Meet at the Shearwater Explorers Village campground in Victoria Falls. A single transfer is provided in the early afternoon from Victoria Falls Airport to the campground near the falls. After setting up or picking up our bikes at the camp, we can make a short cycle on quiet roads to check that all is in order for our early start the next day. In the late afternoon we take a short walk to the viewpoint for the majestic Victoria Falls which are on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. The camp has Wi-Fi, a restaurant, bar and swimming pool.

An early start today as we begin our epic journey from Victoria Falls to Cape Town. Cycling directly from our camp, we pass through the Zambezi National Park and ride to the border with Botswana at Kasangula. The cycling is relatively straightforward on an undulating tarmac road through the bush, but the group will need to keep together in this exciting reserve area as it is home to lions, elephants, rhino, buffalo and many other animal species. We cross into Botswana and then make a 13 kilometre transfer to our camp by the Chobe River at Thebe. We have lunch on arrival and settle in at the camp before our mid-afternoon river-boat cruise on the Chobe River (included). The Chobe River cruise is one of the best wilderness experiences in Africa and is definitely not to be missed! As well as affording the chance to see elephant, hippo and crocodile, the river is famous for its spectacular varieties of birds, including the African fish eagle. Overnight at the Chobe River Camp.

A classic African biking day lies ahead of us and we will have an early start, at sunrise, to make the most of the cool conditions. The cycling is on a good quality tarmac road and is relatively flat throughout. However, being in Botswana we shall certainly feel the heat of the sun today and hopefully have a sighting of an elephant or two along the way. Arriving in Pandamatenga, we will stop for lunch, before transferring (4 hours including breaks) to the town of Nata. We visit the Makgadikgadi Saltpans in the late afternoon to experience the stunning sunset, before driving the last stretch of road to our camp near Nata.

A slightly later, but still early, start today sees us riding the level tarmac road from Planet Baobab towards the frontier town of Maun. We ride through the first part of the morning and then transfer for 2 hours or so to Audi Camp which is just outside the town of Maun. We have lunch and then the remainder of the afternoon is free and this gives our crew the time to organise supplies and prepare for the Moremi game drives. There is the option this afternoon or on the afternoon of Day 6 (at extra cost paid locally) of taking a scenic flight over the Okavango Delta.

It’s time to leave the bikes for a couple of days and put our wildlife watching hats on. Leaving early in the morning, we’ll enter the Moremi Game Reserve in open 4WD vehicle. Moremi is one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa and includes the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Not only does Moremi contain the ‘Big 5’ of lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and the elusive and rare rhino, it is also home to cheetah, giraffe and zebra, as well as a prolific number of bird species. It is also one of the last refuges of the now rare African wild dog. We’ll camp wild in Moremi with the night-time sounds of the African bush to entertain us.

We’ll make an early morning game drive in Moremi, as this is when many of the wild animals are at their most active. Then, we drive back out to the comforts of Audi Camp on the banks of the Thamalakane River. We have most of the afternoon free, with the opportunity to take it easy or to use the swimming pool. Again there is the opportunity to take a scenic flight over the Okavango (booked and paid directly) this afternoon.

We will make an early start and cycle through the morning on a level tarmac road that cuts through the wide-open Botswana landscape. As the sun reaches its hottest we will stop for a leisurely lunch and then get on the bus for the transfer (3 hours with stops) to our next camp at the Bushman-style site at Ghanzi (pronounced Hanzee), a town known as the 'capital of the Kalahari'. Once settled in we will have a chance to meet the Bushman people and perhaps get something of an insight into their traditional way of life. We'll take a walk with them and see how these indigenous people track animals and how they use various plants for medicines.

After breakfast, we'll board the bus and set off on a long transfer (8 hours with stops) heading south then westwards through the desert, across the border into Namibia and on to the capital, Windhoek. We pass through a number of far-flung settlements and have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the sheer enormity of the Kalahari with its red sand plains and dunes, rock outcrops known as kopjes, generally dry riverbeds and scrubby vegetation including stately acacia trees. We will stay at a comfortable guesthouse in Windhoek and eat out at the legendary Joe’s Beer Garden where the menu includes zebra and oryx as well as vegetarian options.

We have some free time in Windhoek this morning as our crew arranges the supplies for the next leg of our overland journey. This gives us an opportunity to catch up on any bike maintenance that may be required and, if needed, to pay a visit to the well-stocked local bike shop. Leaving Windhoek in the late morning, we transfer (2 hours) through some pretty stunning scenery towards the Gamsberg Pass (2347m). This pass marks the edge of Namibia’s Central Escarpment, which is one of the highest ranges in the country. From here, back on our bikes and having left the tarmac roads behind, we will need to acclimatise ourselves to the gravel roads of Namibia. Dropping down from the pass, the road twists and turns and undulates its way through a spectacular desert and mountain landscape. It's very different here in Namibia from the level plains that we traversed in Botswana. We can expect to reach our camp at the Rooisand Desert Ranch by late afternoon.

Starting off early again, we’ll make the most of the cool desert morning and begin our undulating gravel road ride towards today’s objective - the desert camp at Sesriem. After traversing the Gaub Pass, set amongst some of the most dramatic mountain landscape so far, we cross the Tropic of Capricorn en-route to the small and isolated settlement of Solitaire where we have lunch. We will transfer approximately 50 kilometres during the middle of today's stage. Then, it’s back on our bikes for the final 2-hour plus ride to Sesriem where, after setting up the camp, we can cool off in the pool or take advanatage of the bar.

Leaving before dawn, we cycle into the desert area known as Sossusvlei and after a couple of hours reach the foot of the famous Dune 45. On the way we will be able to witness the dramatic desert sunrise on some of the highest sand dunes in the world. We leave our bikes and have the opportunity to hike to the top of Dune 45. Then, after cycling for another hour to the end of the tarmac road, we leave the bikes again and take a pleasant hike into the spectacular Hidden Vlei with its iconic skeleton trees. Walking through the incredible scenery of the desert and the magnificent dunes, with their endlessly changing colours and contrasts, is a truly amazing experience and we’ll spend as much time here as we can, before walking back to our bikes. Here, we will be reunited with our support vehicle and have lunch before driving back to spend a second night at our camp at Sesriem. In the late afternoon, we can make a short excursion into Sesriem Canyon.

Starting very early, once again, we take the opportunity to cover some distance in the cool desert pre-dawn. We'll cycle throughout the morning through some epic desert landscapes on a road that is for the most part good hard gravel, but with some corrugated and sandy sections that keep the average speed down. Look out for oryx (gemsbok) crossing the road. After around 4 hours we'll take a break at the support vehicle and have lunch. At this point, the road continues to rise ahead of us and it's a popular choice to jump in the support vehicle for the next short section of our journey towards Betta Campsite. However, this is a cycling holiday and at a lonely road junction and isolated ranch 40 kilometres from our destination we'll stop again and get back on our bikes for the completion of the day's ride. Rounding a couple of low hills on our left-hand side, the road continues to rise gradually and we will be happy to reach Betta Campsite which has a pleasant feel and desert mountain views. The attached GPS stats show the first part of the day's ride only.

Another early start and another day on gravel desert roads, we head towards the south-west descending a little to a prominent dry river bed and then following this gradually uphill to a right turn at 24 kilometres. The road threads its way amongst low hills in a range of different colours and there's a good chance to spot ostrich and oryx beside the road. After a couple of stops under shading acacia trees, we arrive at the turning to the Kanaan Campsite and transfer on a sandy road to our wild camping place. This is a remote spot tucked up under a rocky hill, but there is a toilet block and shower.

After an early breakfast we hit the road and make the long transfer (7 hours with breaks) southwards to the Fish River Canyon. This completes our epic journey across the wild Namib Desert and gives us the chance to let our legs recover from the riding of the last few days. Reaching tree-shaded Hobas Campsite in time for a late lunch, we can then ride the 10 kilometres of gravel roads out to the Fish River Canyon, where we can explore and then experience the sunset over the world’s second largest canyon, before riding back to camp. If we are running late and hungry, we can transfer back from the canyon to our camp.

A great morning of cycling with views across to the awesome Fish River Canyon on our right-hand side. Heading south, the gravel road skirts around the most broken terrain, crosses a level sandy area and gains a little height before dropping down spectacularly into the canyon to the camp at Ai Ais. This is a famous hot springs resort and we will get there in time for lunch. The afternoon is free to try out the thermal pools which are perfect for soaking weary legs after 2 weeks of hard riding. The camp has a bar and a swimming pool amongst its facilities.

After a leisurely start, we make a reasonably short transfer (3 hours including breaks) to our camp on the banks of the Orange River. Once we reach the valley of the Orange River, the greenery of the irrigated fields, orchards and vineyards comes as something of a surprise. Near Aussenke we pass one of the largest vineyards in the southern hemisphere. There may be the option to ride the final section to camp. The camp itself is close to the banks of the river and has a pool and a bar. Arriving in time for lunch, there’s the option to spend the afternoon canoeing on the river (at additional cost) or to explore the area by bike. Alternatively, you can choose just to chill by the pool and reflect on the journey so far.

To keep our journey on track, today is another transfer day (8 hours including border crossing formalities and breaks). We cross into South Africa and drive on the main road to the Cederberg Wilderness Area. We stop off in the interesting town of Springbok where you will need to buy a snack (lunch) to eat on the bus as we continue southwards. The scenery is ever-changing and increasingly mountainous as we near our destination. The Algiers Campsite is set in a eucalyptus forest with the rock formations of the Cederbergs looming above.

From our campsite, we bike on tarmac up to the Uitkyk Pass and then continue on gravel into the Cederberg Wilderness Area. This is a stunning area of rugged, mountainous terrain renowned for its spectacular rock formations. Black eagles are regularly sighted and this region is also home to the rare caracal and to animals such as leopard. Although we’re now only 200 kilometres from Cape Town, it feels like we are a world away. There is the option to ride the 6-kilometre singletrack Lot's Wife Trail and we will also make the splendid 6-kilometre return hike up to the famous 'Maltese Cross' rock formation, beneath the imposing peak of Sneeuberg, with superb views along the way. (As an alternative if the Maltese Cross trail is closed we can visit an impressive site of Bushman (San people) rock art). After this hike, we will cycle back to the Algiers Campsite (option to take the support vehicle instead).

After breakfast, we start the day with a 2-hour cycle ride on a gravel road to Clanwilliam. This is a great ride, taking us by way of a scenic reservoir and dam. At Clanwilliam we board the support vehicle and set off on the drive to Cape Town, stopping off for lunch at Melkbosstrand. This is a great photo opportunity; the views of the beach, the sea and of Table Mountain are spectacular from here. After lunch, it’s back on the bikes for another short section on a quiet road towards Cape Town; stopping off on the outskirts of the city at another great Table Mountain viewpoint. From here, we transfer to our accommodation in Cape Town and freshen up before going out for dinner and a couple of beers.

After breakfast, we transfer from our accommodation to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve, stopping at Boulder Beach en-route to visit the famous penguin colony. At the cape we walk the short distance to the old and new lighthouses and on to one of the world’s great landmarks, the Cape of Good Hope itself. The scenery is simply stunning, as rugged cliffs rise from the broiling Atlantic Ocean. Then, from Cape Point, we cycle on the distinctly undulating road back to our base in Cape Town, with luck assisted by the prevailing wind. We will have a lunch stop in the nature reserve and then cycle the famous Chapman’s Peak Drive between Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula. Constructed during the First World War, this spectacular road runs above the Atlantic, tracing the rocky coastline by way of 114 bends and offering breath-taking views as it skirts the 593 metre-high Chapman Peak. This great road forms a part of the annual Cape Town Cycle Tour (formerly the Cape Argus). Returning to Cape Town, we can celebrate the end of our epic African odyssey.

Your holiday ends after breakfast. A single transfer to Cape Town Airport is provided in the late morning.