Scenic Namibia - Windhoek to Windhoek
Namibia Tour – 15 Days/14 nights
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Namibia.
Upon arrival at Hosea Kutako International airport outside Windhoek, your safari guide Chris Kruger will be waiting for you.
We get our rental car – a VW transporter bus, all-wheel drive 4x4, 8 seats – and leave for the capital Windhoek where we check in at a nice guest house.
The rest of the day is for relaxing after the long run and maybe later we can visit the city with its historic buildings.
We enjoy a delicious dinner at the “best-known restaurant in Namibia” Joe's Beer house, to welcome you to Namibia – The land of wide open spaces.
We spend 1 night at Olive Grove Guest House – Windhoek
Breakfast included
Dinner at your own expense (exclusive) – Joe's Beer house
Total driving distance for the day 45 - 60km
Day 2
Windhoek to Kalahari Desert via Rehoboth, Kalkrand and Mariental.
After a delicious breakfast, you are picked up by your guide Chris and we leave Windhoek and travel to the largest sand mass on earth, the Kalahari Desert. The Bushman called this the “Soul of the World”, a beautiful description of this area with deep red dunes and endless grass plains, interspersed with acacia and shrubs. You will be amazed to see how the animals have adapted to survive.
At sunset, we take a nature safari in an open Jeep (included) between the up to 30-meter-high red longitudinal dunes with typical flora and fauna of the Kalahari semi-desert. The red dunes and native camel thorn trees form the landscape.
The beautiful day ends at sunset with an aperitif in the desert.
We spend 1 night at Auob Country Lodge near Gochas.
Including Dinner and breakfast
375 km
Day 3
Kalahari Desert to Fish River Canyon via Keetmanshoop.
Today we travel to the Karas district and a Kokerboom (Quivertree) forest.
When visiting the unique quiver tree forest (included) we are welcomed by quirky artificial sculptures of quiver trees and aloes. These are nestled between huge dolerite boulders, stacked mysteriously. The area is also referred to as “Giant's Playground”.
We continue south through the arid and vast rocky plains. We continue the journey to the lodge, located near the Fish River Canyon. Here we can explore the area on foot or a late afternoon nature drive known for beautiful sunsets.
Our lodge is certainly one of those most photographed lodges in Namibia and the bar is full of old cars and 'memories of the good old days'.
We stay for 2 nights at Canyon Roadhouse
Including dinner and breakfast
380km
Day 4
Fish River Canyon and surrounds.
The morning starts at the edge of the Fish River Canyon at a point called Hobas (included). This beautiful geological phenomenon is the second largest canyon on earth, 160 km long and 27 km wide and in some places up to 550 meters deep. We have the whole day to explore the beautiful area and places and photograph a million stars in the evening.
Overnight stay at Canyon Roadhouse Including dinner and breakfast
150 km
Day 5
Fish River Canyon to Luderitz via Aus.
We continue the journey towards the coastal town of Lüderitz. On the way to Lüderitz, we stop at Aus as well as Garub pan viewpoint for the wild horses of the Namib Desert (not always visible – 100 or so free-roaming horses, escaped from the troops). We enjoy photography of the many old German buildings and architecture of Luderitz, all built during the diamond “boom” era between 1905 -1915. We can also visit Dias Point Lighthouse and Grosse Bucht.
Overnight stay for 1 night in Luderitz Nest Hotel Including dinner and breakfast
400 km
Day 6
Luderitz to Namtib Lodge via Aus and Tiras mountains.
The morning starts with a visit to the ghost town of Kolmanskop (included). Kolmanskop is an abandoned Diamond Mining Town in the Sperrgebiet National Park. This town was once a rich diamond town but today the Namib sands have taken over the late town and are truly a photography paradise. Our photography permit allows us to go in for the morning (6:00 AM - 1:00 PM) to spend time there and take beautiful pictures.
In the afternoon we drive north on the D707 dirt road. Many people say this is the road with the most beautiful views in Namibia. During our ride past the red dunes and the changing desert landscape of the Tiras Mountains, we make several photo stops.
Overnight stay in Namtib Lodge near Tiras mountains
Including dinner and breakfast
250km
Day 7
Tiras mountains to Sesriem and Namib Desert via Betta.
The journey continues over vast open plains and we stop in the small town of Betta before traveling further north.
We are near Sesriem, the gateway to Sossusvlei, Dead Vlei, and Sesriem Canyon, with some of the tallest dunes on earth towering above the white desert plains.
Free afternoon for photography and we enjoy dinner at the neighboring Sossusvlei Lodge.
We stay at Desert Camp for 2 nights.
Including dinner and breakfast
250km
Day 8
Namib Naukluft Park – Sossusvlei – Sesriem canyon
Get up early today to enjoy the sunrise at Dune 45 in the Namib Naukluft National Park (included). Those who are very enthusiastic can climb the dune to the top, where a very beautiful view awaits you.
Then on to Sossusvlei and Deadvlei.
Sossusvlei is where the dry Tsauchab River ends abruptly among the dunes. We go to Deadvlei for a photography excursion where black trees stand on a white sand valley with red dunes and blue sky, a truly beautiful sight.
Here we (those with a lot of energy) can also walk up one of these dunes (Big Daddy) and admire the desert landscape below.
On the way back to Sesriem we visit the Sesriem Canyon, a beautiful natural phenomenon in the heart of the Namib Desert.
Overnight stay in Desert Camp
Including dinner and breakfast.
120km (2x60km)
Day 9
Sesriem to Swakopmund via Solitaire and Walvis Bay.
After breakfast, we continue the journey and approach the small settlement of Solitaire, located on the edge of the Namib Naukluft National Park. It feels like we're in arrived in the middle of nowhere. A large dot on the map, but in reality it is only a few buildings. This small village has been a location for many films and other adventurous images. The car wrecks have become famous because of these images, which is why tourists like to come here to take photos. Here it is worth enjoying a cup of coffee with the delicious apple pie written about in so many travel books before traveling through the desolate, rolling hills of the Kuiseb Valley to the Atlantic Ocean.
Later we reach the coastal town and largest port in Namibia, Walvis Bay.
We follow the scenic route between the dune belt and the Atlantic Ocean and reach Swakopmund, where the rest of the day is at leisure.
Stay for 2 nights at The Delight Hotel.
Breakfast included.
Dinner own account
345km
Day 10
Swakopmund and surroundings.
After breakfast, we go on a 4x4 excursion together with Tommy's Living Desert Tours (included) in search of the little 5 in the dunes (chameleon, gecko, sand snake, skink, and white spider).
A Living Desert tour offers you an unforgettable 2 to 3-hour tour in 4X4 vehicles to learn more about life in the Namib Desert from a specialist Desert guide.
In the afternoon, tourists can enjoy a quad bike trip through the dunes or enjoy a free afternoon in Swakopmund, known for all its souvenir shops, restaurants, and cafes.
Overnight stay at The Delight Hotel
Breakfast including
Dinner own account
50km (depending on excursions)
Day 11
Swakopmund to Damaraland via Hentiesbaai and Uis.
Today the journey continues north past Hentiesbaai and then to Uis along the Brandberg, the highest mountain in Namibia (2 606m), past Khorixas to the Damaraland. This is one of the least populated and most geologically diverse areas in Africa. This rugged rocky environment is home to the elusive desert elephant, black rhino, and free-ranging antelope species. Here we also see the Welwitschia mirabilis plant – the oldest living desert plant on earth.
During the afternoon we visit Twyfelfontein (included), an UNESCO heritage site where Bushman communities engraved and painted more than 2,500 pictures some 6,000 years ago.
In the afternoon we arrive at Vingerklip Lodge between the majestic Ugab terraces where we spend the rest of the day is free for photography or you can relax by the swimming pool.
Overnight stay in the Vingerklip Country Lodge
Including dinner and breakfast
370km
Day 12
Damaraland to Etosha via Outjo.
Today we travel towards Etosha National Park via the village of Outjo. We visit Okandero Himba Village (included) The Himba are a tribe of semi-nomadic herders. They have stuck to their traditions and the beautiful Himba women are known for their orange skin, intricate hairstyles, and traditional jewelry. Himba men and women wear little clothing apart from a goatskin loincloth or miniskirt, they rub their bodies with a mixture of red ocher and animal fat to protect themselves from the sun, and insects and to care for their skin.
A visit to the Himba village offers a great opportunity for spectacular ethnic photography.
In the afternoon we arrive at our lodge located on the edge of the Etosha National Park where the rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight stay for 2 nights at Etosha Village (outside the Park)
Including dinner and breakfast
200 km
Day 13
Etosha National Park
This day is for a safari (included) with our car in Etosha National Park known for its abundant flora and fauna. The Park, which surrounds a dried-out salt desert is known as the Etosha Pan.
The park is home to the Big Five: buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard and rhino.
An extensive road network connects the more than 30 waterholes where elephants, rhinos, gemsboks, foxes, springboks, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, and many other wild animals quench their thirst.
Visitors also have the opportunity to encounter a variety of scarce birds and mammals, including rare species such as black-faced impala, cheetah, and Namibia's smallest antelope, the Damara dik-dik.
Overnight stay in Etosha Village
Including dinner and breakfast
100 - 150 km
Day 14
Etosha to Naankuse via Outjo, Otjiwarongo and Okanhanja.
After breakfast, we leave for Windhoek via Outjo, Otjiwarongo, and Okanhanja. We end our journey at Naankuse - a private game reserve with a large number of wild animals approximately 55 km northeast of Windhoek.
In the afternoon there are plenty time for photography, optional excursions and safaris.
Overnight stay for 1 night at Naankuse Lodge
Including dinner and breakfast
Activities at your own expense (excluded)
460 km
Day 15
Naankuse to Hosea Kutako International Airport.
After a delicious breakfast, we return to Windhoek. Depending on the time of our return flight, we may have some time for an optional activity at Naankuse or some last souvenir shopping before being transferred to the airport.
We say goodbye to our guide Chris and board the plane for our flight back home.
45 km
