Namibia Motorcycle Tour: Cape Town to Victoria Falls

This guided motorcycle tour Africa begins at Cape Town International Airport. The transfer takes you to the accommodation, where you check in and settle. In the afternoon you meet the tour team and your fellow riders, get familiar with your motorcycle and repack your luggage. Anyone arriving early has time for the Waterfront, Table Mountain or a first look at the coast.

The first riding day of this Namibia motorcycle tour heads north on coastal roads along False Bay. The route then turns inland through fruit farming country and the vineyards around Franschhoek. Four mountain passes follow in a single day, among them Franschhoek Pass and Bains Kloof, two of the best known twisty roads in the Cape. The evening ends in the rolling Kouebokkeveld hills.

Good gravel roads lead through the rugged Cederberg mountains into the backcountry. Caves with ancient San paintings and striking rock formations line the route. Past the town of Clanwilliam you cross the range on a winding tarred pass before the gravel returns. An escarpment climb takes you into the Great Karoo, where the night is spent in stone cottages on a sheep farm.

The longest stage of the first week runs through the Northern Cape towards the border. You first explore canyons carved by ancient glaciers and drop down the well known Van Rhyns Pass. Wide semi-desert country follows, where hardly a vehicle comes the other way. The overnight stop sits on the bank of the Orange River, the border between South Africa and Namibia.

Back on good gravel, the Namibian section begins. Kilometres of vineyards line the route before a track along the bank of the Orange River, one of the finest stretches of the whole tour. Wide, open country then leads north to the Fish River Canyon motorcycle highlight: the second largest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon.

A mix of gravel and tar carries you to the Atlantic coast. From the canyon you roll over smooth tracks across Namibia's wide plains, with plenty of time for photo stops along the way. The final section drops to the coast on good tar, passing the famous wild horses and crossing the old diamond fields into the harbour town of Luderitz.

An early start catches the morning light on the diamond ghost town of Kolmanskop. There is time to walk through the buildings slowly swallowed by drifting sand and to photograph them. The route then turns inland: tar first, then good gravel roads heading north. After coffee and apple pie in Helmeringhausen the day ends in comfortable cottages in southern Namibia.

A shorter stage leads to Sesriem, the gateway to the dunes of Sossusvlei. On the way you can detour to Duwisib Castle, built by a German settler in the early 1900s. An escarpment descent with wide views and some more demanding gravel sections bring you to the lodge that serves as base for the next two nights.

The first non-riding day starts early with a run to the red dunes of Sossusvlei and to Deadvlei, the dry pan studded with ancient dead trees. The white clay pan against the rust red dunes is one of the most recognisable scenes in Namibia. The afternoon belongs to the lodge with its pool, bar and outdoor restaurant looking over the Namib.

Back on the bikes, the route crosses the Namib Desert towards the coast. The historic settlement of Solitaire is the fuel stop and serves what may be the best apple pie in Namibia. The Kuiseb canyon and long desert stretches follow. The air cools noticeably before Walvis Bay, and a quiet run on the compacted salt road leads into this Swakopmund motorcycle tour stage by the sea.

The second non-riding day belongs to the coast. The morning is given to the 4x4 excursion to Sandwich Harbour, where the dunes of the Namib drop straight into the Atlantic. The drive over the beach and between the dunes is only possible with a guide and a proper vehicle. Back in Swakopmund there are restaurants, small museums and the old colonial architecture.

A short stage along the southern edge of the Skeleton Coast. The road follows the cold Atlantic and passes a shipwreck before turning inland into the desert at Henties Bay. The outline of Spitzkoppe soon appears. In the afternoon this Spitzkoppe motorcycle tour stage leaves time to ride around the Pondoks, hike and watch the sunset through the rock arch.

After breakfast, gravel and tar lead on into central Namibia and the Omaruru region. A guided game drive runs in the afternoon and dinner follows at a waterhole. This Big Five motorcycle safari stage takes you off the bike and close to elephant, rhino and antelope that come down to the water to drink in the last light of the day.

A mixed stage of gravel and tar leads to the capital, Windhoek. Farmland, bush and open plains take turns along the way. In Windhoek the motorcycles are prepared for the second half of the trip and excess luggage is stored. A shared dinner in town closes the Namibian section of the route.

Good tar takes you east out of Windhoek and across eastern Namibia, past game farms where eland, giraffe and kudu are often in view. Once over the Botswana border, watch for donkeys, cattle and game on the road. Wide, sparsely populated country marks this stage of the Botswana motorcycle tour as far as Ghanzi.

The route continues north towards Maun, the main base for the delta. The vegetation changes from dry inland country to one of the most important wetland regions in Africa. The programme includes a half day boat trip on the Okavango, which shows you the waterways and the wildlife from a different angle. Further activities such as a scenic flight can be arranged separately.

The stage runs east through Botswana to Nata. On tar of varying quality, small settlements, bush country and wide plains pass by. The odds of wildlife at the roadside are good: elephant and giraffe are no rarity here, and with some luck a leopard shows itself. Riding is done in daylight, as game on the road is a real factor on this stretch.

The last big riding stage crosses wildlife rich country in Botswana, with one more chance to watch big game from the saddle. After the border crossing into Zimbabwe the route approaches the Victoria Falls region. In the late afternoon or the following morning a scenic flight over the falls can be booked as an option.

This day belongs to one of the greatest natural attractions in southern Africa. There is time for Victoria Falls with its viewpoints, the spray and the rainforest in front of it. This Cape Town to Victoria Falls motorcycle tour closes with the farewell dinner cruise on the Zambezi. A helicopter flight over the falls can be booked for a surcharge.

After breakfast the 21 day journey comes to an end. Transfer arrangements are made for the onward or return journey. Anyone staying on can explore the Victoria Falls region independently, with a safari in Zambezi National Park or another day at the falls. Nights after the last day of the tour are booked by you.