18 days Botswana: all highlights plus Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls by plane

Upon landing at Victoria Falls International Airport, you are just a few minutes from one of Africa’s most iconic natural wonders - Victoria Falls. Even before you settle in, the distant roar of the falls often carries through the air, offering a first hint of what lies ahead. This marks the beginning of your adventure, where untamed landscapes, abundant wildlife, and unforgettable experiences await.

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Accommodations:

• Gold Ilala Lodge Hotel (ZW)
• Platinum The Palm River Hotel (ZW)
• Diamond Luxury Mbano Manor Hotel (ZW)

Victoria Falls is a true showstopper and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Here, the Zambezi River drops 108 metres into a gorge, forming the largest curtain of falling water on earth, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (“the smoke that thunders”). About 70 kilometres from the Botswana border, the area offers clear viewpoints along the rainforest trail – a walk that follows the falls through a nearby rainforest. Furthermore, you can spend time near the gorge for a meal with a view, visit the historical bridge with its fascinating past and design, or take a calm cruise on the river for one of Africa's magical sunsets.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Ilala Lodge Hotel (ZW)
• Platinum The Palm River Hotel (ZW)
• Diamond Luxury Mbano Manor Hotel (ZW)

Accommodations:

• Gold Muchenje Safari Lodge
• Platinum andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas
• Diamond Luxury Ngoma Safari Lodge

The Chobe Riverfront stretches along the northern boundary of Chobe National Park, where the Chobe River separates Botswana from Namibia. The whole park is home to over 120,000 elephants - the largest remaining population in the world. Still, during the dry season, the herds gather along the riverfront in extraordinary numbers, alongside buffalo and plains game. Game drives along the riverfront put you in the middle of this, while a boat cruise on the Chobe River brings you eye to eye with hippos, crocodiles and elephants swimming, drinking or just bathing in the sun at the water's edge.

Accommodations:

• Gold Muchenje Safari Lodge
• Platinum andBeyond Chobe Under Canvas
• Diamond Luxury Ngoma Safari Lodge

The easiest and fastest way to get from one side of Chobe National Park to the other is to first drive from Chobe Riverfront to Kasane, then fly from Kasane to Savuti. Your total travel time will be 2 hours, which means you'll have plenty of time for game drives!

It's also possible to drive the distance, which will take up to 3.5 hours.

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Accommodations:

• Gold Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
• Platinum Savute Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Savute Elephant Lodge

Savuti is one of Africa's most extraordinary and ever-changing wilderness areas, a vast, ancient landscape in the remote western reaches of Chobe National Park that has captivated explorers and wildlife enthusiasts for generations. Fed by the legendary Savuti Channel, its waters have come and gone over centuries, shaping a dramatic mosaic of dry riverbeds, open grasslands, and seasonal wetlands that draw some of the continent's most spectacular concentrations of wildlife on any game drive. A Savuti Marsh Excursion offers a rare and privileged window into this untamed world!

Accommodations:

• Gold Ghoha Hills Savuti Lodge
• Platinum Savute Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Savute Elephant Lodge

The short flight from Savuti to the Khwai Community Concession takes 15 to 30 minutes, whisking you from Chobe National Park into one of Botswana's most biodiverse and community-managed wild spaces. The Khwai airstrip drops you right at the edge of this expansive concession, where the Khwai River draws an extraordinary concentration of wildlife year-round. After landing, make the most of the afternoon with a game drive along the riverine forests and floodplains.

Accommodations:

• Gold Hideaways Mogotlho Safari Lodge
• Platinum Sable Alley
• Diamond Luxury Camp Tuludi

Wedged between Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai Community Concession is where unfenced wilderness meets community spirit. Think roaming elephants, prowling predators, herds of buffalo and shimmering lagoons -  all wrapped into one spectacular safari playground. Add an amazing game drive, a peaceful mokoro safari in a dugout canoe, and a meaningful encounter with the Khwai village community in the mix, and you’ll have an experience as enriching as it is exhilarating.

Accommodations:

• Gold Hideaways Mogotlho Safari Lodge
• Platinum Sable Alley
• Diamond Luxury Camp Tuludi

This 30 to 45-minute flight from the Khwai Community Concession carries you deeper into the Okavango Delta, one of Africa's most iconic wilderness areas. Moremi’s airstrip places you at the doorstep of a reserve with habitats ranging from dense woodland to open lagoons teeming with wildlife. On arrival, take a gentle walk around camp before heading out on your first game drive through the waterways and woodlands.

Accommodations:

• Gold Camp Xakanaxa
• Platinum Camp Okuti
• Diamond Luxury Xigera Safari Lodge

In the heart of the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve offers one of Africa’s richest and most varied safari landscapes. Covering 40% of this UNESCO-listed wilderness, this is where floodplains, lagoons and savannah meet in ever-changing harmony, shaped by the delta’s annual flood, which brings life to every corner. Expect safaris full of contrasts, even possible by motorboat: elephants wading through channels, hippos wallowing in lagoons, and big cats moving quietly through forested islands. With exceptional year-round game viewing, Moremi is home to the Big Five - including the reintroduced rhino - as well as thriving populations of the rare African wild dog and over 500 bird species.

Accommodations:

• Gold Camp Xakanaxa
• Diamond Luxury Xigera Safari Lodge

Flights from Moremi Game Reserve to the Okavango Delta are usually only 15 to 30 minutes, depending on where your camp is located. In true safari style, you’ll land on one of the delta’s many small, sandy airstrips, discreetly tucked between palm islands and floodplains and serving a handful of exclusive lodges. These light aircraft transfers are as much part of the experience as the stay itself. There are a few practicalities to keep in mind: luggage is usually limited to 20 kilograms per person, and soft-sided bags are essential. From above, the Delta unfolds like a living mosaic - islands, channels and wildlife scattered below - and before you know it, you’re touching down and being welcomed by your driver for the final transfer to camp.

Accommodations:

• Gold Cha Cha Metsi
• Platinum Eagle Island Lodge
• Diamond Luxury andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

The Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s seven natural wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - an enormous and stunning inland delta caused by a river disappearing into the Kalahari Desert. Seasonal floodwaters transform dry sands into a lush wildlife haven, drawing elephants, big cats, rare antelope, the endangered African wild dog and over 500 bird species. Game spotting from a canoe? Absolutely! The Okavango offers an immersive safari experience with water and wildlife galore amid the desert.

Accommodations:

• Gold Cha Cha Metsi
• Platinum Eagle Island Lodge
• Diamond Luxury andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

Today is yours to enjoy - a day to discover Maun at your own pace. Often called the tourism capital of Botswana, Maun blends local life with easy access to nature. Dive into the region’s story and join a fascinating cultural tour; browse colourful markets, watch traditional basket weaving, and soak up everyday life. More into art? Visit The Space, Maun's creative hub, for an arts & crafts workshop, a tour or inspiring conversations with artists. Prefer nature over city life? Visit elephant orphans, or head to the Thamalakane River, where you can go on 1-hour mokoro excursions, sunset boat cruises, or scenic helicopter flights over the delta. Contact your travel consultant to help you find the perfect activity (at an extra cost). Unless, of course, you'd rather stay in the lodge, relax and enjoy all the amenities!

Accommodations:

• Gold Thamalakane River Lodge
• Platinum Grays Eden Sanctuary
• Diamond Luxury Grays Eden Sanctuary

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

Characterised by open salt pans in the east and the life-giving Boteti River in the west, the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park covers part of an immense salt pan system, stretching over more than 16,000 kilometers. The national park itself is almost 4,000 square kilometers, and during a game drive you can see wildlife congregating along the greens of the Boteti River, while the vast shimmering salt pans in the east give off an otherworldly vibe, dotted with nothing but quirky baobab trees. At night, the endless stars and distant lion calls make these pans feel both immense and alive—a truly unforgettable slice of ancient nature. And to top it off, you can dive into culture with a traditional village visit, just outside of the national park.

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

Choose between a day trip to Nxai Pans National Park and seeing the mesmerising Baines baobabs, or a drive to the salt pans of Makgadikgadi for a night of camping under endless stars. The choice depends on your hotel, as only the Moela Safari Lodge offers the Makgadikgadi sleeping trip.

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Meno-A-Kwena Camp
• Platinum Moela Safari Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge

The drive from the Boteti River to Nata takes 2 to 3 hours, covering 150 to 200 kilometres, depending on the lodge you chose. The route takes you up north from the river (via the ferry if you depart from the southern bank) to join the A3 near Motopi, then heading east through the village of Gweta. The road is mostly tarred but there might be a few potholes - keep an eye open for free-roaming wildlife, especially elephants. 

Activities:

Accommodations:

• Gold Elephant Sands Lodge
• Platinum Elephant Sands Lodge
• Diamond Luxury Elephant Sands Lodge

The drive from Nata to Kasane covers just over 300 kilometres and takes about 4 hours, most of it on a smooth tarred highway. This route has earned itself a reputation as an 'accidental game drive', and not without reason: wildlife sightings (especially elephants!) are an essential part of the experience. Leaving Nata behind, the landscape shifts from the vast, shimmering salt pans into stretches of mopane woodland and dry savannah, occasionally interrupted by small villages and animals crossing. Your arrival in Kasane marks the final chapter of your Botswana adventure. From here, a short flight whisks you to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls, where the journey ends on a suitably dramatic note before your onward flight home from Zimbabwe. Get ready for the grand finale!

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