Cairo to Cape Town overland tours
Dispelling easy stereotypes every step of the way, on an overland tour from Cairo to Cape Town you’ll quickly learn the truth behind the saying that ‘Africa is not a country’. Naturally, exploring the big ticket locations: the Nile, the Great Rift Valley, the Sahara, will captivate you, but this is also an opportunity to really delve beneath the headlines and catch sight of the ‘real Africa’ on a continent that is often visited but rarely well explored.
Our Overland Vacations
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
US $2815 to US $2990
21 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Vic Falls vacation in Southern Africa
A spectacular and diverse African journey
From
US $4179 to US $4349
20 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group vacation
Explore the best of Southern Africa's wildlife and nature.
From
US $2940 to US $3175
22 days
ex flights
The Grand Southern Africa safari
21-day tour from Cape Town to Victoria Falls
From
£1799 to £2799
20 days
ex flights
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition safari
Expedition trip through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
From
US $4070
20 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls small group lodge tour
Classic route lodge safari to Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
US $3965 to US $4240
21 days
ex flights
Safari adventure vacation, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique
An extraordinary camping safari across South Eastern Africa
From
US $3030
22 days
ex flights
Southern Africa overland vacation
Discover southern Africa from Kruger to the Okavango Delta
From
US $3165 to US $3555
18 days
ex flights
West Africa tour, Bissau to Cotonou
Voodoo heartlands, traditional storytellers and lush islands
From
£7599
4 weeks
ex flights
Cape Town to Victoria Falls small group camping safari
Overland camping safari to Namibia, Botswana & Zimbabwe
From
US $2945 to US $3150
21 days
ex flights
London to Morocco by rail vacation
A rousing short adventure from London to Africa!
From
£1200
8 days
ex flights
West Africa explorer tour, Marrakech to Cotonou
An epic journey from Morocco to the voodoo coast of Benin
From
£13449 to £14449
8 weeks
ex flights
Madrid to Marrakech tour
Take a vibrant tour through Spain, Portugal and Morocco
From
US $3440 to US $3950
24 days
ex flights
Victoria Falls to Cape Town small group tour
Luxury small group tour from Victoria Falls-Kruger-Cape Town
From
£4295
15 days
ex flights
London to Sudan by rail and sea
A unique adventure by rail and cargo ship
From
£4950
25 days
ex flights
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition
Expedition through the wildlife havens of Zimbabwe & Zambia
From
US $3350
20 days
ex flights
Madrid to Marrakech via Portugal
Experience first-hand Spanish, Portuguese & Moroccan lifestyles
From
US $2784 to US $3160
15 days
ex flights
East African budget overland tour
3-week wildlife odyssey in the heart of East Africa
From
£2299
20 days
ex flights
Cape Town to Vic Falls small group tour
Adventure packed vacation from Cape Town to Victoria Falls.
From
US $2930 to US $3165
22 days
ex flights
Western Sahara overland tour, Marrakech to Bissau
Travel from North Africa through the Sahara to the tropics
From
£7799 to £7999
4 weeks
ex flights
Moorish Spain to Marrakech by rail
Visit villages and Moroccon cities
From
US $2150 to US $2330
13 days
ex flights
Guinea Bissau to the heart of the Sahara overland tour
Travel from Guinea Bissau to the heart of the Sahara
From
£8175
4 weeks
ex flights
Premium Botswana small group vacation
Wilderness, wildlife and waterfalls in Botswana
From
US $5625 to US $6380
8 days
ex flights
Cairo to Cape Town itinerary & highlights
Traveling the length of a continent, some 10,400km as the crow flies, it can take up to 20 weeks to get from Cairo to Cape Town, or indeed the other way. Luckily, for those with more ambition than time, it’s easily possible to break this route up into shorter stages that you can tackle over several years if you wish.
Michael Battley from our supplier Dragoman on the flexibility of overland Africa itineraries:
“Often you can make a tour as long or as short as you wish. For example we have had passengers that have completed Cairo to Cape Town but done it over a five year period as they come back and rejoin at the point they left last time. Each individual leg is designed as a trip in its own right, which then just has the benefit of tying together with other legs to form the longer itineraries.”
“Often you can make a tour as long or as short as you wish. For example we have had passengers that have completed Cairo to Cape Town but done it over a five year period as they come back and rejoin at the point they left last time. Each individual leg is designed as a trip in its own right, which then just has the benefit of tying together with other legs to form the longer itineraries.”
Over the course of an odyssey from Egypt to South Africa you can pass through countries including Botswana, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Kenya. The breadth of landscapes and cultures that you will experience is immense.
In respect of activities, you might be raising your adrenaline levels with white water rafting, or scuba diving in the Red Sea. You will equally be gaining valuable insights into the realities of life in different parts of Africa, by meeting Maasai communities, taking bush walks with San tribespeople, and eye opening, ethical tours around townships.
In respect of activities, you might be raising your adrenaline levels with white water rafting, or scuba diving in the Red Sea. You will equally be gaining valuable insights into the realities of life in different parts of Africa, by meeting Maasai communities, taking bush walks with San tribespeople, and eye opening, ethical tours around townships.
Our top Overland Vacation
Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
From
US $2815 to US $2990
21 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2021: 21 Nov, 19 Dec
2022: 23 Jan, 20 Mar, 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 15 May, 12 Jun, 3 Jul, 17 Jul, 31 Jul, 21 Aug, 11 Sep, 25 Sep, 9 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec
2021: 21 Nov, 19 Dec
2022: 23 Jan, 20 Mar, 10 Apr, 17 Apr, 15 May, 12 Jun, 3 Jul, 17 Jul, 31 Jul, 21 Aug, 11 Sep, 25 Sep, 9 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec
Travel Team
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Practicalities
On a Cairo to Cape Town overland tour, you can definitely expect to be roughing it for the most part. Wild camping, or bush camps with limited toilet facilities are the norm, and by the time you reach the finish line, you’ll be an expert at setting up tents, collecting water, and choosing food at local markets.
Roads can be dusty, waterlogged, pitted with potholes or blocked by bad tempered buffalo, making progress slow. But travel in Africa is rarely fast, and its unpredictable nature should be embraced. The luxury comes from the experiences you’ll have as you travel, such as sleeping beneath a starry African sky every night. That is something that never, ever gets boring.
More about Overland
Jump aboard our overland vacations travel guide to find out all about what this kind of vacation involves, and get ready to unleash the explorer within.
Our exciting guide to the best overland tour routes is stuffed with useful info on what to expect, but don’t forget our helpdesk team can go into much more detail if you need it.
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All our overland guides. Find all of our overland guides in one place; includes all rail and self-drive vacations as well as trips using a combination of transport; or see our regional overland trips.
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