Vic Falls to Zanzibar

20 Days | Cascading falls to the clear blue waters of the Indian ocean

4.4 out of 5 based on 18 reviews submitted.
Overland
Wildlife
From
EUR €1,793
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Unlock the mysteries of Africa's eastern lands on a 20-day trip from Zimbabwe to Zanzibar. Passing through Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, visit fertile national parks, remote highland communities, savannas with endless horizons and the sparkling Indian ocean coastline. Safari past lion and zebra herds in South Luangwa National Park, watch local fisherman haul in their daily catch on Lake Malawi, and wind up on the idyllic shores of Zanzibar's northern beaches in search of a seafood curry and sundowner. Your African adventure sets the pace, with plenty of time to make your adventure special through independent activities, plus a local crew joining you each step of the way to give you all the local low-down. If safaris, sea breezes and a zest for exploration are your thing, jump aboard this overland adventure to the wilds of East Africa.

Trip overview

Map of Vic Falls To Zanzibar including Malawi, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Start
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Finish
Zanzibar, Africa
Theme
Overland, Wildlife
Destinations
Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi
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
YXOSC
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
  • 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.
  • Experience the rumble and roar of Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side, which gives you the broadest view. You'll have the opportunity to see the cascades from multiple angles, perhaps treating yourself to an unforgettable scenic flight.
  • Explore the largest ruins in sub-Saharan Africa – the World Heritage-listed Great Zimbabwe – said to once be home to a Zimbabwean monarch!
  • Visit the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to learn about the rehabilitation of wildlife from poaching and get the chance to meet some rescued or orphaned wildlife currently in their care.
  • Discover the magic of South Luangwa National Park on a morning game drive. This park is a highly concentrated arena of noble African beasts and exotic wildflowers.

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 with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of 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. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
  • There are many excellent optional activities on this trip. We recommend taking this into consideration when budgeting for your adventure.
  • Some passengers on this trip will have been travelling together prior to the start of your trip. To see what you're missing out on check out our Cape Town to Zanzibar trip. Search trip code UBOXC on the Intrepid website for more information and to book.
  • 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 Vic Falls To Zanzibar including Malawi, Tanzania, United Republic Of, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Inclusions

Meals

19 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 14 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle, 4X4 safari vehicle, Ferry, Minibus

Accommodation

Camping (with facilities) (16 nights), Hotel (1 night), Bunglow (2 nights)

Activities
  • 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
Add on activities
  • 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
  • Victoria Falls - Victoria Falls entrance - USD50
  • 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

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 applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This trip is a combination of YXON and YXOS of our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on Day 17.
3. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.
4. This trip starts in Victoria Falls on Day 1 at 4pm. This allows time after the welcome meeting to explore Victoria Falls. This trip finishes upon arrival in Stone Town on Day 20. Please do not book any flights until after 2pm this afternoon.

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

4.4 out of 5 based on 18 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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Susan · Traveled August 2024
There are some amazing highlights scattered in this trip but the long days are truly long and only toilet breaks during the day. early mornings can mean 3.30 am wake up to leave camp at 5.30. for some it is worth it for the highlights but consider if such long inactive days are for you.
Review submitted 09 Sep 2024

Lucy · Traveled August 2024
This trip was fantastic. The animal encounters we had were incredible. A leopard encounter so special even the safari drivers were taking photos and we got to watch it hunt. We also saw lots of lions both in the day sleeping and at night looking for prey. The rhino tracking was spectacular - you almost certainly see them and very close. All the encounters also felt pretty ethical - we didn’t get so close as to disturb them and when we saw the lions looking for prey we left them to it so we didn’t scare off the prey. Our guide was excellent, our chef made amazing food (some local dishes for us to try and some more western food)and I made plenty of friends with the amazing people on this trip. The tents were very good quality and let in no light. The only part of this trip that could be improved is some sets of long travel days (three days full on travelling from Great Zimbabwe to South Luanga) could be separated by another activity and there could be a few more authentic cultural experience such as local lunches in villages. Be prepared for long travel days (sometimes longer than in the trip notes thanks to the state of the roads) but the activities in between will be once-in-a-lifetime.
Review submitted 04 Sep 2024

Philip · Traveled August 2024
Whilst the staff, organisation and overall experience is of the quality we have come to expect from intrepid, it is very difficult to recommend this trip (on it's own at least, it may make more sense as part of the Cape Town to Nairobi trip) due to the itinerary. It is too rushed and the vast majority of the trip is spent travelling. We made some fantastic memories on the activities that I know will stay with us forever and the memories of the the punishing travel are already fading into the background, but during the trip itself it felt like endless driving punctuated by the occasional days of activity.
Review submitted 01 Sep 2024

Michaela · Traveled May 2024
Excellent trip that open your eyes to the world if you allow it. Offers everything from scenery to cultural experiences and of course some amazing animal viewing.
Review submitted 15 Jun 2024

Charlotte · Traveled May 2024
The driving days are (very) long but so worth it! The game drives were phenomenal, as were our wonderful crew of Mambo, Chalo and Ken. Amazing food, amazing company, amazing trip through some largely unvisited spots in Africa.
Review submitted 14 Jun 2024
Vic Falls to Zanzibar
From
EUR €1,793