This tour starts in Victoria Falls, but we highly recommend arriving a few days earlier to fully experience this natural wonder of the world. Victoria Falls offers incredible sights including the thundering falls themselves, sunset cruises on the Zambezi River, and thrilling adventure activities like guided rafting and helicopter flights.

This morning you will board your 12-seater mini-van tour vehicle and leave Victoria Falls behind as we make the journey south to Hwange National Park. Hwange is Zimbabwe’s largest national park, spanning over 14,600 square kilometers, and offers exceptional opportunities for viewing the remarkable diversity of wildlife that calls this pristine wilderness home.

After settling into your comfortable accommodation, you will be able to embark on an afternoon game drive in open 4×4 safari vehicles to discover the park’s famous elephant herds, some of the largest populations in Africa, majestic lion prides, and the park’s expansive landscapes dotted with iconic acacia and magnificent teak trees. Hwange’s varied ecosystems, from grasslands to woodlands, support over 100 mammal species and 400 bird species, promising incredible wildlife encounters as we begin our southern African adventure.

Miombo Safari Camp, or similar

Dinner

Rise early to the symphony of the African bush, the distant roar of lions, the haunting call of hyenas, and the gentle rustle of wildlife beginning their day. Start your morning with a warm cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea as the sun paints the sky in shades of gold and amber, before heading out on an early morning game drive through Hwange National Park.

Hwange’s remarkably diverse landscapes create a mosaic of habitats that support a vast array of animals and birds. Keep your eyes peeled for massive elephant herds moving silently through the ancient teak forests, graceful kudu standing alert in the dense thickets, or a pride of lions resting in the shade after a successful night’s hunt. The early morning hours offer the best wildlife viewing as animals are most active in the cooler temperatures.

You will return to your lodge late morning for a leisurely brunch and some well-deserved relaxation during the heat of the day, when many animals retreat to shade and water sources.

In the afternoon, you can visit the renowned Painted Dog Conservation Centre, a vital and inspiring project dedicated to protecting one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores, the African wild dog, also known as the painted wolf. These remarkable animals, with their distinctive mottled coats and complex social structures, face numerous threats including habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. Here, you’ll gain insight into the conservation challenges and learn about the innovative community-driven efforts working to safeguard their future, ensuring these incredible predators continue to roam the African wilderness for generations to come.

Miombo Safari Camp or similar

Breakfast and dinner

After a hearty breakfast you will depart in the tour vehicle for one of Zimbabwe’s most extraordinary destinations, the mystical realm of the Matobo Hills, also known as Matopos National Park. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is renowned for its otherworldly rock formations, profound spiritual significance, and remarkably diverse wildlife that thrives in this unique landscape.

This journey takes you from the open savannas and teak forests of Hwange into a dramatically different environment that feels almost lunar in its ancient beauty. Matopos presents a striking contrast with its massive granite boulders that balance precariously atop one another, defying gravity in formations that have inspired awe for countless generations. These weathered kopjes create a labyrinth of caves and sheltered spaces, many of which conceal millennia-old San Bushmen rock art, some of the finest examples of prehistoric art found anywhere in southern Africa.

Beyond its geological wonders and cultural treasures, Matopos National Park holds special significance as one of Africa’s premier locations for tracking both white and black rhinoceros on foot. These magnificent creatures, brought back from the brink of extinction through dedicated conservation efforts, roam freely among the granite outcrops. Weather and park conditions permitting, you may have the extraordinary opportunity to track these prehistoric giants on foot.

As evening approaches, you will settle into your accommodation at the historic Banff Lodge Hotel, a charming family-owned hotel surrounded by lush gardens..

Banff Lodge, or similar

Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, you’ll hit the road heading east toward one of Africa’s most significant and awe-inspiring historical landmarks, the majestic Great Zimbabwe Ruins. This journey takes you from the mystical granite landscapes of Matobo Hills into the heart of Zimbabwe’s ancient heritage, where centuries of history await your discovery.

By early afternoon, you will arrive at Great Zimbabwe, the remarkable stone city that served as the ancient capital of the powerful Kingdom of Zimbabwe. This UNESCO World Heritage Site was once a thriving trading centre that flourished between the 11th and 15th centuries, connecting the African interior with coastal trade routes that reached as far as China and Persia.

The extensive stone structures you can explore include the impressive Great Enclosure with its towering walls, the strategically positioned Hill Complex that overlooks the valley, and the enigmatic conical tower that has captivated archaeologists and visitors for generations.

These magnificent ruins represent marvels of dry stone architecture, built without mortar yet standing strong after nearly a millennium. The precision of the stonework and the sophisticated urban planning reveal the advanced civilization that once called this place home.

After exploring these extraordinary ruins and absorbing their profound historical significance, you’ll head just a few minutes away to your accommodation for the night, where you can reflect on this remarkable journey through time.

Norma Jeans Lake View Resort, or similar

Breakfast and dinner

This morning, you depart the historical heart of Zimbabwe and set your course southward towards the wild frontier of your overnight lodge, near the legendary Limpopo River within the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. This remarkable conservation initiative spans three countries, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana, creating one of Africa’s most significant cross-border wilderness areas.

The journey takes you through remote, seldom-visited regions of Zimbabwe, traversing a landscape of endless open skies punctuated by the magnificent silhouettes of ancient baobab trees dotting the rolling hills. As you travel deeper into this pristine wilderness, you’ll witness the dramatic transformation of the landscape from the cooler highveld plateau to the warmer lowveld terrain, gradually giving way to the semi-arid bush that characterises Zimbabwe’s captivating deep south.

The route offers glimpses of rural Zimbabwean life rarely seen by visitors, with traditional villages and cattle posts scattered across the vast landscape. By late afternoon, you arrive at your accommodation, surrounded by dense mopane woodland, weathered sandstone formations that glow golden in the afternoon light, and the enchanting calls of wild birds echoing across the untamed wilderness.

As evening falls, you’ll enjoy a relaxed dinner under a canopy of brilliant African stars, with anticipation building for the extraordinary wildlife encounters that await in this beautifully preserved and largely unexplored corner of southern Africa.

Mapesu Wilderness Camp

Breakfast and dinner

Your first destination today is the remarkable Kaoxa Rock Art Shelter, where vivid San Bushman paintings dating back thousands of years adorn the weathered sandstone walls like an ancient gallery frozen in time. These captivating images of antelope, elephants, hunters with their bows, and mystical spiritual symbols offer a profound and moving glimpse into the beliefs, rituals, and daily life of southern Africa’s earliest inhabitants.

In the afternoon, you’ll participate in an absolutely unforgettable guided tracking experience within the pristine Mapesu Private Game Reserve. Walking silently through this exclusive reserve, your expert guide and traditional tracker will teach you the ancient art of reading the bush, interpreting fresh tracks pressed into the earth, examining broken branches and disturbed vegetation, and listening to the subtle calls and alarm sounds echoing in the distance. Together, you’ll piece together the intricate movements and behaviour patterns of cheetah, rhinoceros, or perhaps the elusive African wild dog.

Mapesu Wilderness Camp or similar

Breakfast and dinner

After an early breakfast, you’ll travel south towards the world-renowned Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s most celebrated wildlife sanctuaries and South Africa’s flagship conservation area. This legendary park, established in 1898, spans nearly two million hectares and represents one of the continent’s most successful conservation stories.

Entering the park through one of its northern gates, you’ll embark on a scenic drive through Kruger’s remarkably diverse landscapes, from dense riverine forests and open grasslands to rocky outcrops and acacia woodlands. Each ecosystem supports different wildlife communities, offering excellent opportunities to spot animals along the way as you traverse this vast wilderness. The northern region of Kruger is particularly renowned for its large elephant herds, impressive baobab trees, and excellent predator sightings.

By late afternoon, you will arrive at your comfortable lodge, strategically located just outside the Phalaborwa Gate, providing easy access to some of Kruger’s most productive wildlife areas. After checking in and freshening up from the day’s journey, you’ll head out on an exhilarating sunset game drive, exploring the nearby private reserve that borders the National Park.

As the African bush transforms under the magical golden hues of dusk, you’ll search for the nocturnal wildlife beginning to stir, perhaps leopards emerging from their daytime resting spots, hyenas starting their evening patrols, or the haunting calls of bush babies echoing through the trees. This golden hour offers some of the most spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities, as the day shift animals prepare for rest while the creatures of the night begin their ancient rituals.

Sefapane Lodge, or similar

Breakfast and dinner

You can begin the day with an invigorating morning bush walk in the pristine Phalaborwa area, guided by experienced rangers who will share their intimate knowledge of this remarkable ecosystem. This immersive experience offers you a thrilling ground-level perspective of the African bush, where every footprint pressed into the earth, lingering scent carried on the breeze, and distinctive bird call tells a captivating story of the intricate web of life that surrounds you.

After this enlightening walk and a hearty breakfast back at your lodge, you will travel southward towards the legendary Timbavati Region, a world-renowned conservation area that shares unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, allowing wildlife to move freely between the two areas in natural migration patterns.

This open-border system creates one of the most pristine wildlife environments in Africa, where animals follow ancient pathways without human interference. By mid-afternoon, you arrive at your luxury overnight lodge, and shortly after check-in, you head out on an exhilarating sunset game drive through the greater Timbavati/Greater Kruger area.

With luck, and the expertise of your guides, this could be the magical day you encounter all of Africa’s legendary Big Five, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros, in their natural habitat. You return to your lodge as darkness falls, where a delicious dinner and captivating storytelling around the crackling campfire.

Timbavati Safari Lodge or similar

Breakfast and dinner

After breakfast, you will set off on one of South Africa’s most spectacular scenic drives along the world-famous Panorama Route, a breathtaking day filled with dramatic landscapes, plunging canyons, and magnificent cascading waterfalls that showcase the raw beauty of Mpumalanga Province. This legendary route winds through the Escarpment, offering some of the most jaw-dropping vistas on the African continent.

Your route takes you to a series of iconic viewpoints, each more spectacular than the last. You’ll stand in awe at God’s Window, where the dramatic escarpment plunges over 700 metres into the lowveld below, offering panoramic views that stretch to the Kruger National Park and beyond on clear days. You’ll marvel at the remarkable geological formations at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, where centuries of swirling water have carved extraordinary cylindrical rock sculptures from the red sandstone, and take in the sweeping vistas of the Three Rondavels, towering rock formations that overlook the magnificent Blyde River Canyon, one of the world’s largest green canyons.

You’ll pause along the way to explore either the thundering Lisbon Falls or the picturesque Berlin Falls, where crystal-clear mountain water cascades dramatically over ancient rock faces, creating perfect photo opportunities amidst the pristine natural surroundings. A relaxed lunch at a charming local spot allows you to savour regional cuisine while absorbing the mountain air and stunning scenery.

By late afternoon, you arrive at your peaceful lodge, beautifully nestled in the tranquil surroundings of Hazyview, gateway to the lowveld and perfectly positioned for your final adventures. Settle into your comfortable accommodation, enjoy a quiet dinner reflecting on the journey thus far.

Umbhaba Eco Lodge or similar

Breakfast and dinner

Today is entirely dedicated to the thrill of the African wilderness as you embark on a comprehensive full-day guided safari adventure in the legendary Kruger National Park. This represents the pinnacle of your wildlife experience, offering you the best opportunity to encounter Africa’s most iconic animals in their natural habitat.

Setting off in the crisp early morning air aboard an open 4×4 safari vehicle, you’ll enter the park through one of the nearby gates as the African bush awakens around you. The golden light of dawn provides optimal game-viewing conditions as you begin your exciting search for the legendary Big Five.

Your expert guide and tracker will use their intimate knowledge of animal behaviour, seasonal patterns, and the park’s diverse ecosystems to maximise your wildlife encounters. You’ll traverse different habitats throughout the day, from dense riverine forests where leopards rest in the branches overhead, to open grasslands where massive elephant herds gather at waterholes.

Midday brings a welcome break at one of Kruger’s rest camps, where you can stretch your legs, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and take in the authentic bushveld surroundings whilst perhaps spotting additional wildlife around the camp’s waterholes. After this refreshing interlude, you continue your game-viewing journey, exploring different sections of this vast wilderness.

By late afternoon, you will return to your lodge with memory cards full of extraordinary photographs and hearts full of wonder, where you can relax on the terrace with a sundowner drink and reflect on a day filled with incredible wildlife sightings.

Umbhaba Eco Lodge or similar

Breakfast and dinner

After a final leisurely breakfast at your lodge, savouring the last sounds of the African bush awakening around you, you begin your journey to Johannesburg, bringing your extraordinary southern African adventure to an end. This relaxed drive through the South African countryside offers you precious time to reflect on the incredible experiences from the past few days.

You will arrive in Johannesburg by late afternoon or early evening, where this tour concludes. You can choose to stay longer in Johannesburg, continue your southern Africa holiday or return home via the International Airport.

Breakfast