Looking for the ultimate gap year itinerary in Africa? Well, look no further! Tick off eight countries as you safari and volunteer your way between Kenya and South Africa on this epic adventure.
Start your Africa gap year adventure in Kenya where you'll meet the group of 18-to-30-somethings that will be your travel companions for the next 40 days. You'll be travelling overland across the continent, spending your days looking for the iconic animals of Africa and camping at night under skies filled with stars and the sounds of the wilderness.
Some of the highlights on this safari adventure include the Serengeti, time to relax on Zanzibar island, getting up close and personal with the spectacular Victoria Falls, exploring the Okavango Delta in a traditional mokoro, marvelling at the giant sand dunes of the Namib Desert and enjoying sunset at Fish River Canyon - the largest in Africa.
After all of those incredible experiences, it's time to give back to the local community and boost your CV with a two-week volunteer project in Cape Town, assisting at a pre-school and learning centre with young children.
Then it's time to enjoy some DIY travel as you explore South Africa independently between Cape Town and Johannesburg where we've arranged another once-in-a-lifetime experience - volunteering with rescued wild cats. End your gap year adventure with a 3-day safari in the famous Kruger National Park.
*From price per person based on shared accommodation
What's included
- Flight from the UK to Nairobi in Kenya
- 40-day overland camping safari from Nairobi to Cape Town including accommodation (simple hostels and campsites), camping equipment, most meals, transport and game drives
- 15-day volunteer project in Cape Town working with young children and including accommodation, meals, arrival and departure transfers, and 2-day orientation package
- 8-day hop-on- hop-off bus pass between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth with onboard South African expert
- 14-day volunteer project at a wild cat sanctuary in Kimberley including accommodation, meals, arrival and departure transfers, and orientation weekend in Johannesburg
- 3-day Kruger tent safari with accommodation, some meals and game drives
- Flight from Johannesburg back to the UK
- 67 breakfasts, 59 lunches and 53 dinners
- Booking fees
- Services of your own travel advisor
What's not included
- Travel insurance (but we can help you with that)
- Vaccinations (ask us about our discount with Nomad Travel)
- Meals (unless otherwise specified)
- Visas
- Optional activities
- Accommodation on DIY section between Cape Town and Johannesburg
- Transport between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg
Suggested Itinerary:
Ultimate Africa Gap Year
Home - Nairobi - Arusha - Zanzibar - Iringa - Lake Malawi - South Luangwa National Park - Victoria Falls - Chobe National Park - Okavango Delta - Windhoek - Etosha National Park - Swakopmund - Fish River Canyon - Cederberg - Cape Town - Port Elizabeth - Johannesburg - Home
This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be customised to suit your unique travel plans. Make it longer, make it shorter. Add in the things you want to do. Get in touch with our travel experts to turn this itinerary into your dream Africa gap year.
Kenya
Start your gap year in Nairobi
Welcome to Africa and the start of your epic gap year!
Independent travel is a little more tricky and unreliable in Africa. That's why we've included a 40-day overland camping safari that will take you all the way from Kenya to South Africa, covering the highlights of eight countries.
You'll be travelling in a social group of 18-to-30-something year-olds, helping with camp duties, bonding over your shared experiences and spending your nights in some remote spots that you just couldn't get to on your own. Your transport for the next six weeks will be a specially equipped and kitted out overland truck known as a Lando.
If you want to explore Nairobi, arrive a day or two early - we can help with accommodation and activities. Otherwise, stock up on snacks before hitting the road on your safari adventure!
Tanzania and Malawi
Craters and tropical islands
Leaving Kenya, you'll head to Arusha in neighbouring Tanzania. Here you'll enjoy game drives in the Serengeti National Park and spectacular Ngorongoro Crater. It's your first chance to spot the Big 5 (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) in "Africa's Garden of Eden".
Heading to the coast, you'll have a chance to spot Mt. Kilimanjaro as you make your way to the port to catch a ferry to Zanzibar island, where you'll enjoy a few days at leisure to relax on the idyllic beaches. Alternatively, you can participate in numerous activities, including snorkelling, diving, and sailing trips.
Once back on the mainland, you'll journey through the Baobab Valley on your way to country number three - Malawi. Here you'll get to enjoy beaches of a slightly different flavour, on the edges of the freshwater Lake Malawi.
Zambia and Zimbabwe
Craft workshop and waterfalls
From Malawi, cross the border into country number four - Zambia.
Here you'll have the option to join a safari in the lesser-known South Luangwa National Park for some wildlife viewing and visit the Tribal Textiles Market & Courtyard Cafe.
It's a long journey to the fifth country on the itinerary, as after two days of travel you'll arrive at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, where you'll have two whole days to admire the cascades and participate in optional activities like white water rafting and bungee jumping.
Then the journey continues to Botswana - country number six.
Botswana
Watery wonderlands
Camping close to the Chobe River, you'll have the chance to take a sunset boat cruise - it'll be one of your best chances to view hippos, crocodiles, and many elephants wallowing in the water. There's also the chance to go on a game drive in the Chobe National Park before travelling through grasslands to the Okavango Delta.
This vast oasis in the heart of the Kalahari Desert is a stunning maze of lagoons, channels and islands. You'll explore the Delta in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) to do some birdwatching on the way to our basic bush camp, then enjoy a sunset nature walk.
Before leaving Botswana, you'll also have the chance to catch a glimpse of how the local San People adapted to the Kalahari Desert on an optional bushman walk.
Namibia
Giant sand dunes and game drives
Country number seven is Namibia where you'll start this leg of the journey in Windhoek visiting a village community restaurant and shop, and admiring the scenery of the Waterberg Plateau.
Get ready to spot some wildlife as your group enjoys a short safari drive in Etosha National Park in the Lando as your head towards camp. The next day you will embark on a full-day wildlife safari drive in the park. It's crazy the amount of animal species that occupy this smaller protected area (more than 100 different mammals call Etosha home!).
Continue to the mountaineering paradise of Spitzkoppe where you'll camp one night - the sunset views here are incredible. Then it's on to the Mars-like landscapes of Swakopmund where you can go skydiving or sandboarding before continuing to the Namib Desert - the oldest desert in the world.
Here you'll wander through the stunning rock formations of the Sesriem Canyon and opt for the Sossuvlei Desert Walk to visit a clay pan enclosed by the world's largest sand dunes and conquer climbing up the breathtaking (literally) Dune 45.
Your final stop in Namibia is Fish River Canyon, the largest canyon in Africa. Enjoy the spectacular views before heading to the eighth and final country on your gap year adventure - South Africa.
South Africa
Canyons and San culture
The last leg of your overland camping safari ends in South Africa where you'll camp at the scenic Orange River and enjoy a late afternoon swim in the river.
Move on further south past large plantations of rooibos tea viewing the dramatic Western Cape scenery as you go. Here in the Cederberg mountains you can enjoy a spot of wine tasting and relax by the pool at your campsite.
Before arriving into Cape Town, you'll stop at the !Khwa ttu San Culture and Education Centre where you will learn about the history and culture of the ancient Sans people and be able to directly help this centre preserve that heritage.
Spend your final night out in Cape Town with your newly-formed friends, saying farewell before the next part of your gap year.
Volunteering in Cape Town
Sunshine Educare
After 40 days of overland travel, camping and game drives, it's time for a change of pace with two weeks spent at the community volunteer project in Cape Town, boosting your CV and adding to your skills for when you return home.
Sunshine Educare is a pre-school and learning centre for an extremely neglected community near Wolwerivier. You'll be teaching and looking after children between three months and six years, joining in with songs and games and supporting the children as they develop and learn new skills.
Volunteers work five days a week from Monday to Friday for around six hours a day. You'll receive teacher training and work in one of the three classrooms, playing and helping the kids to develop and have fun.
Accommodation, meals, transport and a 2-day orientation package in Cape Town is included.
Cape Town to Johannesburg
Independent travel
Now it's time to explore South Africa your own way with some independent travel.
We've included an 8-day hop-on hop-off bus to get you from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. You can stop off where you like along the way - Stellenbosch, Outdshoorn and Plettenberg Bay are just some of the scenic coastal towns you can explore. Choose where you stay and what you do.
The bus will get you as far as Port Elizabeth, where you'll need to arrange transport to Johannesburg to start another once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Volunteering in Kimberley
Wild cat centre
You've volunteered with children - now spend two weeks working with wild cats!
The Kimberley Wild Cat Centre is home to an abundance of big and small African cats, such as lions and African wild cats. It serves as a sanctuary housing animals that have been hurt, mistreated, or that need to be relocated.
As a volunteer you'll work face to face with big cats and other wildlife. Learn and experience how each animal behaves, reacts and what their characters are like. It's another opportunity to add to your CV and gain valuable skills for when you return back to the 'real world'.
The volunteer project includes accommodation, arrival and departure transfers, meals and a 2-day orientation package in Johannesburg with visits to Soweto and the Central Business District.
Kruger National Park
One final safari
After your hard work at the Wild Cat Centre, it's time for one final safari before bidding Africa a fond farewell and heading back home.
Spend three days on a camping safari in the Kruger National Park - home to many of Africa's famous animal species. Embark on game activities including sunset & sunrise game drives & a full day in the Kruger Park, all accompanied by a knowledgeable armed ranger.
You'll then be transferred to the airport in Johannesburg for your included flight home to the UK.
Want to continue the adventure? No problem! Let us know what else you have in mind and we'll extend your itinerary.
