The Golden Triangle is Kenakare's premier multi-country southern African circuit — a 12-day self-drive and fly-in safari that connects Namibia's Caprivi, Botswana's Chobe, Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls,...
Self-Drive
12 day journey
Duration
12 days
Group size
2–6 travellers
Style
Self-Drive
From
NAD 74,582 / pp
Departures
Year-round
Nights
11 nights away
The journey
Explore at your own pace.
The Golden Triangle is Kenakare's premier multi-country southern African circuit — a 12-day self-drive and fly-in safari that connects Namibia's Caprivi, Botswana's Chobe, Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls,...
The Golden Triangle is Kenakare's premier multi-country southern African circuit — a 12-day self-drive and fly-in safari that connects Namibia's Caprivi, Botswana's Chobe, Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls, and Botswana's Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve in a seamless and deeply satisfying arc. Drive the full length of the Caprivi Strip from Windhoek to the Botswana border, crossing into Chobe for a classic boat safari on the river before continuing to Victoria Falls — where two days deliver the world's most spectacular waterfall and the continent's finest adventure activities. Fly into the Okavango Delta for two days of silent mokoro trails and guided game walks, then move overland to Moremi Game Reserve — the jewel of the Delta's eastern edge and one of Africa's most consistently productive Big Five destinations.
Two full days in Moremi deliver leopard, wild dog, and lion sightings before the final flight back to Windhoek. This is the circuit that delivers everything southern Africa has to offer.
Victoria Falls — world's largest curtain of falling water
N° 03
Bungee jump from the Victoria Falls Bridge
N° 04
White water rafting on the Zambezi
N° 05
Silent mokoro canoe through Okavango channels
The route, drawn out.
7 stops 1,230 km total
NAMIBIA · THE GOLDENESRI
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Itinerary
7 stops
1
Windhoek
Best: Year-round
2
Day by day.
Times are flexible — we'd rather you stop for a long lunch than rush to the next viewpoint.
01
Day 1 · B/D
Windhoek to Rundu — Caprivi Highway North (~640 km)
An early 05:30 start for the long drive north through Otjiwarongo and Grootfontein to Rundu on the Kavango River. This is the necessary first driving day — the Caprivi Highway (B8) is a good tar road and the 640 km can be covered comfortably in 7–8 hours with breaks. Pack breakfast to eat on the road and stop for fuel and coffee in Otjiwarongo. The landscape shifts from Windhoek's highland savanna to the flat mopane woodland and communal farming country of the north as the day progresses. Arrive Rundu in the late afternoon and check into the Kaisosi River Lodge, set on a high bluff above the Kavango River. Sundowner drinks on the deck as the river turns gold in the evening light — papyrus, dugout canoes, and the green Angolan bank set the tone for the wilderness ahead.
Windhoek
Overnight—
Drive640 km
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
What's included.
From NAD 74,582 per person
Included
Vehicle hire (Namibia–Botswana Caprivi section)
All national park and conservation fees (all countries)
11 nights accommodation (lodges, tented camps, and bush camps)
Internal flights: Victoria Falls–Maun, Moremi airstrip–Windhoek
Two Chobe River boat cruises
Okavango mokoro excursions and guided game walks
Moremi game drives in a 4×4 guided vehicle
GPS route maps and pre-departure briefing
All border crossing documentation assistance
24/7 Kenakare emergency support line
Cancellation policy+
Free cancellation up to 60 days before departure. 50% charge for cancellations made 30–59 days before departure. No refund for cancellations within 30 days of departure. All cancellations must be submitted in writing to reservations@kenakare.com.
Best: February to May for peak flow; September to January for clear views
4
Okavango Delta
Best: June to October
5
Moremi Game Reserve
Best: May to October
6
Maun
Best: May to October
7
Kasane
Best: May to October
Total drive1,230 km
02
Day 2 · B/D
Rundu to Divundu — Popa Falls & Kavango Channels (~200 km)
Continue east through the lush Kavango floodplain corridor, where the vegetation becomes progressively richer and greener as you follow the Okavango River system. Bwabwata National Park flanks the road throughout this section — a genuine wildlife corridor where elephant, buffalo, and roan antelope are regular road companions. Stop at Divundu and head south to Popa Falls: where the Okavango River descends over a wide basalt shelf in a spectacular series of rapids and cascades, the air filled with the roar of water and the screaming of African fish eagles. The Botswana border (Mohembo) is just 15 km downstream at this point — you can see the Botswana bank from the rocks at Popa. Afternoon mokoro trip on the Okavango channels near Divundu — a first taste of the waterway that will deliver you into the Delta in a few days. Overnight at a riverside Divundu lodge.
Overnight—
Drive200 km
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
03
Day 3 · B/D
Divundu to Kasane, Botswana — Chobe Arrival (~310 km)
Drive the final section of the Caprivi Strip east to the Botswana border at Ngoma Bridge, where you cross the Chobe River into Botswana and enter Chobe National Park directly. The border crossing here is one of Africa's most atmospheric — you are crossing a river that doubles as a national park boundary, and game is visible from the crossing point in both directions. Drive the 50 km Chobe Riverfront road to Kasane: this road runs through the park itself, and elephant, hippo, crocodile, and lion regularly use the road. The late afternoon sections of this drive are particularly spectacular as elephant herds numbering in the hundreds converge on the river for their evening drink. Check into your Kasane lodge and immediately board the late afternoon sunset cruise on the Chobe River — a perfect first encounter with Botswana's extraordinary elephant concentrations.
Chobe National Park
Overnight—
Drive310 km
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
04
Day 4 · B/L/D
Full Day Chobe National Park — Dawn Boat Safari & Floodplain Drive
A full day in Chobe National Park — the park that holds more elephants than any other protected area on Earth. Dawn (05:30): board the pontoon boat for the morning's signature experience. In the golden hour light before sunrise, dozens of elephant families converge on the Chobe River from the surrounding woodland, crossing at the same sandbanks they have used for generations. Bull elephants test their strength in the shallows; calves swim with only their trunks above water; the entire river choreography is orchestrated by decades of accumulated elephant social knowledge. Three hours on the water delivers hippo pod visits, close-up crocodile observations, extraordinary bird photography (Chobe has 450+ species and the river corridor is the most productive section), and the spectacle of thousands of impala on the far bank in the morning mist. Midday lunch at the lodge. Afternoon: land game drive through the Chobe floodplains targeting the prides of lion that patrol the floodplain margins, the wild dog packs that have established territories along the northern section, and the spectacular cape buffalo herds that can exceed 500 animals in the dry season months.
Chobe National Park
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
05
Day 5 · B/D
Kasane to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe — Into the Smoke (~80 km)
A short but scenically spectacular transfer from Kasane to Victoria Falls via the Kazungula Border Crossing or new Kazungula Bridge. The journey follows the Zambezi River with views across the water to Zambia on the opposite bank — four countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia) visible simultaneously from the bridge crossing. Arrive Victoria Falls town and check in before heading directly to the rainforest for a first encounter with the falls. The 1.7 km rainforest walkway delivers 16 distinct viewpoints on the falls — Main Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Rainbow Falls (often with a perfect rainbow spanning the gorge), and the extraordinary Knife Edge Bridge where you stand above the second gorge with the full power of the falls before you. The spray drenches the rainforest year-round, creating a lush microclimate of African ebony, wild date palms, and Cape figs in an otherwise dry woodland landscape. Pre-dinner sunset cruise on the Upper Zambezi — the gentler section above the falls, where hippos and crocodiles share the river with cruising boats in a golden evening light.
Victoria Falls
Overnight—
Drive80 km
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
06
Day 6 · B/L/D
Victoria Falls — Full Day Activities & Rainforest Walk
A full day to experience Victoria Falls from every possible angle. Morning: return to the rainforest for the early-morning light — the falls produce their most dramatic rainbow displays between 09:00 and 11:00 when the sun is at the right angle to arc across the spray. Choose your adventure activity: Bungee jumping from the iconic Victoria Falls Bridge (111 m) — the world's most spectacular bungee location; white water rafting on the 23 rapids below the falls (October–January low water season); microlight flight along the gorge for a 15-minute aerial tour of the full width of the falls from above; devil's pool on the Zambian side (seasonal July–January) where you can swim in a natural rock pool on the very lip of the falls; or a guided walking tour of the heritage sites in and around the town, including the David Livingstone statue, the Victoria Falls Hotel (the grande dame of African colonial hotels, built in 1904), and the old railway bridge. Farewell dinner at the Victoria Falls Hotel's Livingstone Room with views of the bridge-spanning gorge.
Victoria Falls
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
07
Day 7 · B/D
Victoria Falls to Maun — Flying into the Okavango
Transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for the early connecting flight to Maun, Botswana — the aerial route takes you southwest over the Zimbabwe highlands, the Hwange National Park plains, and eventually the extraordinary patchwork of the Okavango Delta coming into view below. The landing at Maun is followed by a short transfer to a charter aircraft for the 40-minute flight into your Delta camp — the aerial approach over the channels, islands, and floodplains of the Delta from above is one of the defining experiences of the entire journey. Land on a grass airstrip on a small island and transfer by mokoro (dugout canoe) the final few hundred metres to your tented camp. Afternoon mokoro exploration of the surrounding channel system — immediate immersion in the Delta's extraordinary world of lily-covered waterways, papyrus forests, and silent islands alive with red lechwe, waterbuck, and the calls of endemic Okavango Delta birds. Night sounds from the island — the Delta speaks at night in a language of hippo, frog, and fish eagle.
Okavango Delta
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
08
Day 8 · B/L/D
Okavango Delta — Full Day Mokoro & Guided Game Walk
A full day immersed in the Okavango's extraordinary waterworld — the finest freshwater wilderness ecosystem remaining on Earth. Pre-dawn: slip out on mokoro into the channels as the Delta wakes up. The morning light through the papyrus reeds is ethereal; the sound of the poler's pole dipping silently into the water is the only sound as you glide past sleeping hippos, resting egrets, and elephant families that have come to the water's edge overnight. Arrive at a large island for a guided game walk — two to three hours on foot with an expert bush guide. Walking on a Delta island is one of the most intimate wildlife experiences available anywhere: you may encounter lion, leopard, buffalo, or elephant at close range and entirely on their terms, with your guide reading their mood and positioning carefully. Lunch on the island under a great sycamore fig tree. Afternoon: extended mokoro journey into the deeper channels and larger floodplains where red lechwe and sitatunga stand knee-deep in the floating papyrus. Return to camp for sundowners as the Delta sky performs its extraordinary sunset display over the flat horizon.
Okavango Delta
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
09
Day 9 · B/D
Okavango to Moremi Game Reserve — Into Big 5 Country
Transfer by light aircraft from the Delta interior to the Moremi Game Reserve airstrip — a 20-minute flight from island serenity to one of Africa's most consistently productive Big Five wildlife areas. Moremi occupies the eastern section of the Okavango Delta and is characterised by a mosaic of mopane and mixed woodland, vast floodplains, and the extraordinary Xakanaxa and Khwai lagoon systems that concentrate game in extraordinary densities in the dry season. Meet your Moremi guide at the airstrip and transfer to your camp for a briefing on the reserve's current wildlife situation. Afternoon game drive through the mopane woodland and floodplain margins: Moremi is particularly famous for African wild dogs (the reserve holds one of Botswana's largest stable packs), leopard (the woodland-water edge habitat is perfectly suited to this species), and lion (the Moremi prides are large and exceptionally habituated to vehicles).
Moremi Game Reserve
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
10
Day 10 · B/L/D
Full Day Moremi Game Reserve — Big Five Drives
A full day in Moremi's extraordinary wildlife landscape — arguably the finest all-round game reserve in Botswana. Dawn: depart camp at 05:30 for the morning's prime game-viewing window. The predators are most active in the first and last 2 hours of daylight, and Moremi's lion prides are particularly reliable: the Xakanaxa and South Gate areas support 3–4 prides whose territories are well-known to your guide. Moremi holds large populations of cape buffalo (essential prey for the park's large lion prides), elephant, hippo, and both white and black rhinoceros (introduced to the fenced northern section). The reserve's elephant herds are particularly relaxed around vehicles — some of the most intimate elephant viewing in Botswana. Midday: boat trip on the Xakanaxa Lagoon — an extraordinary body of water fringed with jackalberry trees and papyrus, where Pel's fishing owl roosts in the riverine forest and African pygmy geese swim among the water lilies. Afternoon game drive targeting the wild dog pack territories — Moremi's dogs are among the most reliably observed in Botswana. Night game drive (where permitted) for leopard, spotted hyena, and the extraordinary nocturnal birds of the Moremi woodland.
Moremi Game Reserve
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
11
Day 11 · B/D
Moremi to Maun — Final Delta Night
One final morning game drive in Moremi before transferring by vehicle to Maun (2–3 hours on the B3 from South Gate). Maun is a fascinating and slightly chaotic small town — the unlikely launch pad for some of the world's most exclusive safari experiences. Check into a comfortable Maun lodge on the Thamalakane River for your final night in Botswana. The Thamalakane is technically the outflow of the Okavango Delta and in good rain years runs with fresh Delta water all the way to Botswana's interior; in dry years it is a dusty riverbed, but wildlife uses the channel banks regardless. Afternoon at leisure in Maun: visit the African art galleries along the main road, watch the light aircraft traffic that characterises this unique town, or simply sit by the Thamalakane River and enjoy the birdsong and the warm Botswana evening. Farewell dinner under the stars to close out an extraordinary 12-day journey.
Maun
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast, Dinner
12
Day 12 · B
Maun to Windhoek — Homeward Bound (Flight)
Morning transfer to Maun Airport for the connecting flight to Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport. Arrive Windhoek in the early afternoon — time for a final Namibian lunch and a handover at the Kenakare office before your international departure. Your 12-day Golden Triangle journey has taken you through four countries, three world-class wildlife destinations, and the full spectrum of southern African travel: the self-drive freedom of the Caprivi, the boat-eye view of Chobe's elephant paradise, the thunder and spray of the world's greatest waterfall, the profound silence of the Okavango's papyrus channels, and the Big Five abundance of Moremi. This is a journey that does not end when you board the plane home.
Windhoek
Overnight—
MealsBreakfast
Not included
International flights to/from Windhoek
Travel insurance (mandatory — all countries)
Fuel costs (self-drive sections)
Daily meals unless specified
Victoria Falls activities (bungee, rafting, helicopter — optional)
Personal spending and gratuities
Guided·4 days
Etosha National Park Experience
$25,400/ pp
The Golden Triangle — Where Rivers Meet Countries | Kenakare Trip Advisors
