Self-Launched Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Delta Safari
8 days · Zimbabwe & Botswana
Little Roz Tours charges £2,975
No-markup version: ~£980 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 8-day safari linking Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) with Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta (Botswana), built from Little Roz Tours' fully guided itinerary but booked piece by piece. You start at Victoria Falls with a Zambezi sunset cruise and a self-guided walk along the falls, cross to Kasane for boat cruises and game drives in Chobe, then fly or transfer to the Maun/Moremi area for mokoro and game drive excursions in the Delta. Everything is bookable direct with local lodges, activity operators and Botswana's light-aircraft charter companies — you travel independently, arrange your own transfers by shared shuttle, minibus taxi or charter flight, and join small group activities on the day. Costs are realistic budget-to-midrange estimates for a solo traveller sharing where possible; park fees, charters and guided game activities are the big-ticket items in Botswana and cannot be avoided. All figures are approximate and in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Victoria Falls — Zambezi sunset cruise
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Land at Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) and take a shared shuttle or metered taxi into town (~£8-12, 25 min). Check into a budget guesthouse or backpacker lodge in Victoria Falls town, 10-15 minutes' walk from the falls entrance. In the late afternoon join a public Zambezi sunset cruise — book direct with one of the operators at the jetty or via GetYourGuide/Viator a few days ahead (~£35-45 including drinks). Dinner in town at a local grill or self-cater from the supermarket.
🚌Shared shuttle/taxi from VFA airport to town, ~£10
🛏Budget guesthouse/backpacker lodge in Victoria Falls town (dorm or twin) — £20-30
- →Shared airport shuttle to Victoria Falls town
- →Zambezi River sunset cruise (public boat, self-booked)
Victoria Falls — self-guided rainforest walk & town
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Walk to the Victoria Falls National Park entrance and do the rainforest trail self-guided — the viewpoints are well marked and you can spend 2-3 hours following the mist-soaked paths to Danger Point. Entry is around US$50 (~£40) for international visitors, payable on the gate card/cash. Optional add-ons bookable locally: a helicopter flip over the falls (~£120-150) or a dip in Devil's Pool on Livingstone Island on the Zambia side (seasonal, ~£90-110). Afternoon free for the craft market, a coffee stop and sorting onward transport to Kasane — the Kazungula border crossing is straightforward by shared taxi or a pre-booked shuttle (~£15-20).
🚌Walking in town; optional local taxi
🛏Budget guesthouse/backpacker lodge in Victoria Falls town — £20-30
- →Self-guided Victoria Falls rainforest trail
- →Optional helicopter flight over the falls
- →Craft market and town wander
Cross into Botswana — Chobe River boat cruise
Kasane, Botswana
Take a shared shuttle or taxi to the Kazungula border (Zimbabwe-Botswana), clear immigration and continue to Kasane (~£15-20 total). Check into a budget lodge or campsite in Kasane — plenty of options with en-suite rondavels and pools for £25-40. In the afternoon join a public Chobe River sunset boat cruise booked direct with a Kasane operator or via GetYourGuide (~£30-40, 3 hours, park fees extra ~£10). Chobe's elephant herds come down to drink in the late afternoon — it's one of the best-value wildlife experiences in Africa.
🚌Shared shuttle/taxi Victoria Falls to Kasane over Kazungula border, ~£18
🛏Budget lodge/campsite in Kasane (en-suite) — £30
- →Kazungula border crossing
- →Chobe River sunset boat cruise (small group)
Chobe National Park — full-day game drive
Kasane, Botswana
Book a full-day or split morning/afternoon game drive into Chobe National Park with a licensed Kasane operator (~£55-75 per person sharing a 4x4, including park fees around £18). Chobe holds one of the largest elephant populations on earth, plus buffalo, lion, leopard, giraffe and huge pods of hippo along the river. BYO lunch or take the operator's packed lunch. Evening back in Kasane — cheap local restaurants and a sundowner at a riverside bar.
🚌4x4 game drive vehicle included with activity
🛏Budget lodge/campsite in Kasane (en-suite) — £30
- →Full-day Chobe National Park game drive (shared 4x4)
- →Optional afternoon river cruise add-on
Fly Kasane to Maun — into the Delta
Maun / Okavango Delta, Botswana
Fly the scenic light-aircraft hop from Kasane to Maun (~£150-190 one way with Air Botswana/charter operators — book well ahead; this is the route the guided tour also uses). Alternatively take the long road transfer via Nata (~10-12 hrs, ~£30-40) if budget is the priority. From Maun, arrange a Delta day trip or overnight mokoro excursion with a Maun-based operator (~£90-130 for a day trip including transfers, mokoro poler and park fees). Stay at a Maun backpacker lodge or campsite (~£20-30).
🚌Light aircraft Kasane-Maun, ~£170 (or road transfer ~£35)
🛏Backpacker lodge/campsite in Maun — £25
- →Scenic light-aircraft flight Kasane to Maun
- →Afternoon game-viewing or sunset drive near Maun
Okavango Delta — mokoro day trip or overnight
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Head into the Delta by 4x4 from Maun to a poling station near Boro or Moremi's edge, then glide through reed channels in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) poled by a local guide. Book direct with a Maun operator or via GetYourGuide — day trips run ~£90-120, while a one-night bush camp on an island (tents, bucket showers, guided walks) costs ~£180-250 all-in. Expect hippo, elephant, red lechwe, countless birds and total silence. Morning and late-afternoon are the best wildlife windows.
🚌4x4 transfer Maun to poling station; mokoro included
🛏Maun lodge or Delta island bush camp (tented) — £25-60
- →Mokoro excursion in the Okavango Delta
- →Guided bush walk on a Delta island
- →Optional overnight island bush camp
Moremi Game Reserve game drive
Moremi Game Reserve / Maun
Take a full-day game drive into Moremi Game Reserve with a Maun-based operator, or a self-drive if you've hired a 4x4 (~£45/day plus fuel and ~£18 park fees; a guided shared day trip is ~£100-130 per person with lunch). Moremi is where the Delta meets dry land — excellent for wild dog, lion, leopard, elephant and sitatunga. Return to Maun for the night, sort your onward flight and have a proper dinner in town.
🚌4x4 game drive vehicle included with activity
🛏Backpacker lodge/campsite in Maun — £25
- →Full-day Moremi Game Reserve game drive
- →Wildlife spotting: wild dog, lion, elephant
Depart Maun
Maun, Botswana
Breakfast at the lodge, then a short taxi to Maun Airport (~£6-10) for onward flights — Air Botswana and Airlink serve Johannesburg daily, with connections onward to Cape Town or home. If you have a late flight, Maun has a good curio market and the Nhabe Museum. Note the guided tour's listed end point at Victoria Falls is misleading — the itinerary actually ends in Maun, so book your international departure from there.
🚌Taxi to Maun Airport, ~£8
🛏—
- →Departure from Maun Airport
- →Optional Nhabe Museum and curio market
Self-launched vs. Little Roz Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Little Roz Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£980 | £2,975 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,995 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Little Roz Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£980
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 Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Delta Safari cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £980 per person for 8 days in 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 Little Roz Tours?+
Yes — Little Roz Tours charges around £2,975 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £980 — a saving of roughly £1,995 (67%) per person.
How long is the Zimbabwe & Botswana trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through 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, backpacker trip through 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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