Kalahari Safari

Two deserts, one unforgettable journey

This safari combines two very different desert worlds: the arid savannah of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park – one of the last truly unspoilt ecosystems on earth – and the dramatic rocky landscapes of Augrabies Falls National Park along the Orange River. Red dunes, endless horizons and wildlife perfectly adapted to survive in this raw, beautiful land.

Travelling privately with your own driver-guide, you follow the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob in search of the Kalahari's famous black-maned lions, leopard and cheetah – then end among the thundering falls and moon-like gorges of Augrabies.

from ZAR 27'000 per person (4+ travelers, per person · full board)

Your day-by-day journey

A carefully paced route through the red Kalahari and the gorges of the Orange River.

Gemsbok in the red dunes of the Kgalagadi

Day 1

Upington → Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Into the red Kalahari

Meet your guide at Upington Airport and set off on a scenic three-hour drive through the Kalahari duneveld, passing ancient salt pans, to the gates of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Check in at Twee Rivieren, where an illuminated waterhole on top of a dune draws predators and antelope after dark.

Scenic transfer through dunes and pans
Illuminated waterhole at Twee Rivieren
Optional sunset drive with a SANParks guide

Overnight: Air-conditioned cottage, Twee Rivieren · B/L/D

Day 2

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Predators at first light

A full day in the park, timed around the wildlife. Head out as the gates open for the best chance of predators, enjoy a picnic breakfast in the veld, then return for a leisurely midday break before an afternoon game drive along the Nossob and Auob riverbeds – prime lion, leopard and cheetah country.

Early-morning and afternoon game drives
Picnic breakfast in the wild
Braai dinner at the guide cottage

Overnight: Air-conditioned cottage, Twee Rivieren · B/L/D

Day 3

Kgalagadi → Molopo Kalahari Lodge

Dunes, San heritage & a desert oasis

One more morning drive before leaving the park at Twee Rivieren. En route south you may meet the Khomani San – South Africa's last indigenous San community, who have lived in the Kalahari for 40,000 years – and browse their handcraft at a roadside stall. Continue to Molopo Kalahari Lodge, a green oasis on the banks of the dry Molopo River.

Final Kgalagadi game drive
Khomani San heritage encounter
Molopo Lodge – an oasis in the desert

Overnight: Air-conditioned chalet, Molopo Lodge · B/L/D

Augrabies Falls in full flow on the Orange River

Day 4

Molopo → Augrabies Falls National Park

Wine, waterfalls & the great gorge

Drive to Upington for a tasting at the Orange River Wine Cellars, then continue to Augrabies Falls National Park. When the Orange River is in flood, Augrabies ranks among the largest waterfalls in the world – the Khoi called it "the place of great noise". A late-afternoon scenic drive reaches the Ararat, Oranjekom and Swartrante viewpoints; the falls are floodlit from 20:00 to 22:00.

Wine tasting at Orange River Cellars
The thundering Augrabies Falls
Scenic drive to the gorge viewpoints

Overnight: Chalet with a view, Augrabies Rest Camp · B/L/D

View over the Orange River gorge at Oranjekom, Augrabies

Day 5

Augrabies → Upington · Departure

A last walk above the gorge

Start with a relaxed 2 km morning walk to Arrow Point, a beautiful viewpoint over the Augrabies gorge, followed by breakfast. Then return to Upington on the scenic Rockery Route – past a quiver tree forest, the Tierberg Nature Reserve and Kanoneiland, the largest inhabited inland island in South Africa – in time for your onward flight.