Zimbabwe & Botswana: Hwange, Victoria Falls & Chobe — Self-Launched
8 days · Zimbabwe & Botswana
G Adventures charges £3,580
No-markup version: ~£675 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day independent version of G Adventures' Geluxe Zimbabwe & Botswana trip: Hwange National Park's elephant herds, the thunder of Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls), and Chobe's boat safaris and game drives. Instead of private vehicles and safari lodges, you'll use shared road transfers, self-booked national park stays and budget rest camps, and locally operated safari drives and river cruises booked direct or via GetYourGuide. Costs are backpacker-to-mid-range estimates in GBP and exclude international flights; Southern Africa safaris are not cheap, so expect a meaningful but not enormous saving versus the tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Victoria Falls — transfer to Hwange
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe → Hwange
Land at Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) by early afternoon. Rather than a private transfer, take a metered taxi or shared shuttle into Victoria Falls town (~£10-12, 20 mins), then pick up the afternoon shared road transfer to Hwange (a minibus/coach transfer booked through your lodge or a Hwange safari operator, roughly £25-40 pp, 2.5-3 hours via the Bulawayo road). Aim to arrive at your rest camp or small safari lodge near Hwange Main Camp or Sinamatella before dusk. Buy USD cash and a local SIM (Econet/NetOne) in Victoria Falls before leaving — ATMs in Hwange are unreliable. Evening: sundowner at camp and plan your shared game drives with the camp's activities desk.
🚌Taxi VFA→Victoria Falls town (~£10); shared road transfer Victoria Falls→Hwange (~£30 pp)
🛏Budget safari lodge or rest camp rondavel near Hwange Main Camp (~£25-40 pp/night)
- →Buy SIM and USD cash in Victoria Falls
- →Settle in and book shared game drives with camp
Hwange: full-day game drive with bush lunch
Hwange National Park
Book a shared full-day game drive with your camp, or join a small-group drive run by a licensed Hwange operator (most camps sell these per seat, £40-60 pp including park fees, or you can join a seat-in-vehicle from Main Camp). Hwange's pumped waterholes draw huge elephant concentrations in the dry season. Morning drive, bush lunch at a picnic site, then another slow loop through the teak and mopane. Bring binoculars, a wide-brim hat and plenty of water.
🚌Open-air safari vehicle with the camp/operator
🛏Budget safari lodge or rest camp rondavel near Hwange Main Camp
- →Full-day shared game drive in Hwange NP
- →Bush lunch at a picnic site
- →Sunset at a waterhole
Hwange: golden hour among the elephants
Hwange National Park
A second day at a slower pace: a morning drive plus an afternoon-to-sunset drive finishing at a busy pan. If you want to self-drive instead, Hwange permits private vehicles (park entry ~£8 pp/day plus vehicle fee) — hire a 4x4 in Victoria Falls only if you're confident in sand and unmarked tracks; a shared seat is usually better value for solos. Evening back at camp: fire, dinner, early night.
🚌Safari vehicle with the camp/operator
🛏Budget safari lodge or rest camp rondavel near Hwange Main Camp
- →Morning game drive
- →Golden-hour drive at a waterhole
Hwange → Victoria Falls: the smoke that thunders
Victoria Falls
Shared transfer back to Victoria Falls (~£30 pp, 2.5-3 hrs). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the Falls' town centre. In the afternoon walk the Victoria Falls Rainforest self-guided trail (entry ~£25 pp, plus ~£8 for the KAZA UniVisa if you'll cross into Zambia). From the Zimbabwe side you get roughly two-thirds of the falls' face — bring a poncho in high-water months (Feb-July). Sunset drinks at a lookout bar over the gorge. Tonight: the Simunye 'Spirit of Africa' show at the theatre by the falls can be booked direct or via GetYourGuide (~£20-30) instead of the tour's included performance — or skip it and eat at a local restaurant.
🚌Shared road transfer Hwange→Victoria Falls (~£30 pp); walking locally
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Victoria Falls town (~£20-30 pp/night)
- →Victoria Falls Rainforest walk
- →Sunset over the gorge
- →Optional: Simunye: Spirit of Africa show (~£25)
Victoria Falls 'choose your own' day
Victoria Falls
Do-it-yourself version of the tour's OMG Day. Options booked independently: a community cooking class or village visit (£20-30, often via GetYourGuide or the Elephant Hills/community tourism offices), the 15-minute helicopter flight over the falls (~£165-175 direct with operators like Wild Horizons or Bonisair, vs $210 on the tour), a sunset cruise on the Zambezi (~£60-65), white-water rafting the Batoka Gorge (~£110-130), or the Historic Victoria Falls Bridge tour (£20). Walkable town, cheap local taxis (£2-4 a hop). Book rafting and flights a day ahead — they sell out in peak season.
🚌Walking and local taxis (~£5-8)
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Victoria Falls town
- →Pick one: community cooking experience, bridge tour, Zambezi sunset cruise, helicopter flight or rafting
Border crossing to Kasane — Chobe river cruise
Victoria Falls → Kasane, Botswana
Cross at Kazungula: take a taxi to the border (~£10), clear Zimbabwe immigration, then a short border shuttle across the new Kazungula Bridge (~£2-5 pp) into Botswana; pay the $30 tourism levy at immigration (card or USD). From Kasane's border post a shared taxi or taxi to town is £3-5. Afternoon Chobe River boat cruise — book direct with a Kasane operator (Chobe Safari Lodge, Kalahari Tours, Caprivi Houseboat etc.) or via GetYourGuide, £30-45 pp, 3 hours on the water with elephants, hippo, crocs and carmine bee-eaters in season. Instead of fly camping in the park, base yourself in a Kasane hostel or budget lodge — most offer a full-day Chobe safari+boat combo (£60-85 pp, park fees ~£18 included).
🚌Taxi to border, shuttle across Kazungula Bridge (~£15 total), taxi into Kasane (~£4)
🛏Hostel, guesthouse or budget safari lodge in Kasane (~£25-40 pp/night)
- →Kazungula border crossing
- →Chobe River sunset boat cruise
Chobe National Park: full day of elephants
Chobe National Park
Take a full-day shared safari into Chobe with a Kasane operator: early morning game drive along the Chobe riverfront (the densest elephant population on earth, 50,000+ in the ecosystem), lunch, then an afternoon boat. Park fees for foreigners are ~$18 pp/day (roughly £15) and most operators include them — confirm before booking. If budget is tight, the morning half-day drive (£35-45) is the best value. Evening: cheap local dinner in Kasane and pack for departure.
🚌Open-air safari vehicle and boat with the operator
🛏Hostel, guesthouse or budget safari lodge in Kasane
- →Full-day Chobe game drive and boat safari
- →Riverfront elephant watching
Kasane — onward travel
Kasane, Botswana
Fly out of Kasane (BBK) any time from 2pm, or continue overland: shared taxis run to Kazungula for onward trips to Livingstone/Victoria Falls, or daily minibuses to Nata and Maun for the Okavango Delta if you're extending. Taxi to the airport is £4-6.
🚌Local taxi to Kasane airport (~£5)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Onward travel or extend to Okavango Delta
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£675 | £3,580 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,905 per person (81%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£675
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 Zimbabwe & Botswana: Hwange, Victoria Falls & Chobe — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £675 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 G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £3,580 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £675 — a saving of roughly £2,905 (81%) 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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