Africa Encompassed Northbound

64 Days | Take an immersive tour of Southern Africa and search for rainforest gorillas

5 out of 5 based on 2 reviews submitted.
Wildlife
From
CHF  10,365
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Witness vast landscapes, natural wonders, towns rich in cultural traditions and modern cities humming with life on this epic journey through Africa. This 64-day odyssey takes you from cosmopolitan Cape Town to the bustling streets of Nairobi, travelling through immense canyons, green-clad mountains, gorgeous beaches and small villages. Encounter the sweeping beauty of the Serengeti, meet the San people, have close encounters with mountain gorillas and be warmed by Malawi. Camp on balmy beaches in Tanzania, trek through steamy rainforest and see cheeky chimps at play in Uganda. With unforgettable inclusions plus plenty of freedom, this adventure was designed for curious travellers with a strong independent streak.

Trip overview

Map of Africa Encompassed Northbound including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Start
Cape Town, South Africa
Finish
Nairobi, Kenya
Theme
Wildlife
Destinations
Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Basix
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 22
Trip code
UXODC
This trip generates 18 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Seek out rare mountain gorillas on a trek through Uganda’s steamy forests, and watch them play, eat and laze in the sun. With all gorilla permits included on your trip, you can spend an unforgettable hour in their presence.
  • Go on safaris in some pretty iconic spots, including the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti savanna, the Okavango Delta and the Masai Mara.
  • Chill out on the northern beaches of Zanzibar with plenty of free time to choose your own adventure. Kick back on the white sands, or maybe go snorkelling in the sparkling blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
  • Track rhinos on foot in Matobo National Park, home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including warthogs, leopards, and klipsingers. Learn about the park's cultural significance and San rock paintings.
  • Tour a local coffee farm in Karatu village to see the innovative farming practices of the locals, then tuck into a traditional dinner cooked by a local Tanzanian family in their home.

Is this trip right for you?
  • This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent, occasionally roughing it in the bush and getting the best possible chance to spot the Big Five. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
  • We use mokoros (small dugout canoes) to pass through the shallow waterways of the Okavango Delta to get to our campsite for the night.
  • Camp in the Serengeti National Park without fences between you and the animals. Your leader will brief you on the safety measures the group must take for the two nights spent in the park.
  • Conditions during the gorilla trek can be muddy and uncomfortable. But the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated group of gorillas, dominated by a great male silverback, outweighs any difficulty. You need to be prepared and fit enough to walk up to 4 hours – up and down hills. A top tip is to pack some gardening gloves to assist in any up-hill climbs. See https://www.intrepidtravel.com/au/gorilla-trekking for more information.
  • As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024

Map of Africa Encompassed Northbound including Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Inclusions

Meals

58 breakfasts, 39 lunches, 52 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle, 4x4 Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus, Mokoro

Accommodation

Camping (with facilities) (49 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (4 nights), Camping (without facilities) (1 night), Chalet (3 nights), Hotel (3 nights), Bungalow (2 nights), Hotel with shared facilities (1 night)

Activities
  • Fish River Canyon - Canyon entrance
  • Sossusvlei - 4x4 Tour
  • Sesriem - Sand dunes visit
  • Cape Cross Nature Reserve - Cape Cross seal colony
  • Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Grootfontein - San Bushman cultural experience
  • Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari
  • Okavango Delta - Boat Safari
  • Okavango Delta - Nature Walk
  • Okavango Delta – Mokoro Safari
  • Okavango Delta - Nature walk
  • Chobe National Park - Dawn 4WD Safari
  • Victoria Falls - Visit to Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust
  • Matobo National Park - Rhino Tracking, Park Visit & San Rock Paintings
  • Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins guided visit
  • South Luangwa - Anti-Poaching Jewelery Project
  • South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Afternoon Game Drive
  • South Luangwa National Park - 4x4 Dawn Game Drive
  • Mikumi National Park - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Irente - Lushoto hike
  • Irente - Local lunch
  • Ngorongoro Forest - Elephant Cave Trek
  • Karatu - Home-Cooked Dinner
  • Karatu - Coffee Farm Tour
  • Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari
  • Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
  • Lake Nakuru - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Lake Nakuru - Morning Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Bwindi National Park - Mountain Gorilla Permit & Trek
  • Kericho - Tea plantation visit
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Loita Hills - Maasai Village Visit
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari
Add on activities
  • Cape Town - Table Mountain Hike - ZAR1600
  • Cape Town - Table Mountain Aerial Cable - ZAR380
  • Cape Town - Robben Island tour - ZAR550
  • Cape Town - Best of the Cape Combo Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula and SUP Tour - Full Day - ZAR2100
  • Cape Town - Robben Island Ferry & Table Mountain Tour - Full Day - ZAR1800
  • Cape Town - Winelands Tour - Full Day - ZAR1800
  • Cape Town - Winelands Tour - Half Day - ZAR1350
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula & Table Mountain Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - Cape Malay Cooking Tour - Half Day - ZAR1200
  • Cape Town - Township Experience - Half Day - ZAR965
  • Cape Town - City and Waterfront Tour - Half Day - ZAR1100
  • Cape Town - Cape Peninsula & Kirstenbosch Tour - Full Day - ZAR2000
  • Cape Town - District Six & Bo-Kapp Cultural Tour - Half Day - ZAR965
  • Klawer - Winery visit & tasting - ZAR140
  • Orange River - Canoe trip - NAD550
  • Swakopmund - Swakopmund Museum - USD2
  • Swakopmund - Sea kayaking - USD85
  • Swakopmund - Seal and dolphin cruise - USD60
  • Swakopmund - Horse riding - USD65
  • Swakopmund – Living Desert Tour - USD60
  • Swakopmund – Township Tour - USD45
  • Spitzkoppe - San People rock painting guided walk - ZAR50
  • Etosha National Park - Evening Game Drive - ZAR750
  • Bagani - Sunset Cruise - USD25
  • Chobe National Park - Boat Cruise - BWP270
  • Chobe National Park - 4WD Safari - BWP580
  • Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls entrance - USD50
  • Victoria Falls - Canoe trail (full day) - USD185
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight of the Angels (12 mins - Excludes US$25 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD150
  • Victoria Falls - Helicopter Flight (25 mins - Excludes US$30 fuel surcharge and NP fees) - USD284
  • Victoria Falls - Rafting & river boarding (half day) - USD218
  • Victoria Falls - Village & township tour - USD61
  • Victoria Falls - Canoe trail wine route - USD55
  • Bulawayo - Railway Museum - USD5
  • Balawayo - Natural History Museum - USD10
  • Harare - National Archives - USD3
  • Harare - National Botanical Gardens - USD5
  • Harare - National Gallery - USD10
  • South Luangwa National Park - Game Walk - USD50
  • Lake Malawi - Guided village walks - USD15
  • Lake Malawi - Bike Hire - USD25
  • Lake Malawi - Snorkelling - USD25
  • Stone Town Tour - Dharajani Market, Joseph's Cathederal, Palace Museum, Forodhani Food Market - USD20
  • Zanzibar - Prison Island Tour - USD25
  • Stone Town - Handicraft & Music Urban Adventure - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Spice tour - USD25
  • Zanzibar - Snorkelling - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Dhow Trip - USD35
  • Stone Town - Culinary Urban Adventure - USD29
  • Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD745
  • Nairobi - City Experience Urban Adventure - USD55
  • Kalinzu Forest - Chimpanzee Trekking - USD205
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kazinga Channel boat cruise - USD30
  • Kisoro - Golden Monkey Trekking - USD160
  • Kisoro - Rwanda Day Excursion - From - USD75
  • Kisoro - Batwa Village Visit - USD35
  • Kisoro - Coffee Farm Tour - USD35
  • Jinja - River Nile whitewater rafting (full day) - USD140
  • Jinja - Nile Boat Cruise - USD40
  • Jinja - Source of River Nile tour - USD45
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) - USD625

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Day 7 to 9 (Chalet) and Day 17(Camping with facilities) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2.This trip requires a higher non-refundable deposit (AUD 1000, USD 1000, EUR 800, NZD 1250, GBP 650, CAD 1000, ZAR 8000, CHF 900) in order to secure the included gorilla permit. Please note that we will need to confirm the availability of a gorilla permit if you are booking within 45 days of the departure date. The additional deposit paid at time of booking will be credited to the final balance of your booking.
3. Optional sunrise balloon rides in the Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve are possible on this itinerary. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and we recommend you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to secure spot for this optional activity.
4. This trip is a combination of UXOF, YXOS, YXON, YXOQ and YXOG our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on days 22, 38, 41 and 49.
5. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have more than 22 passengers as we have a few tours that overlap in Zanzibar.
6. This trip finishes upon arrival in Nairobi on Day 64. Please do not book any flights until after 10 pm on this evening.
7. Some governments currently have increased foreign travel advice around security in place for Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Please check your government’s foreign travel advice before departure and ensure your travel insurance covers all destinations and activities on your itinerary.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

5 out of 5 based on 2 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Helen · Traveled October 2023
I lovely tour of Africa well worth doing if you have the time. Be prepared for long truck rides (8-12 hrs some days) and a few hours in every country boarders. Loads of game drives, brilliant animal spotting in different parks. Nice camping facilities, bring swimming costume to cool down after a long day.
Review submitted 18 Dec 2023

Sinead · Traveled June 2022
Best trip ever!! Highly recommend to everyone
Review submitted 28 Aug 2022
Africa Encompassed Northbound
From
CHF  10,365