18-35 Travel
Take the match
The honest read

Worth it if you're genuinely keen on overland camping and early starts. Think twice if you need creature comforts or dislike communal camp chores.

  • About £119/day across 48 days
  • 6,074 all-in with a typical £359 flight from London127/day)
  • We only rate a price against this trip's own history once we've tracked it for 21 days — no guessing before that.
  • About average per day vs 4 similar trips (~£221/day)
  • 4.8 from 4 traveller reviews

Price movement, fill and the all-in cost come from our own daily tracking— not the operator’s feed. You book on TourRadar; the live price always applies there.

Length48 days
RouteNairobi → Cape Town
Group sizeMax 22
Ages18–35s
Meals111 included
Nights47 nights
Runs22 months/yr
BookingInstant confirm

About this trip

Forty-eight days overland from Nairobi down to Cape Town, crossing multiple countries and landscapes in a purpose-built truck with a small group. This is a proper overland trip — you set up camp, help with chores, and cover serious distance, but the pay-off is wildlife and scenery most people only see in documentaries.

Expect savanna game drives in the Serengeti, mountain hikes, desert stretches in Namibia, and a beach break in Zanzibar along the way. You'll pass through local communities and markets, not just parks and campsites, so the food and conversations are part of the experience too.

It's an unpredictable route by nature — weather, roads and border logistics shift things around, so early starts and long driving days are part of the deal rather than the exception.

What you'll do

  • Game drive through the Serengeti's savanna in search of the Big Five
  • Camp inside Serengeti National Park with no barriers from the wildlife
  • Hike mountain terrain en route south
  • Cross Namibia's desert plains
  • Unwind on the beaches of Zanzibar
  • Visit local communities and markets across multiple countries
Good to know
  • Participatory overland camping — you pitch your own tent and help with camp chores
  • Long stretch of 48 days with early starts and variable travel times, sometimes with no facilities
  • Best suited to travellers happy to rough it for the sake of the wildlife and landscapes

Day by day

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

NairobiMto Wa MbuNgorongoro Conservation AreaSerengeti National ParkArushaUsambara MountainsDar es SalaamZanzibarStonetownZanzibarStonetownMikumi National ParkChitimbaKandeSouth Luangwa National ParkPetaukeLusakaHarareMasvingoBulawayoVictoria FallsChobe National ParkKasaneOkavango DeltaBaganiGrootfonteinEtosha National ParkSpitzkoppeCape CrossSwakopmundSesriemSossusvleiBethanienNoordoewerKlawerCape Town
Route map for Kenya to Cape Town
  1. Land in Nairobi and meet your leader and group at a 6 pm welcome meeting. If you arrive early, the National Museum of Kenya, Karen Blixen Museum or an Intrepid day tour with a local guide are worth exploring, and your guide will know where to find proper lunch.

  2. Leave early by overland truck for Mto Wa Mbu, crossing the Kenya-Tanzania border with your passport ready. Stop at an ATM and market to restock supplies, then settle into this small village well away from the main tourist routes.

  3. Ngorongoro Crater / Serengeti National Park — Ngorongoro Conservation Area

    Head out at dawn in a six-person jeep through the Ngorongoro Crater's volcanic caldera to spot black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants and other wildlife. Then move on to the Serengeti's open plains, where you'll camp surrounded by thousands of hoofed animals and predators.

  4. Rise at dawn for an early safari when animals are most active, return to camp for brunch around 11 am, rest during the heat, then head out again for an evening game drive. Optional hot-air balloon safari available, launching before dawn for aerial views of the park.

  5. Another dawn game drive in the Serengeti, then drive back to Mto Wa Mbu in your overland vehicle. Set up camp and take a guided walk through local homes and farmlands to meet the community before eating dinner in town.

  6. Long travel day heading to the Usambara Mountains. Brief stop in Arusha to stretch your legs, then drive through changing scenery to Lushoto, a highland town at 1400m home to the Wasambaa people. Camp on the grounds of one of Africa's oldest hotels.

  7. Explore the Usambara Mountains' striking landscapes and rainforests, visiting small communities to experience local hospitality. Walk out to Irente Viewpoint with water and snacks, then stop at a local cultural project for lunch.

  8. Travel south to the coastal town of Kipepeo Beach in Dar es Salaam. Your camp sits by the beach, so take a stroll along the shore once you arrive and settle in.

  9. Stone Town — Zanzibar

    Ferry to Zanzibar and explore Stone Town at your own pace, wandering its cobblestone alleyways and admiring Arabic, African and European architecture, or browse Darajani Bazaar. Meet new travellers at a 2 pm welcome meeting, then head out for dinner with your leader's recommendations.

  10. Optional guided tour of Zanzibar's spice plantations, where you'll smell and taste cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and spiced teas. After lunch, head to the Northern Beaches for white sand and clear Indian Ocean waters.

  11. Full day free at Zanzibar's northern beaches. Swim, sunbathe under palms, or enjoy seafood dinner by the water—just slow down and let island rhythms take over.

  12. Relax on the northern beaches in the morning, then return to Stone Town for a free afternoon and evening. Try urojo street food or sugarcane juice, and explore at leisure before tomorrow's long drive.

  13. Early 7.30 am ferry to the mainland, then drive to Mikumi National Park watching Tanzanian landscape pass—vast plains with baobab and tamarind trees, glimpses of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions and leopards. Your leader helps you set up camp for the night.

  14. Early 4WD game drive into Mikumi with local guides spotting elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, wildebeest, impalas and possibly predators. Then drive to Iringa and camp on a farmhouse's grounds, surrounded by bushland and native birds, ideal for stargazing.

  15. Cross into Malawi this morning, arriving at your Chitimba campsite. Malawi's lake covers almost a fifth of the country, supporting fishermen in bwatos—dugout canoes hollowed from tree trunks—and other lake traders visible at dawn.

  16. Travel from Chitimba to Kande Beach on Lake Malawi's shore, with a stop at a shop or market for supplies. Your campsite sits right on the beach, offering peaceful escape from crowds and commercialism.

  17. Free day at Kande Beach on Lake Malawi's sandy shores. Meet local Malawians, known as some of Africa's friendliest people. Hire canoes, bikes or pedalos to enhance your time here.

  18. Travel through southern Malawi and enter Zambia, continuing towards South Luangwa National Park.

  19. Victoria Falls — Bulawayo
  20. Okavango Delta — Okavango Delta
  21. Etosha National Park — Etosha National Park
  22. Swakopmund — Cape Cross
  23. Sesriem — Sesriem
  24. Fish River Canyon — Bethanien
  25. Cape Town — Cape Town

What's included

  • Guide: On this trip you will be accompanied by three crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver who will usually be Kenyan. Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping. (From time to time your leader may drive as well) Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organizing food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected to participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties Rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties – cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.
  • Meals: 45 breakfasts, 30 lunches, 36 dinners
  • Activities: Ngorongoro Crater - 4WD Safari Serengeti National Park - Afternoon 4WD Safari Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari Mto Wa Mbu - Village Walk & Local Dinner Irente - Lushoto Hike Irente - Local Lunch Mikumi National Park - 4WD Safari South Luangwa National Park - Morning 4WD Safari South Luangwa National Park - Evening 4WD Safari South Luangwa - Anti-Poaching Jewelery Project Masvingo - Great Zimbabwe Ruins Guided Visit Matobo National Park - Rhino Tracking, Park Visit & San Rock Paintings Victoria Falls - Visit Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust (The Intrepid Foundation Partner) Chobe National Park - Dawn 4WD Safari Okavango Delta - Mokoro safari Okavango Delta - Nature Walk Okavango Delta - Mokoro Safari Grootfontein - San Bushman Cultural Experience Etosha National Park - Overland Vehicle Safari Cape Cross Nature Reserve - Seal Colony View Point Sossusvlei - 4WD Tour Sesriem - Sunrise Sand Dune Visit Fish River Canyon - Canyon Entry
  • Transport: Our trucks are purpose-built, self contained safari vehicles. Our fleet of vehicles varies depending on your group size, trip route and style. Your vehicle type may differ from those listed above. It is also important to note that our overland vehicles are not air-conditioned, but all vehicles have windows that can be opened to allow for fresh air. Each seat will have access to a power socket to charge your devices. This outlet will use a UK/K: enyan 3 pronged outlet. There are many early starts with long hours spent driving on rough roads on all African itineraries. While most people love the chance to watch the changing landscape and daily village life, feedback shows that long periods of inactivity does not appeal to all clients. We provide the approximate distance covered each day and how many hours this normally takes to drive so that you can choose the safari experience that is right for you. African conditions are extremely tough on vehicles. While we fastidiously maintain our vehicles at our workshops, you should not expect Africa to be your traditional touring experience. While it's certainly our aim to avoid them, it's important that you set off on your trip knowing that the occasional breakdown can happen and are best treated as part of the African adventure. Due to wet weather there may be times when we have to take an alternative route which will mean longer travel times., South Africa has a law whereby the cross border transport agency does not allow foreign-registered vehicles to enter the country. We will be working with a local South African operator for the South African section of this tour who will be providing the services of an alternative vehicle* and driver vetted by Intrepid. Your Intrepid leader and cook will still accompany you on this section and your itinerary will remain unaffected. *The vehicle used on this section will be an overland vehicle similar in style to an Intrepid vehicle. However for smaller groups which don't require a large vehicle, smaller land cruiser style vehicles may be used. Overland Vehicle, 4WD Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus, Mokoro
  • Accommodation: Accommodation on this trip is mainly in two-person canvas dome tents with camping mattresses supplied. The type and variety of accommodation are determined by conditions on each of our routes. Each route is different - on some, we use a mixture of campsites and wild camps; on others, we also use hotels. In Africa, it's not usually practical to camp when staying in towns and cities, so we use hotel accommodations and eat out in local restaurants. There may be the occasional night stop when we stay on the grounds of a hotel or at a campsite, which may also have rooms/cabins available. In this case, there may be a choice of camping or upgrading to a room. Rooms cost approximately USD : 40-100 per room per night for a twin room and cannot be pre-booked. Standards of these rooms vary greatly, and we recommend viewing the room before purchasing the night's accommodation. The day-by-day itinerary advises when upgrades may be possible (subject to availability). Keep in mind that if we are staying in dormitory accommodation, you may have to share with other passengers or be split into same-sex rooms. Campsites do have facilities, but they usually aren't to the same standard you would find in Western countries. For example, the bathroom facilities can be very basic. Toilet paper is rarely provided, and shower facilities can be as simple as a hose pipe spurting out cold water. Wild camps have no facilities at all. At times, there may be spare tents in the vehicles. Unfortunately, these cannot be used without the purchase of a single supplement. This is to ensure the tents avoid wear and tear or are clean and ready for the customers arriving on the next section of the trip. Camping (with basic facilities) (3 nights), Camping (with facilities) (33 nights), Hotel (3 nights), Bungalow (2 nights), Lodge (2 nights), Camping (without facilities) (1 night), Chalet (3 nights)
What's extra
  • Activities: Other activities and services not included
  • Flights: International flights not included.
  • Optional: Other activities and services not included
  • Insurance: Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with Cover Genius to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

How travellers rate it

4.8from 4 real reviews
Guide4.0
Transport5.0
Accommodation4.0
Food5.0
Operator4.5
Price history — our own daily tracking
Tracked 11 days · 146 checks
Today
£5,715
Typical
builds at 21 days (now 11)
Lowest
£5,715
on 18 Jul
Highest
£5,715
£5,544£5,715£5,88618 Jultoday
Spots left · 2 Aug departure

Cheapest live departure per day, in £, recorded by our tracker since 18 Jul. Never a brochure “was” price.

Your free day in Nairobi

Landing early, staying on, or filling free time? The best-rated day experiences in Nairobi — you book on Viator (we may earn a commission).

What travellers actually say

Worth it if you're genuinely keen on overland camping and early starts. Think twice if you need creature comforts or dislike communal camp chores.

  • Cook Mike delivered genuinely good meals throughout 48 days; no bad food mentioned once.
  • Wildlife and cultural experiences felt comprehensive; reviewers felt they saw everything worth seeing.
  • Early starts at 3-5am most mornings require real commitment to ground-covering travel.
  • Pre-trip information lacked detail; arrive expecting to learn specifics like daily schedules on arrival.

Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.

Tour dupe
Same trip, less money
£3,340 less all-in
Serengeti to Victoria Falls Overland: Night Stars & Spices
4.9from £2,60020 days
The trade-off: 28 fewer nights, and a different operator.
See the dupe
How it compares

The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.

Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.

Getting there

Nairobi· one-way, arrive 5 Dec 26

One-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown on Trip.com.

Hotels in Nairobi

View more accommodation

Live prices via Booking.com & partners, booked on their site — separate from your tour. We may earn a commission; it never changes your price.

On a budget?

Hostels in Nairobi for the night before your tour · 5 Dec6 Dec

Booked on Hostelworld, separate from your tour. We may earn a commission — it never changes your price.

Getting online in KenyaWhat data actually costs, and the throttle limits nobody publishes

Common questions

How long is Kenya to Cape Town?

It's a 48-day trip. It starts in Nairobi and finishes in Cape Town.

How much does Kenya to Cape Town cost?

The land price starts from £5,715 per person for the 48-day trip. You book on TourRadar, where the live price always applies.

What will Kenya to Cape Town really cost me all-in?

On top of the £5,715 land price, budget roughly £359 for a return flight from the UK — about £6,074 all-in before spending money. Most day-to-day meals out and optional activities are extra.

What's included in the price?

The price covers all your accommodation, 111 meals (45 breakfasts, 30 lunches, 36 dinners), transport during the trip, a group leader/guide. Anything the operator lists as optional or not included — see the full breakdown on this page.

What's not included?

international flights and travel insurance (required) are not included, so factor them into your budget. We show typical flight costs and can point you to insurance on this page.

How big is the group?

Groups are capped at around 22 travellers — a small-group trip, mostly solo 18–35s travelling to meet people, not a coach tour.

When does Kenya to Cape Town run?

It runs across roughly 22 months of the year, so there's usually a departure to fit your dates. Check live availability and prices in the dates section above.

Find my best match

More trips like this

Ranked on real fit — in case this one isn't quite yours.

Powered by TourRadar

Booked with the operator via TourRadar · we may earn a commission.

from
£5,715
Claim £70 back