5-Day Kgalagadi Guided Self-Drive Budget Camping Tour

• Clients collect their self-drive vehicle at the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrive in Upington, meet your guide and drive in convoy to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

You either collect your vehicle when you fly to Upington for the start of your tour or you drive on your own to Upington if you already have a vehicle. You will meet your guide in Upington.

We drive in convoy to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. As we drive northwards, the Kalahari will start to reveal herself to you. She will welcome you with views of red dunes and salt pans next to the road.

The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa, extending for 900,000 sq km. It covers much of Botswana, as well as parts of Namibia and South Africa.

A 4x4 vehicle is best suited for the road and trail conditions you will experience on this tour. Rest assured, your guide is fully qualified to assist you with any 4x4 challenges that you might encounter.

Please note: Refer to our company profile for a summary of the benefits of driving your own vehicle.

Main Destination:

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Best Time To Visit March to May (The riverbeds attract animals)

High Season Never (The park never gets very crowded)

Best Weather May to Seotember (Less hot during the day)

Wildlife in Kgalagadi TP

LionCommon

CheetahCommon

WildebeestCommon

HyenaCommon

LeopardOccasional

GiraffeRare

Show more

Wild DogRare

ElephantNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Kgalagadi TP

Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore the Kgalagadi around the Twee Rivieren Camp

Join an early morning drive on an open game-viewing vehicle. The professional field guide will provide information about the animals, birds, vegetation, etc. we see during the drive.

After the morning drive, we explore the Kgalagadi to the north of the Twee Rivieren Camp. Learn about the Nossob and Auob Rivers and how often they are in flood.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park lies in the large sand-filled basin in the west of the Southern African subcontinent, known as the Kalahari. It covers almost one-third of the area and forms what may be the largest sandveld area in the world.

In 1999, Botswana and South Africa signed a historic bilateral agreement whereby both countries undertook to manage their adjacent national parks, the Gemsbok National Park and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park as a single ecological unit. In 2000, Southern Africa’s first peace park, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, was formally launched by presidents Mogae (Botswana) and Mbeki (South Africa).

Main Destination:

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Kgalagadi TP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Drive to the Mata Mata Camp and back

We follow the Auob River to the Mata Mata Camp. This is a slow drive visiting the waterholes along the river, each offering its own surprise. The Kalahari will reveal more of herself as we drive. Who knows what animals and birds will we see on the dunes next to the river?

After stretching our legs at the Mata Mata Camp, we follow the Auob River back to the Twee Rivieren Camp. The Kalahari will definitely surprise us along the way.

Main Destination:

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Kgalagadi TP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Explore the Kgalagadi around the Twee Rivieren Camp

We explore the Kgalagadi to the north of the Twee Rivieren Camp. The Leeudril 4x4 Loop is on the menu for today. This is an interesting 4x4 trail crossing the dunes. Along this trail, you will experience more of the remoteness of the Kalahari.

Join a sunset drive on an open game-viewing vehicle. The professional field guide will provide information about the animals, birds, vegetation, etc. we see during the drive. This is also an opportunity to spot some of the nocturnal animals.

Main Destination:

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Accommodation:

Budget camping

• Inside Kgalagadi TP

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & dinner (Lunch not included)
• Drinks not included

Continue with the rest of your journey

We say goodbye to the Kgalagadi TFP and drive to Upington. The drive today will be on tarred roads. As we drive southwards, the Kalahari will say goodbye to you. This is your last day in the Kalahari region of South Africa.

You hand back your 4x4 vehicle to the rental company and as our time together draws to a close, we say goodbye to our new friends and head back home. You will continue your journey to your next destination on your own, whenever you feel ready to leave. We hope that you will cherish the unforgettable memories you have made during your time with us and that you will have plenty of beautiful photos to share with your loved ones and friends.

Main Destination:

Upington (Town)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• Clients return their self-drive vehicle at the airport.