Arrive at Victoria Falls International Airport. Usually arrival is in the early afternoon. Immigration procedures: for a group needing to purchase Zimbabwe visas on the spot, it usually takes about half an hour to 45 minutes to get through immigration (but be patient, if the flight is full, it might take an hour – the airport is very small!). After immigration, meet and greet, done by Albatros’ Victoria Falls staff. Transfer to Victoria Falls Hotel, the classical “Grand Old Lady” of the Falls. A Welcome Drink will be offered and served on the terrace with stunning views of the Victoria Falls bridge. Later welcome-dinner at the Jungle Junction Restaurant.

Note: We can also arrange transfer from Kasane International Airport if needed, please contact us for rates.

In the morning, after breakfast, we do a guided tour of the Falls. This tour normally takes about 2 hours and takes you through the rainforest and to the major view points.

Depart Victoria Falls and drive to the Botswana-border. The last 10 km after immigration to the Chobe Marina Lodge in Botswana, we usually change to open safari vehicles. The border is easy if we have all your details (i.e. passport no, expiry, full name, nationality, DOB) we do a manifest and it will be 15 minutes on the Zimbabwe side. For Botswana, immigration can be a bit slow, but it usually does not take more than 30 minutes.   

Clients check-in at Chobe Marina Lodge around lunch time. Welcome drinks and lunch, with time to relax before afternoon game drive in Chobe National Park(including sundowner drinks). The safari game drives in the Chobe National Park are done in 10-seater open safari game drive vehicles and offer excellent game viewing opportunities, actually some of the best in Africa! It is possible to see nearly all the major species: giraffe, elephant, zebra, impala, tsessebe, roan, sable, wildebeest, kudu, buffalo, waterbuck, warthog, eland and accompanying predators including lion, hyena, jackal, bat-eared fox - and possibly (rare though) even leopard, cheetah and wild dog.  In the evening, everything starts moving, the predators wake up and get ready for the nights’ hunt, all Chobe’s buffalo and elephants move towards the river by the hundreds (or rather thousands) and when it’s getting really dark, we turn on our search light to catch the shiny eyes in the bush and the wildlife moving around.  

After the game drive, dinner at Chobe Marina Lodge.

We will drive out on a safari game drive in the early morning, and we will go to various places where game can be found! There is a big difference between morning and evening safaris: The morning offers the best chance of seeing the wildlife feeding and drinking at the water holes and the river. The chilliness, scent and light of the dew-covered morning savannah is absolutely incredible!

After breakfast, check-out and transfer (in open safari game drive vehicles) to Kasane to embark the Zambezi Queen. The river-transfer to the Zambezi Queen is done by smaller tender boats (The Queen is equipped with 5 of these).

We usually make a genuine river safari out of this first transfer, too. Possibly really close encounters with hippos and crocs…fantastic to experience the great difference in land and water based safari! Upon reaching the boat around/ noon, check-in and Namibia-immigration procedures on board (works smoothly, we have our “own” Albatros immigration officer coming on board), and lunch.

Later in the afternoon we depart for water based game viewing. Return to the Queen in the early evening for dinner.

Choose between half day safari game drive OR game viewing from boat. (Depending on what the clients have chosen to do the day before, some also prefer to stay at the Queen and relax). Return to the Zambezi Queen before lunch, when the boat departs down theChobeRiver. We arrive at overnight spot in the midst of the afternoon. Later depart for water based game viewing or cultural village tour.

Return to the Queen in the early evening, for a (weather permitting) boma-dinner.

In the early morning and during breakfast, the Queen moves up the river towards its home base at Kasane.

Late morning transfer back to Victoria Falls. Check-in again at the Victoria Falls Hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure.

Later, our great farewell dinner at the hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to Victoria Falls Airport for onward travel.