African SafariFeaturing Botswana, Zambia, and Victoria Falls

Your Travel Itinerary

Days 1-2 — Depart U.S. for Johannesburg, South Africa
Upon arrival transfer to your airport hotel. This evening gather for a welcome dinner. (D)

Day 3 — Johannesburg/Soweto
Embark on a half-day tour of Johannesburg’s renowned district of Soweto. See the home of former Archbishop Desmond Tutu and visit Nelson Mandela’s home, now a museum. Next, visit the Hector Pieterson Museum – a monument to the Soweto Uprising which figured prominently in the struggle against apartheid. Following lunch, drive to the nearby Rhino & Lion Nature Reserve in the heart of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site and spend the afternoon. The game drive in this 3,000-acre park features three of the Big Five – Kruger lions, white rhino, and buffalo – as well as the exceedingly rare white lion, endangered wild dogs, cheetah, and Cape vultures, and 18 other game species. Tonight toast the adventure ahead at a welcome dinner. (B,D)

Days 4-5 — Johannesburg, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Travel to Victoria Falls and your deluxe hotel located in the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve. Tonight get your first glimpse of the thundering Falls while enjoying a sunset cruise on the Zambezi before dinner at your hotel. The next morning tour the Falls first “discovered” by explorer David Livingstone and claimed for Queen Victoria in 1855. With its 300-foot deep gorge and thundering spray, “Vic” Falls is a wonder of the natural world, especially as hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and other animals roam freely in the surrounding jungle. Later encounter local village life up close as you pay a visit to a nearby settlement. Tonight attend a “Boma" (African place of eating) for dinner and a traditional dance performance. (2B,2D)

Day 6 — Victoria Falls
Enjoy a special safari through the bush in the Victoria Falls Private Game Reserve, perhaps spotting some of the elephants, lions, and leopards that live here. After an afternoon at leisure, more big game is on tap during tonight’s game drive. (B,D)

Day 7 — Victoria Falls, Chobe National Park, Botswana
This morning travel two hours by motorcoach to Botswana and Chobe National Park, boasting one of the largest concentrations of game in all of Africa. After settling in and enjoying lunch at your lodge, embark this afternoon on a game-viewing boat safari on the Chobe River, where you may see hippo, crocs, some of the park’s 450 species of birds, and perhaps a beautiful Chobe sunset. Dine tonight at your lodge. (B,L,D)

Days 8-9 — Chobe National Park
Chobe National Park is known for its diverse terrain, which covers 7,270 square miles of protected parkland, and for an exceptional array of wildlife including the world’s largest elephant population (some 120,000), zebra, lion, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, and buffalo. See a portion of this natural wonder on your early morning game drive and this afternoon’s boat safari. The next day set out on another early morning game drive and afternoon boat safari. In between game viewing activities, you’re at leisure to enjoy the amenities of your lodge on the banks of the Chobe River, adjacent to the park itself. Among the options: fishing, birding, nature walks, or relaxing by the outdoor pool. (2B,2L,2D)

Day 10 — Chobe National Park, Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia
This morning board a privately chartered plane for the 1½-hour flight to Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia’s newest reserve (since 1983) and, as the former private sanctuary of Zambia’s president, the least developed. Here in one of Africa’s last stretches of pristine wilderness you have the chance to get closer to the animals than anywhere else. This afternoon and evening engage in some of the lodge’s game viewing activities that include open vehicle game drives, night game drives, fly fishing, guided canoe trips, bushwalks, boat safaris, and sunset river cruises. (B,L,D)

Days 11-12 — Lower Zambezi National Park
From your 14-room luxury lodge on the banks of the Zambezi, enjoy two days of game viewing activities in this 1,600 square mile park on the southern end of Zambia known for its 100-strong elephant herds, unusually large prides of lion, plus buffalo, waterbuck, antelope, impala, zebra, crocodile, hippo, kudu, warthog, eland, and leopard, among other wildlife; and where ebonies, leadwoods, figs, and acacias preside over the mineral-rich grassland. With Zimbabwe’s renowned Mana Pools Reserve situated across the river, the Lower Zambezi National Park forms a massive sanctuary where you’re certain to enjoy unparalleled game and bird viewing – rarely seeing another person. With the Zambezi River, abundant game on the valley floor, and the Zambezi Escarpment as a backdrop, the Lower Zambezi National Park offers a dramatic setting for game viewing as does our lodge, where animals roam freely on the grounds. (2B,2L,2D)

Day 13 — Lower Zambezi National Park, Lusaka, Depart for U.S.
Travel by private charter flight today to Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, you'll have a day room to rest before this evening's flight to the United States. (B)

Day 14 — Arrive U.S.
Arrive in the U.S. this morning and connect with your flights home.