16-Day Itinerary from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip to South Africa / Zimbabwe this summer—4x4 with camping gear... After some reading, I’ve put together this first draft of an itinerary:

D0 Johannesburg - arrive around 11 AM + visit Soweto? D1 Vic Falls - arrive around noon D2 Vic Falls D3 4x4 familiarization + Hwange NP D4 Hwange NP D5 Hwange NP D6 Bulawayo D7 Bulawayo / Matobo NP D8 Mapungubwe D9 Mapungubwe D10 Waterberg D11 Waterval Boven D12 Golden Gate Highlands NP D13 Sentinel Peak D14 Tugela Falls or another hike D15 Additional hike to be determined D16 Return to Johannesburg + drop off 4x4 - flight at 5 PM

Any thoughts on this itinerary? Ideas for improving it?

One alternative would be to visit Gonarezhou Park, which really appeals to me... But that would take more time and change the rest of the route: probably going back through Kruger. And I’m not sure I’d have enough time for the Drakensberg.

I still have other questions... But I’d rather finalize the general itinerary first to sort out the 4x4 rental...

Big thanks to the travel community 😉

Hi there, Here’s a well-crafted first draft. From what I understand, you’re flying from Johannesburg to Vic Falls, then renting a 4x4 there in one way that you’ll drop off in Jnb? If you want to free up time for the Drakensberg, the 4 days planned between Bulawayo and Mapungubwe could be squeezed into three.

Actually, Gonarezhou would take you off a route that’s already packed, and it’s a pretty small park anyway. Here’s a photo for consolation. 🙂

Hi Jean-Luc,

Thanks for your reply 🙂

Yeah, the plan is to fly to Victoria Falls and then do the one-way trip to JNB by 4x4. It’ll probably cost a bit, I guess... but it’s way fewer kilometers.

Thanks for the tip about freeing up a day.

Do you think it’s worth staying longer in Waterberg? Is there a lot to do there?

Love that photo of Gonarezhou 😎 Those cliffs look amazing... but so many kilometers...

Do you think I should still bring USD to Zimbabwe, or will a Visa card work?

Hi Emmanuel,

Why not pick up the vehicle in JNB and drop it off in Victoria Falls or Kasane?

That way, you’d pick it up at the depot instead of having it delivered. Less hassle, I think.

This would look like:

D0 Johannesburg – arrive around 11 AM, then drive to the Drakensberg D1 Drakensberg D2 Drakensberg D3 Drakensberg D4 Marakele (long driving day) D5 Marakele D6 Mapungubwe D7 Mapungubwe D8 Bulawayo/Matobo D9 Bulawayo/Matobo D10 Hwange NP D11 Hwange NP D12 Hwange NP D13 Victoria Falls D14 Victoria Falls D15 Flight from VF, Livingstone, or Kasane to JNB D16 Soweto – flight at 5 PM

You might be able to skip the flight between JNB and the Victoria Falls area by booking an open-jaw ticket: arrival in JNB, return from VF, Livingstone, or Kasane (Ethiopian Airlines has flights to VF).

Hi Agnès,

Thanks for the suggestions! 🙂

I already have the international flight with Turkish to JNB. Still no flight to Victoria Falls yet...

It’s a bit of a game-changer to do the route in the other direction... I’ll have to think about it!!! Obviously, it must be easier to start from the main hub....

I was thinking of asking for quotes from Bushlore, ASCO, and Britz. Do you have any recommendations or other suggestions?

Thanks a lot,

There’s also Avis Safari Rental.

Some rental companies might be cheaper if you return the vehicle in Kasane?

I have no idea about the drop-off fee. I’ve always picked up and returned at the same spot, which wouldn’t really work for you since you want to go to the Drakensberg.

Happy planning! 🙂

Thanks, I’ll check out that rental company too.

At first glance, everything involving Botswana seems pretty pricey compared to the neighboring countries...

I’ll start by getting some quotes for this route to see what it comes out to...