Southern Africa Self-Launched Overland: Cape Town, Falls & Kruger

Fly into Cape Town and settle in. Book a dorm or private room at a city-centre hostel (Long Street or Green Point). Use the afternoon to buy a SIM, sort cash, and pick up a MyCiTi bus card. Join a free walking tour of the city bowl in the late afternoon, then a hostel braai to meet other travellers.

🚌MyCiTi bus from the airport (~£8)

🛏Dorm at a Long Street / Green Point hostel (~£14)

• →Free walking tour of central Cape Town
• →V&A Waterfront sunset wander

Take a Baz Bus or shared shuttle north along the West Coast to Clanwilliam/Cederberg (~£20-25). Base at a backpackers near the Cederberg. In the afternoon, drive or join a local tour to the !Khwa ttu San Cultural Centre on the R27 for a self-guided walk and cultural tour (~£12 booking direct). Evening around the fire at the backpackers.

🚌Baz Bus / shared shuttle Cape Town–Cederberg (~£22)

🛏Backpackers dorm or campsite in Cederberg (~£12)

• →!Khwa ttu San Culture Centre self-guided visit
• →Cederberg rock-art / short hike

Head north toward the Namibian border at Vioolsdrif via a pre-booked shuttle or Intercape coach through Springbok (~£28-35). Overnight at a riverside camp near Fiddlers Creek. Optional late-afternoon canoe paddle on the Orange River (~£10-15) — beautifully calm compared with the gorge sections and easy to arrange through the campsite.

🚌Shared shuttle to Vioolsdrif (~£30)

🛏Riverside campsite / cabin (~£10)

• →Orange River sunset canoe
• →Riverside braai

Walk your pre-arranged shuttle across the Vioolsdrif–Noorloos border (have your passport and onward ticket ready; no visa needed for most UK passports). Continue to Hobas and Fish River Canyon, the second-largest canyon in the world. Walk the rim trails and catch the sunset from a viewpoint — the light is best in the final hour.

🚌Shared shuttle across border to Hobas (~£25)

🛏Hobas campsite (self-catering chalet or camping ~£12)

• →Fish River Canyon rim viewpoint at sunset
• →Hobas camp sunset

Long haul day: take a shuttle to Keetmanshoop, then a connecting shuttle to Sesriem (~£35-45 total, pre-book via your camp as public transport is thin). Provisions at Keetmanshoop — buy food here. Arrive in time for sunset over the desert plains from your campsite near Sossus Oasis.

🚌Shuttle Keetmanshoop–Sesriem (~£40)

🛏Campsite/backpackers near Sesriem (~£12)

• →Quiver tree forest stop near Keetmanshoop
• →Desert stargazing

Take a pre-booked 4x4 shuttle from Sesriem gate into the dunes (~£25-30 including park fees if bundled, otherwise pay Sossusvlei park fee ~£7 yourself). Climb Dune 45 at sunrise, then walk to Deadvlei and the pan. Finish with Sesriem Canyon on the way back. Carry plenty of water — daytime highs are brutal.

🚌Pre-booked 4x4 dune shuttle (~£28)

🛏Campsite/backpackers near Sesriem (~£12)

• →Sunrise climb of Dune 45
• →Deadvlei walk
• →Sesriem Canyon

Shuttle or shared 4x4 out of the desert to Swakopmund (~£30-35), stopping at Solitaire for fuel and the famous apple pie. Check into a backpackers in Swakopmund and have a seafood dinner by the pier.

🚌Shared shuttle Sesriem–Swakopmund (~£32)

🛏Backpackers dorm, Swakopmund (~£14)

• →Solitaire stop
• →Swakopmund jetty sunset

Pick your adventure. Book sandboarding or quad-biking on the dunes via GetYourGuide or an operator in town (~£30-45), try skydiving (~£180-220) or a Skeleton Coast scenic flight (~£180). A cheaper option is the Mondesa township tour with a local guide (~£25). Evening beer at a craft brewery on the seafront.

🚌On foot / local taxi (~£5)

🛏Backpackers dorm, Swakopmund (~£14)

• →Sandboarding the Namib dunes
• →Optional skydive or Skeleton Coast flight
• →Mondesa township tour

Hire a car-share or take a shuttle toward Usakos and arrange a pickup to Spitzkoppe (~£30). Camp under the granite peaks at the community restcamp (~£10). Walk the rock arch and bushman-painting trails in the late afternoon — a superb, cheap sunset spot with no crowd control.

🚌Shared shuttle/taxi Swakopmund–Spitzkoppe (~£30)

🛏Spitzkoppe community campsite (~£10)

• →Spitzkoppe rock arch hike
• →Bushman painting trail

Long transfer day north via Outjo (~£35-40 shared shuttle or Intercape where applicable). Enter Etosha at Anderson Gate and check into Okaukuejo camp. Do a self-drive or shared game drive — late afternoon is prime. End the day at the floodlit waterhole where rhinos come to drink after dark.

🚌Shared shuttle to Outjo + transfer to Etosha (~£38)

🛏Okaukuejo restcamp camping/bush chalet (~£18)

• →Etosha afternoon game drive
• →Okaukuejo floodlit waterhole at night

A full day exploring the park's waterholes — plan a loop south to Okondeka and Halali. Entry is ~£6/day and a self-drive car share is the cheapest option; alternatively book a restcamp sunset game drive (~£30-40). Look for lion, elephant, giraffe and the resident black rhino population.

🚌Shared car hire (~£15 per person)

🛏Okaukuejo restcamp camping (~£18)

• →Self-drive or guided Etosha game drive
• →Halali waterhole

Drive or shuttle southeast to Waterberg Plateau (~£30). Camp at the Waterberg campsite under the red cliffs. Try the self-guided hiking trails (marked, ~2-4 hours) — a good break from sitting in a vehicle. Sundowner at the plateau viewpoint.

🚌Shared shuttle (~£30)

🛏Waterberg campsite (~£12)

• →Waterberg Plateau hikes
• →Sundowner viewpoint

Short transfer into Windhoek (~£20). Camp at Urban Camp or a City hostel, then visit the Penduka women's craft project at Goreangab Dam for lunch and shopping (~£10). Evening: optional group dinner in the city — try kapana (grilled beef) at a street stand for a couple of pounds.

🚌Shuttle Waterberg–Windhoek (~£20)

🛏Urban Camp / hostel dorm Windhoek (~£12)

• →Penduka Village craft project
• →Windhoek city walk

Cross into Botswana at Buitepos (~£35 shared shuttle) and overnight at D'kar, home of the Kuru Development Trust — a Kalahari San art project with a small museum and craft shop. Note Botswana charges an entry levy; keep small Pula notes for border fees.

🚌Shared shuttle Windhoek–D'kar (~£35)

🛏D'kar community campsite/lodge (~£12)

• →Kuru San art project, D'kar
• →Kalahari sunset

Continue by shuttle/coach to Maun (~£30), crossing the Kalahari. Check into a camp near the river. Optional scenic helicopter over the delta (~£180-220) — better value is to save the money and do the delta properly tomorrow. Book your delta mokoro trip for tomorrow at the backpackers or hostel desk.

🚌Shuttle/coach to Maun (~£30)

🛏Maun campsite/backpackers (~£12)

• →Maun riverfront walk
• →Book mokoro excursion

Overnight mokoro/boat trip into the Okavango Delta with a local poler-guide, booked through your backpackers or an accredited Maun operator (~£80-110 including camp, guide and meals). Pole through the reed channels, do a guided walking safari on an island, and camp wild in the delta. Best value version: a day trip (~£35) if you're time- or budget-tight.

🚌4x4 transfer to water edge + mokoro (included)

🛏Wild delta bush camp (included in mokoro trip)

• →Mokoro excursion into the delta
• →Guided island walk
• →Wild delta camping

Return to Maun mid-morning, then shuttle north to Nata (~£25). Camp at Elephant Sands where elephants walk straight through the lodge grounds to drink — genuinely one of the highlights of Botswana's tourist trail. No fences, so give them plenty of room.

🚌Shuttle Maun–Nata (~£25)

🛏Elephant Sands campsite (~£12)

• →Nata baobabs
• →Elephant sightings at the waterhole

Shuttle to Kasane on the Chobe River (~£20). Book a Chobe River sunset cruise (~£25-30) through your campsite — hippos, elephants and birds galore. Overnight at a riverside campsite near Thebe River.

🚌Shuttle Nata–Kasane (~£20)

🛏Kasane riverside campsite (~£12)

• →Chobe River sunset cruise

Do an early Chobe game drive (optional, ~£30) then cross the Kazungula border to Victoria Falls. Book a shared shuttle (~£15) and camp in town. Lunch at the Lusumpuko Women's Club for a traditional Zimbabwean meal (~£8) — booked direct or through your hostel. Afternoon: first look at the falls from the Zimbabwe side.

🚌Shared border shuttle (~£15)

🛏Explorers Village / campsite VF (~£12)

• →Chobe game drive (optional)
• →Lusumpuko Women's Club lunch
• →Victoria Falls viewpoint

Pick one big-ticket activity: the 15-minute helicopter flip over the falls (~£130-150 on GetYourGuide), a 25-minute flight (~£190), or whitewater rafting the Zambezi (~£100-120). Cheaper option: walk the full falls trail network plus the bridge for ~£35 entry plus lunch.

🚌On foot / local taxi (~£5)

🛏Campsite Victoria Falls (~£12)

• →Helicopter flip over Victoria Falls
• →Optional Zambezi rafting
• →Falls trail walk

Slow day. Visit the Victoria Falls community market, do a sunset Zambezi cruise (~£35), or take a village cultural tour (~£25). Buy provisions for the next three long transfer days. Optional extra helicopter or rafting if you skipped it yesterday.

🚌On foot (~£3)

🛏Campsite Victoria Falls (~£12)

• →Zambezi sunset cruise
• →Village cultural tour
• →Craft market

Big transfer day: cross back into Botswana at Kazungula and take a coach/shuttle down to Francistown (~£30-35). Overnight at a stopover lodge near the A1. Stock up at the supermarket for the last leg of the trip.

🚌Coach/shuttle VF–Francistown (~£32)

🛏Stopover lodge ~£18

• →Border crossing
• →Francistown overnight stop

Cross into South Africa at Platjan or Zanzibar border and transfer to the Mapesu/Mapungubwe area (~£35). Overnight at a private game reserve near the park. Join a late-afternoon guided bush walk (~£20) with the reserve's rangers.

🚌Shuttle Francistown–Mapesu with border stop (~£35)

🛏Mapesu private reserve lodge/campsite (~£25)

• →Botswana–South Africa border crossing
• →Guided bush walk

Spend the day in Mapungubwe National Park, a UNESCO-listed cultural landscape of an old kingdom. Visit the interpretation centre and museum (~£8 park entry plus museum fee) and take a guided walk to the hilltop palace site. Optional night drive in the private reserve (~£25).

🚌Local transfer (~£10)

🛏Mapesu lodge/campsite (~£25)

• →Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre
• →Mapungubwe guided hill walk
• →Optional night drive

Transfer south into Kruger via Phalaborwa Gate (~£30) and check into Satara Rest Camp. Join an afternoon/night game drive organised by SANParks (~£25-30) — arguably the best-value game drive in the country. Self-cater at the camp kitchen.

🚌Shuttle to Kruger + park entrance fee ~£7 (~£35)

🛏Satara Rest Camp camping (~£15)

• →SATARA/SANParks sunset or night drive
• →Kruger self-drive stops

Morning game drive in Kruger then exit to the Greater Kruger area near Hazyview/Hoedspruit (~£20 transfer). Optional full-day 4x4 game drive (~£60-80) with a local operator. Evening at a traditional dinner and dance show at your lodge (~£20).

🚌Shuttle to Hazyview (~£20)

🛏Hotel Numbi-style lodge camping (~£16)

• →Kruger morning game drive
• →Optional full-day 4x4 drive
• →Traditional dinner and dancing

Scenic transfer to Johannesburg via the Panorama Route (Blyde River Canyon, Bourke's Luck Potholes) if you can take a shared shuttle that way (~£35-45). Otherwise direct coach to Joburg (~£30). Overnight in Sandton or Melville hostel.

🚌Shared shuttle or coach (~£40)

🛏Joburg hostel/dorm (~£15)

• →Blyde River Canyon viewpoint
• →Johannesburg arrival

Spend the morning at the Apartheid Museum (~£10 entry) or visit Mandela House in Soweto (~£8, book via GetYourGuide with a local guide ~£35 total). Then head to OR Tambo for your flight home.

🚌Gautrain or shared taxi to the airport (~£10)

🛏Day room or direct airport departure

• →Apartheid Museum
• →Mandela House / Soweto walk