Victoria Falls Cape Town to Victoria Falls: The Atlantic to the Zambezi
An unpaved expedition traversing Southern Africa's wild backcountry and desert passes, culminating at Mosi-oa-Tunya—The Smoke That Thunders—the world’s most spectacular curtain of falling water.
This 20 day expedition prioritises unpaved tracks, bypassing high-speed tarmac highways to expose riders to the raw geographic profile of Southern Africa. The terrain demands consistent technical competence, transitioning from loose-gravel tracks to sweeping desert corridors and rugged mountain passes. The route navigates varying surfaces that test tyre-pressure management and throttle control, offering a genuine physical challenge for riders looking to test their skills on vast, changing backcountry terrain.
Tackling this frontier delivers a profound sense of pure exploration and deep backcountry access. By rejecting standard, commercial tourist corridors, riders experience the true scale of the wilderness and witness some of the region's most spectacular natural wonders firsthand. The journey concludes with the opportunity to view the sheer scale of the falls from the ground or take an optional helicopter flight for an aerial perspective of the massive chasm.
Tour Highlights
Cardouw Pass: Ascend the unpaved mountain tracks into the rugged Cederberg Wilderness.
Fish River Canyon: Stand on the northern rim looking down into the monumental depths of the earth's second-largest canyon.
Kolmanskop Ghost Town: Walk through the abandoned, sand-choked relic houses of the 1900s diamond rush.
The D707 Dune Route: Ride the spectacular unpaved track running directly between orange dunes and rugged mountains.
Etosha Game Safari: Swap the bikes for open-top 4x4 safari vehicles to track elephant, lion, and rhino.
Otavi Valley: Stop for a boutique wine tasting in unexpected, fertile limestone hills in the heart of Namibia.
Chobe Elephant Corridors: Navigate the wild transit routes of Botswana's premier elephant sanctuary.
Victoria Falls: Conclude the expedition at the world's most spectacular waterfall, with the option to book a scenic helicopter flight.
Route
Leaving the Atlantic coast of Cape Town, the journey begins with an immediate ascent into the rugged mountain escarpments of the Western Cape. Deflating tyres for the unpaved Cardouw Pass tracks provides an entry into the Cederberg corridor before transitioning onto the wide, corrugated shale plains of the Tankwa Karoo. From here, the route climbs the Vanrhynspas to cross the remote, isolated dirt tracks of Bushmanland and Namaqualand, utilising secondary farm lanes to reach the Orange River border.
Crossing into Namibia, the landscape shifts to the arid southern badlands as the route tracks along the winding, unpaved canyon corridor to the Fish River Canyon rim. The path then bridges the southern plains toward the granite valleys of Aus, allowing for an excursion to the historic desert ruins of Kolmanskop before tackling the iconic D707. This unpaved route runs directly between red dunes and mountains, leading into the ancient desert landscape of Sesriem and Sossusvlei.
From the desert plains, riders descend through the Kuiseb Canyon to reach the coastal comfort of Swakopmund. Heading inland, the route skirts the Brandberg massif and weaves through private farm roads to reach the wildlife-rich fringes of Etosha National Park, before efficient tarmac links bridge the vast northern plains to reach the Kavango riverfront.
The final phase penetrates deep into the Caprivi Strip, navigating the Bwabwata National Park corridor to reach the remote Kwando River wilderness. Riders then cross into Botswana, navigating the elephant corridors of Chobe National Park to reach Kasane. The expedition concludes by crossing into Zimbabwe to finish at Victoria Falls, where riders can walk directly to the edge of the gorge or choose to fly over it.