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11 Days

Min Age : 21+ (or 12+ with parent)

Botswana Safari with South Africa & Zimbabwe

11 day African Safari covering three countries!

May 2027 (dates to be announced soon)

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Experience the stunning landscapes. Dive into the rich cultures of these countries. Enjoy luxurious lodges and make lasting memories. Experience game drives in the Unesco-listed Okavango Delta where the wild things are and “the elephant capital of the world” Chobe National Park. You’ll have a chance to do an electric boat safari and walking safari too. Visit the majestic Victoria Falls on your way out. Our expert guides will take you on a safe journey as you see animal migrations, the Big Five and other famous animals up close, including lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, crocodiles and countless bird species.

Botswana has been hailed as Africa’s leader in green safari tourism due to its expansive wildlife reserves and the government’s focus on low-impact eco-tourism policies. Almost 40% of the country is protected lands and your visit supports conservation efforts. But what makes this safari unique is that we will visit in the green season which features lush landscapes, fewer crowds, and opportunities to see newborn animals!

And we start in South Africa to learn about the culture and history, including the home of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu… traveling in a small-group so you get personal attention. Luxury Safari without the luxury prices!

Tour Details

WILDLIFE

Planning a trip to Botswana in May, you’re in for a treat! This time of year is great for seeing wildlife – literally thousands of species! You’ll come face to face with more critters than you ever knew existed. Among the most common: elephants, lions, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, cape buffalo and cheetahs. You might also see kudu, endangered African wild dogs, aquatic antelopes, and impala. The area is teeming with crocodiles, and over 500 bird species, including flamingos, ostriches, African fish eagles, and wattled cranes too. There is so much wildlife to enjoy and we are planning this trip at a time when there won’t be hordes of other visitors blocking your view or diluting your experience. May in Botswana offers cool, comfortable weather, lush green scenery, fewer crowds and outstanding wildlife viewing as the wet season subsides and gives away to the perfect time of year for birdwatching and photography. Huge herds of elephant and buffalo concentrate on the Chobe River, and predators are easier to spot as animals come to drink.

TRAVEL DETAILS

Arrival and departure airport: Johannesburg (SA) at Oliver Tambo International Airport. One of our team members will be there to pick you up and drop you off at the hotel in Johannesburg. Arrival anytime day or night. We will help you choose a flight – or you may even to fly to Africa with the group! More details on flights will emerge as it gets closer. On this trip, no visa is needed prior to arrival for American passport holders.

LODGES & CAMPS

We work with the best luxury lodges and camps. Our team has created a complete plan to keep you safe and healthy during your stay, clean water and mosquito-free beds. We make sure our guests enjoy luxury and relaxation without worry!

EARLY BOOKING SALE – Save $2,785 Now!
$10,980 per person based double occupancy
or $12,780 per person, with single room supplement
Sale price ends October 30th, then $13,765 / $15,565 Regular Prices
$2,000 deposit to reserve your spot – Click HERE to register!

This is the lowest price offered for this type of small-group African Safaris EVER. Look at some of our luxury accommodations:

Itinerary

DAY 1Welcome to Johannesburg, South Africa

Welcome to Africa! After collecting our bags, our local driver will be waiting for us to take us to the lodge. For two nights you will be staying in Sandton, the suburb of Johannesburg. A relaxing first day and a welcome dinner for our group!

Day 2Soweto & Nelson Mandela Tour - Johannesburg

Our first stop after breakfast is to Motsoaledi informal settlement. Walk through the streets with our local guide past street cafés and craft markets to a community center to learn about their way of life. Then we travel from Orlando West down Vilakazi Street. We see famous monuments and the homes of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. We also see the home of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Time permitting, you have the option of stopping at Nelson Mandela Museum for a visit. In the late afternoon, we will head back to our hotel for dinner.

DAY 3Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Victoria falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe in southern Africa. It is one of the most popular tourist spots in Africa. The mighty Zambezi River flows over the edge of the falls. It drops 300 feet (as tall as the Statue of Liberty) into the Zambezi Gorge. After lunch, we will rest before an evening game drive at Zambezi National Park nearby.

Day 4Chobe National Park, Botswana

After breakfast, we travel to Botswana. There, we will enjoy great game drives and stay at the best luxury lodge. The drive is in a private van, and it’s about 1hr drive through nature on a paved road. Once across the border, we will be transferred to our safari jeep and enter the Chobe park at around 11am. We will have a game drive en-route to the lodge. Lunch, rest and afternoon game drive with bush bar drinks by the river. We will return to the lodge at around 5:30pm for some dinner and more drinks.

Day 5-6Chobe National Park: Searching for Leopard

It’s market day in Lausanne! Enjoy browsing and packing a picnic lunch for our 11 AM boat cruise on Lake Geneva. A few miles downshore we’ll dock at Château de Chillon, where we’ll have a guided tour of this medieval castle on the water. On our way back we’ll take time to peek into the vineyards surrounding Lutry before returning to Lausanne.

DAY 7Moremi Game Reserve - Okavango Delta

Today, we have a flight scheduled for our group only, landing on a private air strip. Our next stop is Moremi game reserve. Okavango Delta is a ”World Heritage Site” and the most famous of all in southern Africa. Here for the next two days you will be taken on game drives in the morning and evening. As usual, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will be included.

DAY 8Moremi Game Reserve - Okavango Delta

Today you will learn more about the history of the Delta. We will go on a game drive and an optional walking safari with an armed ranger. You will enjoy drinks and a bush dinner in the park. A sunset boat ride is also one of the best ways to do a game viewing. All game drives are optional if you’d rather have a relaxing day on the lodge resort. You can also take a water safari in dugout “mokoros.” This is one of the best ways to see the animals of the Okavango Delta.

DAY 9Moremi Game Reserve - Okavango Delta

Your last day at Moremi game reserve. After breakfast, you will have another chance to do a morning game drive, followed by relaxation in the afternoon or another game drive in the afternoon. We give the option as some people want as much nature and wildlife as possible while others want some relaxing vacation downtime. Tomorrow, we will return to Johannesburg.

DAY 10Johannesburg via Maun

Sadly, it is time to head home. After breakfast, we will drive to Maun. The trip takes about one and a half hours. We will enjoy nature along the way which means we can see more animals. This is a fun route. When we arrive in Maun, we will board our flight to Johannesburg. The flight takes about 2 hours. In Johannesburg. We will be picked up and transferred to the same hotel we stayed in when we arrived in Johannesburg.

DAY 11Flying home from Johannesburg

Today we will say goodbye to Africa. We hope you have a beautiful safari with us, and hope to travel with us again soon. (***NOTE: Elements of this itinerary could change as we continue to plan our locations, accommodations, and overall journey to give you the absolute best experience!)

Price Includes:

All ground transportation, air transportation within African destinations (private flight to the Okavango Delta and flight from Johannesburg to Victoria Falls, all lodging and game drives mentioned in the itinerary, professional drivers and English-speaking guides, all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) while on safari in Chobe National Park and Moremi game reserves, light drinks, local beer and clean drinking water everyday, all park entrance fees, vehicle fees, conservation & concession fees, current government taxes & levies, aiport transfer shuttles to/from Johannesburg airport, online & printed guide to the area, wildlife guide, safari photography guide, welcome gift

Not Included in Price:

International flight to Africa, some independent meals (in Johannesburg & Victoria Falls), airport transfer shuttles if arriving/departing outside our group transfer times, mixed alcohol drinks or room service, tipping for game drive guides and hotel staff, travel insurance, excess baggage charges, personal items

Optional but also Not Included:

Do you wish to extend your stay or perhaps also visit Cape Town while in South Africa? We can help you customize or extend your experience!

Photos

Payment and Cancelation:

We accept all major credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App and personal checks. Payment is made in the following installments:
$2,000 non-refundable deposit to register and hold your spot.
$2,000 due on 11/15/25
$2,000 due on 2/01/26
$2,000 due on 4/15/26
Balance due on 7/01/26

Please note: Your $2,000 deposit / processing fee is always non-refundable (once exact tour dates are announced and you agree to set dates). Dates will be announced in November 2025.

Emergencies happen – consider trip insurance to protect yourself:

GET MY ADVICE ON TRAVEL INSURANCE HERE

CANCELLATION POLICY AFTER Dec. 1, 2025: The hotel room blocks, transportation, tour directors and other expenses we have arranged in advance of this massive international tour are a great expense and non-refundable. Last-minute cancellation by you can make it difficult for us to find another replacement. There is a cost and risk for us to arrange group travel. Therefore, the payment plan above has been set up and all payments are non-refundable unless we can find another traveler to take your spot. We understand life changes and emergencies happen so we will make every attempt to replace you on the tour if you have to cancel. (We sometimes have a waiting list.) If we find a replacement, all of your money will be refunded, minus your $2,000 deposit. But if we reach the tour and we can not find someone to go in your place (aka we have an empty seat instead of a sell-out) your deposits and payments are non-refundable. An empty seat comes at a great cost to us. Therefore, please only sign up if you know you can travel with us.

Questions about this tour? Email me! info@explorewithspike.com

May 2027: African Safari in three countries!