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Brandberg Mountain walking through a rocky desert valley, Namibia - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Brandberg Mountain walking through a rocky desert valley, Namibia
Rainbow Bridge at Victoria Falls - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Rainbow Bridge at Victoria Falls
Sossusvlei, Namibia - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Sossusvlei, Namibia  | Bruce Taylor
Namibia wildlife viewing across a resting cape fur seal colony - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Namibia wildlife viewing across a resting cape fur seal colony
Walking safari in the Okavango Delta, watching a giraffe among palms - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Walking safari in the Okavango Delta, watching a giraffe among palms
Chobe River safari, elephant wading through floodplain at sunset, Botswana - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Chobe River safari, elephant wading through floodplain at sunset, Botswana
Botswana cultural tour, traditional fire-making demonstration in Ghanzi - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Botswana cultural tour, traditional fire-making demonstration in Ghanzi
Etosha National Park safari, black rhino browsing on thorny bush - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Etosha National Park safari, black rhino browsing on thorny bush
Wildlife viewing in Etosha - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Wildlife viewing in Etosha  | Patrick Fonseca
Deadvlei, Namibia - Namibia and Botswana Explorer, Zambia
Deadvlei, Namibia  | Alex Peyer

Namibia and Botswana Explorer

An accommodated tour of the highlights of Namibia and Botswana, plus the mighty Victoria Falls

Zambia, Namibia, Botswana

21 Days from

$ 

Trip Code: NBX
View dates to Book
Essential Information
Duration
  • 21 Days
Activities
  • Wildlife Safari
  • Day Walking
Accommodation
  • 20 nights hotel/lodge/guesthouse
Meals
  • 11 Dinners
  • 18 Lunches
  • 20 Breakfasts
Difficulty Grading  
2 / 10

Adventure touring

Carbon Footprint  

20kg of CO2-e PP per day

(402kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)

Trip highlights

  • Walking among the giant dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Desert
  • Experience game drives in Etosha National Park
  • Experience the Okavango Delta by traditional canoe (mokoro)
  • Marvel at the spectacular Victoria Falls
  • Enjoy a Chobe National Park game viewing cruise
  • Soak up the scenic desert landscapes and rock art of the Brandberg Mountains

Overview

In this 21-day trip, we will visit all the highlights of Namibia and Botswana, from Namibia's famous Sossusvlei dunes to Botswana's incredible game reserves. Soak up Victoria Falls before crossing into arid Namibia's Etosha National Park. Climb the Namib Desert dunes, then bush walk in Botswana with the San Bushmen. Dug-out mokoro's take you deep into the Okavango Delta, and a game cruise caps things off in Chobe National Park.

Itinerary

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Arrive in Livingstone, Zambia, and join the group for the tour departure meeting at 14:00. Livingstone is the base for exploring Victoria Falls, with the remainder of the day available to settle in and prepare for the journey ahead. Accommodation: Victoria Falls Waterfront (or similar) Positive Impact Stay: By staying here, you are supporting a place that supports Kamwe School and helps provide six-month training programs and practical experience for students studying tourism and hospitality. The property also undertakes water-conservation efforts by filtering water from the Zambezi River

Meals: Nil

Today is a free day to explore Victoria Falls at your own pace, browse the local markets or simply relax. Optional activities are available at your own expense, including white water rafting, airplane or helicopter flights over the Falls, and kayaking. These activities offer different perspectives on the falls and the surrounding gorge and river. The day ends with an overnight stay at Victoria Falls. Accommodation: Victoria Falls Waterfront (or similar)

Meals: B

Leave Zambia and travel west into Namibia's Caprivi region, travelling via Kazungula and Ngoma and briefly crossing Botswana. Near Katima Mulilo, explore by boat a permanent lake flooded by the Zambezi River, with opportunities to observe the area's abundant birdlife. Distance: 230km / 143mi Travel time: 4-5.5 hrs Accommodation: Caprivi Mutoya Lodge (or similar) Positive Impact: At Caprivi Mutoya Lodge, tourism supports employment and training for people from surrounding communities, while income from mokoro trips and village visits is paid directly to the local community. The lodge has also sponsored a freshwater borehole in Lisikile Village and contributes to a community fund that helps maintain a nursery school.

Meals: B,L,D

Continue west through the Caprivi, stopping for a village walk along the way. Explore the floodplains of the Kavango River on a game drive in Mahango Game Reserve before continuing to your overnight accommodation. Distance: 410km / 255 mi Travel Time : 6 hrs Accommodation: Ngepi Camp (or similar)

Meals: B,L,D

After a morning enjoying the abundant birdlife that surrounds the camp, the road follows the Kavango River towards Rundu. Villages of grass huts and local wooden crafts and carvings are a common sight along the way. The route passes through communities where river life and small-scale trade are part of daily life. You arrive at your riverside lodge in Rundu in the late afternoon, in time to settle in before dinner. Distance: 240km / 149mi Travel time: 3.5 hrs Accommodation: Inkwazi Lodge (or similar) Positive Impact: At Inkwazi Lodge, tourism supports a locally established preschool that provides children with meals and education. The owners also support students through primary and secondary school and into university, while guided village visits provide a financial benefit to the local community. The Namibian-owned and operated lodge also uses solar power and grows some of its own vegetables

Meals: B,L

We head deeper into Namibia to the Etosha National Park. The National Park surrounds the Etosha Pan and is locally named "the great white place of dry water". Waterholes surround the pan and attract game. Etosha is known for great sightings of elephant, antelope and lions. Our lodge lies on the boundary of the park and we spend our mornings and afternoons on game drives. Distance: 620km / 385mi Travel time: 8-9.5 hrs. Day 6 is the longest transit travel day. Accommodation: Tarentaal Guest Farm (or similar) Positive Impact: At Tarentaal Guest Farm, tourism supports local employment and community initiatives, including the Ditza project for women and children and projects undertaken through the Excelsior Farmers Association. The Namibian-owned and managed property also operates on 100% solar power.

Meals: B,L,D

Our journey covers some beautiful desert landscapes as we move south towards the Brandberg Mountain. Our lodge is situated in the dry Ugab River, home to the rare desert elephants. We take a walk with a local guide to view the White Lady rock painting in the area. Distance: 445km / 277mi Travel time: 6-9 hrs Accommodation: Brandberg White Lady Lodge (or similar) Positive Impact: At Brandberg White Lady Lodge, tourism supports local Namibian employment alongside wildlife initiatives including anti-poaching programs and a Wildlife Credit Scheme that assists in managing human-wildlife conflict. The Namibian-owned lodge uses 100% solar-generated electricity.

Meals: B,L,D

We cross flat open plains to the coast where we visit the Cape Cross seal colony. Further south is the coastal town of Swakopmund where we have a day to explore the town at your own pace or try sea kayaking or dune boarding (own expense). German colonial influences are strong in the town of Swakopmund as is reflected in the restaurant menus and the architecture. Distance: 350km / 218 mi Travel time: 5–8 hrs, including a visit to Cape Cross Accommodation: Hotel Pension A La Mer (or similar) Positive Impact: At Hotel Pension A La Mer, tourism supports local employment at a Namibian-owned property. The hotel also recycles plastic through the Swakopmund depot and uses solar-generated electricity for hot water and underfloor heating.

Meals: B,L

The parched Namib Desert is home to endless orange dunes, sculpted into sharp ridges by the wind, and at Sossusvlei these form a gateway into the desert's interior. We walk to Sossusvlei, explore Sesriem Canyon, and from our lodge outside the national park watch the sunset over the dunes. On foot Distance: 360km / 224mi Travel Time: 5 -7 hrs (the desert scenery is varies the hours of the travel day) Accommodation: Desert Camp (or similar) Optional Activity: If you prefer not to do the 4km walk to Sossusvlei, there is an optional own expense 4WD transfer each way.

Meals: B,L,D

Windhoek is the capital and largest city of Namibia, a city where African and German colonial-era architecture sit side by side. Drive to Windhoek, arriving in the late afternoon with the evening free to enjoy a restaurant meal at your own expense. Distance: 345km / 214mi Travel time: 5–6 hrs (time varies depending on road conditions) Accommodation: Capbon Guesthouse (or similar) Positive Impact: At Capbon Guesthouse, tourism supports employment for local Namibians recruited from surrounding communities. The guesthouse also operates a 40 kW solar energy plant, with excess electricity generated by the system contributed to Windhoek's main energy grid.

Meals: B,L

Cross into Botswana and continue into the Kalahari. Later, join a nature walk with a local San guide and translator, offering an opportunity to learn about the surrounding environment and local knowledge. Distance: Approx. 535km / 332mi Travel Time: 6.5-7.5hrs Accommodation: Ghanzi Trail Blazers (or similar) Positive Impact: Tourism directly supports the community at Ghanzi Trail Blazers, where the overnight lodge is owned and operated by the community. The included nature walk is also led by a local San guide with a translator, creating a community-based tourism experience.

Meals: B,L,D

Travel north to Maun, gateway to the Okavango Delta. After arriving in town and preparing supplies for the journey ahead, settle into your lodge before venturing deeper into the Delta the following day. Distance: 340km / 211mi Travel time: 5–6.5 hrs Accommodation: Island Safari Lodge (or similar) Positive Impact: At Island Safari Lodge, tourism supports local Motswana employment as well as Maun-based organisations including Rhino Conservation Botswana, Career Dreams Training Institute and the Junior Rangers Programme. The Motswana owner-managed lodge also separates recyclable waste and educates visitors about water conservation.

Meals: B,L

The Okavango Delta is the only inland delta in the world, its annual flood spreading fresh water across 15,000sq km / 5,791sq mi of the Kalahari sand in a maze of lagoons and channels. We journey into the delta by mokoro (dugout canoe), spending two nights at a remote tented camp on an island within the delta. Days are spent on game walks, swimming and birdwatching in this remote wilderness area. Each tent has twin camp beds with linen and an en suite chemical toilet, with a shared bucket shower heated from the fire and no wifi. An optional scenic flight over the delta from Maun is available at your own expense. Distance: 50km / 31mi Travel time: 2 hrs (to mekoro station) Accommodation: Wilderness Camping Optional Activities: Scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. Positive Impact: Your journey supports the SOS Sausage Trees Project, which works with local polers to encourage the use of longer-lasting fibreglass mokoros, reducing the need to fell sausage trees to make traditional wooden dugouts. A portion of the tour cost is donated to the project.

Meals: B,L,D

Begin the day with a mokoro journey and 4WD transfer before rejoining your safari vehicle for the journey to the Makgadikgadi Pans. Your route crosses the saltpans, which appear as a shimmering white plain for much of the year, though when the rains arrive the landscape transforms as waterbirds gather and herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok move across the pans. Distance: 360km / 224mi Travel time: 5.5–8 hrs Accommodation: Nata Lodge (or similar)

Meals: B,L

Travel north through the Chobe Forest Reserve to Kasane, gateway to Chobe National Park. After arriving around midday, head out in the afternoon for a sunset wildlife cruise on the Chobe River. Watch the riverbanks and floodplains for wildlife, including the large herds of elephant and buffalo for which Chobe is known. Distance: 335 km / 208 mi Travel time: 4.5–5 hrs Accommodation: Thebe River Safaris (or similar) Positive Impact Stay: By staying here, you are supporting a Motswana-owned and operated property that provides local employment, grows its own vegetables and sources other products locally. The property also recycles waste, uses energy-efficient LED lighting and encourages water conservation.

Meals: B,L

After breakfast, cross the Zambezi River and return to Livingstone, where your journey comes to an end. A complimentary drop-off at Livingstone Airport at around 12:00 noon is included, allowing you to book an onward flight later that day. Distance: Approx. 70 km / 43 mi Travel time: Approx. 1–3 hrs

Meals: B

Ready to start your adventure?

31 scheduled departures between 11 Oct 2026 and 19 Dec 2027.

  • Departs 11 Oct 2026 – ends 31 Oct 2026 (21 days)
  • Departs 18 Oct 2026 – ends 7 Nov 2026 (21 days)
  • Departs 1 Nov 2026 – ends 21 Nov 2026 (21 days)
  • Departs 8 Nov 2026 – ends 28 Nov 2026 (21 days)
  • Departs 6 Dec 2026 – ends 26 Dec 2026 (21 days)
  • Departs 20 Dec 2026 – ends 9 Jan 2027 (21 days)
  • … and 25 more departures.
View dates to Book

What's included?

Included

  • 20 breakfasts, 17 lunches and 11 dinners
  • 20 nights comfortable accommodation in hotels, lodges and guesthouses on a twinshare basis
  • Game drives, day walks and excursions as listed in itinerary
  • English speaking local guide
  • National park fees and site entrance fees as listed in itinerary
  • Private transport in minibus / safari truck

Not included

  • Optional activities
  • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Bottled water, aerated and alcoholic drinks
  • Items of a personal nature (i.e laundry, phone calls, tips, etc)
  • Visas
  • Airport and departure taxes
  • International flights and taxes
  • Travel Insurance (compulsory)
  • Airport arrival and departure transfers
  • Tips & gratuities

Extra trip info

Group shot, 'African wilderness in comfort' trip |  Peter Walton

Travelling with our local partners

This trip is run by one of our local partners, on a departure shared with travellers from other companies.

What's the benefit to you? More departure dates, and dates that reach their minimum numbers sooner, because bookings from several companies go into one group. Your guides live and work in the region.

Who is in your group? Expect a mix of travellers and nationalities, not only people who booked with World Expeditions.

What will we tell you when you book? We advise the name of the local partner at the time of booking, along with any terms of their own, such as an additional deposit. These apply alongside our Booking Terms and Conditions.

Travelling alone? On some partner-operated trips your own room is required. The room options on this page show which applies to this trip.

Double room with air conditioning at Zambezi Waterfront Lodge, Livingstone, Zambia

Livingstone – Victoria Falls Waterfront

Victoria Falls Waterfront offers ensuite Adventure Village chalets on the banks of the Zambezi River, with a swimming pool, restaurant and bar. Your stay makes a positive impact by supporting Kamwe School and helping provide training and practical experience for students studying tourism and hospitality. The property also filters water from the Zambezi River as part of its water-conservation efforts.

Standard rooms at Brandberg White Lady Lodge, stone patios in the Namibian desert

Brandberg – Brandberg White Lady Lodge

Brandberg White Lady Lodge offers ensuite chalets amid the desert landscapes around Brandberg Mountain, with a swimming pool, restaurant and bar. Your stay makes a positive impact by supporting a Namibian-owned lodge that contributes to anti-poaching initiatives and wildlife conservation, including a Wildlife Credit Scheme that helps manage human–wildlife conflict. The lodge also uses 100% solar-generated electricity.

Katima Mutoya Lodge tented room with twin beds under mosquito netting

Caprivi – Caprivi Mutoya Lodge

Caprivi Mutoya Lodge offers ensuite permanent tents and chalets in the waterways and landscapes of northern Namibia. Your stay makes a positive impact by supporting a lodge that trains and employs people from surrounding communities, with income from mokoro trips and village visits going directly to the local community. The lodge has also supported local projects including a village borehole and nursery school.

Etosha National Park – Tarentaal Guest Farm
Stay near Etosha National Park at a Namibian owned and managed guest farm, supporting local communities and the Ditza project to uplift women and children, powered by solar energy and grounded in sustainable farming practices. | Bruce Taylor

Etosha – Tarentaal Guest Farm

Tarentaal Guest Farm offers ensuite rooms on a private working farm outside Etosha National Park, with a swimming pool and easy access to the park. Your stay makes a positive impact by supporting a Namibian-owned and managed property that contributes to local community initiatives, including the Ditza project for women and children and projects through the Excelsior Farmers Association. The property also operates on 100% solar power.

Sunway Botswana Chobe Thebe Sunway camp-10

Chobe – Thebe River Safaris

Thebe River Safaris offers ensuite tented rooms in Kasane, with a swimming pool, restaurant and bar. Your stay makes a positive impact by supporting a Motswana-owned and operated property that employs locally, grows its own vegetables and sources other products locally. The property also recycles waste, uses LED lighting to conserve energy and encourages responsible water use.

Every departure date advises whether the date is confirmed, and roughly how full it is. Here is what each one means.

Is the departure confirmed?

Guaranteed to go This departure has reached its minimum number and will run.
It is the point travellers should wait for before booking any non-refundable flights.
Close to guaranteed This appears only when a date is close to reaching minimum numbers. If it shows 1 or 2 to guaranteed, book as a pair on a date needing two and it reaches its minimum. Your booking confirms the date for everybody already booked.

How full is the date I am looking at?

Space is filling or Space is filling fast This date has bookings and places are still open. Filling fast means limited spots available, so don't leave your decision too late.
Closing soon Down to its last few places, or close enough to departure that we are finalising numbers. Still bookable online.
Closed Not bookable online - either full, or inside the notice we need to arrange permits, flights and logistics. Ask us anyway, you never know!

Availability questions answered

Will this trip actually go ahead, or could it be cancelled?

If a date shows Guaranteed to go, it runs regardless of further bookings.

What does 2 to guarantee mean?

It means two travellers are enough to confirm the departure. It could be 2 more to add to the group, or the date only needs 2 people to run. Either way, if you book for two people, the date will become guaranteed to run.

What happens if my departure does not reach minimum numbers?

You will know the status before you book. Every date on this page is labelled, and dates marked “Guaranteed to go” are running regardless of further bookings. Where a date has not reached its minimum we either offer a surcharge to operate for a smaller group size so it can still run, or we cancel it. We contact you directly either way.

Will I get my money back if you cancel a departure?

If we cancel a departure due to not meeting minimum trip numbers, you receive a full refund of everything you have paid us less any non recoverable costs, where insurance may cover you. We cannot refund money committed elsewhere – additional non refundable deposits advised at the time of booking, flights, visas, vaccinations, gear - which is why it is worth waiting for “Guaranteed to go” before booking other arrangements around this trip date. Please read our Booking Terms and Conditions before you book.

Why can't I book some dates online?

Each trip closes online a set time before departure. Permits, internal flights and hut or campsite bookings all have to be arranged before we take payment. Call or enquire as it might still be possible to organise last minute places.

The date I want is closed. What are my options and why does it say to enquire?

Cancellations happen and places do open up on closed dates, so it is worth being on our list. We can also tell you which nearby date on the same trip has space, which is usually the faster route.

None of these dates suit me. Can you run this trip on another date?

Yes, as a private departure. We can run this trip on a date you choose, for your own group - family, friends, a club, or in many cases, just for the two of you. Tell us when you want to travel and who is coming, and we will build it around that.

Early morning game viewing walk in Hlane National Park in Swaziland

Your safety is our main priority

Africa's wildlife is wild and unfenced. On many wildlife safaris you may meet them on foot, or from a vehicle. Walking in big-game country carries some risk, and the safeguards are not the same in every country.

Rules on firearms, guide qualifications, group size and how close you may approach an animal are set country by country, park by park. Many incorrectly assume that every wildlife safari in Africa travels with an armed ranger. Several countries prohibit firearms outright. Where an armed escort is required, it is supplied by the park authority.

What is consistent is how these trips operate. You walk in a small group with a professional local guide who knows the country and the animals in it. We do not include captive or hands-on wildlife encounters in any itinerary.

Read more

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