Self-Drive Classic Namibia - 14 days

Travel distance: Approximately 45km, main roads. 

Collect your vehicle upon arrival and drive to your guesthouse. Depending on your arrival time you may choose to wander into the centre of Namibia’s capital city. It’s often described as having a continental atmosphere - mixing African lifestyle with European history; picturesque German architecture, European influenced restaurants and shopping centres combined with street vendors make it unique. Alternatively relax by the pool or join an optional township tour..

Stay at: 
Elegant Guesthouse or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 320kms, good main roads plus some dirt roads.

Enjoy a leisurely morning before setting off on a relatively easy 3-4 hour drive south onto the Kalahari basin. Set amongst the red dunes the lodge has a lovely lounge area and swimming pool where you can relax, or maybe enjoy a self-guided walk or join a nature drive through the reserve.

Stay at:
Kalahari Anib Lodge, Kalahari Basin or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 330kms, good dirt roads

Drive to your new accommodation and spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool with its magnificent views of the faraway dunes, or enjoying a sundowner horse ride. The following day rise early to venture into the world heritage Sossusvlei dune fields (recommend leaving before sunrise to ensure you are in the dune sea for sunrise). Ensure you visit nearby Dead Vlei, where the ancient and skeletal camel thorn trees stand on the white pan with the backdrop of orange sand dunes and blue sky – a photographer’s delight. Later this afternoon visit the nearby Sesriem Canyon.

Stay at:  
Desert Homestead or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 360kms, good dirt roads.

Drive through the desert to Swakopmund, stopping at Walvis Bay on the way to visit the lagoon, a protected RAMSAR wetland site, where you may see many species of birds including greater and lesser flamingos, pelicans, avocets, plovers and the endemic Damara tern. From here it is a short coastal drive to the historic seaside town of Swakopmund where the German colonial influence still permeates. Soak up the atmosphere or participate in one of the many adventure and sight-seeing activities on offer, including quad biking and sand boarding and a living desert tour.

Stay at: 
Namib Guesthouse or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 340kms, good dirt roads.

Drive north along the Skeleton Coast, stopping at a shipwreck close to Henties Bay and visiting the Cape Cross Seal Colony, where thousands of seals congregate on the beach. Turning inland brings to /Ui-//ais, also known as Twyfelfontein, a World Heritage site with one of the largest concentrations of rock engravings (petroglyphs) in Africa. Over 2,500 engravings over 2,000 years old are set on a stunning hillside amongst red sandstone boulders. Guides take visitors to view the amazing engravings including elephants, lion, giraffe and kudu – all which once drank from the spring (fontein) found at the base of the hillside. Close by are the interesting geological formations of ‘The Organ Pipes,’ ‘Burnt Mountain’ and the Petrified Forest.

Stay at: 
Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 440kms, combination good dirt roads and main roads.

Head further north into Damaraland and spend 1 night at the 100% community owned Grootberg Lodge, perched on the edge of the Etendeka Plateau with one of the most spectacular views in Namibia. Optional activities include desert elephant and black rhino tracking, Himba community visits, nature drives, hiking and horseriding.

Stay at:  
Grootberg Lodge or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 300kms, combination good dirt roads and main roads.

Onward to Etosha National Park, a place of unspoilt nature and wildlife. Your first night is spent at Dolomite Camp in the western sector of the Park - an area only recently accessible to mainstream tourists. The next two nights are spent at Okaukuejo with its fabulous floodlit waterhole active with hordes of animals such as springbok, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and kudu congregating and drinking. Around sunset it’s common for herds of elephant, as well as the endangered black rhino to enter the fray. Lion and other predators often visit as well. You spend the following day game driving early in the morning and late afternoon, when the animals are active. You may also wish to drive to Halali where you can stop for lunch and a swim before returning to Okaukuejo.

Stay at: 
Dolomite Camp (1 night) and Okaukuejo Rest Camp Self-Catering Chalet (2 nights) or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 375kms, combination good main roads and dirt roads.

After a morning game drive, sadly leave behind this magnificent park and start your journey back to Windhoek via the Erindi Private Game Reserve. Erindi, meaning ‘place of water’ is a sustainable, protected reserve in central Namibia. It is home to a prolific amount of endemic species and multiple conservation projects to help protect Namibia’s wildlife including aardvark, African wild dog, leopard, pangolin, honey badger and more. The reserve offers many optional activities (at additional cost) including game drives, bush walks, leopard tracking, cultural activities with the local San bushmen and more. You will have time to take part in one of these exceptional activities on the afternoon of your arrival and before you depart for Windhoek (time permitting).

Stay at:
Old Traders Lodge or similar

Travel distance: Approximately 225kms, combination good main roads and dirt roads.

Spend the morning enjoying the reserve before returning to Windhoek. Enroute you may wish to stop at the small town of Okahandja, where you can try your hand at bargaining for handmade souvenirs. Return your vehicle to Windhoek International (Hosea Kutako) Airport.