Okavango · Chobe · Victoria Falls · Cape Town
Ultimate Southern Africa Escape
Thirteen days and four countries — three nights on an island camp in the Okavango, three aboard a houseboat on the Chobe, two at Victoria Falls and four at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. Two internal flights are included; your international tickets are not.
Why this trip
Four countries, and you barely notice crossing them
The Chobe River is the border. Your houseboat moors on the Namibian bank while the elephants you are watching stand in Botswana, and nobody makes a fuss about it.
This itinerary moves through Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa in thirteen days, and the reason it works is that it changes register each time. Three nights on an island camp deep in the Okavango, reached by light aircraft and then by boat. Three nights on a houseboat, where the game viewing happens from a deck chair. Two at Victoria Falls. Then four nights at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, which is about as far from a tented camp as it is possible to get while still being on the same continent.
Most multi-country itineraries are one kind of trip repeated in four places. This one is four different kinds of trip, and the contrast is the point.
Who it suits: travellers who want range rather than depth, and who like water — a good half of the wildlife on this trip is seen from a boat, a mokoro or a deck. It suits couples and small groups. It does not suit anyone set on Big Five ticking, and it is not a first safari for someone who wants to stay in one place and know it well.
Trusted African travel expertise
Your itinerary
Your Okavango to Cape Town journey, day by day
Two internal flights are included — Maun into the Delta, and Victoria Falls to Cape Town — along with the light aircraft hop to Kasane and every transfer and border formality in between.
Days 1–3Kadizora Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana+
Arrive in Maun and take a light aircraft over the Delta — the flight itself is one of the better hours of the trip. You land at the airstrip and transfer by boat to the camp, which sits on an island on the banks of a tributary in the NG12 concession.
Over three days: mokoro excursions poled through the channels, motorboat trips for elephant, hippo and birdlife, game drives on the island in open vehicles, and the option of a walk or fishing. Sundowners and dinner under the stars.
Kadizora is full board plus — all meals, all activities, and all local spirits, wine and beer are included from arrival to departure.
Day 4To the Chobe — two borders and a houseboat+
Transfer to the airstrip for the light aircraft flight to Kasane. A driver meets you and takes you to immigration, where you clear out of Botswana and into Namibia, then a tender boat carries you across to the houseboat.
Introductions, a three-course dinner and a map talk about the Chobe from the crew.
Allow 45 to 60 minutes for the crossing itself. It involves a short walk and a boat, and both immigration offices close at 16h30 with a 16h00 cut-off — which is why this leg is not one to run late on.
Days 5–6Chobe Princess, Chobe River, Namibia+
Breakfast on board, then one activity each day — a river safari in a small tender, a fishing charter for tiger fish and bream, or a village tour. Buffet lunch aboard, and the afternoons are yours on the deck.
The boat moves. You are not moored in one spot for three days, and where you wake depends on where the game was the evening before.
Full board plus, with all drinks except premium brands included.
Day 7To Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe — Mbano Manor+
A final morning game drive or boat safari on the Chobe, then back across the border at Kasane and on by road to Victoria Falls. Check in at Mbano Manor, in the teak forest four kilometres from the Falls.
This evening you are collected for the Boma dinner at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, with return transfers. The dinner is included; drinks there are not.
From here to the end of the trip your rate is bed and breakfast.
Day 8The Falls and the Zambezi+
Breakfast, then a guided tour of Victoria Falls on foot — the formation of the gorge, the local history, and the rainforest paths along the Zimbabwean rim. You will get wet.
In the afternoon, a two-hour sunset cruise on the Zambezi upstream of the falls.
Day 9To Cape Town — Mount Nelson+
Breakfast and check out, then a private transfer to Victoria Falls International for the included flight to Cape Town. You are met on arrival and driven to the Mount Nelson, on nine acres of gardens below Table Mountain.
The evening is at leisure. Dinner is on your own account — the hotel rate here is bed and breakfast.
Day 10Cape Town and Table Mountain+
A private full-day city tour, including the ascent of Table Mountain if the weather allows, then Sea Point and Camps Bay.
The afternoon is the Footsteps to Freedom walking tour — Greenmarket Square, Adderley Street, the Grand Parade and City Hall, the Castle of Good Hope, District Six, the Bo-Kaap and the sites of the slavery precinct. It is the part of Cape Town most visitors skip, and it is the part most people remember.
Day 11The Cape Peninsula+
A private full day down the peninsula — the coast road through Hout Bay, the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.
At Cape Point the funicular takes you up to the lighthouse. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 12The Winelands+
A private full day in the Cape Winelands. At Spier there is an hour-long Segway ride through the vineyards. At Waterford in Stellenbosch, a salt tasting with a handcrafted platter, plus their wine and chocolate pairing. Then a bespoke tasting in the wine studio at Mullineux & Leeu.
Tastings are included; lunch is on your own account.
Day 13Departure+
Breakfast and check out, then a transfer to Cape Town International for your onward flight, which you arrange yourself.
Days 1–3 · Botswana
Kadizora Camp, Okavango Delta
Thirteen tents on an island in the NG12 concession in the northern Delta, reached by a forty-minute flight from Maun and then by boat. Full board plus — all meals, all activities and all local drinks.
What lives in the concession
One thing to settle when you book. The listing quotes Kadizora as “Luxury Tents and Standard Tents” without naming which you get. Both are en-suite with a bath and a private deck; the Luxury Tents are larger and there are nine of them against four Standard. Ask Ranger Buck to name the category on your confirmation rather than leaving it open — and if it matters to you, ask for the Luxury Tent to be priced.
Watch — the Delta
Kadizora Camp
Ranger Buck Safaris' own film of Kadizora, the camp you stay at for the first three nights of this itinerary.
Watch on YouTubeDays 4–6 · Namibia
The Chobe Princess
Three houseboats on the Chobe River, thirteen cabins between them and two staff for every guest. The boats moor on the Namibian bank and the game is on the Botswana side, a few hundred metres away.
One activity each day — you choose
The cabins are small — about 13 square metres. That is a fact worth knowing rather than a criticism: this is a river boat, not a hotel, and almost nobody spends time in the cabin. But if you are used to a suite, read that number twice before you book. The windows slide fully open, which makes a real difference.
Watch — the Chobe
Chobe Princess
The operator's own film of the houseboats and the river safari, from the Zambezi Queen Collection who run them.
Watch on YouTubeDays 7–8 · Zimbabwe
Victoria Falls and Mbano Manor
Two nights in an eighteen-suite hotel built into an ancient teak forest, four kilometres from the Falls, on a bed and breakfast basis. A guided falls tour, a Zambezi sunset cruise and the Boma dinner are all included.
Two nights here is short, and deliberately so — the Falls are a day and a half of sightseeing rather than a destination to settle into. If you want rafting, a helicopter flight or a day in Zambia, this is the leg to extend.
Days 9–12 · South Africa
Mount Nelson, Cape Town
Four nights at Belmond's pink hotel, open since 1899, on nine acres of gardens below Table Mountain. Bed and breakfast, in a Deluxe One Bedroom Suite — 68 to 114 square metres with a separate living room.
Nine acres, two pools and the tea
All three Cape Town touring days are private rather than group departures, and the Table Mountain, Cape Point and Boulders Beach entries are included. Lunches on those days are not, and neither are drinks.
Watch — Cape Town
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel
Belmond's own film of the Mount Nelson, where you spend the last four nights of this itinerary.
Watch on YouTubeThe company we keep
A wider world of safari stays
Ranger Buck works with leading camps and lodges across Southern Africa, giving your safari specialist more ways to shape the right journey around you.
A selection from Ranger Buck’s lodge network. Your final itinerary will list the specific properties included in your trip.
Where you stay
What the rate actually books
Four properties, four completely different kinds of night. These are the categories quoted at the price shown.
Kadizora Camp
- Room
- Luxury or Standard Tent — confirm at booking
- Nights
- 3
- Basis
- Full board plus — all meals, activities and local drinks
- Where
- NG12 concession, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Chobe Princess
- Cabin
- Standard cabin, approx. 13 m²
- Nights
- 3
- Basis
- Full board plus — all drinks except premium brands
- Where
- Chobe River, Namibia
Mbano Manor Hotel
- Room
- Deluxe King suite
- Nights
- 2
- Basis
- Bed and breakfast
- Where
- Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel
- Room
- Deluxe One Bedroom Suite, 68–114 m²
- Nights
- 4
- Basis
- Bed and breakfast
- Where
- Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa
Note the spread: the Chobe cabin is 13 square metres and the Cape Town suite starts at 68. That is not an oversight in the itinerary — it is the shape of the trip. You are paying for a river boat on the Chobe and for a grand hotel in Cape Town, and they are not the same purchase.
Indicative package price
From US$14,281 per person sharing
13 days / 12 nights · Kadizora Camp, Chobe Princess, Mbano Manor and the Mount Nelson
Included
- Light aircraft flight from Maun over the Okavango Delta, and the boat transfer to camp
- Three nights at Kadizora Camp, full board plus — all meals, all activities and all local spirits, wine and beer
- Mokoro excursions, motorboat trips and game drives at Kadizora
- Light aircraft flight from the Delta to Kasane
- All transfers and border assistance at the Botswana and Namibia crossings
- Three nights aboard the Chobe Princess, full board plus — all drinks except premium brands
- One activity daily on the Chobe — river safari, fishing charter or village tour
- Road transfer from Kasane to Victoria Falls
- Two nights at Mbano Manor in a Deluxe King suite, bed and breakfast
- Boma dinner at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge with return transfers
- Guided tour of Victoria Falls
- Two-hour sunset cruise on the Zambezi
- Flight from Victoria Falls to Cape Town
- Four nights at the Mount Nelson in a Deluxe One Bedroom Suite, bed and breakfast
- Private Cape Town city tour with Table Mountain, plus the Footsteps to Freedom walking tour
- Private Cape Peninsula tour with Cape Point and Boulders Beach entry
- Private Winelands tour — Spier Segway experience, Waterford tastings, Mullineux & Leeu
- All airport transfers throughout
Not included
- International flights. You reach Maun and depart from Cape Town under your own arrangements — this is an open-jaw trip
- The flight to Maun. Johannesburg to Maun is around R6,765 per person one way; Cape Town, Gaborone and Kasane can also be arranged. Quoted at the time of booking
- Drinks at the Boma dinner, and all meals and drinks in Victoria Falls and Cape Town beyond breakfast
- Afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson
- Premium-brand drinks aboard the Chobe Princess
- Visa fees, and the KAZA UniVisa — visas for all four countries are your own arrangement
- Any activity not listed under Included, including helicopter flights, rafting and Robben Island
- Staff gratuities
- Room and tent upgrades above the categories listed
- Personal expenses, laundry and items of a personal nature
- Travel insurance — strongly recommended
Indicative rate — your final price is confirmed on quotation and varies with season, availability and group size. Per person sharing, 13 days / 12 nights. A single supplement applies; the single rate for this itinerary is being confirmed and will be published here. Updated August 2026.
What guests said
From people Ranger Buck has sent across Southern Africa
“The Chobe Princess houseboat provides a unique perspective from the top deck — sighting animals along the river is easy. The crew was very accommodating and friendly. Victoria Falls is certainly a world wonder. From the helicopter tour, the walking tour and the sunset cruise Ranger Buck provides a great overview.”
Dave
March 2025 · Cape Town, safari and the Chobe Princess
“We used Ranger Buck safaris to plan a trip to Zimbabwe Victoria Falls and Botswana Okavango Delta. We could not be happier with the organization, itinerary, ease of communication, and the pricing! The level of detail was wonderful — detail down to daily snack times, dinner times.”
Krish
June 2024 · Victoria Falls and the Okavango Delta
“The destinations were mindblowingly beautiful, the wildlife was exceptional and the lodges were all exquisite. But more than anything, Maria, and her persistence and willingness to assist me when airlines caused delays to my itinerary, was nothing short of incredible.”
Jon
January 2026 · Okavango Delta and Uganda
Make it yours
Most people change something
These are the five changes Ranger Buck is asked for most often on this itinerary, and each one can be priced before you commit.
- Add the Johannesburg to Maun flight, or fly in from Cape Town, Gaborone or Kasane instead
- Upgrade to a Luxury Tent at Kadizora, or to a larger suite at the Mount Nelson
- Add a third night at Victoria Falls for rafting, a helicopter flight or a day across in Zambia
- Add Robben Island and a Franschhoek day to the Cape Town leg
- Trim Cape Town to three nights and add a Big Five reserve before you fly home
Good to know
Thirteen days, four countries — common questions
Clear answers to the questions travellers ask before choosing this experience.
How much does this trip cost?+
From US$14,281 per person sharing for 13 days and 12 nights. Because every trip is tailored, your final quote may come in above or below that figure — season moves it most, then room and tent categories. The single rate is being confirmed and will be published here. Remember to add your international flights and the flight to Maun when you compare this against other quotes.
Why is Namibia on the list? I thought this was Botswana.+
Because the Chobe Princess moors on the Namibian bank of the river. You clear out of Botswana at Kasane and into Namibia by tender boat, and you are in Namibia for three nights while watching game on the Botswana side. It catches people out, which is why we say it plainly: this is a four-country trip — Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa — and you should check the visa position for all four.
What is the Kasane border crossing actually like?+
Allow 45 to 60 minutes. It involves a short walk and a transfer by tender boat, and it is handled for you rather than left to work out alone. The important part is the timing: both immigration offices close at 16h30 and there is a 16h00 cut-off, so a late arrival into Kasane cannot be recovered on the same day. Ranger Buck builds the schedule around that, but it is worth knowing if you are thinking of changing flights.
Can we bring children?+
From seven years. Kadizora takes children from six, but the Chobe Princess sets the floor at seven and that governs the trip. On the houseboat, children aged 7 to 12 pay 50% of the adult rate and 13 and over are charged as adults. One further point changes the shape of a family booking: only one child aged 7 to 12 may share a cabin with two adults, and only one such cabin per houseboat per night. So a family with two children in that age band cannot have both share — the second needs a cabin, which carries a 30% single supplement. Tell Ranger Buck the ages at enquiry and it is all quoted together.
How small is the houseboat cabin?+
About 13 square metres, sleeping two, with air conditioning, a wardrobe and big windows that slide fully open onto the river. It is a river boat rather than a hotel, and in practice almost no one spends daytime in the cabin — the upper deck is where the trip happens. But it is a real difference in scale from the 68-square-metre suite waiting in Cape Town, and worth picturing before you book.
Do I need visas for all four countries?+
Check for all four, and arrange them yourself — Ranger Buck does not apply on your behalf and no visa fees are included, including the KAZA UniVisa which covers Zimbabwe and Zambia. Requirements depend entirely on your passport. Do this early: you cross into Namibia on day 4 and into Zimbabwe on day 7, and neither can be sorted en route.
Is this a malaria area?+
Most of it. The Okavango Delta, the Chobe River and Victoria Falls are all malaria areas, with risk highest in the wet summer months and lowest in the dry winter. Cape Town is malaria-free. Speak to a travel clinic or your doctor about prophylaxis for this routing, and use repellent and long sleeves at dusk — which on a houseboat is also when the best game viewing happens.
When is the best time to go?+
May to October. The Delta flood peaks between June and September, which sounds counterintuitive but is when mokoro travel is at its best and the game concentrates. The Chobe is strongest in the dry months when the elephants come to the river in numbers. Cape Town is at its best from November to March, so a trip in May or October is the compromise that serves the wildlife legs first — which is the right way round, because the wildlife is the part you cannot reschedule.
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