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Crossing half of the continent, Nairobi to Cape Town is a classic overland route, and on this trip we'll take you to far-flung places that would otherwise be impossible to get to. You'll get all that Africa has to offer - incredible wildlife on the Serengeti, stunning beaches on Zanzibar, gorillas in the rainforests of Rwanda, the majestic Victoria Falls and more. See sunrise on the Skeleton Coast, canoe past herds of elephant in the Okavango Delta, relax on the shores of Lake Malawi, and camp out with the Bushmen in Namibia. Whatever you imagine Africa to be, the reality will be even more amazing

what's included?

Week 1: Nairobi, Lake Nakuru & Kibale Forests

• Overnight in Kenya's capital city, Nairobi
• Get involved: hands-on work at Kariandusi School Trust Project
• Safari in Lake Nakuru National Park
• Venture overland across the highlands of Western Kenya
• Journey through the Ugandan landscape
• 2 nights at a Kibale tea plantation to visit the Kibale Forest and for walks in the hills
• Forest walking expedition in search of chimps
• Big game safari in QEII National Park including boat trip on Kazinga Channel

Week 2: Lake Bunyonyi, Gorilla Trekking & Jinja Region

• 1 night stay at the stunning and remote Lake Bunyonyi
• Visit to the genocide memorial in Kigali
• 3 night visit to the forests and mountains of northern Rwanda
• Mountain gorilla trek in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park
• Overnight camping and walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park
• Time at the campsite in Jinja spectacularly located on a cliff-top thirty metres above the swirling currents of the White Nile

Week 3: Rift Valley, Serengeti NP & Ngorongoro Crater

• Overland through northern Tanzania via Arusha
• Arrive back in Nairobi
• Overland through western Kenya and the Rift Valley
• Visit to the Mto Wa Mbu Cultural Tourism Programme.
• 2 day Jeep Safari and wildcamp in Serengeti National Park
• Jeep safari in Ngorongoro Crater Reserve

Week 4: Kilimanjaro, Usambara Mountains & Zanzibar

• Overnight stay at Mt Kilimanjaro with time for an easy hike up to the gate of the national park
• Visit to the Amani street children's orphanage
• Visit Marangu Village Educational Project
• 2 night stay in the stunning Usambara Mountains with time for local community visits and hikes
• Half day moderate/easy hill trek to Irente Lookout and community visit to Irente villages
• Overnight on the white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean near Dar es Salaam
• 3 nights on the Spice island of Zanzibar
• Guided tour of Spice Plantations and local lunch

Week 5: Dar es Salaam, Lake Malawi & Luwawa Forest

• Return to Dar by hydrofoil
• Transit through Mikumi National Park en route to Malawi
• 2 or 3 nights on the stunning beaches of Lake Malawi
• 1 or 2 nights for outdoor adventures and community visit at the Luwawa Forest Lodge

Week 6: Lusaka, Livingstone & Victoria Falls

• Overland through rural Zambia
• Visit Lusaka, Zambia's capital
• 2 night stay at Livingstone to experience the amazing Victoria Falls
• Take an open top jeep safari in Chobe National Park
• See Chobe's profilic wildlife by boat

Week 7: Okavango Delta & Namibian Bushmen

• Overland through northern Chobe and the Caprivi Strip
• Relaxing overnight stay at Ngepi, a stunning campsite on the Kavango River
• 2 night safari into the Okavango Delta
• Overnight at the beautiful Nkwazi Lodge on the Angolan border
• Overnight bushcamp with Namibian Bushmen

Week 8: Etosha NP, Swakopmund & Quiver Tree Canyon

• Bushwalking, tracking and food gathering with Bushmen
• Overland safari through Etosha National Park with excellent wildlife
• 2 nights at Etosha campsites with excellent game viewing waterholes
• Explore and hike in the ancient landscapes of Spitzkoppe
• 2 nights in Swakopmund, Namibia's adrenaline city
• Visit the Skeleton Coast's Cape Cross seal colony
• Journey through the mountains, dunes and plains of the Namib Desert
• Guided trek through the Sossusvlei Dunes and dawn trek up the huge Dune 45
• Explore the unique Quiver Tree Forest & the Giant's Playground rock formations

Week 9: Overland to Cape Town

• Overnight stay at Fish River Canyon with time to explore
• Journey from Namibia to the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope
• Soak up the atmosphere in colourful Cape Town

what can I do on the way?

(Activities available at extra costs)

• Forest trekking for golden monkeys or community treks around Volcanoes National Park
• Go quad biking, white-water raft the White Nile at Jinja, horseriding also available.
• Balloon flight over the Serengeti National Park
• Scuba, snorkel and dolphin boat trips off Zanzibar
• Rafting, bungee jumping, horses, boats and elephant riding around Victoria Falls in Livingstone
• Mokoro trips, fishing trips, river cruises, village visits and football games with local villagers at Ngepi
• Quad bike, sand-board, skydive or ride horses through the Swakopmund dune fields
• Take a balloon trip over the Namib Desert and Dune 45
• Canoe or relax on the banks of the Orange River

General Notes:

The likelihood of seeing gorillas is virtually guaranteed. However, they are wild animals and the chances of seeing them are not 100%.
To track gorillas you need a permit. In order to obtain this, we require a non refundable deposit payment at the time of booking.

The Balloon Safari in the Serengeti must be pre-booked through the UK and is not always possible.

Kitty does not cover food while staying in hotels and hostels or in Livingstone.

Please note: South of Nairobi, Dragoman Overland runs this trip in conjunction with Intrepid Overland. Intrepid share our ethos for overlanding and have many years' expertise in adventure travel. Our departures are codeshared, with certain departures run by Dragoman in one of our vehicles, others by Intrepid (Intrepid Guerba Kenya) in one of theirs. This allows us to run many more departures so you have more choice when you want to travel. You'll get the same itineraries, activities and accommodation on both Dragoman and Intrepid departures, and the vehicles of both fleets have been standardised to a common specification, so you won't be compromising on quality. All departures have three crew, including an African camp master. The only difference is that the Intrepid crew will all be African.

Alternative routes starting from Nairobi: