swakopmund backpackers dorm – ~£18

• →Swakopmund town walk and beach

Pick your adrenaline fix: sandboarding in the dunes (~£35–40), a skydive over the Namib (~£200+), or the Skeleton Coast scenic flight (~£180–210). Cheaper option: hire a fat bike or join a guided dune walk. Spend the evening at a hostel braai.

🚌Local operator pickups included; town walking

🛏Swakopmund backpackers dorm – ~£18

• →Sandboarding in the Namib dunes
• →Optional Skeleton Coast scenic flight or skydive

Shared transfer or self-drive east to Spitzkoppe (~2.5 hours, ~£25). Stay at the community restcamp at the base of the granite peaks. Hike up to the Bushman's Paradise rock art and the natural arch for sunset. Bring food and water – facilities are basic.

🚌Shared transfer ~£25

🛏Spitzkoppe Community Restcamp campsite or basic room – ~£14

• →Spitzkoppe sunset hike and rock art

Very long transfer day north to the Etosha area (~6–7 hours). Book a seat on a scheduled shuttle or shared 4x4 via Omaruru/Outjo (~£45–55). Overnight at a campground or lodge just outside the Andersson Gate. Book your self-drive or guided game drive for the next two days on arrival; if you're not driving, Etosha day tours can be joined from the gate area (~£55–75 per day).

🚌Shared shuttle/4x4 ~£50

🛏Campsite or lodge outside Etosha – ~£18

• →Travel day
• →Evening at camp

Full day in Etosha – either self-drive with a hired 4x4 (best value if you're a group of 3–4) or join a shared guided game drive. Focus on the eastern waterholes (Namutoni, Halali) for elephant, lion, giraffe and rhino. Park fees ~£10 per person plus vehicle fee. Return to camp for a night at a floodlit waterhole or join an optional night drive (~£35).

🚌Game drive/vehicle share ~£45; park fees ~£10

🛏Campsite or lodge outside Etosha – ~£18

• →Full-day Etosha game drive
• →Optional guided night drive

Drive or transfer south-east to the Waterberg Plateau (~4 hours, ~£35 shared). Walk one of the plateau trails in the afternoon – the Waterberg is known for its red sandstone cliffs and rare species. Overnight at the Waterberg rest camp or a nearby guest farm.

🚌Shared transfer ~£35

🛏Waterberg rest camp campsite/bungalow – ~£15

• →Waterberg Plateau trail walk

Short transfer into Windhoek (~2.5 hours, ~£18 shared shuttle). Drop bags at a backpackers in the city centre. Visit the Penduka Village project on the edge of town (self-arrange a taxi, ~£8 return) to see the women's craft cooperative, then explore the Independence Memorial Museum and Joe's Beerhouse for dinner.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£18; local taxis ~£8

🛏Windhoek backpackers dorm – ~£16

• →Penduka Village craft cooperative visit
• →Windhoek city walk

Cross into Botswana. Take a shared shuttle or coach from Windhoek to the Buitepos/Mamuno border and on to Ghanzi in the Kalahari (~5–6 hours, ~£35). Overnight at a Kalahari lodge or campsite. Optional: join a San-guided bushman walk at a local lodge in the late afternoon (~£20).

🚌Shared shuttle Windhoek–Ghanzi ~£35

🛏Kalahari lodge or campsite, Ghanzi – ~£16

• →Kalahari bushman walk (optional)

Continue north to Maun (~4 hours, shared combi/shuttle ~£18). Check into a backpackers near the river. Sort out your Okavango Delta trip for tomorrow – book a 1–2 night mokoro camping trip with a local operator via your hostel (~£90–120 for one night including transfers, meals and guide). Optional scenic helicopter or light-aircraft flight over the Delta (~£150+) if budget allows.

🚌Shared combi Ghanzi–Maun ~£18

🛏Maun backpackers dorm – ~£15

• →Maun riverside walk
• →Book Okavango Delta mokoro trip
• →Optional Delta scenic flight

Head out into the Delta by 4x4 and mokoro (dugout canoe) with a local poler guide. Camp on an island, do guided bush walks and enjoy the silence of the wetlands. This is the classic budget Delta experience and is far cheaper booked locally in Maun than as part of a group tour.

🚌4x4 and mokoro transfers included in operator price ~£100

🛏Island bush camp (tents provided by operator) – included in trip

• →Mokoro canoe excursion
• →Guided Delta bush walk
• →Island camping

Return to Maun in the morning, then take a shared shuttle or combi east to Nata (~3 hours, ~£15). Overnight at a lodge/campsite near the Nata bird sanctuary or the famous Elephant Sands – elephants often walk right through camp.

🚌Shared shuttle Maun–Nata ~£15

🛏Nata lodge or campsite – ~£16

• →Elephant Sands waterhole watching

Continue north to Kasane on the Chobe River (~4 hours, shared combi ~£18). In the late afternoon join a Chobe River sunset cruise (~£35–40) – one of the best-value wildlife experiences in southern Africa, with huge elephant herds coming to drink. Overnight in a Kasane backpackers or campsite.

🚌Shared combi Nata–Kasane ~£18

🛏Kasane backpackers/campsite – ~£15

• →Chobe River sunset cruise

Do an early-morning Chobe game drive in the national park (~£35–45), then cross the Kazungula border into Zimbabwe (shared taxi ~£8). Check into a backpackers in Victoria Falls town. Optional Lusumpuko Women's Club lunch (~£8–10) is a great community-run stop if you want to support local women's enterprise.

🚌Shared taxi to border ~£8; park fees ~£10

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers dorm – ~£15

• →Early Chobe game drive
• →Border crossing to Zimbabwe
• →Optional Lusumpuko Women's Club lunch

Spend the day at Victoria Falls National Park (~£25 entry) – walk the rainforest trail and all the viewpoints. In the afternoon, book your activities for the next day: white-water rafting (~£95), the 15-minute helicopter flip (~£130), or a Zambezi sunset cruise (~£35).

🚌Walking; local taxis ~£4

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers dorm – ~£15

• →Victoria Falls rainforest walk
• →Optional Zambezi sunset cruise

Choose your big-ticket activity: full-day Zambezi white-water rafting (grade V, ~£95), the helicopter flight over the falls (~£130), or cross to Livingstone for Devil's Pool if water levels allow (~£90–110 including transfers). Relax at the backpackers in the evening.

🚌Operator transfers included; border crossing if going to Zambia ~£10

🛏Victoria Falls backpackers dorm – ~£15

• →Optional white-water rafting or helicopter flight
• →Optional Devil's Pool / Livingstone day trip

Long travel day back into Botswana. Cross at Kazungula and take a shared shuttle/coach via Nata to Francistown (~7–8 hours, ~£25). Overnight at a budget lodge or guesthouse in Francistown – it's purely a transit stop.

🚌Shared shuttle/coach ~£25

🛏Francistown budget lodge – ~£18

• →Travel day

Cross the border back into South Africa at Platjan or Pont Drift and transfer to the Mapungubwe area (~5 hours, ~£30 shared). Base at a bush camp or guesthouse near Mapungubwe. Afternoon guided bush walk on a private reserve (~£20) to look for plains game.

🚌Shared transfer ~£30; park/conservation fees ~£8

🛏Mapungubwe-area bush camp or guesthouse – ~£18

• →Guided bush walk
• →Border crossing into South Africa

Visit the Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre and museum (UNESCO-listed Iron Age kingdom, ~£10 entry) in the morning, then take a self-drive or shared game drive through the park in the afternoon (~£25). Optional night safari drive (~£25) if you're staying in the reserve.

🚌Vehicle share ~£25; entry fees ~£10

🛏Mapungubwe-area bush camp or guesthouse – ~£18

• →Mapungubwe museum visit
• →Park game drive
• →Optional night drive

Drive or take a shared shuttle south to Kruger's Phalaborwa or Orpen gate (~4 hours, ~£28). Check into a SANParks rest camp (Satara is a great central base). Do a self-drive afternoon game drive on the way in (~£10 park fee per person per day plus vehicle fee). Kruger's rest camps are excellent value.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£28; Kruger conservation fee ~£10

🛏SANParks rest camp bungalow or safari tent (shared) – ~£22

• →Self-drive Kruger game drive

Full-day self-drive or guided game drive in Kruger (~£45–60 guided, or ~£20 self-drive plus fuel and fees). Look for the Big Five around the central plains. In the evening, join a traditional African dinner and dance show at a nearby lodge or cultural village (~£20–25).

🚌Vehicle share ~£30; park fees ~£10

🛏Guesthouse or campsite near Hazyview – ~£20

• →Full-day Kruger game drive
• →Traditional dinner and dance

Take a shared shuttle or bus from the Kruger area to Johannesburg (~5–6 hours, ~£30). Check into a hostel in Melville or Maboneng. Evening free to explore Johannesburg's food and bar scene.

🚌Shared shuttle/bus ~£30

🛏Johannesburg hostel dorm – ~£16

• →Travel day
• →Evening in Maboneng/Melville

Depending on your flight time, do a morning visit to Constitution Hill or the Apartheid Museum (~£8–10), or take a Soweto township tour (~£40). Then head to OR Tambo airport for departure.

🚌Gautrain or airport shuttle ~£12

🛏None (departure day)

• →Apartheid Museum or Constitution Hill
• →Optional Soweto tour