Namibia, Botswana & Zambia - Etosha to the Victoria Falls!

Tour Code: NAM01

A 17-day bird- and mammal-watching safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, visiting Etosha National Park, Caprivi Strip, Okavango Panhandle and the Victoria Falls.

17 days from
£7,995 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£7,295
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

Covering three countries and over 1,000km, timed to coincide with southern Africa’s ‘green season’, this holiday offers a chance to experience a wonderful diversity of landscapes and wildlife. Beginning in Namibia we’ll search for endemic birds on the Waterberg Plateau before spending four days in Etosha National Park. Here we’ll make game drives, visit waterholes and marvel at the park’s birdlife and dense herds of game, which includes Elephant, Burchell’s Zebra, Greater Kudu and Giraffe. Next we head to the wetlands of the Caprivi Strip and Okavango Delta, where we’ll hope to find the endemic Slaty Egret and Lesser Jacana before visiting Botswana’s Chobe National Park – a great place to see Lions as well as Spotted Hyena, vultures and raptors. We conclude our tour in Zambia with a 2-night stay at the magnificent Victoria Falls.

The second departure in each year is usually operated in the reverse direction i.e. starting at Victoria Falls and ending in Windhoek. 

  • Blue Crane, Pel’s Fishing Owl & Schalow’s Turaco – each endemic to their respective country
  • Sightings of Cheetah, Leopard & Black Rhino possible in Etosha
  • Vultures, eagles, owls, babblers, tits & warblers
  • Red Lechwe, Hippo & (if very lucky) African Wild Dog in the Okavango
  • Colourful weavers, widows & whydahs in the Okavango Panhandle
  • Marvel at the Victoria Falls – twice as high as Niagara!

Grading

Grade A. A traditional safari-style holiday with wildlife viewing by vehicle, boat and on foot.

Southern Africa is blessed with some of the continent’s finest national parks and landscapes. From the harsh Namib Desert to the lush green wetlands of the Okavango Delta and the natural wonder of the Victoria Falls, this spectacular region is home to a fabulous diversity of wildlife, and some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. By combining Namibia, Botswana and Zambia in this holiday, we offer not only the opportunity to visit three countries during one tour, but also the chance to enjoy a diversity of birds and other wildlife over a range of over 1,000 kilometres; species as special and diverse as the Blue Crane of Namibia, the Pel’s Fishing Owl of Botswana and the beautiful Schalow’s Turaco of Zambia. Further, by running this holiday during the green season, we will benefit both from the influx of wintering birds that move south for the southern African summer, as well as from the many nesting species resplendent in their breeding dress at this season.

Flying into Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, and meeting our leader, our first port of call is the Waterberg Plateau Park. Rising over 200 metres from the surrounding bush, this plateau is home to over 200 bird species, amongst them such Namibian endemics as Hartlaub’s Francolin, Rüppell’s Parrot, Violet Wood-hoopoe and Rockrunner. Continuing our journey north, we will spend the next four days exploring the Etosha National Park, the finest wildlife reserve in Namibia and one of the best in all of Africa. Covering over 22,000 square kilometres, the park encircles the great Etosha Salt Pan, the dried up bed of a huge ancient lake over 100 kilometres across. Dry and dusty at the end of the dry season, Etosha is by now transformed by the rains into a lush oasis of green grassy plains — on which herds of Burchell’s Zebra, Springbok and Gemsbok feast — and acacia woodland amongst which lie rain-fed pools and larger permanent waterholes. Elephants, Greater Kudu and Southern Giraffe are also common here and we may also encounter a Black Rhino, Leopard, Cheetah or Lion if fortunate, although some of these mammals do become a little more elusive during the green season. Etosha’s birdlife is also incredibly diverse and includes the aforementioned Blue Cranes, plus such other special species as Bateleur, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, African Scops Owl, Bare-cheeked Babbler, Carp’s Tit and Rufous-eared Warbler to name but a few.

Next, we will drive north-east to spend five days exploring the wetlands of the Caprivi Strip and Okavango Panhandle. The lush, papyrus-fringed wetlands and open plains that border the Okavango and Kwando Rivers are some of the richest areas for wildlife in southern Africa, though less well known than the Okavango Delta that opens out to the south. We will concentrate our time here exploring the Caprivi National Park and Mahango Game Park, but spend one day within the Okavango Panhandle in Botswana in search of the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl. Other wildlife to look out for includes mammals such as Elephant, Hippo, Red Lechwe, Common Reedbuck, Bushbuck and Southern Giraffe and birds such as Dwarf Bittern, Goliath Heron, Slaty Egret, Marsh Owl, Kurrichane Thrush, Lesser Jacana, African Fish Eagle and a variety of colourful weavers, widows and whydahs. If luck is really on our side we may be fortunate enough to find a pack of African Wild Dogs, a rare but more regular treat in this area.

Botswana’s Chobe National Park is next on our agenda, another of Africa’s great wildlife reserves and home to a huge range of birds and mammals. We will concentrate our efforts on the Chobe River for the next couple of days, enjoying the herds of Puku, Impala, Common Waterbuck and Elephant that dot the adjacent floodplains. This is a great place for Lions, as well as such attentive scavengers as Spotted Hyena and vultures, while Leopards are occasionally seen. The birdlife here is again incredibly diverse, especially the birds of prey which often fill the sky on hot sunny days and include such species as Tawny, Steppe, Lesser Spotted and Wahlberg’s Eagles, African Hawk-eagle, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Lizard Buzzard and many more.

We conclude our holiday in Zambia, spending two nights at the Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Here the mighty Zambezi River plunges over 100 metres into a spectacular narrow gorge, a drop twice as high as Niagara. When the Zambezi is in full flood the Falls are often obscured by spray and mist, but in March its water level is still quite low and the whole vista of the Falls and canyon can be appreciated and enjoyed … as well as such birds as the beautiful Schalow’s Turaco, Rock Pratincole, African Finfoot and Trumpeter Hornbill. After a relaxing couple of days enjoying this great natural spectacle we must sadly say our farewells to the exotic wildlife of southern Africa and return to the more familiar fauna and flora of home.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Depart London
Day 2
Arrive Windhoek, Namibia; transfer transfer Daan Viljoen
Day 3
Waterberg Plateau Park
Day 4/6
Etosha National Park, Namibia
Day 7/9
Caprivi Strip, Namibia
Day 10
Okavango Panhandle, Botswana
Day 11
Caprivi Strip, Namibia
Day 12/13
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Day 14/15
Victoria Falls, Zambia
Day 16
Depart Livingstone, Zambia
Day 17
Arrive London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation:

    We stay in comfortable lodges, all rooms with private facilities.

  • Food:

    All meals are included in the price except for lunches and dinners at Victoria Falls. Allow £50.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Fri 21st Feb – Sun 9th Mar FULL £7,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£7,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£995
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Neil MacLeod
Neil MacLeod

Tour Leader: Neil MacLeod

Neil has co-authored the comprehensive field guides 'Wildlife of Namibia' and 'An Expert's Guide to Finding the Animals in Etosha' offering valuable insights into Etosha National Park and the diverse wildlife of Namibia. These books cover a wide range of mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants, including detailed descriptions, distribution maps, and best viewing locations. Neil has been leading Naturetrek holidays for 29 years and continuously enhances his expertise to ensure every tour is enriching and worthwhile.

Fri 7th Mar – Sun 23rd Mar FULL £7,995
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£7,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£995
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Neil MacLeod
Neil MacLeod

Tour Leader: Neil MacLeod

Neil has co-authored the comprehensive field guides 'Wildlife of Namibia' and 'An Expert's Guide to Finding the Animals in Etosha' offering valuable insights into Etosha National Park and the diverse wildlife of Namibia. These books cover a wide range of mammals, birds, reptiles, invertebrates, and plants, including detailed descriptions, distribution maps, and best viewing locations. Neil has been leading Naturetrek holidays for 29 years and continuously enhances his expertise to ensure every tour is enriching and worthwhile.

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Wed 18th Feb – Fri 6th Mar SPACES £7,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£7,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£995
Wed 4th Mar – Fri 20th Mar SPACES £7,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£7,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£995
Wed 18th Mar – Fri 3rd Apr SPACES £7,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£7,295
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£995 
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Mammal Watching Holidays


Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.


Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours


Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.


Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:



Bargain mammal selection


We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.




Our specialist recommends...







"Africa is perhaps the greatest continent for mammal-watching. I would recommend 'Botswana’s Desert & Delta (Mammals)' for combining stunning scenery and wildlife. We also offer a tour to Uganda which includes a chance to see Mountain Gorillas. And India, along with Tigers, has a superb variety of mammals. Closer to home, short breaks to Spain in search of Wolves and Iberian Lynx are hard to beat.”

Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager




  


All Mammal Watching Tours

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Safari Holidays – Experience Earth’s Greatest Continent for Wildlife


Why choose Africa for wildlife safaris?


When people think of visiting Africa, safari holidays are regularly at the top of the list. Riding in an open-top jeep along dusty tracks and looking out across sun-baked savannahs teeming with big game is arguably one of life’s best experiences.


For the nature enthusiast, Naturetrek’s African safari holidays offer unparalleled opportunities. Africa is the world’s greatest continent for wildlife, being home to many of the planet’s most iconic mammals and birds.


Many of these animals are relatively easy to observe and exist in scarcely believable abundance, guaranteeing that our African safari tours are always full of amazing sightings.


From the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to Namibia’s Etosha National Park and the superb Kruger National Park in South Africa, our African wildlife safaris will take you to all the continent’s most unmissable destinations.


Classic African safari holidays


We offer classic safari-style packages to Botswana, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia.


On these African safari tours you will stay in or very near the prime game-rich areas such as national parks and reserves, heading out daily for wildlife watching in vehicles. There will usually be additional chances to join night drives and look for nocturnal species.


On the majority of our African wildlife safaris, even those in our bargain range, we are able to use superb accommodation, including in remote locations. Tented, fully serviced camps with private facilities are the norm.


Expert naturalist guides


All of our African safari tours are led by expert naturalist guides. Most of our tours are led by superb local guides (the quality of guiding in many parts of Africa is second to none), while some of our longer tours are joined by a UK leader.


What wildlife might I see?


Africa is the best place in the world for seeing large concentrations of big game such as African Bush Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Giraffe and Blue Wildebeest. On Naturetrek’s African safari tours we visit some of the world’s most famous national parks and reserves, such as the Serengeti, Kruger and Okavango Delta, as well as some less well known regions, in search of a full range of the continent’s most spectacular mammals, from Hippos, Wild Dogs and White Rhinos to Leopards, bushbabies and African Wildcats.


The birdlife is equally staggering, with an enormous variety of charismatic species found across the continent, from bee-eaters and hornbills to finches, weavers and a stunning diversity of birds of prey. Naturetrek’s African wildlife safaris offer a chance to search for a superb variety of species and avian spectacles, such as flamingo-lined lakes in the Rift Valley, bizarre Shoebills in Uganda’s swamps, and giant Ostriches strutting across endless savannahs.


See our list of the best African Safari Holidays


 




Our specialist recommends...







"We offer a superb choice of expert-led African safari holidays ranging from 9-day bargain tours in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park to a 17-day birdwatching and mammal-viewing safari through Namibia, Botswana and Zambia. For those who have previously enjoyed a traditional safari, I would recommend our ‘South Africa’s Rare Mammals’ tour, which targets some of the continent’s most rarely seen creatures, such as Aardwolf, Black-footed Cat, Cape Porcupine, African Wildcat, Brown Hyaena and the iconic Aardvark





Paul Stanbury – Operations Manager


 







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Big Cat Safari Holidays


Big cats are among the most admired and sought-after mammals on the planet, and we are proud to offer a broad and comprehensive range of big cat safari holidays. We offer inspiring and truly memorable wildlife tours to enjoy sightings of all of the world’s iconic species in their natural habitats, including Tigers in India and Nepal, Jaguars in the Pantanal, Pumas in Chile and Snow Leopards in India and Mongolia and we certainly do not neglect the smaller cats either.


We offer a range of itineraries around Africa and encounter the continent’s high-profile species like Lions, Cheetahs and Leopards and also the lesser known species such as Caracal, Sand Cat, Black-footed Cat, Serval and African Wild Cat. We also have wildlife holidays that catch sightings of the Asiatic Lion in India and the elusive Leopard in Sri Lanka.


We also offer a pioneering tour to try to see the most difficult of all big cats the Sunda Clouded Leopard in Borneo with Leopard Cat, Marbled Cat and Flat-headed Cat all having being seen on our Borneo holidays. Closer to home, we offer holidays in Europe to go in search of Wildcat and both Eurasian and Iberian Lynx.


We have run these holidays for many years with great success, working with the best local contacts and guides and staying at the very best locations with carefully crafted itineraries which allow the optimum amount of time to achieve sightings.  




Our specialist recommends...






"Naturetrek has been instrumental in designing, researching and pioneering many of the big cat safari tours on the market. Our dedicated Tiger-watching trips have an unparalleled 100% success record with sightings, while if you want an experience dedicated to looking for Jaguars (also with a 100% success rate), you can’t do any better than our 'Brazil – Just Jaguars!' holiday. Additionally, our 'South Africa – Just Cats!' holiday offers a chance to see a wide variety of species in stunning scenery and for a real adventure, well off the beaten track, our 'Borneo's Mammals - Deramakot Forest Reserve' holiday is hard to beat for sheer excitement as we go in search of Sunda Clouded Leopard with extensive night time spotlighting outings encountering a wonderful number of mammals as we search for this elusive cat. Finally, if you wish to combine two holidays in one, our 'South America's Big Cats' holiday, first goes in search of Pumas in Chile followed by Jaguars in Brazil with a wonderful chance now for Ocelot in the Pantanal. "

Tom Mabbett - Operations Manager


 




ALL BIG CAT TOURS

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!

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