Botswana, South Africa & Zambia

The below provides an overview of Tauck's requirements and those of the countries we visit, along with our supplier partners who have implemented their own Covid policies that may go beyond Tauck's requirements. The trip-specific guidelines are for U.S. travelers.

Up-to-date destination entry requirements will be posted 60 days prior to the first seasonal departure for each tour or cruise series. For journeys not yet posted below, please visit our Travel Requirements page. As entry requirement change frequently, please check often.

Tauck 2024 Covid Policy

For 2024 tours and cruises, Tauck has no remaining Covid requirements. There is no vaccination requirement or travel pledge to be signed. This 2024 policy could change if there is a surge in infection rates or other factors that could impact the safety of our guests and employees.

Tauck 2023 Covid Policy

• Vaccination Requirement: All Tauck guests age 12 and older must be fully vaccinated. Additionally, you must have had at least one booster dose and/or have proof of recovery from Covid.
• Requirements for Minors: Though highly recommended, vaccination for minors age 11 and under is not required by Tauck. However, if unvaccinated they must present a negative result from either a PCR or antigen test taken within 3 days of departing for their Tauck trip. If a child age 11 or under is vaccinated but not boosted, they must also present a negative test prior to their Tauck trip.
• Tauck Travel Agreement: Tauck requires all guests to sign our Travel Well Pledge. Your Tauck Director will provide this document for your signature on the first day of your trip, and will check your proof of vaccination and booster/or proof of recovery. Additional information can be found at here.

To ensure the safety of your fellow travelers and the communities we visit, all guests must follow health and safety protocols when necessitated by local health guidance or our supplier partners. Your Tauck Director will keep you informed of these local requirements.

Although not required by Tauck, some countries may require a pre-travel Covid test. It is important that you carefully check the most recent entry requirements (listed below) for your tour or cruise. 

Additional Destination Requirements

All U.S. citizens require a valid passport to enter the countries on this itinerary, and that passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel. (Please note that although adult passports are valid for a full ten years, children's passports require renewal every five years.)

The countries of South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana do not require visas for U.S. citizens, you will however receive a tourist visa stamp upon arrival into each country.

New rules at South Africa's airports require travelers that are transiting through or visiting South Africa, to have four consecutive blank visa pages in your passport which lie side-by-side when the passport is open (i.e. a left and a right-hand page). These must be pages marked "visa" at the top. Guests will need two additional blank visa pages in their passport for their arrival into Zambia or transit through Zimbabwe. (These two additional pages need not be consecutive with the blank four-page spread noted above that is required for entry into South Africa.) 

Passengers traveling to South Africa with passports that do not comply with these requirements will either be prevented from boarding their flight to South Africa or risk deportation upon arrival.

An unabridged birth certificate is needed for guests under 18 years old to cross into Botswana.

** Non-U.S. citizens should contact the embassies or consulates of South Africa, Zambia and Botswana to determine if a visa is required.

For guests arriving into Victoria Falls International Airport in Zimbabwe: In addition to a valid passport, U. S. citizens are also required to have a visa to enter Zimbabwe, for the transfer to the Royal Livingstone hotel in Zambia. 

You must obtain your Zimbabwe visa upon arrival at Victoria Falls Airport in Zimbabwe, before exiting Immigration and Customs. You will be required to show your passport in order to obtain your Zimbabwe visa. You will need to purchase a SINGLE ENTRY VISA for $30 USD. Guests who are arriving early and plan to visit the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls (after entering Zambia), before your Tauck journey begins, you will need to purchase a DOUBLE-ENTRY VISA for $45 USD.

For those guests arriving into Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone Zambia: If you plan on visiting the Zimbabwe side of Victoria Falls, you may purchase a SINGLE ENTRY VISA on the Zambia/Zimbabwe border. 

It is a good idea to carry a photocopy of the photo page of your passport in a place other than with the original, and to leave a copy of all your travel documents with a friend or relative at home.  If you are a United States citizen and do not have a valid passport, please contact the closest U.S.passport agency or consult the U.S. State Department website for detailed information on how to obtain or renew your passport at: {www.travel.state.gov}.

** Non-U.S. citizens should contact the embassies or consulates of South Africa, Zambia and Botswana to determine if a visa is required.

To facilitate Travel Requirements, destinations are increasingly utilizing online forms that require digital proof that you've successfully completed your submission (via an email, QR code, etc.) To ensure smooth travels and peace of mind, we strongly recommend all guests carry a personal smart phone and sign up for international data plans before traveling overseas.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AS A GUARDIAN: If you are traveling as the guardian of a child/children, we strongly suggest that you carry a letter from both parents of the child authorizing emergency treatment in the event of illness or accident. For travel abroad, many foreign countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling internationally without BOTH parents. (These requirements are in response to the increased incidence of children being abducted and taken abroad.) PLEASE NOTE THAT TAUCK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for children traveling without both parents.

Traveling with Minors:

To ensure a smooth booking process and compliance with travel requirements for children under 18 years old to Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, please provide the following documents:

• U.S. citizens require a valid passport to enter the countries on this itinerary, and that passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of travel.
• Signed, Notarized Letter from Parents: For guardians or grandparents traveling with minors, it is required to bring a signed, notarized letter from the children's parents. This letter should authorize travel and emergency medical treatment in case of injury or illness. Please note that the legal definition of a minor can vary by location and may be up to 21 years of age.
• Unabridged Birth Certificate: An Unabridged Birth Certificate is a document that includes detailed information about both biological parents or legal guardians to cross into Botswana 
• In the case of one parent traveling with a child, he or she must produce a certified unabridged birth certificate of the child.
• A letter of consent from the absent parent, should the minor be traveling with one parent only.

For more information, please click on the links below:

Detailed information regarding Botswana can be found at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Botswana.html

Detailed information can be found at South Africa's office of homeland affairs:
https://www.gov.za/faq/travel-tourism/what-are-requirements-travelling-children 

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
  
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits:

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck 60 days before departure for lands trips, and 120 days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances: In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation – If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
  
  
• Trip Interruption – If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
  
  
• Travel Delay – Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
  
  
• Medical Expense – Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
  
  
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection – Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.

• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services – Provided by CareFree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $769 per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL.

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit

Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees.

If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit

Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

60 days or more before departure = $600 per person

59-8 days before departure = $1250 per person

7-1 days before departure = $2000 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note: All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Click here to find Tauck's Travel Terms & Conditions.

Tauck Care and Global Response

Keeping our guests safe and secure has always been of paramount importance at Tauck. While we cannot predict or prevent events outside of our control, we have learned to expect the unexpected. In fact, we've planned for it and have safeguards, protocols and teams in place to deal with any eventualities. You'll travel with a comprehensive, built-in support system that starts with the care and local knowledge of our Tauck Directors and extends to our network of partners around the world, including hoteliers and transportation companies.

Our Global Response Team stands ready to respond to situations around the world. Over the past two decades, they have successfully led us through a variety of challenges around the world, from weather events, high and low water on rivers, work stoppages and more. We are well prepared for Covid. We provide assurance and comfort in knowing that help is readily available if and when it's ever needed.

Land Journeys:

Tauck has worked closely with our supplier partners around the world to deliver the comfort and safety you expect. The following are just some of the enhanced protocols we have put in place for Covid to provide you with the peace of mind you expect:

We are limiting guests numbers across all of our journeys

• Upon arrival, health questionnaires and temperature checks may be required

• Guest can expect to wear face coverings in group settings and when mandated by our suppliers and governments

•  Proper physical distancing will be implemented on motor coaches, during dining and sightseeing

•  High-touch areas in hotels and on-tour transportation, including motor coaches, will undergo enhanced cleaning

These protocols may vary by destination and will evolve over time. Please check for the latest updates at tauck.com/travel-updates

AIRFARE: Airfare to and from this destination is not included in the journey cost. If purchasing your air elsewhere, it is very important to provide us with your confirmed arriving and departing flight information no later than 3 weeks before your arrival date. Flight information can be submitted to Tauck (or verified, if you've already provided it) in the My Account section of Tauck.com.

TAUCK AIRPORT TRANSFERS are included at the start and end of the journey between the airport and the Tauck hotel. Airport transfers are available for any pre tour or post tour hotel stays immediately consecutive to the tour, providing flight information is received in the Tauck office no later than three weeks in advance. Details on locating your transfer upon arrival to the tour start city will be included in your final documents.

AIRLINES and CHECKED LUGGAGE: Due to space limitations during your Tauck journey, we ask that you please limit your checked luggage to one average-size suitcase per person. Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and are free to revise luggage policies without notice. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies. PLEASE NOTE that if you are booked on a tour that includes on-tour flights, the checked luggage weight restrictions for these flights may be lower than the weight restrictions for your international flights.

Special Luggage Restrictions for this Tour:

Due to internal flights with limited storage capacity throughout the tour, a special rolling duffel bag ((27 ½" x 14" x 15"inches) to be used for the entire tour; will be mailed to your home prior to your tour departure. This duffel bag has been selected to provide you with adequate space for all items needed during your stay.

Guests are allowed up to 44 lbs (20 kg) for the duffel bag and up to 16 lbs (7 kg) for the carry-on. While larger suitcases are prohibited, each guest is allowed a small carry-on bag (soft sided only), in addition to the duffel bag.

If you choose to bring extra luggage outside of the rolling duffel and carry-on, you will be charged $230 per piece to have it flown from Kasane (on Day 3) to Maun where you will be reunited with the extra luggage for your flight to Cape Town on Day 9.

Additional luggage fees may apply on your flight to Cape Town as well.

Please remember that casual attire is acceptable on this tour and laundry is included at many of our lodges.

Checked Luggage – General

Besides complying with the Tauck restriction noted above, you should also be sure to research and comply with all airline baggage restrictions relating to your flights to and from your Tauck journey. Airlines have become much more strict in enforcing size and weight limits in recent years, and luggage exceeding airline standards for size or weight may result in expensive overage fees or other consequences.

Airlines are free to revise luggage policies without notice, and certain airlines have different baggage allowances for different classes of service. Researching and complying with airline luggage restrictions is the responsibility of the guest, and Tauck cannot be held responsible for any costs or disruptions to travel caused by the failure to research and comply with airline policies.

Tauck luggage tags will be provided by your Tauck Director on Day 1 of your itinerary. Please do not attach a Tauck luggage tag to any carry-on items, as the Tauck tags designate luggage that is to be handled and transferred by ground operators and hotel staff during your journey.

Carry-on Luggage - General

Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for safari vehicle travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern safari vehicles offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and that you bring only those items you need handy during the day such as make-up, valuables, cameras, film, etc.

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify us as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour. 

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Immigration authorities in some nations require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against certain diseases in order to enter those countries. These requirements are subject to frequent change as outbreaks occur and subside, and it is therefore crucial that you obtain the very latest information on entry requirements as you prepare for your journey.

For the most current information possible vaccination requirements, please consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by clicking here and the World Health Organization (WHO) by clicking here. You may also wish to visit the web sites for the embassies of the countries you will be visiting. Besides providing details on vaccination requirements, these sites can also provide information on vaccinations that may be recommended (but aren't required) and other potential health issues for which no vaccines are available.

Any decisions relating to your health, of course, should not be based solely on information provided by a web site. It is critically important that you consult with your personal physician prior to your journey to obtain any required vaccinations and to review any optional recommendations offered by the CDC or other sources.

Please be sure to discuss your journey with your physician at least four to six weeks in advance of your departure, as certain vaccinations take time to become fully effective. Also, be certain to ask your physician for proof of any vaccinations you receive, and to pack this proof along with your other travel documents in your carry-on luggage (not in your checked luggage).

Researching and complying with vaccination entry requirements for the countries visited on this itinerary is the responsibility of the traveler and not Tauck. Tauck is therefore not responsible for any expenses incurred or disruptions to travel caused by improper or incomplete vaccinations, or by the failure to provide proof of required vaccinations.

If you do not obtain the necessary vaccinations and proper documentation, you may be denied entry into one or more countries, or temporarily quarantined until the necessary vaccinations are administered, or until proper documentation is provided.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

Please note that all Tauck guests will dine at Tauck Designated tables for meals. The majority of meals while on safari, are buffet due to the international guests that stay at the lodges.

MOBILITY

All travelers to Africa should be in reasonably good health. There is a significant amount of walking on this tour, frequently in warm weather, as well as climbing in and out of safari vehicles and frequent air travel. We strongly advise that guests who require assistance walking or travel with oxygen tanks may not fully enjoy this very active journey.

There are certain rules and regulations that one should be aware of while on safari. It is important that you listen to your tour director, local guide or ranger, as they are trained to be aware of the environment around them.

Guests should be aware that while on safari, you will be traveling in smaller groups and will travel on small bush planes and/or helicopters.

Guests will share smaller safari vehicles, where they will be required to rotate not only safari guides, rangers and cars, but also seats within the car. Please note that there are limited medical facilities, and guests will not have exclusive use to a vehicle should they need special attention or consideration.

The safari vehicles are not air conditioned. The cars have six window seats, and many are open air cars for animal viewing. Please note that the areas traversed on game drives are typically unpaved and will often be bumpy and dusty.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN AND MOBILITY ISSUES: This Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or motorized scooters. Oxygen tanks are strictly prohibited in many foreign countries on regional flights aboard small aircraft, such as those intra-tour flights featured on this Tauck journey. Likewise, the very limited cargo capacity on such flights prohibits the transport of wheelchairs or motorized scooters.

Guests should also bear in mind that the infrastructure in many foreign countries, particularly in developing countries, often presents severe and even insurmountable challenges for those with walking difficulties or other mobility issues. The responsibility of the Tauck Director is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one guest. Guests requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it.

We have compiled a reading list of recommended books to give you more information about the destinations you will be traveling to on your upcoming journey!

You can view the reading list here.

South Africa, Zambia, and Botswana are a year-round destination, as frequently the climate features bright, sunny days. Temperatures in the summer (November to February) and autumn (March and April) typically range from the mid-50's to the high-70's degrees Fahrenheit , or 10 to 21 degrees Celsius, in South Africa. Meanwhile, the winter (May to August) and spring (September to October) seasons typically bring temperatures from the mid-40's to the low-70's F, or 4 to 21 C, in South Africa.

South Africa is generally considered to be an arid region, with two-thirds of the country receiving less than 22 inches, or 56 centimeters, of rain per year. The central part of the country typically sees rainfall in the summer. Meanwhile, in Cape Town and its surroundings, it is typically most rainy in the winter months.

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website by clicking here.

Bringing the right clothing for your trip is important – we've partnered with Necessary Gear who provide an "easy-to-use, one-stop shop" for your Tauck travel needs, specifically selected for this trip. Click here to visit their site.

Generally, lightweight, cotton, short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts, shorts and long pants are sufficient. A light jacket, fleece, or windbreaker, as well as layers of clothing, are suggested for cooler temperatures during early morning game drives, especially from June through August, and for evenings. A bandana or cotton scarf will always come in handy.

For the welcome and farewell dinners, and for dining in the larger cities, many guests like to dress up, but by all means be comfortable.

While on safari it is recommended you wear natural earth-colored clothing, such as khakis, tans, browns, and greens, as well as comfortable walking shoes. It is also a good idea to bring a swimsuit, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and lip protection.

Game drives can be dusty, so wear something that can be washed while on safari. Valet service is available at all lodges and hotels.A personal kit with medication for possible upset stomach, aspirin, and allergy medicine may also be useful. If you are taking prescription drugs, bring a prescription signed by your doctor in case you need an emergency refill while traveling. Insect repellent with DEET is a very important item to include in your kit. Pre-moistened towelettes, antibacterial lotion, and a flashlight will also be useful on your safari.

Pack your medical kit in your carry-on bag along with an extra pair of prescription glasses or contact lenses and a change of clothes in case of luggage delay.

For viewing wildlife, we recommend you bring a good pair of binoculars and your own photography supplies, such as plenty of film, batteries, a 200mm telephoto lens, lens cap, lens papers, UV filter and, for video-recording, an adequate supply of video cassettes.

We suggest that you pack the following items your journey:

• Casual daytime wear – shorts, slacks, long and short-sleeved shirts
• An optional jacket and tie for men
• Casually elegant evening wear for ladies
• Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat
• Swimwear
• Gym wear
• A light sweater or jacket for higher elevations or a breezy night
• Binoculars (7x50 preferably)
• Insect repellent
• Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and chargers
• Lightweight, comfortable, sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
• Travel alarm clock/cell phone with alarm function (many hotels do not have clocks in the rooms)
• Rain poncho and collapsible umbrella
• Reusable zipper-lock bags or other waterproof bags
• Daypack for camera equipment
• Sundries and toiletries that may be difficult to find en route
• Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling