Zebra in Etosha National Park, Namibia

Wilderness & Wonder: Best of South Africa and Namibia

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Namibia, South Africa

Places Visited

Cape Town, Sabi Sands, Johannesburg, Windhoek...

See all

Suggested Duration

12 Days

Celebrating some of the planet’s ultimate travel highlights, your 12-day South Africa and Namibia safari offers four superlative destinations. Start in Cape Town, a city of color, charm, and home to Table Mountain. Explore the intimacy of the Sabi Sands, where the Big Five is just the beginning. Escape to the desert and nature’s gallery at Sossusvlei. Then, experience safari drama in Etosha to find rhinos and elephants.

Customizable Itinerary

Expand All

Trip Highlights

  • Immerse yourself with rhinos and elephants around the Etosha Pan, discovering how wildlife thrives in the desert
  • Scale Table Mountain and get to know Cape Town’s colorful streets
  • Discover the Big Five and so much more during a three-day Sabi Sands safari
  • Luxuriate during an aerial safari above the Namib Desert, admiring the unbounded sand dunes
  • Track leopards on a nighttime game drive, admire elephants directly from your camp, and encounter up to 100 different mammal species
  • Marvel at a desert sunrise above Deadvlei or Sossusvlei, and lose yourself in the tranquility
  • Explore the Cape Winelands and find penguins en route to the Cape Peninsula
  • Indulge in a trip to into Kruger National Park and wonder at the scale of Africa’s wilderness
  • Cherish the peaceful nature during evening campfires as the southern sky shimmers above while nature sings a lullaby

Detailed Description

South Africa and Namibia are home to four of the world’s most evocative travel highlights. This 12-day vacation connects them with each destination bringing a dazzling change in atmosphere and experience. Colors flicker down city streets beneath the shadow of Table Mountain, leopards prowl after impala, and sand dunes extend for seemingly an eternity. Out of a salty mirage may come four-legged giants who are desert specialists, marching past you in search of water. This is Southern Africa. It is wild and wondrous, and a sense of adventure will be with you at every turn. It is also tranquil as these destinations create a break from the modern world.

With 12 days, the pace can be comfortable even though the destinations are not very close to each other. Fly into Cape Town for three days in the city, easing into the African experience with mountains, beaches, vineyards, penguins, markets, and the enchanting streets of change. The Sabi Sands provide exclusive big-game safaris in the Greater Kruger. Elephants are your neighbors, and animals continually wander to the river below. With three days, you become immersed in the bushveld, following the perennial battle between predator and prey. There is the Big Five, but a safari here has hundreds of animals and so many scenes that only you are privileged to witness.

Fly to Windhoek via Johannesburg and spend a night in the Namibian capital. Next, you will experience the desert. The Namib is beautifully revealed on an aerial safari to Sossusvlei. Lose yourself in the silence and solitude here, experiencing how the desert is different every hour of the day. End your vacation in Etosha where stark and arid plains are a wonderful contrast to the Sabi Sands. Much of the landscape appears devoid of life. Game drives take you to permanent waterholes where animals congregate, sometimes in happy unity and sometimes intense battles for survival.

Sabi Sands and Etosha are an excellent combination whether it is your first or tenth safari. In South Africa, your safari is in a private concession, so activities include walks and nighttime drives as well. Predator encounters are legendary, and you experience modern luxury in the bush. Etosha feels private mainly because it is so big, and there are only a few visitors. Safari encounters are more about drama, such as battles between herds and the resonant growl of the black-maned lion. Your experience remains peaceful, especially when you are sitting around a campfire and looking over the Etosha Pan. Over the five safari days, you will explore two very different ecosystems, atmospheres, and animal populations, which will be such a wonderful complement to Cape Town and the Namib Desert.  Consider learning more about our travelers’ best African Safari vacation activities by reading their travel reviews.

Starting Price

$8,800 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.94 stars based on 50 reviews.

South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe Tour Review: Sky Balloon...
"Zicasso’s tour company did an outstanding job planning...

Reviewed By Joe K.

South Africa, Namibia, Botswana Luxury Vacation Review:...
"Our Zicasso travel agent put together an incredible itinerary...

Reviewed By Peter K.

South Africa & Namibia Travel Review: Cape Town, Kirstenbosch...
"...Richelle's excellent guidance and the warmth of the...

Reviewed By George L.

South Africa, Namibia Luxury Trip Review: Robben Island,...
"The Zicasso travel agent was amazing! He spent lots of...

Reviewed By danny k.

Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana Trip Review: Kruger...
"Zicasso’s trip planners were outstanding. We highly recommend...

Reviewed By Wendy R.

South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana & Namibia Luxury Travel...
"Everything was top notch and well executed, and Shannon...

Reviewed By Traci G.

Your Dream Vacation

in 3 simple steps

  1. 1

    Describe your dream trip

  2. 2

    Get matched with top travel specialists

  3. 3

    Book the trip

Free service - no credit card required