$2,915 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Windhoek to Sossusvlei
Windhoek to Sossusvlei
On arrival at Windhoek Airport, you will be assisted with collecting your rental vehicle and provided with the directions. You will drive southwards to the desert through scenic landscapes that may include mountain passes, depending on the road you use. You will have a lunch stop along the way to Sossusvlei. You will arrive in the Sossusvlei area before sunset and enjoy a sundowner drive in the desert.
- Main Destination:
- Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
- Accommodation:
- Namib Desert Lodge
Wildlife in Namib-Naukluft NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei
An early morning start will see you getting into the Namib Naukluft Park, the third-largest national park in Africa, covering an area of 50,000km². The Namib Desert has been arid for about 80 million years, with true desert conditions predominating the last 15 to 20 million years. Wildlife thriving in this area includes gemsbok, springbok, brown hyena, and black-backed jackal, among others. You will visit the most photographed sand dune in the area, Dune 45.
Depending on your energy levels, climbing one of the highest sand dunes in the area, the Big Daddy, is quite fun! A visit to Deadvlei is also worthwhile. After a visit to Sossusvlei, you will visit the Sesriem Canyon.
- Main Destination:
- Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
- Accommodation:
- Namib Desert Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
Sossusvlei to Swakopmund
Soon after breakfast, you will make your way to the coast via the scenic Gaub and Kuiseb Passes. You will go past Walvis Bay Lagoon for interesting waterbird sightings, including flamingoes. The accommodation in Swakopmund is a delight, and you can enjoy dinner in some of the best restaurants.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Delight Swakopmund
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Swakopmund
Swakopmund
After breakfast, there are several excursions that you can choose from. You can go on the Living Desert Tour excursion. Dry bone, without a trace of moisture, and dry as a weathered bone, are some terms used to describe this unique biome. Notice the sneaky creatures that have adapted to living in harsh environments. These little creatures use camouflage, agility and faking death to help them survive.
This is a 4 to 5-hour tour conducted by passionate and experienced desert specialists who are also desert conservationists. If lucky, you might see the desert Little Five (shovel-nosed lizard, Namib sand gecko, Namaqua chameleon, Namib Desert sidewinding adder, and the cartwheeling spider, also known as the dancing white lady). Birds of interest include Gray’s lark, tractrix chat, and Damara tern. You should be back around lunchtime and enjoy a stroll around Swakopmund or take any optional activities we can arrange for you in advance.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- The Delight Swakopmund
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Damaraland
Damaraland
Leave the coastal environment and drive inland past several shipwrecks. Visit the Cape Cross Seal Reserve. This 60km² reserve has the world's largest seal colony, which can number up to 240,000 at any given time. If these animals were humans, it could be the second-largest city in Namibia!
After this activity, go through the Skeleton Coast National Park. The park is renowned for its cold and unpredictable Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean that contends with the dune and desert landscape. This is a rarely visited park in Namibia with eye-catching landscapes that range from sweeping vistas of windswept smaller sand dunes to rugged canyons with walls of richly-coloured rocks and extensive mountain ranges. Wildlife here includes oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal, ostrich, brown hyena, desert-adapted elephant, black rhino and lion. Your destination for this day is Damaraland.
- Main Destination:
- Twyfelfontein (Rock Art)
- Accommodation:
- Twyfelfontein Country Lodge
Wildlife in Damaraland
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Twyfelfontein to Etosha National Park
Twyfelfontein to Etosha National Park
This morning, depending on your pace, you will visit the Bushmen rock engravings around Twyfelfontein before making your way to Etosha National Park. This area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 and consists of over 40,000 rock engravings done by the San (Bushmen) people 2,000 years ago. It is a 45-minute walk conducted by local guides.
You can proceed to the Petrified Forest, a geological formation that occurred 280 million years ago. Giant trees were carried by a river and buried here. The sand was deposited around them, creating ideal conditions for the wood cells to be replaced by silica and thus become petrified. These trees are considered Dadoxylon arberi, the same tree responsible for European coal fields. This is a 30-minute walk led by knowledgeable local guides.
Proceed to Etosha, where you should arrive on time for an afternoon game drive. You can do a self-drive game drive, or we can book the drive for you at an extra cost.
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Etosha Safari Lodge
Wildlife in Etosha NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
You will do a morning and an afternoon game drive in the park. Return to the lodge around midday and go back to the park in the late afternoon. Cool off in the swimming pool or enjoy a siesta and the tranquility of the lodge. Etosha is a 22,270km² park with 114 mammal species and over 350 bird species. Etosha means "great white place" in the local Oshindonga language, referring to the 4,800km² salt pan that covers 23% of the park’s surface area.
The mammals include black and white rhinoceros, lion, leopard, cheetah, African elephant, plains and Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Angolan giraffe, eland, gemsbok, African wild cat, and spotted and brown hyaena, among others. It is unique as the concentration and diversity around the waterholes in the Dry season are magnificent, allowing one to see animal dramas unfolding as they take turns to quench their thirst.
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Etosha Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Etosha To Windhoek
Etosha To Windhoek
On your last day, the departure time will depend on the time of your flight. Soon after breakfast, you will leave Etosha National Park and drive to Windhoek. This day marks the end of your trip.
- Main Destination:
- Windhoek (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
