7 Days Best Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip

Your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip begins with an early morning pick up from Lusaka, followed by a scenic 150-kilometer drive (approximately 2.5 hours) to Lower Zambezi National Park via the Chirundu border route. This exciting Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip day includes arrival at your exclusive riverside camp, where you'll enjoy lunch overlooking the Zambezi River in an area known locally as "Mwambashi" (Place of the Fish Eagle). Your afternoon Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip experience features your first game drive along the Zambezi escarpment, where elephants, buffalo, and hippos congregate near the permanent water sources, setting the stage for an incredible week of wildlife adventures.

Day two of your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip features the signature canoe safari experience along the pristine Zambezi River, starting with a 6:00 AM departure for a 4-hour paddle through channels known locally as "Mwabvi" (Hippo Pools). This immersive Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip adventure offers intimate encounters with elephants crossing the river, massive crocodiles basking on sandbanks, and diverse birdlife including the African fish eagle and carmine bee-eaters. Your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip continues with an afternoon boat cruise to the Chongwe River confluence, approximately 15 kilometers downstream, where leopards and lions frequently come to drink while the sun sets over the Zambezi Valley escarpment.

Today's Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip proceeds with an exhilarating walking safari through the Lower Zambezi's diverse ecosystems, led by professional guides who track wildlife on foot through the "Chifungwe" (Teak Forest) areas. This authentic Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip experience allows you to observe smaller creatures, learn traditional tracking techniques, and appreciate the intricate relationships between flora and fauna in this 4,092-square-kilometer wilderness. Your afternoon Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip features a classic game drive targeting the four Big Five species present in the park—lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo—while exploring the inland areas approximately 25 kilometers from the Zambezi River where wildlife concentrates around seasonal water sources.

Your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip transitions today with a morning transfer to Kasane, Botswana (approximately 280 kilometers, 4-5 hours drive), crossing the border at Kazungula where four countries meet. This pivotal day of your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip includes a scenic flight from Kasane to your exclusive camp in the Okavango Delta, covering approximately 80 kilometers in 45 minutes over the vast wetlands known locally as "Okavango Ramatlabama" (The River That Never Finds the Sea). Your afternoon Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip experience begins with a traditional mokoro canoe excursion through the papyrus-lined channels, where you'll spot red lechwe, sitatunga, and numerous waterbirds in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day five of your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip proceeds with a full day of mokoro canoe safaris through the intricate waterways of the Okavango Delta, starting with a sunrise departure to Chief's Island area, approximately 12 kilometers from your camp. This magical Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip experience includes gliding silently through crystal-clear channels while expert polers navigate the maze of waterways, allowing close encounters with elephants, hippos, and the elusive sitatunga antelope. Your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip continues with an afternoon walking safari on one of the seasonal islands, where you'll track wildlife on foot while learning about the unique ecosystem adaptations that make the Okavango Delta one of Africa's most remarkable wilderness areas.

Today's Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip continues with classic game drives through Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana's oldest protected area covering 4,871 square kilometers of pristine wilderness. This exciting Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip day focuses on completing your Big Five experience, as Moremi is home to the rare black and white rhinoceros, along with the four species encountered in Lower Zambezi. Your afternoon Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip features exploration of the Xakanaxa Lagoon area, approximately 30 kilometers from camp, where African wild dogs, cheetahs, and leopards are frequently spotted in the mopane woodlands and floodplains that characterize this remarkable ecosystem.

The final day of your Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip begins with a morning game drive before your transfer to Maun Airport via a scenic 20-minute flight over the Okavango Delta's sprawling waterways. This concluding Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip experience includes final wildlife viewing opportunities during your morning activity, followed by departure formalities and transfer to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta located approximately 160 kilometers southeast of your camp. Your transformative Zambia Safari and Botswana Okavango Trip concludes with lasting memories of two distinctly different but equally spectacular African wilderness areas, having traveled over 1,200 kilometers through some of southern Africa's most pristine and wildlife-rich destinations.