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Irkutsk to Victoria Falls, Chobe and the Okavango Delta

Irkutsk → Victoria Falls → Chobe → Okavango Delta

Victoria Falls
"Cataratas_Victoria,_Zambia-Zimbabue,_2018-07-27,_DD_04.jpg" by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Cataratas Victoria, Zambia-Zimbabue, 2018-07-27, DD 04 (Victoria Falls)
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Falls & delta safari Best season (general guide): May–Oct

This is a southern African classic: one of the world's great waterfalls, a riverfront famous for its elephants, and a desert delta that floods in the dry season. From Irkutsk it's a very long journey with several connections, usually via Moscow or another hub and then Johannesburg. Once you arrive at Victoria Falls, the three stops are close together. The itinerary spends two nights in Victoria Falls, two nights in Chobe and three nights in Okavango Delta.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two at Victoria Falls: day one, rainforest walk at the falls; day two, Zambezi sunset cruise. Then spend days three and four in Chobe: day three, cross to Kasane, then river cruise; day four, riverfront game drive. Then spend days five to seven in the Okavango Delta: day five, fly to Maun and into the delta; day six, mokoro and guided walk; day seven, game drive or boat.

At Victoria Falls, walks through the spray-soaked rainforest give views of the Zambezi plunging into its gorge. Many visitors add a sunset cruise on the river above the falls. A short road transfer across the border into Botswana brings you to Kasane and the Chobe River, where boat trips get close to elephants, hippos and birds along the banks. A flight from Kasane or Maun then takes you into the Okavango Delta, where water from the Angolan highlands spreads across the Kalahari. Here you explore by mokoro, on foot with a guide and on game drives, depending on the camp.

The dry season, roughly May to October, suits all three stops. The delta's flood usually peaks around July, and Chobe's game viewing is strong from about May to September. The falls themselves are at their fullest from about February to May and lowest from September to November, when the spray clears and views of the rock face open up, so the month you choose changes what you see.

Crossing between Zimbabwe and Botswana means two sets of entry formalities, so check visa rules for your passport. Light aircraft into the delta have strict soft-bag baggage limits.

Suggested outline

  1. Irkutsk

    Start

  2. Victoria Falls

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    The town on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. Paths through the rainforest lead to viewpoints along the gorge.

  3. Chobe

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Kasane, on the Chobe River in Botswana, is a short road transfer from Victoria Falls. Boat cruises and game drives along the riverfront.

    Chobe National Park
    "Gnus_zebras_chobe_national_park.jpg" by Gorgo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

  4. Okavango Delta

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    An inland delta of channels and islands. Maun (MUB) is the gateway; camps are reached by light aircraft or road. Mokoro dugout trips are a classic activity.

    Okavango Delta
    "Okavango_Delta,_Botswana1.jpg" by Joachim Huber, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Victoria Falls — Arrive; rainforest walk at the falls· Irkutsk → Victoria Falls (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Victoria Falls — Zambezi sunset cruise
  3. Day 3 · Chobe — Cross to Kasane; river cruise· Victoria Falls → Chobe (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Chobe — Riverfront game drive
  5. Day 5 · Okavango Delta — Fly to Maun and into the delta· Chobe → Okavango Delta (by air)
  6. Day 6 · Okavango Delta — Mokoro and guided walk
  7. Day 7 · Okavango Delta — Game drive or boat
  8. Day 8 · Okavango Delta — Travel home from Okavango Delta· Okavango Delta → Irkutsk (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Victoria Falls

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Plan the trip: Victoria Falls

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Chobe

Nearest airport: Victoria Falls Search fares · Victoria Falls ↗

Okavango Delta

Nearest airport: Maun Search fares · Maun ↗

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