Arrival
Arrival
Day 1
Windhoek
Windhoek
Welcome to Namibia! After arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport outside the country’s capital city of Windhoek, a representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall of the airport with your name on a signboard. After loading your luggage into the vehicle, you will be transferred to your guesthouse based in Windhoek, where you will settle in and rest up for a wonderful journey that starts tomorrow morning. Please book a city tour in advance if you want to explore some main areas of the city before you are off for dinner for extra cost.
- Main Destination:
- Windhoek (City)
- Accommodation:
- Villa Violet Guesthouse
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Windhoek to Etosha National Park
Windhoek to Etosha National Park
After breakfast, you will do a short city tour with our guide and then make your way north on the next stage of your exciting adventure! The drive to Etosha will take about 4 to 5 hours, but it is a fantastic way to get to know the “lie of the land” here in Namibia. You will pass through Okahandja before passing close to both Okonjima Nature Reserve and the Waterberg Plateau National Park. The next town you'll go through will be Otjiwarongo, one of the fastest-growing towns in Namibia and home to a large population of German-speaking people.
Lunch will be enjoyed en route. You will reach your lodge just outside the Etosha National Park gate in the afternoon. If there is time, you will go for a short game drive inside the park.
- Main Destination:
- Eastern Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
-
Mushara Bush Camp
Wildlife in Etosha NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
You'll have a full day to enjoy Etosha today. You will also slowly make your way to the southwestern side of the park, where you will stay overnight today. You will stop at Halali Camp in the middle of the park for lunch.
Etosha is also a photographer’s dream, with the contrasts in light, color, and textures particularly dramatic. Many guests’ “lifer shots” of African animal and bird species were taken in this park. The sunrises and sunsets are particularly spectacular, so better get those cameras and phones ready!
After another fantastic day in the park, you will reach your camp and freshen up. You will either be staying in a camp inside the park or just outside the park’s gate. You will then enjoy dinner and a good night’s rest. One of the great features of the camps inside Etosha is the floodlit waterholes at the perimeter fence, where you can sit and enjoy game coming to drink only a few meters away; a special treat to remember forever!
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Etosha Safari Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park
You will explore the southwestern side of the world-famous Etosha National Park today, going for a morning drive after breakfast and returning to your lodge for lunch and a break in the heat of the day.
In the drier months of the year, almost all the animals tend to congregate around the waterholes dotted around the massive park. They come to drink water and are inevitably followed by predators. This allows you to sit and wait at some of the waterholes for the action to come to you. This is what sets Etosha apart from other parks in southern or east Africa; unique indeed!
You will return to the lodge after your afternoon game drive to enjoy dinner. Remember to look up before settling into your bed tonight—the African night sky, undisturbed by city lights out here in the bush, is truly amazing.
- Main Destination:
- Etosha National Park
- Accommodation:
- Etosha Safari Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Etosha National Park via Himba Village to Damaraland
Etosha National Park via Himba Village to Damaraland
This morning after breakfast you will make your way to Damaraland where you will spend one night. On your way, you will stop at a Himba Village and learn more about their way of life.
This beautiful mountainous region is home to an assortment of scientifically important desert-adapted wildlife such as African elephants, black rhinoceros, and lions, which somehow survive and thrive in this near-barren landscape. We hope to see some of them; a special treat indeed!
After a picnic lunch en route, you'll stop and admire the “petrified forest” rock formation, believed to be more than 200 million years old! Here you'll also look out for the Namib Desert’s weird-looking living fossil plant, the Welwitschia, the longest-living plant on earth.
Before you check into your lodge this evening, you'll visit two more fascinating geological formations, the “organ pipes” arrangement, and the much-photographed “burnt mountain”.
- Main Destination:
- Damaraland
- Accommodation:
- Brandberg White Lady Lodge
Wildlife in Damaraland
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Damaraland to Swakopmund
Damaraland to Swakopmund
This morning you'll make your first stop at Uis, before continuing towards the Atlantic Coast. This route crosses the desolate ‘gravel plains’ of the Namib Desert before arriving at the ‘Skeleton Coast’. After a nice lunch break on the roadside, you'll reach the ocean and turn northbound, to visit Cape Cross and its world-famous Cape Fur Seal colony. You'll take your time to adequately explore, enjoy, and photograph the 80000 inhabitants of the colony before you continue south along the coast and make your way to Swakopmund.
After a quick check-in at your city hotel, you'll use the remaining hour or two of daylight, to explore this charming coastal city, booming in the middle of the hostile desert environment. You'll be back at your hotel after sunset, for a nice dinner and a great night’s rest.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- Atlantic Villa
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Swakopmund
Swakopmund
This morning your guide will drive you to Walvis Bay after your early breathtaking breakfast for a half-day activity. You need to be there at the waterfront at 7:30 am to meet your guide for Sandwich Harbour to ride in a 4x4 on the breathtaking Sandwich Harbour Area of the Namib Naukluft Park. We'll take you in our 4x4 vehicle on a scenic drive along the Walvis Bay Lagoon and the salt mines. You'll return to the waterfront to meet with your guide and drive back to Swakopmund. Lunch can be had either at Walvisbay or at Swakopmund. You and your guide will decide. The rest of the afternoon can be spent at your leisure or exploring Swakopmund on foot. You'll return and freshen up for your dinner. Your dinner can be had at one of the famous restaurants. The rest of the night is spent on your siesta.
- Main Destination:
- Swakopmund (City)
- Accommodation:
- Atlantic Villa
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Swakopmund to Sossusvlei
Swakopmund to Sossusvlei
This morning, you'll make your way to iconic Sossusvlei, turning inland and traversing the vast Namib-Naukluft Park. Your entire drive today takes place in the Namib Sand Sea, one of Namibia’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog. Covering an area of over three million hectares, the site features gravel plains, coastal flats, and rocky hills within the sand sea, a coastal lagoon, and ephemeral rivers, resulting in a landscape of exceptional beauty.
It is a beautiful drive of about 4 hours. If time allows, you'll stop for the famous 'Apple Pie' in the small desert oasis town of Solitaire, a true Namibian tradition that should not be missed.
You will reach your accommodation as the sun disappears behind the horizon, painting the surrounding dunes flaming red. A hearty Namibian dinner and an early bedtime will ensure that you have enough energy for an early start tomorrow.
- Main Destination:
- Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
- Accommodation:
- Namib Desert Lodge
Wildlife in Namib-Naukluft NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Sossusvlei
Sossusvlei
You'll wake up before the sun this morning and hope to be close to the world’s highest dunes by the time the first rays appear. It is a magical place to be as the sun rises, with incredible photographic opportunities.
From the Sesriem entrance gate, you'll drive in the ancient dry bed of the Tsauchab River, stopping regularly at all the famous spots, and climbing a few dunes, all the while making your way slowly to the world-famous Dead Vlei. You will stop for a picnic close to the Vlei itself whilst enjoying the amazing landscape. Your last excursion will be at Sesriem Canyon. It is a narrow gorge of 1km long and up to 30m deep slashed into the earth by the Tsauchab River millions of years ago, and is located near the entrance to Sossusvlei.
It will take most of the day to explore this wonderland, so you'll only return to your lodge in the afternoon. Once you're back at your accommodation, you'll enjoy your last dinner together after a magical Namibian adventure.
- Main Destination:
- Sossusvlei (Sand Dunes)
- Accommodation:
- Namib Desert Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Departure
Departure
After a relaxing final breakfast together, you'll depart for Windhoek. It is a 4- to 5-hour drive northwards to the capital. You will drive through the Namib Desert for the last time. It is the oldest desert and boasts the highest dunes in the world.
You'll drive up to the Khomas Highland via one of the many scenic mountain passes, and remember to keep an eye out for some wildlife before you reach Windhoek. You might see common ostrich, gemsbok, pale chanting goshawk, sociable weavers, or even a greater kudu.
Lunch is had en route. You'll arrive late afternoon at Windhoek. You can still part take in exploring the city on a city tour if it was not done on the first day.
Your guide will drop you off either at the Airport depending on your departure flight or drop you at your own arranged accommodation. Here you also say your goodbyes to your guide.
- Main Destination:
- Windhoek (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
