NAMIBIA - 15 DAYS - THE CLASSIC

Embark on an Epic Namibian Adventure

Imagine yourself traversing the ancient sands of the Namib Desert, where time seems to stand still. Or perhaps you dream of encountering majestic wildlife in the heart of Etosha National Park. This 15-day adventure is your passport to these wonders and more.

Your journey starts in the vibrant capital city of Windhoek, where you’ll meet your expert guide. From here, you’ll embark on a thrilling exploration of Namibia’s diverse landscapes:

  • Kalahari Desert: Immerse yourself in the golden dunes of the Kalahari Desert, a vast expanse of shifting sands. Experience the tranquillity of the desert nights and encounter unique wildlife.
  • Fish River Canyon: Marvel at the awe-inspiring Fish River Canyon, Africa’s largest canyon, and witness the power of nature as the Fish River carves its way through the landscape.
  • Namib Desert: Discover the otherworldly beauty of the Namib Desert, a place of stark beauty and ancient wonder. Explore the haunting Deadvlei, a pan of skeletal trees against towering dunes.
  • Coastal Delights: Relax on the pristine beaches of the Skeleton Coast, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the desert. Witness the dramatic interplay of land and sea.
  • Erongo Mountains: Discover the ancient granite boulders of the Erongo Mountains and encounter unique desert-adapted wildlife, including the elusive black rhino.
  • Damaraland: Explore the dramatic volcanic landscapes of Damaraland and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein, renowned for its ancient rock art.
  • Etosha National Park: Embark on thrilling game drives in Etosha National Park, a wildlife haven teeming with diverse species. Witness the breathtaking beauty of the Etosha Pan and encounter iconic African wildlife, including elephants, lions, and rhinos.
  • Private Wildlife Reserve: Conclude your journey in a private wildlife reserve, where you can immerse yourself in the tranquillity of nature and witness wildlife in its purest form.

ITINERARY DAY-TO-DAY

Day 1

Arrival – Windhoek

Welcome to Namibia! A driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you from the airport building to the car rental depot, where you will complete the required paperwork and collect your rental car. Drive a short distance to your hotel, where you can drop your luggage and freshen up before joining a local guide for a walking tour of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city.

Overnight at The Windhoek Gardens Boutique Hotel or similar
Meals included: None
Activity included: Windhoek City Walking Tour

Day 2

Windhoek – Kalahari

Breakfast. You have an easy drive to the Kalahari today. Your gravel travel starts when you leave the B1 highway before Mariental and travel through open countryside dotted with farmland. Arriving at Auob Lodge feels like you’re stepping into a welcome oasis. Later this afternoon, you join a guide for a lovely e-bike ride to explore the surrounding area. It’s a great way to stretch your legs and breathe in the fresh Kalahari air. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Auob Country Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Afternoon e-bike excursion.

Day 3

A Day Exploring the Kalahari

Enjoy a full day in the Kalahari. Enjoy a hike to see more of the area and possibly find some animals living here. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Auob Country Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Afternoon e-bike excursion.

Day 4

Kalahari – Fish River Canyon

Breakfast. Leave the Kalahari and find your way south to the Fish River Canyon. The route travels through farmland (mainly sheep and game in this part of Namibia), and you can stop by for lunch at a local restaurant in Keetmanshoop. You can visit the Quivertree Forest and Giant’s Playground, close to Keetmanshoop. Follow the directions further south, and soon, you’ll arrive at your lodge, which is located near the Fish River Canyon. Check in and freshen up with a cold drink before you drive to the Hobas Lookout Point, which gives a great view of the expanse of the massive Fish River Canyon, which is cut into the earth by the course of the Fish River. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Canyon Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Visit the Hobas Lookout Point over the Fish River Canyon (self-guided)

Day 5

Fish River Canyon – Namib Desert

Breakfast. Incredible landscapes unfold around every corner as you drive north to your lodge near the Sesriem gate into the Namib Naukluft park, where Sossusvlei and Deadvlei wait to take your breath away. Arrive at your lodge, check in and relax while you watch the golden colours of the sunset wash over the Namib Desert. Dinner is included at your lodge.

Overnight at Desert Homestead Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner

Day 6

A Day Exploring the Sossusvlei Area

This morning is an early start to grab a snack before departing the lodge for Sossusvlei. The route through the dunes is a well-maintained tar road, except for the last few kilometres of sandy tracks. Sossusvlei will be on your right, and the parking and route to Deadvlei will be on your left. If you’re feeling energetic, climb up the crest of Big Daddy Dune. The panoramic views over the sand sea are spectacular. Enjoy lunch at a nearby lodge, and later this afternoon, you will drive to the nearby Sesriem Canyon. As you walk down into the canyon carved into the riverbed by the water of the ephemeral Tsauchab River, you’ll marvel at the layers of sediment that clearly show the passage of time over millions of years. Return to your lodge for a beautiful sundowner. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Desert Homestead Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Visit Sossusvlei, Deadvlei and Sesriem Canyon (self-guided)

Day 7

Sesriem – Swakopmund

Breakfast. Travel through the Namib landscapes from Sesriem to Swakopmund. Stop at Solitaire for their famous apple pie, coffee, or tea before continuing northwest towards the Atlantic Ocean. The route crosses the Tropic of Capricorn and continues through the Gaub and Kuiseb canyons that cut through the Namib gravel plains. There will be opportunities for photo stops at lookout points en route. Arrive in Swakopmund in the afternoon and stroll through this lovely, small town or relax before choosing a restaurant for dinner. Travel time from Sesriem to Swakopmund is approximately 4h30, not including stops.

Overnight at Fritz Manor or similar
Meals included: Breakfast.

Day 8

A Day on the Namibian Coast

Breakfast. Drive the short distance, along the coast, to Walvisbay. Check in at the activity operator’s office on the Waterfront for a day full of adventures. The day starts with a cruise in the Walvisbay Harbour, where you’ll spot seals, dolphins, pelicans and flamingos. If you’re fortunate, you might spot whales and sunfish. You’ll return to the Waterfront, where you will meet your guide and embark on an epic 4×4 adventure through the dunes of the Namib Naukluft Park to Sandwich Harbour. The route to Sandwich Harbour depends on the tides. It may run along the beach, past the Lange Wand, before you head through the dune belt to a scenic lookout point from where you can see the whole Sandwich Harbour estuary. Your guide is very experienced, and although you’ll want to hold your breath at some of the steep dune descents, you are in skilful hands. A light lunch platter is served in the dunes with various “finger” foods, i.e., spring rolls, crostinis, calamari sticks, chicken wings, and snacks like droёwors, chips, cookies with sparkling wine, beer, coke, and water. In the late afternoon, make your way back to Swakopmund. After freshening up, decide on a restaurant for dinner. The cruise and dune trip is a full-day excursion. Travel time between Swakopmund and Walvisbay is approximately one hour.

Overnight at Fritz Manor or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Activity included: Catamaran Cruise + 4×4 Excursion to Sandwich Harbour

Day 9

Swakopmund – Spitzkoppe

Breakfast. Travel from Swakopmund to the beautiful Erongo Mountains. Arrive at Ai Aiba Lodge and check in. Relax before you join a guide from the lodge for a guided sundowner walk exploring the striking granite hulk of the Erongo Mountains, rising dramatically from the otherwise flat surroundings. You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Dinner is included at the lodge. Travel time between Swakopmund and the Erongos is approximately two hours, not including stops.

Overnight at Ai Aiba Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Guided sundowner walk.

Day 10

Spitzkoppe – Twyfelfontein

Breakfast. Enjoy an optional early morning hike before you travel north to Twyfelfontein via Uis. You’ll arrive at your next destination in time for lunch. After lunch, you have time to rest before joining a guide for the afternoon scenic drive through the dry riverbeds of the Huab and Aba Huab rivers. These riverbeds are home to a surprising variety of wildlife, including small herds of desert-adapted elephants, giraffes, lions, and the occasional zebra and other antelope. The drive includes a stop to enjoy a beautiful sundowner with cold drinks before you return to the lodge for dinner. Listen to the melodies of a choir of Barking Geckos calling for a mate across the sandy river valley. Travel time from the Erongos to Twyfelfontein is approximately 3h30, excluding stops.

Overnight at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Guided scenic drive through the dry riverbeds and floodplains of the Aba Huab.

Day 11

Twyfelfontein – Etosha

Breakfast. Check out and drive to the nearby Unesco World Heritage Site at Twyfelfontein. The Twyfelfontein UNESCO World Heritage site is small (less than 1 km2). It includes some great galleries of rock engravings (petroglyphs) depicting an extraordinary diversity of wild animals – rhino, elephant, giraffe, oryx, ostrich, flamingo, zebra and many more – and footprints. The engravings are often superimposed on one another. They are engraved on the massive rock faces of free-standing boulders in completely exposed positions. The art was probably made for 2,000 years by local San hunter-gatherer peoples and offers an insight into San ritual and belief systems. After your visit, continue to your lodge close to the Anderson Gate of the Etosha National Park. If time permits, you can enjoy a game drive in the park in the late afternoon. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Etosha Safari Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner

Day 12

A Day Exploring Etosha

Breakfast and check-out. Today, you will explore Etosha National Park at your leisure. Spend the day visiting the waterholes and springs that dot the salt pan’s edge and enjoy this great park’s landscape and animals. The animals gather at these water sources during the dry season. Etosha is famous for mammal herds numbering into the hundreds. Take a lunch break during the hottest part of the day when the animals seek shade and become more challenging to spot. Return to the park for more game viewing in the afternoon. This evening, you will stay inside the park’s boundary at Okaukuejo Camp. The camp is famous for its excellent waterhole, always busy with animal activity. Rhinos are frequent visitors at night. Dinner is included at the camp.

Overnight at Okaukuejo Resort or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Etosha Game Drives (self-guided)

Day 13

A Day in Etosha

Spend another day exploring the Etosha National Park. You travel through the middle of the park. Eventually, you exit the park through the Von Lindequist gate and soon arrive at your lodge for this evening. After a full day of game viewing, a cool drink and the peaceful safari atmosphere of the lodge will be the perfect way to revisit the highlights of your day. Dinner is included at the lodge.

Overnight at Mushara Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Etosha Game Drives (self-guided)

Day 14

Etosha – Mount Etjo

Breakfast. Leave the white clay dust of Etosha behind and travel south to the Okonjati Private Reserve near Namibia’s Waterberg. Your route travels via the small towns of Tsumeb, Otavi and Ojtiwarongo before you arrive at Mount Etjo Safari Lodge. After an afternoon rest, join a local guide from Mount Etjo for an afternoon drive on the reserve, where you can enjoy the many animals that live here. The Mount Etjo waterhole is in front of the lodge and is a beautiful place to sit and watch the animal activity. Dinner is included at the lodge. The travel distance between Etosha and Mount Etjo is roughly 3h30, excluding stops.

Overnight at Mount Etjo Safari Lodge or similar
Meals included: Breakfast + Dinner
Activity included: Scenic afternoon game drive.

Day 15

Etjo – Windhoek – Departure

Enjoy your last breakfast in the African bush before you start your journey south to Windhoek. You‘ll arrive in Windhoek in time for lunch. Pay a visit to the Namibia Craft Centre for a light lunch and souvenir shopping before returning your rental car and transferring to the airport to check in for your onward flight. Travel time between Mount Etjo and Windhoek is approximately three hours, excluding stops.

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN