Images of Western Trans Africa Expedition
London, England
Build Your Trip to Africa
Western Trans Africa Expedition
This tour takes you from London to Cape Town in 21 weeks.
Grab the Tour Dossier PDF.
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Current Price
GBP 3050 Currency Converter + US$ 1200 Local PaymentDuration
150 daysType
Trans Africa TourCamping TourAccommodation
CampingLocal Payment is a portion of your total tour cost which is paid locally to your Crew, in cash, at the beginning of your tour.Should you book this tour as a solo traveler and are happy to share a room, a single supplement may not apply (depending on availability). If you wish to have a room to yourself or can not be paired up with another same-sex traveler you would need to pay the single supplement. -
Tour Summary
REAL overland travel at its best! Expect to get 'stuck in' and somewhat dirty on this trip that covers the best sites between London and Cape Town via West Africa, both on and off the beaten track. A true OVERLAND ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!!
Read the Detailed Itinerary -
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Tour Code
LONCT-08
A day-by-day breakdown of what to expect and where you'll be staying.
Day 1 to 7, London to Chefchaouen
Start the Ultimate Trans Africa 'trip of a lifetime' with a flight to Gibraltar or Spain to meet the truck, before crossing into Morocco. Visit the Riff Mountains and the small town of Chefchaouen before trying out a hammam bath house to get you in the West African mood.
Day 8 to 14, Chefchaouen to Fez
The roman city of Volubilis awaits and we spend some time wandering this ancient town before heading off to Fez with its huge bazaar, dye pits and jam-packed alleys.
Day 15 to 21, Fez to Rabat
After the colour and bustle of Fez we travel to Rabat and spend a few days organising our visa's.
Day 22 to 28, Rabat to Essaouira
With our visa's organised we leave Rabat and travel up to the Todra Gorge, Sarhro Mountains and the Draa Valley to Marrakech. This town comes alive at night and we can check out the busy main square. We drive to the coast for a few days before crossing into Mauritania.
Day 29 to 35, Essaouira to Nouakchott
Civilisation is left behind as we head into the remote (and hot!) parts of Mauritania. Soft sand, digging out the truck, no shops, no roads and the complete desert environment put us to the test - are you tough enough?! We arrive in the tiny capital of Nouakchott and will have a short break.
Day 36 to 42, Nouakchott to Bamako
Heading inland we cross into Mali - one of the poorest countries on Earth. Terrible roads make for a nice slow drive through some villages and will give you a peek at the local culture and environment. Arriving in Bamako is a real culture shock after the last week or so. A cold beer, fresh fruit and vege from the markets, clubs, pubs and live music await.
Day 43 to 49, Bamako to Bandiagara
After restocking our supplies we travel alongside the Niger River through Mopti and Djenne before arriving at the remote Bandiagara Escarpment. Taking a hike out to one of the Dogon villages in the area is a fantastic experience!
Day 50 to 56, Bandiagara to Ougadougou
After a couple of days hiking through the cliffside villages of the Dogon our trip continues into Burkina Faso and we spend some time around its capital, Ougadougou.
Day 57 to 63, Ougadougou to Accra
Enjoy some of the best music in Africa before we leave Burkina Faso behind us and travel into Ghana. After some game driving through the Mole National Park we camp near Accra for a few days and relax on the beach.
Day 64 to 70, Accra to Ganvie
Travelling through Togo and Benin doesn't take long as they are on 80 kms wide! 'Thinking outside the box' has new meaning when you see the Ganvie village - built on stilts in the middle of Lake Nakoue.
Day 71 to 77, Ganvie to Limbe
Leaving the village on stilts we cross into Nigeria and re-enter city life hustle and bustle as we arrive in the capital Abuja. After stocking up we travel through mountains and jungle aiming for Cameroon and Mount Cameroon. Spend a few days camping on the beach or if you like take a trek up Mount Cameroon.
Day 78 to 84, Limbe to Yaounde
After a few days relaxing on a beach you might be up for some exercise! Take a hike up Mount Cameroon, visit a chimp orphanage or relax on the beach a bit longer.
Day 85 to 98, Yaounde to Pointe Noire
Heading inland now we stock up in Ambam and stop off in Libreville for some more visa's before heading south towards Congo. Rough roads make for slow going and digging the truck out of the mud is highly likely - yippee!
Day 99 to 105, Pointe Noire to Matadi
A bit of night life is on the cards in Pointe Noire and it boasts some fantastic African music and musicians. After crossing into Cabinda we enter the DRC and travel some interesting 'roads' (if you can call them that) as we continue south.
Day 106 to 112, Matadi to Luanda
We cross the Congo River and enter Angola heading for the capital of Luanda where we stock up on supplies for the next desert leg.
Day 113 to 119, Luanda to Namibe
Further south we go and can visit the Parque Nacional Da Quicama as we edge closer to the Nambian border and our last stop in Angola.
Day 120 to 126, Namibe to Lubango
Small villages and town dot our route and relics of two decades of civil war are plainly obvious in the wrecks of tanks and trucks along the roadside. We pass through Lubango and get as close to the border as we can.
Day 127 to 133, Lubango to Ondangwa
Crossing the border we enter the Kaokoveld region of northern Namibia and home to the Owambo people. We pass through the country's second largest town - Ondangwa. This town is one of the main suppliers of beer to Northern Namibia - hopefully there will be enough left for us!
Day 134 to 143, Ondangwa to Swakopmund
We continue towards Etosha National Park where besides Game drives we can also game watch by night at one of the floodlit water holes. Afterwards we head west to the region of the Himba people, a tribe of Nomadic pastoralists before heading further south down the Skeleton Coastline to Swakopmund for a well earned break and to pay a visit to the Laundromat that will indeed get a work out after the remote areas we have just travelled through with no facilities.
Day 144 to 148, Swakopmund to Orange River - Namibia
Next we stay a few nights in the capital Windhoek from where we head further south to the Orange River for another couple of nights where we stay at a beautiful camp overlooking the Orange River. You have the opportunity to go for a canoe or simply relax and soak up the sun.
Day 149 to 150, Orange River - Namibia to Cape Town
We cross the Orange River and arrive into South Africa. We travel through the Cederburg Wilderness area before making our way to the most southern tip of Africa. We end this expedition in the vibrant and cosmopolitan city of Cape Town.
There are 18 optional activities available on this trip.
Prices shown are approximate
- $115 Bloukrans Bridge Bungee Jump
- $7 Cango Caves
- $10 Canoe to the Village on Stilts
- $8 Cape Coast Slave Fort
- $5 Fez Medina Guided Walk
- TBA Game Fishing
- $250 Great White Shark Cage Diving
- $55 Guided Trek to the Dogon
- $85 Mt Cameroon Climb
- $15 Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farm Visit
- $80 Paragliding
- $85 Swakopmund Quadbiking
- $65 Swakopmund Sandboarding
- $350 Swakopmund Sky Diving
- $75 Swakopmund Township Tour
- $45 Tsitsikamma Forest Quad Biking
- $75 Tsitsikamma Treetop Canopy Tour
- $90 Whale Watching - Hermanus
| Tour Starts | Tour Ends | Price | Enquire or Add to Backpack |
|---|---|---|---|
10 Nov 2013 |
06 Apr 2014 |
GBP 3050 + US$ 1200 |
|
09 Nov 2014 |
05 Apr 2015 |
enquire for a price |
Route Info and Logistics
This tour goes through: London, Bamako, Bandiagara, Ouagadougou, Accra & 16 other destination(s) in Africa.
Tour Detail
Crew: 2 crew
Vehicle: Overland Truck
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T.J. and Bervin, our crew, were knowledgeable, kind, and genuine. I felt s...

