Cape Town to the Serengeti: Deserts & Wilderness

This G Adventures small-group tour traces a broad arc through southern and eastern Africa, beginning in Cape Town with its cosmopolitan buzz before the route threads through Namibia's Namib Desert and the towering sand dunes of Sossusvlei. Along the way, the journey includes wildlife-rich Etosha National Park and the Okavango Delta—where traditional mokoro canoes provide slow passage across watery channels.

Wildlife safaris on 4x4 vehicles bring you close to the big five in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, while Victoria Falls offers the chance to stand beside the mighty cataract known locally as 'the smoke that thunders.' The tour includes stays on Zanzibar, with its blend of history and spice plantations, before winding up in Nairobi. Travelling chiefly by a custom safari truck and smaller safari vehicles, accommodation is largely under canvas, with some evenings in simple guesthouses or hotels.

The trip embraces a spirit of participation, from camp chores to shared transport, and invites reflections on the variety of landscapes and cultures encountered along the way. It's a holiday that moves at its own pace with a sense of discovery, rather than speed or luxury.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. G Adventures publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.