8 Days Best Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip

Your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip begins with an early morning pickup from Maputo, followed by a scenic 6-hour drive (approximately 650km) north to Gorongosa National Park through the verdant landscapes of central Mozambique. This exciting Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip day includes stops in Beira for lunch and fuel before continuing to the park known locally as "Eden of Mozambique" due to its remarkable post-war restoration. Your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience starts immediately upon arrival at Explore Gorongosa Camp with an afternoon game drive through the park's rehabilitated savannas, where elephants, buffalo, and numerous antelope species have returned in impressive numbers following decades of conservation efforts.

Dawn breaks on your second day of this remarkable Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip with an exhilarating guided walking safari through Gorongosa's diverse ecosystems, led by expert local guides who share insights about the park's incredible recovery story. This intimate Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience takes you through miombo woodlands and palm savannas over approximately 4-5 hours, offering close encounters with smaller wildlife and detailed explanations of the intricate relationships between flora and fauna. Your afternoon Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip activity includes a specialized birding adventure with expert ornithologists, as Gorongosa hosts over 400 bird species including the rare green-headed oriole and Taita falcon, before returning to camp for dinner and evening discussions about conservation success stories.

Today's Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip adventure focuses on Gorongosa's remarkable aquatic ecosystems, beginning with a morning boat safari on Lake Urema, the park's largest water body spanning approximately 340 square kilometers during peak flood season. This unique Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience includes wildlife viewing from the water perspective, where hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds congregate in the shallow alkaline lake known locally as "Lagoa Urema." Your afternoon Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip continues with a scenic canoe trip along the meandering Pungué River, offering sundowner drinks while floating past fever trees and watching elephants and buffalo come to drink at this lifeline of the ecosystem.

Your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip reaches new heights today with a full-day expedition to Mount Gorongosa (Inselberg), rising 1,863 meters above the surrounding plains and requiring a 2-hour drive from base camp. This challenging Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip adventure includes guided hiking through montane rainforest ecosystems that harbor endemic species and provide the watershed for the entire Gorongosa ecosystem below. The Mount Gorongosa portion of your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip offers spectacular panoramic views of the Great Rift Valley and opportunities to encounter unique highland species like samango monkeys and rare forest birds, before descending for a well-deserved rest at the mountain's base camp.

This cultural day of your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip begins with a unique cycling adventure through local communities surrounding Gorongosa, covering approximately 15-20 kilometers through traditional villages where you'll interact with residents and learn about their relationship with the park. Your immersive Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience includes visits to local schools, markets, and agricultural projects supported by the Gorongosa Restoration Project, offering authentic insights into rural Mozambican life and conservation partnerships. The afternoon portion of your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip features traditional dance performances and craft demonstrations by community members, followed by a farewell dinner celebrating both conservation achievements and cultural preservation efforts in the Gorongosa region.

Your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip transitions today from Mozambique to Botswana with an early morning transfer to Beira Airport (2-hour drive) for your flight to Maun, Botswana's safari capital and gateway to the Okavango Delta. This pivotal day of your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip includes a 2-hour flight across southern Africa's diverse landscapes before arriving in Maun, where you'll be met by representatives for the 45-minute charter flight to your exclusive camp in the heart of the delta. Your evening Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience begins with arrival at your luxury tented camp located on a private island known locally as "Motswiri" (Island of Trees), followed by a welcome dinner and briefing about tomorrow's water-based adventures.

The penultimate day of your Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip showcases the legendary Okavango Delta through traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) excursions led by expert polers who navigate the intricate network of channels and lagoons with ancestral skills. This quintessential Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience includes gliding silently through papyrus-lined waterways for approximately 3-4 hours, observing red lechwe, sitatunga, and countless bird species in their pristine aquatic habitat. Your afternoon Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip adventure combines a game drive through palm islands and floodplains searching for lions, leopards, and elephants, followed by a magical sunset cruise where you'll enjoy sundowner drinks while watching hippos and elephants in the golden light of the delta known locally as "Okavango" (River That Never Finds the Sea).

The final day of your unforgettable Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip begins with an optional early morning mokoro ride or walking safari on nearby palm islands, offering last opportunities to connect with the pristine wilderness of the Okavango Delta. Your concluding Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip experience includes a hearty breakfast at camp before the charter flight back to Maun Airport (45 minutes), where you'll connect to international flights or optional extensions to other southern African destinations. As your remarkable Mozambique Safari and Okavango Trip comes to an end, you'll depart with incredible memories of both Mozambique's conservation miracle in Gorongosa and Botswana's pristine wilderness in the Okavango Delta, having traversed over 2,500 kilometers through two of Africa's most extraordinary ecosystems.