Arrive in Kasane, Botswana. After the 4x4 handover, drive to camp for your first night. If your arrival time allows, you can join a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. Kasane is also the place to stock up on supplies before the journey continues. Stay at Senyati Safari Campsite.

Travel to Camp Kwando. There is still time to pick up groceries before you leave Kasane. The route takes you towards Kongola and the Kwando River, in the border region between Namibia and Botswana. The landscape becomes greener and water starts to shape the journey.

Break camp and continue to Ngepi Camp near Bagani. The camp sits beside the Okavango River in the panhandle of the Okavango Delta. The drive crosses the Caprivi Strip, with dry country gradually giving way to greener river landscapes.

Stay a second night at Ngepi Camp and keep the day free. Head onto the water by mokoro, visit Popa Falls or simply stay at camp. Swimming is possible in the protected river pool. The 4x4 can stay parked today.

Leave the Okavango behind and continue to Maun. An early start leaves time after arrival to shop and refuel. Tonight you stay at Discovery B&B, a fixed accommodation after several nights under canvas and before heading into the Kalahari.

A longer driving day takes you towards Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The first section heads east on tarmac. Then you turn off and the surface changes to a dusty sand road. Once inside the vast reserve, continue towards Deception Valley and Kori Campsite.

The Kalahari gives you two full days for game drives. Starting early makes sense because predators are often active in the morning. Look for the dark-maned Kalahari lion and, with luck, the brown hyena. Jackals, bat-eared foxes, honey badgers, gemsbok and springbok also live in this dry landscape. Stay at Sunday Pan Campsite.

From Sunday Pan, drive to Motopi in the western part of the reserve. The journey itself is another long game drive. Once at camp, head out again in the afternoon or leave the 4x4 parked and watch the day fade over the Kalahari.

Return to Maun and, for a while, to the inhabited world. Sand roads come first, followed by tarmac. The afternoon leaves time for supplies, arranging access permits for Moremi and Chobe, and an optional scenic flight over the Okavango Delta. Stay again at Discovery B&B.

Use the morning in Maun for final groceries and diesel. Allow around four hours for the drive to Third Bridge, so it is worth starting early. Beyond the Buffalo Fence, enter Moremi Game Reserve. Third Bridge lies on the edge of the Okavango Delta. From here, the day becomes a game drive. Lions, hyenas, leopards, elephants and antelope all occur in the reserve. Camps are unfenced, so wildlife can move through both day and night.

After a morning game drive, continue through Moremi towards Khwai at North Gate. The drive itself remains part of the safari. Reach Khwai Campsite during the afternoon. Once camp is set up, slow down or head out for an evening game drive along the Khwai River.

The route from Khwai to Savuti runs through wildlife country again. Start early and, if you wish, make another game-drive loop around North Gate before continuing into Chobe National Park. Savuti is known for bull elephants and the Savuti Pride. The Savuti Channel crosses this area and feeds the Savuti Marsh. There is time for an extended afternoon game drive. The camp is open to the bush, so hyenas and lions may pass nearby.

Leave Savuti and travel towards northern Chobe National Park. Sandy tracks give the 4x4 a proper role today. By afternoon you reach Ihaha on the Chobe River. Set up camp and, if there is time, head out for another game drive. Stay at Ihaha Campsite.

Return to Kasane and Chobe Safari Lodge. From here, you can visit Victoria Falls or join a sunset cruise on the Chobe River. After the remote camps of Moremi and Chobe, the rhythm changes again.

Stay another night at Chobe Safari Lodge. The day is yours. Take a day trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or spend another full day exploring Chobe National Park.

The final day brings the 16-day route to an end in Kasane. Your 4x4 journey has linked the Chobe River, Caprivi Strip, Okavango Delta, Central Kalahari, Moremi and Savuti before returning to where it began.

Botswana
Namibia
Zimbabwe

Botswana Kalahari & Okavango Self-Drive

16
days
from
1730
p.p.

One day, your 4x4 is parked on the banks of the Okavango; a few days later, you are driving along dusty sand roads deep into the Kalahari. That contrast defines this self-drive journey. You follow the water through the Caprivi, camp in the heart of the Central Kalahari and then return to Kasane via Moremi and Chobe. Along the way, there is plenty of room to make your own choices. Will it be a game drive, a day by the water or simply doing nothing at all?

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Not quite the trip you’re looking for? This trip can be fully tailored to your preferences.

Botswana Kalahari & Okavango Self-Drive

Botswana
Namibia
Zimbabwe
from
1730
p.p.
16
days
Request a quote
Request information
This trip can be fully tailored to your preferences.
SummaryHighlightsItineraryWhat's includedPhoto gallery Reviews

Everything mapped out. The route remains yours.

From Kasane, you follow the rivers northwards, via the Kwando to the Okavango. At Ngepi, the 4x4 stays parked for a day while you take to the water in a mokoro or simply relax at camp. The scenery then changes. Via Maun, you drive into the Central Kalahari, where three camps and long game drives take you deeper into the dry plains. Back in Maun, you stock up on supplies and fuel again for the final section: Moremi, Khwai, Savuti and Chobe. Here, the drives are often game drives in themselves: you never know what wildlife will surprise you.

The trip is available for 2 to 4 people per vehicle. For 5 people or more, the price is available on request and depends on local availability.

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16
days total
2
nights lodge/B&B
13
nights camping
16
days 4x4 rental
Travel pace:
Gemiddeld
1
-
5
persons per car
From
1730
p.p.
This trip can be fully tailored to your preferences.

This self-drive journey is not a script, but a starting point.

Stay longer along the Okavango, add an extra night in the Kalahari or include Victoria Falls at the end? You decide. We tailor the route to your wishes, travel party and travel pace. There are also several flight options: via Kasane, Victoria Falls or Livingstone.

Everything that makes this trip unforgettable.

Kongola

Here, the landscape turns green and water becomes ever-present. The Kwando River draws wildlife to its banks. As you drive through the region, you notice how quickly the scenery changes. Riverine forest, open plains and water alternate along the way.

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Victoria Falls

Right on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Zambezi plunges down over a width of 1,708 metres. It is a place where the power of the water can be felt everywhere. Explore the falls on foot, view them from a boat or take a helicopter flight to see this natural spectacle from above.

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Maun

A practical stop to refuel and stock up on supplies before heading into the Okavango Delta. Take a boat safari, see the delta from the air on a scenic flight or head out on a walking safari.

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Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Botswana’s largest and most expansive wildlife reserve. Long routes, basic facilities. Here, you camp with very little between you, the Kalahari and the many animals that live there. You cannot get closer to nature than this.

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Kasane

With Chobe National Park, the Chobe River and Victoria Falls nearby, there is plenty to experience. Choose a game drive, boat safari or sunset cruise and decide for yourself how to spend your days. Keep your eyes open along the way: wildlife can appear in and around Kasane when you least expect it.

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Moremi Game Reserve

Grasslands and waterways form a landscape that is home to leopards, rhinos, giraffes, buffalo and lions. You drive yourself from North Gate to Third Bridge and Xakanaxa. Fancy taking a boat trip along the way? You can. Or stay on track on land. The choice is yours.

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A journey filled with memorable stops.

The landscape keeps changing as you travel. From long days on the road through wide-open country to places where you park the 4x4 and lose track of time. Here’s how the journey unfolds day by day.

This trip is a starting point, not an endpoint.

Change a day or destination

Spend more time in one place, add a rest day or cover a little more ground. We adjust the route to suit your pace and the way you want to travel.

Choose a different 4x4

The right 4x4 depends on your route, who you’re travelling with and how much comfort you want along the way. Together, we’ll choose the vehicle that fits.

Add another country

Want to extend your trip into another country? We’ll look at the most practical route, border crossings and what works within the time you have.

Get in touch

Fully prepared, no surprises.

A self-drive trip calls for clarity. That is why we are as transparent as possible about what we arrange and what you bring yourself. Everything you need for a carefree trip is on board; the rest is for you to fill in according to your own taste.

  • Toyota Hilux or similar
  • All accommodation listed in the quotation
  • Two drivers
  • GPS with Tracks4Africa software
  • Botswana travel/safari guide and a clear map
  • Advice from experienced self-drive specialists
  • Airport transfers
  • Support
  • International flights
  • Entrance fees
  • Fuel
  • Meals and drinks
  • Upgrades to fixed or luxury accommodation
  • Upgrade to a Toyota Land Cruiser or 4x4 camper instead of a rooftop tent
  • Insurance to cover the rental excess

Not quite what you’re looking for?

Every self-drive trip is a starting point, not an endpoint. You can adapt an existing trip or create your own with us. We’ll help you shape the route, choose the right 4x4, find places to stay and prepare for the journey, so everything fits the way you want to travel.

Get in touch

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