Namibia Discovery Tour

From spectacular landscapes, endless contrasts and abundant wildlife, this self-drive safari starts in Windhoek, spends time in the Kalahari desert and onwards to the sites in Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein, Grootberg Plateau, Etosha, and Okonjima. This Namibia self-drive tour is ideal for those who want to get a real, full taste of what Namibia is all about.

Highlights: Windhoek, Kalahari Desert, Maltahöhe, Sossusvlei, Deadvlei & Sesriem, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein (Damaraland), Desert adapted Elephants, Grootberg Plateau, Etosha National Park, private Wildlife Reserve, beautiful landscapes, plenty of animals, hiking, game drives, elephant tracking, San Bushmen rock art paintings, and meeting the various cultures of Namibia.

INFORMATION

BB= Overnight stay | Breakfast
DBB= Dinner | Overnight stay | Breakfast
FB= Lunch or lunch packages | Dinner | Overnight stay | Breakfast and activities

Accommodation: Hotel in Windhoek (Bed & Breakfast)

Arriving at Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek marks the beginning of your journey. Once you’ve completed the formalities for your vehicle rental, you can proceed with a drive to Windhoek town to reach your hotel. For your first evening in Windhoek, we suggest booking your preferred restaurant in advance. We are happy to provide recommendations and assist with making table reservations. Optional activities include a Guided Katutura Township Tour and sightseeing in Windhoek, which can also be arranged independently.

Accommodation: Lodge in the Kalahari, (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Following breakfast, kickstart your Namibia safari by heading south into the Kalahari Desert. Beyond the Auas mountains, the country unfolds like a captivating picture book. En route, you’ll encounter sizable sociable weaver nests nestled in ancient camelthorn acacias. As you approach the lodge, the extensive dunes sprawl across the Kalahari Desert, providing a stunning backdrop for animal sightings, including oryx, springbok, and various smaller mammals. The Kalahari, sometimes labelled as a desert due to its prevailing red sands, is characterized as a thorn bush savannah, partially transitioning into a dry savannah. Upon reaching the lodge, take some time to relax and unwind. Optionally book a Sundowner Drive during the afternoon, and embark on this guided scenic drive amidst the red Kalahari dunes, culminating with a sundowner. This excursion is conducted in a comfortable off-road vehicle, allowing you to absorb the guide’s knowledge and passion for the region. It’s an opportunity to acquaint yourself with the Kalahari’s unforgettable landscapes, diverse fauna, and flora. The lodge also offers numerous other exciting optional activities to choose from as well as walking trails.

Accommodation: Guest Farm near Maltahöhe (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Today, your travels lead you eastward towards the Maltahöhe area. Here, you have the opportunity to spend the night in a traditional Namibian guest farm. Additionally, you can choose to participate in a scenic drive to enhance your experience.

Accommodation: Lodge in the Sesriem Park (Full Board)

Following a scrumptious breakfast, you proceed with your journey through the picturesque Tsaris Pass, making your way into the Namib Desert. The next lodge is nestled within the Sesriem National Park.

Accommodation: Lodge in the Sesriem Park (Full Board)

Just before the sunrise this morning, we recommend taking a drive to the renowned Sossusvlei. The dune landscape illuminated by the morning light of the rising sun provides an unforgettable and dramatic setting, offering excellent photographic opportunities. Over the years, the sporadically flowing water of the Tsauchab dry river has been carving its way through the expanding dune landscape of the Namib Desert. Despite its efforts, this river will never reach the sea; instead, it seeps away in natural dams or “vleis” formed by the surrounding dunes. Notably, Sossusvlei is surrounded by
some of the world’s highest dunes, which can be a challenging climb, but the effort is rewarded with a fantastic view once you reach the top. Dune 45 is particularly popular for climbing. Upon your return, consider visiting the smaller Sesriem Canyon as well.

Accommodation: Lodge in the Namib Desert (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Embark on the next leg of your journey today, passing through Solitaire and traversing the captivating landscapes of the Namib Desert. A distinctive feature upon entering Solitaire is the array of vintage car wrecks artistically scattered along the roadside. Continuing from this point, the gravel plains of the Namib unfold, with occasional glimpses of mountains on the shimmering horizon. Today’s drive is relatively short, as the next lodge is positioned midway between Sesriem and Swakopmund, nestled in the heart of the Namib Desert. Here, you can unwind and explore the area by partaking in various hiking trails available.

Accommodation: Hotel in Swakopmund (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast, you embark on a journey to Swakopmund via Walvis Bay. The extended and winding gravel roads are intermittently adorned with small dust plumes. Throughout the drive, you’re surrounded by breath-taking views and the stunning landscapes of the Namib Desert. Your route takes you through granitic sculptured terrains, ancient erosion valleys, and not only dry riverbeds but also crosses the Tropic of Capricorn. You’ll arrive in the coastal town of Swakopmund around midday. Optional activities in Swakopmund include quad biking, camel rides, visits to the museum, aquarium, crystal gallery, horseback safaris, and scenic flights over the Skeleton Coast or Sossusvlei.

Accommodation: Hotel in Swakopmund (Bed & Breakfast)

This morning we recommend that you partake in either a Living Desert Tour, or consider a Marine Cruise on the Walvis Bay lagoon. Both these excursions should be booked in advance, to guarantee availability. A Desert Tour is designed to unveil the wonders of the Namib Desert, showcasing the “Little 5.” Around lunchtime, you are returned to your hotel, and the afternoon is yours to explore the town at leisure on foot. The Living Desert Tour, also known as the Desert Tour, provides a distinctive 4×4 experience aimed at revealing the remarkable beauty of the Namib Desert and highlighting its diverse desert life. The coastal dune belt, seemingly barren and lifeless to some, is actually home to a captivating array of small animals that have adapted to desert conditions, thriving with the help of the regular fog that sweeps in from the chilly Atlantic Ocean. Marvel at the “Dancing White Lady,” a spider that executes cartwheels down the dunes at an astonishing 44 revolutions per second to escape potential threats. Witness the transparent desert gecko with webbed feet resembling snowshoes. Gain insights into various bugs and insects and their strategies for survival in the desert. This tour offers a unique opportunity to intimately experience the desert’s wonders. Catamaran Marine Cruise: Between Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, on the rough Atlantic coast, you will experience the unique nature and wildlife of the Walvis Bay lagoon on board a spacious and comfortable catamaran. The four-hour cruise goes from the harbour port via the Walvis Bayer oyster banks to Pelican Point, which is home to a large colony of fur seals. The tour offers many highlights. Among other things, pelicans are hand-fed in flight. You will learn a lot of interesting things about these and other marine animals. At the end of the cruise you are offered snack platters with fresh oysters and sparkling wine.

Accommodation: Hotel in Swakopmund (Bed & Breakfast)

You have the option to leisurely spend another day in Swakopmund today or choose to book an additional activity in the morning in the coastal area of Swakopmund. The town is known as the adventure and activity hub of Namibia.

Accommodation: Lodge in Twyfelfontein (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Proceed north today along the salt road towards Henties Bay and continue through Uis into the scenic Damaraland. Both regions in the northwest feature vast, desolate desert landscapes, occasionally punctuated by green oases and renowned for hosting the famous desert-adapted elephants. You will arrive at the lodge in the early afternoon. Damaraland boasts an abundance of geological and archaeological marvels. Named after the Damara people, it is home to Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg, and Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for some of the best-preserved San rock engravings. Other sites of interest include the Organ Pipes, Petrified Forest, and the Burnt Mountain.

Accommodation: Lodge in Twyfelfontein (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

This morning, we suggest you visit the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein. Renowned for housing some of the most exceptional Bushman rock engravings in southern Africa, the Twyfelfontein area also features intriguing rock formations and remnants of prehistoric volcanic activity, such as the Organ Pipes, Burnt Mountain, and the Petrified Forest.

Accommodation: Lodge on the Grootberg Plateau (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast and check out, your journey progresses to the Grootberg plateau, where you will enjoy the next two nights amidst this unspoiled landscape. Optionally, you have the choice to participate in a sundowner tour on the Grootberg plateau in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Lodge on the Grootberg Plateau (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

This morning you can opt to book a desert elephant tracking tour with the lodge. Around the lodge there are also numerous walking trails, and guided walks in this scenic area are a further recommended activity.

Accommodation: Camp in the Etosha National Park (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast today, continue your journey towards the northeast. In the renowned Etosha National Park, you’ll have the opportunity to spend one night in a Rest-camp, which boasts a floodlit waterhole.

Accommodation: Lodge on the eastern side of Etosha (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Today’s journey covers a short distance from Okaukuejo to Mokuti Etosha Lodge, navigating from the central side to the eastern side of the park. To enhance your game viewing experience, it is recommended to take detour routes, making stops at various waterholes along the way. Should you desire a light lunch en route, both the Halali camp and Namutoni camp feature restaurants. Exit the park through the Von Lindequist gate situated on the far south-eastern side before sunset. Not far from the gate your next lodge is situated. Etosha National Park boasts an unparalleled biodiversity, attracting a diverse array of animals to its waterholes and providing exceptional opportunities for game viewing. The Etosha Pan, spanning 130 km in length and 50 km in width, stands as the largest pan in Africa and serves as the park’s most distinctive feature. The total pan area covers approximately 4800 square kilometres, roughly a quarter of Etosha National Park’s total expanse. The park hosts around 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species, and 1 species of fish (up to 49 during floods). Etosha National Park holds the prestigious title of being the single most important guardian of the black rhino globally, offering unparalleled opportunities for spectacular game viewing.

Accommodation: Lodge on the eastern side of Etosha (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Today, you have the option to explore the northern part of the Etosha National Park in your own vehicle or choose to book a game drive directly with the lodge. Exit the park through the Von Lindequist gate situated on the far south-eastern side before sunset.

Accommodation: Lodge near Otjiwarongo (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

This morning marks your departure from the Etosha region, and your journey leads you southward, passing through the towns of Outjo and Otjiwarongo, ultimately bringing you to a world renowned Game Reserve, which is home to a large number of African cats and prides itself taking care and being the custodian of these. Your anticipated arrival at the reserve is in the afternoon. If you arrive with sufficient time, you have the option to participate in one of the various activities offered on the Reserve.

Accommodation: Lodge near Otjiwarongo (Dinner, Bed & Breakfast)

Today, we recommend that you book a Leopard Tracking Activity with the lodge. The lodge provides various optional activities that you can book directly according to your preferences. Spend another night at the lodge and relax amidst the African bush.

Return Flight 

After breakfast and completing the check-out process, your route takes you back to Windhoek and the Hosea Kutako International Airport. Wrap up the vehicle return procedures at the airport, before proceeding to check in for your homeward-bound flight.