LAST UPDATED: 8/9/26 – Africa Travel Planning Part II

In the second part of my Africa travel planning guide, I walk through the itinerary I built for our trip and explain the logistics behind each step. Instead of booking a comprehensive tour, I decided to arrange most of the travel and accommodations myself, then rely on smaller tours for the specific sights we wanted to see.

This approach required far more planning, but it also allowed us to save a significant amount of money and gave us the flexibility to build the exact trip we wanted. With only a few weeks available and a long list of experiences we hoped to fit in, that flexibility mattered.

In this guide, I share the methods I used to keep all the logistics organized, as well as how much we saved by planning the majority of the trip independently. Before diving in, I linked to part one of my planning guide for readers who want the full background.

Our Africa Trip Travel Itinerary

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As you can see in the itinerary map, there were many moving parts to coordinate. We planned to visit four main regions, flying into and out of Johannesburg because of our Delta points. That meant the itinerary needed to begin and end there.

From Johannesburg, I mapped out a large loop: down to South Africa’s southern coast, up into Botswana and Zimbabwe, and then back to Johannesburg for the flight home. We allotted sixteen days for the full route.

Days 1-2: Travel to South Africa

Because of the time difference and the long travel time, we essentially lost almost a full day just getting to Johannesburg. Factoring in the 24+ hours of transit, I planned for nearly two trip days to be consumed by travel. We arrived early in the evening and rested before being picked up the next morning for a four‑day safari in Kruger National Park.

Days 3-6: Kruger National Park Tour

For Kruger, I booked a guided safari rather than self‑drive. It wasn’t because we were intimidated — our self‑drive in Arusha National Park in Tanzania had been fantastic — but because we wanted expert guides to help us find wildlife. Since we can’t travel to Africa often, maximizing sightings was important.

I booked through Tour Radar again because of the excellent service they had provided during a Middle East trip we had to cancel. Their professionalism made me confident in choosing them for our Kruger experience.

Days 7-8: Golf and Garden Route National Park

After Kruger, we returned to Johannesburg for one night before flying south to George. I chose George because it sits near Garden Route National Park and several top‑tier golf courses. We spent one day exploring the coastline and national park, and another day golfing.

Days 9-10: Tour Cape Town

From George, we flew to Cape Town — a city I had long dreamed of visiting. I knew I would create additional planning materials later, including a photography guide, because Cape Town’s scenery is extraordinary.

The biggest logistical challenge I anticipated was securing a COVID PCR test before flying onward to Victoria Falls. We got tested the day we arrived to ensure results would be ready by morning. I had hoped Zimbabwe would drop its testing requirement before our trip, but I planned for the worst‑case scenario.

Day 11: Travel to Victoria Falls

After eight days in South Africa, we flew to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. I used Victoria Falls as a base for additional safaris in both Zimbabwe and Botswana. The first day was reserved for settling into camp and preparing for the adventures ahead.

Day 12: Chobe National Park Tour

On our first full day, we took a safari into Chobe National Park. I wished we had more time in Botswana — its parks are legendary — but with limited days, I focused on Chobe’s land and boat safari. We didn’t reach Savuti or Moremi, but even a taste of Botswana’s wildlife was unforgettable.

Day 13: Hwange National Park Tour

On our second full day in the Victoria Falls area, we explored Hwange National Park. Like Chobe, Hwange is renowned for its wildlife density. In addition to massive elephant herds, it’s one of the best places in southern Africa to view African Wild Dogs and is home to all of the Big Five. Again, I booked a guided tour to maximize our chances of spotting wildlife.

Day 14: Tour Victoria Falls

On our final full day, we toured Victoria Falls itself — one of the natural wonders of the world and the largest waterfall on Earth. We booked a tour that allowed us to see both the Zimbabwean and Zambian sides. Before heading out, we took a COVID‑19 PCR test arranged by our resort so we could re‑enter the United States.

Days 15-16: Travel Home

After twelve unforgettable days in Africa, we began the journey home. We flew back to Johannesburg and then boarded our long‑haul flight that evening. While I wished we had more time, the trip was exactly what we needed after two years without international travel. In the weeks that followed, I continued creating additional Africa travel planning resources and photography guides for the destinations we visited.

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