Signature: Zimbabwe & Botswana, Wild by Nature

  • thumbnail image_signaturezimbabwebotswanawildbynature
  • thumbnail map_signaturezimbabwebotswanawildbynature

Duration: 12 days

Begins: Victoria Falls

Ends: Maun

Trip Code: DZVMNS

From

£15,799 per person

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    Witness the raw majesty of Southern Africa, from the thundering veil of Victoria Falls to the sun-baked salt crust of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Track lions through Chobe National Park and navigate the crystal channels of the Okavango Delta. Guided by experts, connect with local communities and vital conservation.
    Is this tour for me?
    Travel Style
    National Geographic Signature
    Exceptional exploration led by renowned experts, offering rare, private access to the world’s most storied sites — all defined by an unparalleled level of service and comfort.
    Service Level
    Luxury
    Five-star hospitality and meticulously curated inclusions, featuring iconic properties, fine dining, and private door-to-door service.
    Physical Rating
    2 - Light
    Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.
    Trip Type
    Small Group
    Age requirement
    12+
    All travellers under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
    What's Included
    • Your G for Good Moment: Lusumpuko Women's Club Lunch, Victoria Falls
    • Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group, Victoria Falls
    • Signature Moment: Private Zambezi River Dinner Cruise, Victoria Falls
    • Signature Moment: Photo Safari Cruise on the Chobe River, Chobe National Park
    • Signature Moment: Living with Elephants, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Arrival transfer
    • Welcome dinner
    • Attend the Simunye Theatre Show and meet the cast
    • Private, guided tour of Victoria Falls
    • Talk given by the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust
    • Chobe National Park Safari Drives
    • Engaging Discussions with the National Geographic Expert Throughout
    • Internal Flight from Kasane to Maun
    • Meet with a researcher from the Nkashi Trust team which implements the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project
    • Internal flight from Maun to the Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Morning and afternoon wildlife safari drives in Makgadikgadi Pans over multiple days
    • Internal flight from the Makgadikgadi Pans to the Okavango Delta
    • Morning and afternoon wildlife safaris by motorboat and traditional mokoro in the Okavango Delta over multiple days
    • Farewell Dinner
    • Departure Transfer
    • Engaging Discussions with the National Geographic Expert Throughout
    • Porterage at hotels and when getting on and off of vehicles
    • Tips are included for all activities, meals and porterage, except for your Expedition Leader
    • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

    Allow USD50-65 for meals not included.

    Day 1 : Victoria Falls

    Welcome to Zimbabwe. Your expedition begins at Victoria Falls, where the air hums with the distant roar of cascading water. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your lodge, nestled within a lush landscape. In the evening, gather with your National Geographic Expedition Leader, National Geographic Expedition Expert and fellow travellers for a welcome reception followed by a dinner highlighting regional flavours. Later, experience the Victoria Falls Theatre’s award-winning production, "Simunye: The Spirit of Africa." Meet the cast behind this vibrant celebration of African music, dance, and storytelling—an exclusive experience that offers true cultural immersion through rhythm and performance.

    Meet Your Expedition Leader and Group

    Victoria Falls -28h

    Your opportunity to meet your Expedition Leader and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

    Simunye Theatre Show: The Spirit of Africa

    Victoria Falls 1h

    Enjoy a lively theatre performance directed by the acclaimed handspring Puppeteer Mongiwekhaya, showcasing local professional artists in an intimate, open-air venue. This captivating fusion of dance, puppetry, music, and visuals delivers a powerful message of love and community and the universal spirit of togetherness. After the show the group will have some time to meet the cast of this award-winning production before returning to your haven on the banks of the Zambezi River.

    Meals Included:

    Dinner

    Day 2 : Victoria Falls

    Start your day with a guided tour of Victoria Falls, feeling the mist of Mosi-oa-Tunya (‘The Smoke that Thunders’) as you witness its raw power up close. Next, visit the Lusumpuko Women’s Club—a G for Good Project—for a cooking demonstration and traditional lunch prepared by the cooperative members. Return to the lodge to hear from the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust about their rescue work. As the sun sets, set out on a dedicated dinner cruise along the Zambezi River, watching the water turn to gold. A special guest will share tales of explorer David Livingstone, making this evening unforgettable.

    Victoria Falls Guided Experience

    Victoria Falls 2h30m Morning

    Victoria Falls is one of the most compelling sites in the world, this cascading column of sheer energy powers its way down a 100m chasm, taking your breath away with its strength and incredible beauty. Victoria Falls is the world's largest curtain of falling water, creating immense spray, rainbows, and a unique rainforest ecosystem. Take in this magnificent natural wonder during a private, guided tour on the Zimbabwe side of the falls.

    Lusumpuko Women's Club Lunch

    Victoria Falls Afternoon

    Start your visit to Victoria Falls off on the right foot by sitting down to a traditional, Zimbabwean meal, cooked by the Lusumpuko Women’s Club, a group of women from a nearby township. A demonstration by the ladies will show you exactly how Zimbabweans traditionally eat their food, and you’ll be served a farm-to-table meal made with traditional, local, in-season ingredients. This meal provides much-needed income to the cooperatives’ 20 members – changing their lives and families in the process.

    Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust Expert-led Discussion

    Victoria Falls 1h Afternoon

    Gather together for a discussion on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work from a member of the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

    Private Zambezi River Dinner Cruise

    Victoria Falls 3h30m Evening

    Board a private dinner cruise on the Zambezi River with a special guest speaker who will share tales of explorer David Livingstone. This unique experience combines gourmet dining with gorgeous scenery, creating an unforgettable evening on the water.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 3 : Victoria Falls/Chobe National Park

    After breakfast, drive through Zambezi National Park and cross into Botswana. Arrive at your hotel, settle in, enjoy a light lunch. During high tea, join a talk to gain deeper insight into the park’s conservation efforts before boarding eco-friendly, electric boats to take in the stunning vistas and wildlife along the Chobe River. Spot elephants along the water’s edge and relax with a sundowner on deck. Return to the lodge for dinner by the river, accompanied by the sounds of the African night.

    Private Vehicle

    Victoria Falls - Kazungula 1h45m Morning 88km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between Victoria Falls and the border crossing into Botswana at Kazungula.

    Private Vehicle

    Kazungula - Chobe National Park 0h30m Morning 14km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the comfort of your private vehicle between the Botswana border crossing at Kazungula and your lodge stay in Chobe.

    Chobe River Safari Boat Cruise

    Chobe National Park 3h Afternoon

    Board eco-friendly, electric boats and take in the stunning vistas along the Chobe River right by your lodge. The wildlife viewing while on a river safari in Chobe is unsurpassed anywhere else in Botswana. Elephants may line the water's edge, hippos will likely congregate in the lagoons, and many antelope and giraffe make their way to the water, while predators often wait patiently on the river banks. The lodge pioneered the use of electric boats for wildlife experiences on the water in 2014.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 4 : Chobe National Park

    Start the day with an early morning safari drive through Chobe National Park, spotting majestic elephants, lions, and impala in the cool air. Return to the hotel for a hearty brunch. Then transfer to meet your dedicated, professional photo host before embarking on a Chobe River photo safari with camera equipment included. Glide along the southern channel of the Chobe River in search of elephants, hippos, and birdlife, capturing stunning wildlife shots with expert guidance along the water. Conclude the day with one final safari drive into the national park as you sip an included sundowner. Return to the lodge for dinner, celebrating your incredible journey through Southern Africa.

    Chobe National Park Early Morning Safari Drive

    Chobe National Park 2h30m Morning

    Rise early for a morning female-led safari drive inside Chobe National Park, where the lodge's specially adapted vehicles ensure that all guests enjoy a window seat and camera rest (should you have one.) Try to spot lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and more in the golden morning light.

    Pangolin Photo Safari Cruise on the Chobe River

    Chobe National Park Morning

    Board a photo safari just 20 minutes from the Zimbabwe/Botswana border on the Chobe River. Alongside your photo host you will set off on a leisurely ride through the Southern Channel of the river that will take your wildlife viewing to the next level. Photography is often the gateway to memory and with more professional equipment you can snap moments that will remain in your heart and mind forever.

    Chobe National Park Late Afternoon Female-led Safari Drive

    Chobe National Park 2h30m Afternoon

    In the afternoon set off for another female-led safari drive in Chobe National Park. Capture images of the park during a different time of day and relax with a sundowner as you admire the landscape around you.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 5 : Chobe National Park/Maun

    Wake up early for a final safari drive in the National Park in search of resident wildlife before continuing deeper into the heart of Botswana for more exploration and adventure. Catch a flight south from Kasane to the town of Maun, our jumping-off point for the days ahead. Settle into the hotel and spend the afternoon relaxing before a reception in the evening to welcome any new travellers joining the tour for the next leg of the expedition.

    Chobe National Park Early Morning Safari Drive

    Chobe National Park 2h30m

    Rise early for a morning female-led safari drive inside Chobe National Park, where the lodge's specially adapted vehicles ensure that all guests enjoy a window seat and camera rest (should you have one.) Try to spot lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and more in the golden morning light.

    Private Vehicle

    Chobe National Park - Kasane Airport 0h45m 13km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

    Plane

    Kasane - Maun 0h45m - 1h

    Catch a flight from Chobe to Maun, Botswana's gateway to the Okavango Delta.

    Airport Transfer

    Maun Airport - Maun

    You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel in Maun.

    Acommodation

    Nat Geo Expert - Nat Geo Signature Botswana

    Acommodation

    Nat Geo Expert - Nat Geo Signature Botswana

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Dinner

    Day 6 : Maun/Makgadikgadi Pans

    Start the day with a visit to the Nkashi Knowledge Centre. Here, meet an inspiring researcher from the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project for an illuminating presentation on the origins of the Okavango Delta. Next, transfer to the airport for a scenic flight over changing landscapes to the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the largest salt flats in the world. The afternoon calls you into the bush for an exhilarating safari drive in the national park. Scan the horizon for zebras and wildebeest and the predators that naturally follow such as: lion, leopard, cheetah, and hyenas. Cap off the day with a traditional boma dinner beneath a brilliant canopy of stars.

    Delta origins briefing

    Maun 1h30m - 1h45m

    You will meet one of the researchers of the Nkashi Trust team which has implemented the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) in a decade-long collaboration with the National Geographic Society. The NGOWP is a transboundary initiative that has spent the past ten years surveying and collecting scientific data on the Okavango river system and working with local communities, NGOs, and the governments of Angola, Namibia, and Botswana to secure permanent, sustainable protection for the greater Okavango Watershed.

    Private Vehicle

    Maun - Maun Airport 0h30m 12km

    Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

    Afternoon Safari Drive

    Makgadikgadi Pans 2h - 3h

    Set out across the shimmering, endless salt crust of the Makgadikgadi Pans as the afternoon light turns to gold. Scan the vast arid expanse for remarkable desert-adapted wildlife, watching curious habituated meerkats pop out from subterranean burrows to forage through the scrub. Keep your eyes peeled for stealthy brown hyenas, sleek cheetahs, resilient gemsbok, and lions roaming across this ancient, otherworldly landscape.

    Plane

    Maun Airport - Makgadikgadi Pans 0h45m

    Fly to the western bank of the Boteti River, which forms the boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Dinner

    Day 7 : Makgadikgadi Pans

    As dawn breaks over the pans, set out on a morning safari drive to spot wildlife at their most active. Later, meet with a leading wildlife biologist for a presentation on the delicate balance of human and wildlife coexistence, followed by a visit to the local research centre. Back at the lodge, keep an eye out for elephants at the hidden water-level hide, offering panoramic views over Makgadikgadi Pan National Park, ideal for viewing wildlife on the river’s edge. Conclude the day with an afternoon safari drive before dinner.

    Wildlife Safari Drive

    Makgadikgadi Pans 3h - 4h

    Enjoy a morning safari in one of the world's top safari destinations. Search for elephants and giraffes grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

    Living with Elephants

    Makgadikgadi Pans 1h30m

    Take a look at how a small team of scientists and community officers are tackling one of Africa's most complex challenges - conservation efforts and the reality of human & wildlife coexistence in remote areas of Botswana. Hear from the managing director and resident wildlife biologist at Elephants for Africa, alongside the organization's community projects' manager to discuss these complex issues. The visit combines a guided camp tour with a structured presentation and open Q&A. Guests hear the issues from both the scientific and the community perspectives, directly from the people who live and work at the intersection of both.

    Wildlife Safari Drive

    Makgadikgadi Pans 3h - 4h

    Set out on another safari drive this afternoon to view the resident wildlife in their daily slowdown. Perhaps you'll see a few of the big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as giraffes, antelope and herds of migratory zebra or wildebeest in search of water.

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 8 : Makgadikgadi Pans

    The golden morning light guides you on another safari drive through the rich habitats of Makgadikgadi Pan National Park, keeping an eye out for the resident wildlife in their natural environment. Under the midday sun, stay cool and relax at the lodge, perhaps visit the lodge’s secret hide to spot birds or grazing animals drinking at the edge of the Boteti River. Following another thrilling safari drive, the evening transitions to the warmth of the crackling campfire. Sink into your seat and share stories from the day.

    Wildlife Safari Drive

    Makgadikgadi Pans 3h - 4h

    Enjoy a morning safari in one of the world's top safari destinations. Search for elephants and giraffes grazing, photograph zebras and wildebeest and, with a little luck, you'll even spot animals feasting on a recent kill.

    Wildlife Safari Drive

    Makgadikgadi Pans 3h - 4h

    Set out on another safari drive this afternoon to view the resident wildlife in their daily slowdown. Perhaps you'll see a few of the big cats – cheetahs, leopards and lions – as well as giraffes, antelope and herds of migratory zebra or wildebeest in search of water.

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Acommodation

    Leroo La Tau

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 9 : Makgadikgadi Pans/Okavango Delta

    Board an early flight into the lush green heart of the Okavango Delta, watching the arid plains transform into an intricate puzzle of shimmering waterways below. After lunch, attend an insightful afternoon talk regarding the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. Learn about the ongoing efforts to secure permanent, sustainable protection for this vital watershed and its rich biodiversity. Afterwards, feel the spray of the water on your face during a boat safari, navigating the channels as the setting sun turns the delta waters into liquid gold.

    Plane

    Makgadikgadi Pans - Okavango Delta 1h

    Bid farewell to the Makgadikgadi Pans as you fly to the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta.

    Okavango Delta Excursion

    Okavango Delta

    Step into the heart of Botswana’s wilderness on an unforgettable journey into the Okavango Delta. Your adventure begins with a scenic drive in an open 4x4 safari vehicle, travelling deep into the pristine area teeming with wildlife and rich in natural beauty. Explore the Delta the traditional way, gliding quietly through the waterways in a mokoro canoe, steered by skilled local polers who know the channels like the back of their hand. Back on land, a guided walking safari gives you the rare opportunity to connect with the bush on foot. Learn about the plants, animal tracks, and smaller wildlife often missed from a vehicle, while keeping an eye out for the Delta’s bigger residents. This is more than a traditional wildlife safari, it’s an immersion into one of the world’s most remarkable ecosystems, guided by the people who call it home.

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 10 : Okavango Delta

    Awaken to the symphony of the delta and enjoy a light breakfast before your morning safari. Glide through the glass-like water in a traditional mokoro dugout canoe, listening to the gentle splash of the paddle, then step ashore for a guided nature walk across remote islands to track wildlife on foot. Spend a quiet afternoon at a secluded bird-viewing hide, watching kingfishers and herons fly above the reeds. Following afternoon tea, set out again by boat for another aquatic safari before settling into the lodge for the evening and gathering around the campfire.

    Okavango Excursion

    Okavango Delta

    Continue exploring the Delta on a bush walk or by mokoro through the channels, searching for wildlife as you go.

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 11 : Okavango Delta

    Head out in search of more wildlife with a morning boat safari. Watch for pods of hippos and basking crocodiles as you navigate by mokoro and motorboat, and discover the small wonders of the delta's ecosystems on an island walking excursion. Back at the lodge, spend the midday hours relaxing or gazing out from the bird-viewing area to immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the local avian life. Following afternoon tea, a final boat ride reveals the delta's timeless beauty at twilight. Toast your unforgettable African expedition during a celebratory farewell dinner with your companions.

    Okavango Excursion

    Okavango Delta

    Continue exploring the Delta on a bush walk or by mokoro through the channels, searching for wildlife as you go.

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Acommodation

    Camp Okavango

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 12 : Okavango Delta/Maun

    Enjoy a final breakfast at the lodge, listening to the rustle of the palms and the distant calls of the bush one last time. Board a flight back to Maun, enjoying a final bird’s-eye view of the vast, winding delta channels you have explored. Your extraordinary wildlife expedition concludes upon arrival at the Maun airport.

    Plane

    Okavango Delta - Maun Airport 1h

    Fly out of the Okavango Delta and back to Maun to conclude the adventure.

    Meals Included:

    Breakfast

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