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Tours to Namibia

Join a tour to Namibia to find an unexpected landscape of vast deserts, tortured rock, open plains and an eerie coastline. It's home to a wealth of birds and animals - Namibia is the only home of the desert elephant, and 25% of the world's cheetah stalk its arid plains. 

Ways to explore Namibia

Discover our namibia tours.

Get set for an adventure of a lifetime with one of our Namibia small group tours . Our hand-picked tour leaders will share first-hand knowledge of this unique desert landscape and unveil some of the country’s best-kept secrets.

Go in search of the Big Five on a Namibia Safari  at the Etosha National Park, and take an early morning hike up the colossal dunes of the Sossusvlei to watch the first rays of sunshine cast a deep orange glow over the arid and barren landscape. Head to the Skeleton Coast to discover an army of seals at Cape Cross and watch as a blur of blush-pink flamingos feed in the Walvis Bay Lagoon. 

Considering a trip to Namibia but new to Explore? We've answered some of your most-asked questions  about our small group tours.

Our most popular tours in Namibia

Namibia lodge safari.

Namibia tour highlights

Solo Travel in Namibia

Every one of our Namibia vacations is suitable for solo travelers – in fact, you can expect that around half of your group will be traveling solo. The number varies depending on which tour you choose, but you'll certainly be in good company. Our small group vacations to Namibia are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and share experiences along the way.

Best time to go to Namibia

The most popular time to visit Namibia is June to October when the temperatures are a bit cooler and the days are dry and bright. This dry season is also the perfect time to spot wildlife congregating around waterholes in Etosha National Park. 

If you want to escape the crowds, head to Namibia in February and March. It will feel hotter and more humid, but you’ll be spoiled with sightings of migratory birds and lush green countryside. 

April is the shoulder season when temperatures start to drop, rain is less frequent and lush vegetation is still bountiful - perfect for an Easter vacation getaway. 

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Need some inspiration for your Namibia tour?

7 places you don't want to miss in Namibia and Botswana

7 questions answered for your first small-group adventure tour

In-Depth Namibia Travel Guide: What’s it Like to Travel in Namibia?

My road trip around Namibia is the best travel experience I’ve ever had.

Hands down.

I can’t even find the words to describe how fantastic my time in the country was. Namibia has everything. It’s easy to explore independently, it’s safe, it’s beautiful, the locals are lovely, the landscapes are diverse, the wildlife is exciting, and there are so. few. tourists.

I’ve got a dozen posts planned about my time in this amazing country, so brace yourself for an onslaught of information! By the end of the month, you’ll have everything you need to book a trip to this kickass country. And hopefully you’ll decide to do exactly that.

This is what it’s like to travel in Namibia.

Where is Namibia?

Let’s start off with a little bit of context. Where even is Namibia?

Namibia is a Southern African country on the west coast of the continent. It’s located above South Africa , below Angola, and to the west of Botswana.

Interestingly, Namibia is where you’ll find the world’s only quadripoint, which is defined as the place where the corners of four different countries meet. Yes, in the far north-eastern reaches of this country, Namibia nestles up against Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. There are over 150 tripoints in the world, but only one quadripoint, making this a very special place on the planet.

Unfortunately, it’s in a part of the country that few tourists choose to visit, at the eastern end of the Caprivi Strip, which is isolated from many of the main tourist activities. Somewhere that’s much easier to visit, however, is the Tropic of Capricorn! Most visitors end up driving past the iconic Tropic of Capricorn sign while driving around Namibia, and fortunately, it’s marked on Google Maps, so you won’t have to worry about missing it.

Namibia is the Perfect Introduction to Africa Travel

If you’re dreaming of travelling in Africa but have no idea where to go first, head to Namibia. It’s one of the safest and least intimidating countries I’ve travelled through.

One of my aims with my recent Africa travels has been to prove you can easily travel around much of the continent independently. So many people opt to jump on overland truck tours in this part of the world, but what I’ve found so far is that it’s really not necessary. And in Namibia you definitely don’t need to join a tour in order to visit.

With the exception of the bad roads, I found it no more difficult or dangerous to travel in than the U.S., Europe, or Australia. And when you’re traveling independently, you’re in control of your schedule and where you stay and what you do.

On top of that, the official language of Namibia is English, which makes independent travel even easier. You can ask questions, you can get directions, you don’t have to mime all the time… it’s all so easy .

Namibia also felt like the safest country in Africa I’ve been to so far. Outside of Windhoek, you really don’t need to worry about much at all. The locals are friendly and welcoming, theft is rare, and your only real concern will be how many flat tyres you’ll end up with on the seemingly-endless gravel roads.

Not only is Namibia safe and easy to travel through, but it also has just as much to offer as other countries in Africa. Head to Etosha National Park and you’ll get to drive alongside elephants, giraffes, lions, black rhinos, and more. You can hit up the Namibian desert for sand dune climbing at sunrise. There are beaches and coastlines full of shipwrecks to explore. The darkest skies in the world are in Namibia, so the Milky Way is always shining brightly above your head at night. Oh, and there’s a ghost town in the middle of the desert. Badass.

In other words: Namibia is the best!

Not Many People Will Know Where You’re Going

I couldn’t believe it: after six years of travel, Namibia was the first country nobody seemed able to locate on a map. In my digital nomad community here in Portugal — so, y’know, people who have travelled full-time for many years — a surprisingly number of people had never even heard of Namibia.

I get it: it’s a country that isn’t often spoken about outside of travel blogging circles, but it was still surprising to be met with blank faces when I spoke about where I was visiting next.

The bonus of this? Hardly anybody decides to visit the country, so there are hardly any tourists around!

It’s Ridiculously Sparsely Populated

Namibia is the second-least-densely populated country in the world, with an average of just five people for every square mile. And it’s easy to see why: desert takes up the bulk of the country and so outside of its short rainy season, it’s a very arid place.

This was one of my favourite aspects of travelling around Namibia, though: you could drive for four hours straight and not see a single human, car, or building over that time. As an introvert with a love of wide, open spaces, I couldn’t get enough of the isolation.

Planning Where to Stay Is… Interesting

Because the country is so sparsely populated, the majority of places you’ll stay at will be lodges that feel as though they’re in the middle of nowhere. Because they kind of are.

There aren’t many major towns and cities in the country — and honestly, the best parts of Namibia are outside of them — so that makes finding accommodation tricky. The best places to stay at are often hours from the nearest signs of civilisation and miles down a tiny gravel path.

I found booking.com  best for finding places to stay. First, decide on which major destinations you want to hit in Namibia. For us, this was: Windhoek – Etosha National Park – Swakopmund – Sesriem – Luderitz – Windhoek. Most of these destinations are so far from each other that you’ll have to break up the drive into two days.

Next, on Booking, search for all hotels in Namibia, and once you’re on the search page, click on view on map. Once you’ve got a map view of every hotel listing in Namibia, zoom in on the route you’re planning to take and see which lodges pop up close to the midpoint between two distances. We did this for almost everywhere we stayed in Namibia and found some incredible lodges as a result. In fact, some of the highlights from my time in the country were getting to stay outside of the main tourist trail.

And if you can’t find anything suitable or affordable on the drive, just googling “where to stay between Swakopmund and Sesriem”, for example, will bring up a ton of forum threads with recommendations from other people. Not everywhere is listed online, so there were a few places we had to book through email.

Frustratingly, It’s Tough to Visit on a Budget

In Namibia you have two options: expensive or camping.

I’m all about that budget travel life, but in Namibia I had to give up my aim of spending $50 a night on accommodation and quadruple it for much of our trip. Yep, almost every lodge we stayed at in Namibia was well over $100 a night, and we were nearly always booking the cheapest option we could find. And we were visiting in low season, where accommodation prices are around half what they’d be in high season!

Unfortunately, if you want to save as much money as possible on your trip, your only real option in Namibia is to camp. Most lodges will offer a camping option for around $30 a night, so if you’ve got your own gear, this is an easy way to save money on accommodation.

The only exceptions to the crazy prices are the cities: Windhoek has cheaper options  ($50 a night), and so did Swakopmund  ($40 a night) and Luderitz  ($50 a night).

Everything else wasn’t too bad when it came to price. Our rental car — a Toyota Corolla — had us up for $30-a-day, which is pretty standard for most countries around the world. Activities and entrance fees (around $6) were also affordable. Food could get a little pricey at the camps and lodges, which made sense because they were so isolated, but nothing was over-the-top extreme. We’d usually pay around $10-15 for dinner each night.

But the Lodges are Amazing

Some of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed in are in Namibia. And while you’ll pay a lot for them, they’re worth every penny.

At Ovita Wildlife Restcamp , we fell asleep listening to hippos in the lake outside our room. At Vingerklip Lodge  (pictured above), we ate dinner on a towering cliff top, looking over Namibia’s version of Monument Valley. At Sesriem Desert Camp  (pictured above Vingerklip Lodge), we slept in luxury tents in the desert with wild oryx roaming outside.

I loved every single place we stayed in in Namibia, and even though they were ridiculously expensive, it felt as though we were still receiving fantastic value for money.

You Will Need Your Own Transport

Public transport doesn’t really exist in Namibia, so if you’re not going to take a tour, you’ll most likely need to hire a car. As for what type of car, it depends a lot on the time of year you’ll be visiting and how confident you are on gravel roads.

My Kiwi boyfriend grew up racing falling-apart cars on gravel roads in New Zealand, so he had the driving skills of a Namibian and we were happy opting for a tiny Toyota Corolla to make the trip for us. Guesthouse owners were always shocked to see us rocking up in it, but honestly, we had next to no problems with it. If you’ve got the cash, opting for a two wheel drive with higher ground clearance would be a smart idea, as part of the bottom of our car fell off on our second day of driving, thanks to all the rocks that had been flicked up into the undercarriage.

People advise to go with a 4×4, and especially if you’ll be visiting in the rainy season, but we decided against it for several reasons. First, it’s over double the price for a 4×4 (around $100 a day), second, being so high up makes the car easier to roll, and third, um, did I mention it’s expensive?

If you can’t drive? You won’t be able to visit Namibia without taking a tour or hiring a driver. You could take a bus between major destinations, but I believe you’d miss out on a lot of the wonderful lodges that make travelling in Namibia so wonderful. There are also reports of travellers rocking up in a hostel, getting together with a group of travellers, and car-sharing their way around the country, so this could be an option if you’re willing to take the risk of potentially finding nobody to travel with.

The Roads are So Bad

We drove 4000 kilometers in Namibia and probably only several hundred of them were sealed.

Yes, in Namibia, get used to urging your car over gravel, sand, rocks, and more. Because of this, travel days are long and bumpy — we rarely drove for less than six hours each day, and even listening to podcasts was a struggle over the crunching noises of driving over gravel while rocks pinged into our car

Get Yourself a SIM Card, But Expect to Rarely Use It

Getting connected is tough in Namibia, so if you work online like I do, resolve to spend most of your time on vacation.

Wi-Fi was sometimes around, was always slow, and often expensive. It’s worth getting a SIM card, though, as although we rarely got more than an EDGE signal, leaving our phones on while we were driving around usually meant we’d pick up a signal here and there to download emails.

We picked up a SIM card at Windhoek Airport upon arrival and it was super simple to do. The SIM card costs 50 US cents and 1 GB of data is a whopping $2.50. Too Many Adapters has a comprehensive guide for buying a SIM card in Namibia  if you need any extra information. When it’s that cheap, there’s no reason not to get one.

You’ll Get to Try Some Interesting Game Meat

One of my favourite aspects of eating in Namibia was getting to try so many of the delicious game meats on offer. The biggest surprise was warthog, which was delicious, but I also loved kudu, impala, oryx, zebra, and more. Most of the lodges will have some kind of unusual game meat on offer each evening, so it’ll be easy to access and you’ll soon grow used to it.

If you’re vegetarian, you’ll most likely struggle to eat super well in Namibia. Everything was very meat based at the lodges although bizarrely, Greek salads were available in basically every single restaurant, so you won’t have to go hungry. Just prepare yourself for a hell of a lot of feta cheese!

Namibia Has the Best Road Signs Ever

One of the highlights from our time in Namibia was the kickass road signs we came across while driving. The giraffe one above was one of my favourites. In addition to that, we saw signs for zebras, elephants, warthogs, and more. And even better: we actually saw some of those animals wandering around in the wild! There’s nothing quite like seeing a desert-adapted giraffe wandering through the sand.

The Bradt Namibia Guide is Invaluable

If you’re planning a trip to Namibia, you need this guidebook .

Not only was it essential for planning our trip, but we used it on an hourly basis while we were in country. When it comes to Africa, Bradt guidebooks are king, so don’t even consider picking up a Lonely Planet for this part of the world; almost all of them have terrible reviews as well as outdated and too-condensed information.

Because you’ll be unlikely to have data coverage while you’re driving, and sometime even in lodges, the guidebook made our trip so much less stressful. When we wanted to figure out which animal we’d just spotted by the side of the road, the wildlife section had a photo to help us out; when we decided to stop for a lunch break in a tiny village, we could look up if there was anywhere to eat, and if so, which place was best; when we were planning our driving for the day, we could look up route recommendations and find out which attractions we might want to stop at along the way.

I don’t often recommend using guidebooks (I think I’ve only done it twice before!) because I believe you can get a lot of the information online for free, but in Namibia, this guidebook definitely helps. We struggled to find detailed information about the country both before we arrived and while we were there, so our Bradt book was 100% invaluable.

Two Weeks is the Perfect Amount of Time to Spend in the Country

I spent just under two weeks in Namibia, and feel as though I saw almost all of the highlights. If I’d had three weeks, I would have spent time at Fish River Canyon in the south, a few extra days in Damaraland, and some time exploring the Caprivi Strip in the northeast .  Still, I feel as though two weeks is a good amount of time to dedicate to the country, which is refreshing as most places I visit have me feeling as though I need to explore for a minimum of three months just to start scratching at the surface.

I wanted to share my two-week itinerary here, because I feel as though I got it pretty close to perfect.

Day 1: Landed in Windhoek, picked up our rental car, and drove straight to peaceful  Ovita Wildlife Restcamp . You can read about my first day in Namibia in my article, The Perfect First Day in Namibia . Day 2: Time for wildlife! We drove north to Etosha National Park and stayed within the park at Halali . We spent the afternoon sitting at the camp’s waterhole to see if any animals emerged. You can read about my experience in Etosha National Park in the dry season: Desperately Seeking Elephants at Etosha National Park . Day 3:  For our first full day at Etosha, we drove around the eastern region of the park for almost 12 hours. We saw dozens of giraffes, zebras, and a rare black rhino, then spent the night back at Halali. It was magical. Day 4:  On day four, we opted to drive around the central parts of Etosha for the entirety of daylight hours, then switched up our accommodation to spend the night at Okaukuejo . Day 5:  For our final morning in Etosha, we decided to explore the western region of the park, then at lunchtime, drove to beautiful Vingerklip Lodge to spend the night. You can read about how incredible Vingerklip was in my article, Finding Paradise in Vingerklip: Africa’s Monument Valley . Day 6:  Day 6 brought a long drive to Swakopmund, where we spent much of the day on terrible roads. Still, getting to drive part of the Skeleton Coast was amazing, and we even got to see a shipwreck stranded off the coast. We spent the night in an Airbnb apartment. Day 7:  For day 7, we took a day trip out to nearby to Walvis Bay to see its seal colony, which is one of the largest in the world. You can read about this wonderful experience in the article, Seals, Swakopmund, and the Skeleton Coast . Again, we spent the night in our Airbnb apartment. Day 8:  We spent this day relaxing and exploring Swakopmund. You could use this day to get your adventure on if you wanted, as Swakopmund is the adventure capital of the world. You could try your hand at quad biking on the nearby sand dunes , for example. Once more, we spent the night in an Airbnb apartment. Day 9:  The following day, we drove to Sesriem and spent our afternoon climbing Dune 45. I highly recommend doing this, as we practically had the entire park all to ourselves. We slept at Sesriem Desert Camp , which was magnificent. Day 10:  We got up at sunrise to enter the park, climb Big Daddy sand dune, and explore Deadvlei. This day was spectacular and you can read about the experience in the article, Climbing Big Daddy: An African Travel Highlight . That afternoon, we drove south to Betta Camp to spend the night. Day 11:  The following morning, we drove down to Luderitz. We spent the afternoon exploring this adorable town and spotting pelicans as we drove around the areas just outside of Luderitz. It was a fairly relaxed day after all of the movement, and we spent the night at Kairos B&B . Day 12:  We saved the best for last, because for day 12, we drove to Kolmanskop at sunrise and and had the entire place to ourselves. Kolmanskop is an old mining town that has since been abandoned and is now being taken over by the desert. It was incredible and we spent a full three hours taking photos. I wrote about it in-depth in the article, Exploring Kolmanskop: Namibia’s Ghost Town in the Desert . In the afternoon, we drove to Maltahohe Hotel  to break up the long journey back to Windhoek. Day 13: Final day! Sad face. We spent this day driving from Maltahohe to Windhoek and left Namibia in awe of how much the country has to offer.

This was one of the best trips of my life and I highly recommend putting together a similar itinerary if you’re planning a trip to Namibia.

Yeah, You Should Definitely Get a Zoom Lens

The biggest regret of my trip? Not splashing out on a zoom lens for my camera and then getting uniformly awful photos in Etosha.

I ventured into Namibia with my Sony 28-70mm  lens and while it was absolutely fantastic for landscape photos, it was nowhere near good enough for the wildlife. Had my boyfriend not packed his 80-300mm lens, I would have had close to zero photos of any animals. Because we were in Namibia in the rainy season (more on that below), the animals at Etosha were hiding in dense grass and hard to spot, so it was rare for us to get up close to them.

If you’re going to Namibia and will be hitting up Etosha while you’re there, make sure you’ve got a decent zoom lens for the trip.

Get Yourself Some Excellent Travel Insurance

You know I’ll always yell at you if you’re dumb enough to skip out on travel insurance , but in Namibia, it’s an essential.

Why? Because Namibia has the highest car-accident death rate in the world, with 45 people killed on the road for every 100,000 citizens. On top of that, malaria hangs out in the northern parts of the country, and there are several other awful-sounding tropical diseases you definitely don’t want to contract. 

Travel insurance  will cover you if your flight is cancelled and you need to book a new one, if your luggage gets lost and you need to replace your belongings, if you suddenly get struck down by appendicitis and have to be hospitalised, or discover a family member has died and you need to get home immediately. If you fall seriously ill, your insurance will cover the costs to fly you home to receive medical treatment.

I use  SafetyWing  as my travel insurance provider, and recommend them for trips to Namibia. Firstly, they’re one of the few companies out there who will actually cover you if you contract COVID-19. On top of that, they provide worldwide coverage, don’t require you to have a return ticket, and even allow you to buy coverage after you’ve left home. If you’re on a long-term trip, you can pay monthly instead of up-front, and can cancel at any time. Finally, they’re way cheaper than the competition, and have a clear, easy-to-understand pricing structure, which is always appreciated.

With SafetyWing, you’ll pay  $1.50 a day  for travel insurance.

On top of standard travel insurance, you’ll also want to make sure you get some of the best car insurance money can buy. Most tourists get a flat tyre in Namibia at some point at a minimum (we got one roughly an hour from the airport on our final day) and replacing them/repairing the rental car can be pricey. We rented our car through  rentalcars.com , bought their insurance, and they refunded us for all of our car disaster expenses in Namibia.

You’ll Never Have Seen This Many Stars Before

Namibia is home to some of the darkest skies in the world , and I couldn’t believe how magical the night sky was. With the exception of the cities we stayed in, we fell asleep every night with the Milky Way twinkling above our heads. And with the lack of light pollution in the country, you didn’t even need to wait for your eyes to adjust.

If you’re all about stars, this is one destination not to miss.

I Loved Visiting During the Low Season

Well, low-ish season. We hit up Namibia in March, which is typically the final month of the rainy season.

We experienced just one hour of rain and the rest of our trip was full of gloriously blue skies. There were fewer tourists, prices for accommodation were almost half what they’d be in high season, and the weather wasn’t bad at all. I highly recommend considering a shoulder-season visit because of this.

Surely there has to be a downside? Yep. We struggled to see anything at Etosha. There are thirty-odd waterholes inside the park and during the dry season, they usually look like this:

Well, over three whole days of 12-hour drives, Dave and I saw literally nothing at any of the waterholes. Our waterholes looked like this:

We didn’t even see a bird.

The problem is: during the rainy season, there’s no reason for the animals to go to the waterholes because there’s water everywhere. And being on the tail end of that meant that instead we had to drive around in search of animals in the bushes. We didn’t come up empty handed, though: while we didn’t see a single elephant, we managed to see three black rhinos (super rare) and countless giraffes (my favourite animal).

It was funny, though, to have seen so many spectacular photos of Etosha before arriving, then to end up spending 90% of our time driving from deserted waterhole to deserted waterhole.

Have I Convinced You to Visit Yet?

I’m not exaggerating when I say travelling in Namibia is one of the best experiences of my life, and I can’t wait to start sharing every incredible minute of my time there. Next up: a detailed itinerary guide followed by dozens of stories to convince you to add Namibia to your bucket list! :-)

Have you been to Namibia before? Would you like to visit?

Related Articles on Namibia 💰 The Cost of Travel in Namibia: My Detailed Budget Breakdown 🦛 The Perfect First Day in Namibia 🐘 Desperately Seeking Elephants in Etosha National Park 🏜 Finding Paradise in Vingerklip: Africa’s Monument Valley 🦭 Seals, Swakopmund, and the Skeleton Coast 🥾 Climbing Big Daddy: An African Travel Highlight 🏚 Exploring Kolmanskop: Namibia’s Ghost Town in the Desert

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Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents. Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

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100 comments.

I have never heard a bad thing about Namibia, and though we haven’t hit Sub-Saharan Africa, it would definitely be atop our list – maybe alongside Botswana? And on top of all you’ve listed, I’ve also heard that they have some decent German beer there since it was a German colony for a while. Any truth to that rumor?

There was *amazing* beer in Namibia! I’ve heard Botswana is pretty expensive and really tough to visit independently, but it’s very high on my list nonetheless. I know you guys would definitely love Namibia though!

Windhoek Lager (best beer in Africa)

Have you convinced me? Actually you have, I would have never thought of visiting there but it looks super amazing and peaceful! It sort of reminds me of Arizona. It sounds like heaven compared to NYC where I am currently at!

-Rachel @ Backcountry Petite

Score! I actually commented several times to Dave that I felt as though we were driving through the U.S. Southwest a lot of the time.

Great post, Lauren! I love all your pictures – especially the one of the night sky and the doors with the sand. It looks SO different than the places I’ve visited in Africa (Uganda and Zanzibar) that I’m very intrigued.

I think you’d love Namibia, Ashley! It’s very different to the other African countries I’ve been to, as well — so arid and empty!

Wow your pictures are absolutely stunning! Namibia has been calling my name lately but as you said it’s so darn expensive. Hopefully one of these days I’ll save up enough to see it. Did you find the food expensive even at local restaurants?

The problem was there often wasn’t any local restaurants. You’ll stay at lodges where the nearest town is several hours away, so you usually have to eat where you’re staying. In Swakopmund and Luderitz, food was slightly cheaper at around $8-10 per meal.

Wow Namibia looks wonderful! Thanks for writing this complete guide. Good to know it is safe. x

It really is the perfect introduction to travel in Africa :-)

Yep! I’m convinced! All I knew of Namibia was the rockin’ sand dunes. But with all this extra awesomeness (aside from the lodging prices) sound right up my alley! What city do you fly into?

I’ve heard of Namibia before, I’m surprised so many others haven’t. It looks wonderful! You have 100% convinced me!

I was there in march and I loved it. I highly recommend it to every one. It’s very safe!

Best regards!

Glad to hear you enjoyed it as well, Rui! :-)

You have definitely convinced me to go to Namibia. I had never thought of it before, but I think I will have to look into a bit now. Look forward to reading more posts about your trip.

I’m so happy to hear that! It’s definitely worth the visit :-)

I enjoyed the read! Amazing photos. Thanks for the tips <3

Glad you enjoyed it, Nadia!

I’ve been to Namibia on honey moon in 1995. Afraid to go back and see it changed. Apart from the occasion, it has been the most fabulous trip I have made. Did you miss the Skeleton coast?

We saw a small part of it while we were driving down to Swakopmund. Managed to see one shipwreck on the beach, but didn’t have enough time to get anywhere else. I would be interested to know if it has changed — it didn’t feel like the type of place that was changing quickly, but that’s totally just me guessing!

Namibia was my first ever solo trip abroad (around 8 years ago) and it was incredible. Yes the driving days are long but it is definitely worth it. The landscapes and hiking are fantastic, like nowhere else I’ve been, and the wildlife is so diverse. Other than South Africa I don’t know what country you can see penguins at one end and all the traditional safari animals at the other end. Looking forward to reading more posts to relive my trip/see how it’s changed.

Totally agree with you, Laura! I was surprised by how diverse the landscapes and wildlife were, and how empty the country the feels.

Looks and sounds like a great trip. Thanks!

It was amazing :-)

Wow, it really looks amazing. Must have been an incredible experience visiting the country.

As I said, the best trip I’ve ever taken. I loved every second I spent in the country :-)

I have to say Namibia looks amazing – it’s never particularly been on my radar, but it definitely is now! Looking forward to more posts on your time there. :)

I’m so happy to hear that, Clazz! It’s one of the coolest countries I’ve ever been to.

And great for children too. The number of ‘cute’ animals identified for airlifting to a proposed zoo in our back garden was extensive! Animals are everywhere: on the beach, by the side of the road, wandering around your lodge or tent. The whole family loved every bit of the holiday.

Ooh, I can imagine! I was filled with childlike excitement over every animal I spotted in Namibia.

I haven’t been before but you have me just about convinced! I’ve heard that the oysters from Namibia are something else as well.

Yes! Oh my god, I had the best oysters of my LIFE in Namibia!

Yep, I’m convinced! Everything looked amazing! Where did you flew from and how much did it cost you?

I flew from Portugal for $250 return with TAAG.

To be honest, this is the first time I’ve heard of Namibia. Probably because I’m from the other side of the globe.. or maybe I need to travel more! Nevertheless, thank you for this post! Very inspiring!

Well, you’re definitely not alone! But hopefully it convinced you to try to make it there one day :-)

Awesome photography. Thank you for sharing these amazing pictures and your experience in Namibia. I can’t wait to visit.

This place looks so stunning. I am one of those who had never heard of Namibia…..glad you shared this post. Thanks!

Glad you enjoyed it, Alex!

Namibia is terrific. I have been there only once but I still remember its beauty…yes it does gives you a lot of pocket pinch but then it’s worth it.

100% worth it!

I’m really excited to delve into the rest of your blog posts about Namibia. I have to confess I knew nothing about it before you visited but it looks like such an incredible country. Loved this introduction into what it’s like the travel there.

Happy to hear you enjoyed the post! Namibia is so underrated!

Namibia has been on my bucket list since I first set foot in Africa, After seeing your images and reading your blog I need to get there! Perhaps it will be the destination booked when I visit Africa again rather than the Safaris I did in 2010 or the Gorilla trekking in Rwanda! Great post!

I highly recommend it! :-)

Good to know, where would you suggest other than sousevlei and kolmanscop?

Walvis Bay, Vingerklip, and Etosha!

Honestly I don’t think it’s that expensive in the grand scheme of things. Sure, it’s not backpacking on a tight budget, but the prices aren’t that bad compared to the rest of the world. And if you compare what you get for the money with what you’d pay in somewhere like Australia, it seems like you definitely got your moneys worth.

That’s true. I guess the only problem is that there isn’t a super easy way to visit on a budget without missing out on a ton of awesome stuff. Most countries around the world will have hostels in most destinations. In Namibia, there isn’t really that option if you want to get outside of the cities and towns. But I agree: if you usually spend this amount of money in other countries as you travel, you’d feel as though you got a lot for your money in Namibia.

If Namibia is ‘Africa for beginners’, as is often said, what a wonderful place to start. Stunning photos, especially the view from the Sesriem Desert Camp. It’s perfect.

Absolutely! It was so easy to visit, and probably my favourite country I’ve now been to in Africa.

Fantastic post about a country I don’t know a lot about. Do they have a dress code in Namibia at all? Do women have to cover up while travelling in the country?

Not really. I would cover up my shoulders sometimes, but usually wandered around in a t-shirt and shorts. Almost all of the tourists I saw in the country were wearing shorts and t-shirts.

Wow it does sound amazing, how many days was this trip? My hubby turns 60 in October, after much nagging he has chosen Namibia.

Great decision! We spent 12 days in the country. Ovita for 1 night – Etosha for three nights – Vingerklip for a night – Swakopmund for 3 nights – Betta Camp for 1 night – Sesriem for 1 night – Luderitz for 1 night – Maltahohe for 1 night – drive to Windhoek and out!

Dear Lauren I am a Namibian, who often enjoys reading visitor’s blogs about my beloved country. It is always interesting to see Namibia through the eyes of other’s…..your photos and posts have been great fun to read. Thanks for the free advertisement……..might I add, Namibia is quite clean, it helps to have a small population density. Nonetheless, we do take pride in keeping it clean, hope you noticed that! Enjoy your travels, hope you make your way back here for an extended journey and with many other wide-eyed visitors in tow! P.S. the dust gets to me too!!! Regards Indileni

Yes, I definitely noticed that! I’m so glad to hear you’ve been enjoying my posts — it’s been a fun country to write about :-)

Hi! Looks like it was a great trip to Namibia. In search of things about this country I found your article. I am interested to go this year there. Can you tell me if you took pills for malaria or vaccine for yellow fever. Thank you

I took malaria pills for my time in Etosha. No yellow fever vaccine — they don’t have it in Namibia.

Hi Lauren, I’m currently finding out as much as I can about Namibia from books and the net, which is where I stumbled on your blog, which I’ve got to say, is excellent. I’d really like to hire a car and go camping, probably with a roof top tent, and only in campsites. My main concern is waking up in the middle of the night, wandering out to go to the toilet and having a close encounter with wild animals. Any advice? Thanks, Tony

It’s not my area of expertise, as I didn’t camp when I was in Namibia, but I’d imagine that you’d be okay in campsites. The animals are very spread out across the country, so it was extremely rare to see them while we were staying anywhere.

Your pictures are so amazing that I want to cry. This is on my list of possibilities for next summer. Thanks for the information!

Ah, thank you! It was easy to take great photos of such a beautiful country :-)

Thanks for a great blog series on Namibia! Great information and very helpful. I’m planning on doing a big road trip in the fall of 2018 and am really looking forward to it!

Sweet! You’ll have an amazing time, Rand :-)

I would like to drive myself through Namibia as I like the independence. However, I know nothing about mechanics and shamefully I’ve never been able to change a flat tire (I’ve tried but I’ve never had the strength to get the bolts off.). So is a tour package the only way to go for me?

You could look into hiring a guide to drive you. That’ll be cheaper than a tour and then you won’t have to worry about tackling the bad roads yourself.

Greetings for Oranjemund,Namibia Lauren,

Thanks so much for highlighting our beautiful country, I see you made Luderitz. Next visit head down to the deep South , Oranjemund was a forbidden town since 1936 due to the vast diamond deposits and only opened to the public towards the end of 2017. We walk amongst the Gemsboks in our streets down here. On the way to the beach last night, I had to stop and shout out the window at all the wild springboks hogging the road. They did not even scatter, but rather stood there giving me the evil eye…. Anyhow, Next time if you make it down here, give us a shout! Thanks again.

Ooooh, I would love to go! Sounds amazing :-)

Awesome read! Namibia is really one of the those countries people don’t seem to know about unless they’ve travelled to Southern Africa, or actually come from the area, like myself. ;) Well, South Africa, but I spent a good few years in that amazing country. Atleast South Africa gives you an idea of where it is directly in the name!

The endless nothingness on the roads is amazing, especially when you drive for hours without seeing a soul.

The amount of wildlife is another incredible thing about Namibia, unfortunate time to travel there in March, whilst you got to experience Nam at its greenest (or there abouts), the animals had plenty of watering holes to choose from, which is a pain when you want to see them ;)

For travelling during the low season, guided tours really are worth it, as the guides all communicate with one another and give each other live information about animal sightings etc. They can be rather pricey though :/

For anyone making a short trip, Erindi Private Game Reserve is a good stop, especially during the low season, the park is one of the largest privately owned reserves, but it is also tiny compared to Etosha, with a lot of the animals you could see in Etosha, the guides are very informed and make a real effort to get you to the animals you want to see (and the tours aren’t too expensive), it’s probably the most worthwhile 1 or 2 nights stay for anyone looking into some wildlife during the low season.

Otherwise, October/November is probably the best time to visit Etosha.

So I think the real question is, when are you visiting again? ;)

Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! I’d love to get back within the next couple of years — especially because I need to have a better Etosha experience!

Awesome pictures that reminds me of my journey to Namibia although it’s been almost 6 years meanwhile… would go there again any time.

I’ve also published some of my black & white pictures in a Blurb photo book.

Maybe that would be an option for you as well? :)

For all the would-be tourists out there: I am a Namibian and love my country with all my heart! The reasons for my addiction to Namibia`s wild open spaces, spectacular scenery and incredible wildlife are numerous, but the ones standing out for me is the silence (you hear yourself breathe), the fact that you can stop anywhere alongside the road for a cuppa or to pitch your tent without fear of any danger (be it human or nature) and above all….the solitude! Take your 4×4 for an excursion into Damaraland and the Kaokoveld and have your soul completely rejuvenated! The friendly and helpful locals are just the icing on the cake – Namibia for ever. Hope to host you guys soon in our beatyfull paradise – so peacefull, quiet and serene.

Thank you for this post, Lauren! My grandparents lived in Namibia and I was lucky enough to visit them when I was 16. We stayed for 2 months and did a little bit of traveling. Now, 20 years later, I’ve been dreaming of a trip to Namibia with my 14 & 15 yr old daughters and decided to do a little research to see if it was still as empty and beautiful as I remember… From your post it looks like it’s still the perfect place to visit and I’m looking forward to planning a visit next summer. Thanks again.

I just came back from South Africa and that has made me want to visit Namibia. Your blog has now convinced me, although it seems like the dry season is best for animals. What’s the best way to get to Namibia? Is it best to fly to Cape Town and then catch a flight to Windhoek?

Either that or via Angola with TAAG Angola Air — they have some seriously cheap flight deals from Lisbon.

So glad to have come across this overview…

I nabbed a cheap ticket to Cape Town for May of 2019 and am planning on a 3-week Namibia road trip as the focus of my visit.

Looking forward to digging into the accompanying posts soon!

You’re going to have the best trip ever, Chris! Namibia is one of my favourite countries in the world :-)

I recall learning about the Welwitschia plant of Namibia while in school. Recently, an opportunity to travel to Namibia came up and I actually might be able to visit this intriguing country. This post got me even more excited. And the photos are crazy beautiful. thank you!

Oh, wow! I hope you do get to visit, Misael! It’s such a beautiful country :-)

I’m a bit worried that we haven’t booked enough in between stops for our upcoming trip! I have only allowed one day to get from Walvis Bay to Sesriem and one day between all our other destinations. Hopefully our experience of travelling in the Australian outback will help us in Namibia – we have driven over 1,000 sand dunes in our Simpson Desert and tackled corrugated roads like the Gibb River in the Kimberley. We have hired a 4×4 and will be camping – my only fear is meeting a lion in the shower when we do a side trip to Rooiputs in Botswana. I might just use baby wipes for those 2 days!

I have just come across this blog – and just WOW! Namibia looks amazing and the thorough description and itinerary is superb. I’ve recently watched Romesh Ranganathan’s Misadventures where he went to Ethiopia which is another astounding yet non touristic place that people would not think of visiting. I have travelled around the majority of Morocco in a 4×4 over a month and that wasn’t enough time. I’ve travelled all around Australia and NZ over a year – in the outback, NT and WA which have some similarities in terms of plenty of driving and not seeing anyone else for miles and plenty of unsealed road. Both in Aus and Morocco we didn’t seem to have problems with flat tyres but we were deflating / inflating when appropriate. Crazy how you did the trip in a Toyota Corolla.

Sorry for waffling on, I get excited with planning new trips – especially when you say you only need 2 weeks! Anyway just a few questions if you still remember from your time there – How much did you roughly spend during the two weeks, excluding flights, travel insurance, vaccinations. Although these details would be handy to know. – What was the heat like, was it still cool (ish) after rainy season? And were there places to buy / stock up on bottled water or did you kind of need to ration to make it to the next lodge or gas station. – What was the price of gas roughly? – Apart from flat tyres, did you have any major problems or was there anything you were worried out before you went or whilst you were travelling through the country – malaria, insects, the heat etc?

Maybe I need to check out your travel anxiety course again and stop asking questions and just dive right in. It’s been almost a year since I got back from Aus, so I’m gagging to travel properly again but still anxious about Africa. Thank you!

Your website/blog is a true gift. I stumbled on it while planning my trip to hike Hadrians wall and went exploring to see if you had been to Namibia. BINGO. You have an itinerary and everything I need to know for both trips. I can’t tell you how excited and fortunate I feel to have found this site. Thank you!!!

Hi Lauren…We are starting our “Journey Down That Path” yearlong family trip around the world July 1st. Our first month we are renting a 4×4 and touring Namibia.. It’s been on my bucket list since I gave up an opportunity to do Peace Corps work there in the early 90s. We can’t wait to experience all these sites. Thanks for your inspiration!

Hi Lauren. We are travelling to Namibia for the first time in October. I’m just wondering about travel injections. We will be getting Typhoid, Hepatitis A and advised to take Malarone anti malaria tablets as we are visiting Etosha National Park and staying outside of it at El Dorado Guest Farm. Is it necessary to get the rabies vaccine? There are a lot of dogs at this farm. Maybe I’m just being over cautious. Any advice would be greatly appreciated for first timers. Itinerary is arrive in Windhoek, drive to El Dorado Guest Farm in the morning, spend two nights there and then head southwards. Many thanks

I wouldn’t bother with the rabies vaccine. It’s highly unlikely you’ll even be bitten by a dog, and I can’t imagine the owners would be keeping rabid dogs on their property, either! You can tell when a dog has rabies, so the owners wouldn’t just let them hang around their other animals and endanger them and themselves :-)

I don’t see how you would get bitten because I doubt anyone would allow wild dogs roam free on commercial property. You would be fine, don’t just overthink it.

Great tips! In retrospect, would you have splurged on a bigger car better suited for the roads, are was the struggle with the bad roads in your little car worth it? And did you get any flats or have other car troubles?

There are definite pros and cons for each option. If we’d had a bigger car, there’d have been a greater chance of it rolling on the bad roads, for example, and they can be much more expensive to rent while also using more fuel. We really didn’t have too many problems with our car, so would stick with what we drove. We had one flat tyre, right at the end of our trip (on the first bit of paved road we’d had in a fortnight, haha), but it was no big deal. A local actually pulled over within two minutes of us stopping and changed the tyre for us!

If you don’t have much experience on gravel roads, maybe go for the 4WD option, but we didn’t really have any major problems with our Corolla. And the rental cars are definitely well-equipped for any flats you might have, with a spare tyre and a jack.

It just looks like the most beautiful country in the world! I can see why you loved it so much. I bet they’re probably doing ok with COVID with their population all spread out!

I spent 4 months in this beautiful country; 25 years ago. I would highly recommend Waterberg plateau, you would struggle to find a more stunning place on the planet. I will never ever forget this country, I have travelled around the world and visited some fantastic countries, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, Namibia is by far the country that I will never forget. The stars, the sunset and sunrise, the scenery and the tranquility are my cherished memories.

Namibia has been on my wishlist for several years. You don’t mention renting the jeeps with tents attached. Are you familiar with this option?

Greetings from Canada, perhaps i missed this ,but what would you pack? i see you in jeans in pictures, certainly I dont need safari attire? off to Namibia in September.

Nope, no need for safari attire; I just wore my normal clothes that I wear at home! Jeans and a t-shirt, shorts and a t-shirt, a hoodie in the evening, etc. Everybody else that I saw was just wearing typical clothes, too — very casual. There’s no need to try to camouflage yourself from the animals in Etosha as it’s usually a dusty plain so everything stands out against it!

Hi Lauren, Great article, thanks so much. I was wondering if you booked your hotels before you left for Namibia or just booked as you went during your trip. I’ll probably just follow your itinerary, but I wasn’t sure if I should book ahead. Planning to go in May or June. Thanks, Peter.

I booked in advance. I don’t think any of the places I stayed in were fully booked but I was there during the low season. If at all possible I would recommend booking in advance, though! In some parts of Namibia, the accommodation is spread so sparsely across the country that if you turned up somewhere and couldn’t get a room, you might have to drive for an hour or two to get to the nearest property!

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If Namibia is 'Africa for beginners', as is often said, what a wonderful place to start.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions.

Sossusvlei, a large ephemeral pan, is set amid red sand dunes that tower up to 325m above the valley floor. It rarely contains any water, but when the…

Cape Cross Seal Reserve

Skeleton Coast

The best-known breeding colony of Cape fur seals along the Namib coast is in this reserve, where the population has grown large and fat by taking…

Although it's much less famous than its neighbour Sossusvlei, Deadvlei is actually the most alluring pan in the Namib-Naukluft National Park – it's…

Sandwich Harbour

Sandwich Harbour, 56km south of Walvis Bay in Dorob National Park, is one of the most dramatic sights in Namibia – dunes up to 100m-high plunge into the…

Sesriem Canyon

The 3km-long, 30m-deep Sesriem Canyon, 4km south of the Sesriem headquarters, was carved by the Tsauchab River through the 15-million-year-old deposits of…

Hidden Vlei

This unearthly dry vlei (low, open landscape) amid lonely dunes makes a rewarding excursion. It's a 4km return hike from the 2WD car park. The route is…

Christuskirche

Windhoek’s best-recognised landmark, and something of an unofficial symbol of the city, this German Lutheran church stands on a traffic island and lords…

In 1905 the need for a good cargo- and passenger-landing site led Swakopmund’s founders to construct the original wooden pier. In the years that followed,…

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Named after early Afrikaner trekker Jani Kolman, whose ox wagon became bogged in the sand here, Kolmanskop was originally constructed as the Consolidated…

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Opened in 2014, this museum is dedicated to the country's anticolonial and independence struggle. The first floor tells the story of Namibia under…

Betta Camp Site

A welcoming stop on the road in these parts is Betta Camp Site, roughly 20km past Duwisib. Apart from petrol and campsites if you want to crash the night,…

One of Namibia’s most recognisable landmarks, the 1728m-high Spitzkoppe rises mirage-like above the dusty plains of southern Damaraland. Its dramatic…

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Join a tour to Namibia to find an unexpected landscape of vast deserts, tortured rock, open plains and an eerie coastline. It's home to a wealth of birds and animals - Namibia is the only home of the desert elephant, and 25% of the world's cheetah stalk its arid plains. 

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Get set for an adventure of a lifetime with one of our Namibia small group tours . Our hand-picked tour leaders will share first-hand knowledge of this unique desert landscape and unveil some of the country’s best-kept secrets.

Go in search of the Big Five on a Namibia Safari  at the Etosha National Park, and take an early morning hike up the colossal dunes of the Sossusvlei to watch the first rays of sunshine cast a deep orange glow over the arid and barren landscape. Head to the Skeleton Coast to discover an army of seals at Cape Cross and watch as a blur of blush-pink flamingos feed in the Walvis Bay Lagoon. 

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Every one of our Namibia holidays is suitable for solo travellers – in fact, you can expect that around half of your group will be travelling solo. The number varies depending on which tour you choose, but you'll certainly be in good company. Our small group holidays to Namibia are a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and share experiences along the way.

Best time to go to Namibia

The most popular time to visit Namibia is June to October when the temperatures are a bit cooler and the days are dry and bright. This dry season is also the perfect time to spot wildlife congregating around waterholes in Etosha National Park. 

If you want to escape the crowds, head to Namibia in February and March. It will feel hotter and more humid, but you’ll be spoilt with sightings of migratory birds and lush green countryside. 

April is the shoulder season when temperatures start to drop, rain is less frequent and lush vegetation is still bountiful - perfect for an Easter holiday getaway. 

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Immerse yourself in spectacular scenery

Soar over the world's oldest desert in a hot air balloon

Namibia is home to world's largest cheetah population

Enjoy a bird's eye view of Namibia's vastness

Escape to the Skeleton Coast

Etosha is full of photographic opportunities

Find solitude beside the Kunene River

Etosha has a healthy lion population

Enjoy excellent for hiking, both guided & self-guided

Track desert-adapted elephants in damaraland

Enjoy a front row seat to the wildlife action

Visit colonies of Cape fur seals along the Namibian coast.

Namibia holidays

Captivating in scale, natural grandeur and sheer emptiness, Namibia is by turns breathtakingly beautiful and almost dauntingly wild.

Add to this a plethora of hospitable lodges, exceptionally good roads and many superb areas for wildlife safaris , and the country becomes perfect for individual exploration – by light aircraft, guided expedition or self-drive. To focus on the highlights of a Namibia holiday is to take in the soaring red dunes of Sossusvlei, the rich colonial culture of the coastal towns coastal towns , and the wildlife in Etosha National Park: mountains, sea and safari in one iconic trip. But spread your wings further, and the options are even more tantalising. With a fifth of this huge country protected by national parks, and much more safeguarded in superb private reserves, there is no shortage of mountains to hike, of wildlife to seek out, of sheer space in which to safari. This extraordinary diversity of landscape protects the people of some of Namibia’s most ancient cultures, from the semi-nomadic Himba whose villages are scattered among the vast rocky plains of the north-west to the San, or Bushmen, who have for millennia hunted on the open plains of the Kalahari . It’s a heady mix, one that repays exploration in many different ways – and for a range of budgets. Whether you’re looking for a self-drive trip including some nights beneath the stars, the luxury of a fly-in safari staying in top-class lodges, or something in between, Namibia is the place to create your own adventure.

Namibia's key areas and destinations

Towering red dunes unfolding in waves towards the distant ocean – this is the iconic image of Namibia, this is Sossusvlei in the Namib-Naukluft National Park .

But Namibia has other “must-sees”. For prolific wildlife, the vast salt pan and numerous waterholes of Etosha National Park draw elephants and giraffes , lions and black rhinos , and more. This is world-class safari destination.

Desert-adapted elephants roam the ephemeral rivers of Damaraland , where indigenous San people created unique galleries of rock art; further north, the pastoral Himba cling on to their semi-nomadic culture.

Battered by the cold waters of the Atlantic the hostile Skeleton Coast is home to thousands of Cape fur seals – and the rare brown hyena .

Look into the depths of the Fish River Canyon and wonder at the layers of history in the rocks beneath your feet, or seek out the erstwhile Caprivi Strip for prolific birdlife, lush scenery – and hippos. And if you’re craving contemporary culture, head for the coastal towns.

31 places to stay

Namibia’s flagship national park is a must for wildlife lovers and photographers, whether self-driving or on a guided game drive.

26 places to stay

From rock art to rhinos, Damaraland’s treasures are intrinsically bound up with a landscape of rugged mountains and wide, grassy plains.

Namib-Naukluft

25 places to stay

A captivating landscape of soft sculpted dunes, vast plains and majestic mountains with excellent hiking: few can resist the Namib-Naukluft.

Caprivi Strip

23 places to stay

Literally out on a limb from the rest of Namibia, the Caprivi has an entirely different feel: lush, verdant and often rich in wildlife.

21 places to stay

An inevitable stopover for most visitors, Windhoek, with its attractive valley setting, is worth more than a passing glance.

Swakop' & Walvis Bay

From shopping to sandboarding, seafood to coffee and cake, boat trips to birdwatching: the seaside towns offer a varied take on Namibia.

Southern Namibia

15 places to stay

Low, deep-red, undulating dunes characterise the southern Kalahari, variously home to photogenic quivertrees, carpets of flowers and the irresistible meerkat.

Central Highlands

9 places to stay

Small, personal lodges and guest farms welcome visitors to these rolling hills, whose attractions range from hiking to cave paintings.

Skeleton Coast

13 places to stay

Fringing Namibia’s western border with the Atlantic, the Skeleton Coast is one of the world’s most desolate yet compelling wildernesses.

Fish River Canyon

7 places to stay

Both awe-inspiring and exceptionally picturesque, the Fish River Canyon follows a deep fissure in the arid landscape of southern Namibia.

Lüderitz & Aus

5 places to stay

Marooned at the end of a long road from Aus, Lüderitz retains the feel of a frontier town founded on the 20th-century diamond boom.

With just a scattering of lodges across a desert area nearly three times the size of Singapore, the NamibRand offers pure escapism.

4 places to stay

Renowned for its leopard sightings, Okonjima protects and conserves a range of big cats on a private reserve between Windhoek and Etosha.

Waterberg Plateau

3 places to stay

Renowned for some of the best walking in Namibia, Waterberg is one of the country’s smallest, yet most intriguing national parks.

Bushmanland

1 places to stay

Remote and seemingly endless, the Kalahari sand-sheet that covers north-eastern Namibia offers a remarkable opportunity to immerse yourself in Bushman culture.

Ten best safari holidays to Namibia

All our trips to Namibia are tailor-made, based around how you wish to travel, but here are ten of the most popular options – out of the 23 Namibia safari holidays on this website.

Most Namibia holidays are self-drive trips. This isn’t intrepid exploration; we’ll plan the trip with you and arrange a car, detailed maps and all the information that you’ll need to explore at your own pace. Look for trips named self-drive safaris below.

A fly-in safari is great for those with limited time, or who don’t want to drive, giving a magical perspective on the country’s dramatic landscapes. Look for trips named fly-in safaris below.

If you don’t want to drive yourself, consider on of our guided safaris below. On these you’ll be driven around the country, gleaning real insights from your private guide along the way. These fascinating and very flexible trips can be as wild as you want – talk to us about designing one just for you.

Below are examples of some great Namibia holidays; contact us to help you plan your own.

Chongololo Self-drive Safari

21 days • 11 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

This self-drive safari focuses on the best walking experiences in Namibia. Get your boots ready for the apricot dunes of the Namib Desert and the ancient hills of Damaraland.

US$5,860 - US$7,280 per person

Hartebeest Self-drive Safari

16 days • 8 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

This self-drive safari focuses on the best cultural experiences in Namibia. Visit a Himba village and enjoy three days living with the San Bushmen interspersed with some excellent wildlife watching.

US$3,420 - US$4,200 per person

Rock Hare Self-drive Safari

20 days • 12 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO VICTORIA FALLS AIRPORT

An in-depth look at Namibia from the Namib Desert to the Caprivi, with additional stops in Botswana and Victoria Falls. This three-week adventure includes an unrivalled mix of environments and is great value.

US$5,120 - US$7,300 per person

Caracal Self-drive Safari

14 days • 8 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

The quintessential Namibian self-drive adventure exploring the highlights from Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert to Damaraland’s wilderness and a safari in Etosha. A great mix of accommodation and excellent value.

US$2,330 - US$3,930 per person

Dune Lark Fly & Drive Safari

A combination fly-in self-drive exploration of Namibia, with quick, easy and scenic flights in and out of Sossusvlei before a classic road trip adventure of the country’s rugged north.

US$4,410 - US$5,660 per person

Brown Hyena Self-drive

The perfect trip for those who want to mix the adventure and freedom of a self-drive with some of our favourite luxury camps in Namibia and a great mix of activities.

US$6,020 - US$7,690 per person

Quiver Tree Self-drive Safari

14 days • 7 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

An offbeat Namibian self-drive adventure exploring the epic Fish River Canyon and fascinating Kolmanskop ghost town in the south, before turning north via the classic highlights of Sossusvlei, Swakopmund and Damaraland.

US$2,310 - US$3,190 per person

Black Wildebeest Self-drive Safari

19 days • 10 locations CAPE TOWN AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

Journey from South Africa’s cosmopolitan Cape Town to central Namibia’s Okonjima Nature Reserve during this self-driven safari. The route passes through a stunning variety of landscapes, offering access to this beautiful continent’s rich diversity.

US$3,210 - US$3,690 per person

Cape Fox Guided Safari

13 days • 7 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

A classic clockwise circuit around Namibia’s northern highlights with a private guide and vehicle. We can’t think of a better way to see more in this timeframe.

US$8,160 - US$10,400 per person

Black-faced Impala Guided Safari

13 days • 6 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

A unique mix of luxury and adventure in our original, and perhaps most varied, destination on a privately guided Namibian overland safari. Perfect for families, friends or couples travelling together.

US$4,750 - US$6,250 per person

View all holidays

Our travellers' 10 most recent Namibia holidays reviews

At Expert Africa, the feedback we receive from our travellers is invaluable.

It helps us to stay up to date with the latest developments, which in turn helps our travellers to plan their trips; it even helps us to understand our travellers better. It’s also very important to our partners running lodges and safari camps across Namibia, who appreciate such genuine and constructive feedback.

All our Namibia holiday reviews are published in full without us editing them. See all 1611 reviews of Namibia safaris holidays here , or click on a card below to read one of the most recent reviews in full.

Arrived 10 Feb 2024, 33 nights

"My Feb 2024 trip"

Overall rating: Excellent

Arrived 14 Mar 2024, 9 nights

"My Mar 2024 trip"

Arrived 7 Feb 2024, 17 nights

"This was truly very special!"

Arrived 29 Sep 2022, 22 nights

"My Sep 2022 trip"

Arrived 15 Dec 2023, 23 nights

"My Dec 2023 trip"

Arrived 13 Jan 2024, 13 nights

"My Jan 2024 trip"

Arrived 11 Dec 2023, 13 nights

Arrived 11 Nov 2023, 35 nights

"My Nov 2023 trip"

Arrived 23 Nov 2023, 13 nights

Arrived 7 Nov 2023, 13 nights

Overall rating: Good

See all Namibia reviews

Our travellers' wildlife sightings across Namibia

While they are in Namibia, many of our travellers record their wildlife sightings for us – from big cats and elephants to black rhino and brown hyena – and kindly share these with us when they are home. Citizen science in action!

Their feedback gives us a unique picture of the distribution of various species, so we in turn can tell other travellers their best chances spotting individual species during a Namibian safari. ( Read how this wildlife survey works. ) The percentages below give just an “average” percentage of the likelihood of a safari visitor seeing each species in Namibia.

For full details of sightings at individual camps and lodges, our species-by-species interactive map shows the best locations for wildlife viewing in Namibia .

83% success

81% success

70% success

69% success

68% success

56% success

52% success

50% success

48% success

47% success

22% success

19% success

18% success

17% success

16% success

13% success

Where to find Namibia’s key wildlife species

Our travellers’ feedback on their wildlife sightings helps us to work out the best camps and lodges to see Namibia’s key wildlife species.

Whether you’re driven by spotting a cheetah in Namibia in Namibia, or your must-see animal is a desert-adapted elephant , we can help. Take a look at our data-driven maps , which show the best places to actually see each species within Namibia’s extraordinary diverse range of habitats.

For a specific data-driven map of the best camps and lodges for sightings of a particular species, click on a card:

Oryx are impressive antelopes, with a powerful physique and elegant markings set off by rapier-like horns. They cut a distinctive dash in some of Africa’s harshest landscapes.

70% SUCCESS

1,280 sightings from 1,839 observations

Where to see oryx in Namibia

Acinonyx jubatus

The cheetah is the fastest land animal and the only cat that hunts by pure speed. Found largely in open grasslands, its slim, elegant form is today an increasingly rare sight.

33% SUCCESS

1,028 sightings from 3,085 observations

Where to see cheetah in Namibia

Black Rhino

Diceros bicornis

The black rhino is the smaller and rarer of Africa’s two rhino species but has the more fearsome reputation. Shy and heavily persecuted, it tends to stick to cover.

31% SUCCESS

615 sightings from 1,995 observations

Where to see black rhino in Namibia

White Rhino

Ceratotherium simum

The white rhino is the largest and most numerous of the world’s five rhinoceros species. They are larger, easier to see and generally more approachable than the black rhino.

44% SUCCESS

481 sightings from 1,090 observations

Where to see white rhino in Namibia

Loxodonta africana

By far the biggest of the so-called Big Five – indeed, the largest land animal on the planet – the elephant shapes the very landscape it inhabits and is a defining presence on any safari.

91% SUCCESS

3,537 sightings from 3,891 observations

Where to see elephant in Namibia

Panthera leo

Lions are at the top of the food chain and also most safari wish-lists, but with their numbers falling fast, any encounter with these majestic apex predators always feels like a privilege.

81% SUCCESS

2,964 sightings from 3,641 observations

Where to see lion in Namibia

Suricata suricatta

These highly sociable little mammals have an endearing appearance and comical antics. Found in the drier areas of Southern Africa, close encounters are a sought-after experience.

22% SUCCESS

85 sightings from 395 observations

Where to see meerkat in Namibia

Syncerus caffer

One of the ‘Big Five’, buffalo earned a fearsome reputation in hunters’ tales. By contrast, big herds of these sociable bovids are placid, but mount formidable defences against predators.

83% SUCCESS

2,504 sightings from 3,021 observations

Where to see buffalo in Namibia

Giraffa camelopardalis

The world’s tallest land mammal, giraffes are herbivores which have evolved many unique adaptations. Their iconic outlines tower above the bush in many of Africa’s wildlife areas.

86% SUCCESS

3,413 sightings from 3,953 observations

Where to see giraffe in Namibia

Hippopotamus amphibius

The territorial calls of the hippo create a signature soundtrack to Africa’s rivers & wetlands. Despite an endearing smile, this aquatic herbivore has a notoriously aggressive disposition.

89% SUCCESS

2,591 sightings from 2,910 observations

Where to see hippo in Namibia

Spotted Hyena

Crocuta crocuta

The spotted hyena may be thought of as ‘ugly’ and ‘cowardly’. In fact, this versatile and intelligent carnivore is one of Africa’s most fascinating and warrants attention on any safari.

55% SUCCESS

2,127 sightings from 3,841 observations

Where to see spotted hyena in Namibia

Brown Hyena

Parahyaena brunnea

This largely solitary scavenger is one of the more elusive and little-known of Africa’s carnivores. Shaggier than its spotted cousin, it occurs only in the arid southwest of the continent.

16% SUCCESS

239 sightings from 1,453 observations

Where to see brown hyena in Namibia

Panthera pardus

The most numerous of Africa’s big cats, leopard occur across many habitats, from wild tracts to populated areas. Their grace and their elusive nature make them a unique safari drawcard.

47% SUCCESS

1,889 sightings from 4,029 observations

Where to see leopard in Namibia

Lycaon pictus

African wild dogs are among the continent’s most compelling animals. Much misunderstood, these rare, tie-dyed canids are amazingly efficient hunters with a fascinating social life.

843 sightings from 2,707 observations

Where to see wild dog in Namibia

Connochaetes sp.

Superficially bovine in appearance, wildebeests are known for their spectacular migrations sometimes in huge numbers. These resilient animals are some of Africa’s most successful herbivores.

68% SUCCESS

2,411 sightings from 3,557 observations

Where to see wildebeest in Namibia

Smutsia sp.

Pangolins appear to be more pine cone than animal in their unique armoury of scales. These nocturnal, ant-eating oddities are not only highly elusive but also increasingly rare.

54 sightings from 3,238 observations

Where to see pangolin in Namibia

Orycteropus afer

The aardvark is one of Africa’s most bizarre and enigmatic animals. A shy, nocturnal termite-eater, signs of its presence may be scattered about the bush whilst sightings remain elusive.

67 sightings from 3,241 observations

Where to see aardvark in Namibia

Taurotragus oryx

Africa’s largest antelope, eland are culturally important from prehistoric rock art to modern game farms. Though widespread, they are also shy so sightings are uncommon and often fleeting.

49% SUCCESS

1,438 sightings from 2,916 observations

Where to see eland in Namibia

The zebra is a quintessential African animal: the horse in stripy pyjamas at the end of every child’s A–Z. There are three species, of which the plains zebra is much the most common.

84% SUCCESS

3,723 sightings from 4,412 observations

Where to see zebra in Namibia

Roan antelope

Hippotragus equinus

Africa’s second largest antelope and one of its most handsome, with a powerful build and distinctive markings, roan are wary of people, but renowned for their bravery against predators.

23% SUCCESS

458 sightings from 1,965 observations

Where to see roan antelope in Namibia

Sable antelope

Hippotragus niger

Perhaps Africa’s most beautiful antelope, sable are renowned for their combative nature, even holding off lions. Shy and restricted in range, sightings of sable are always special.

436 sightings from 1,954 observations

Where to see sable antelope in Namibia

Tragelaphus spekii

The sitatunga is the most aquatic of Africa’s antelopes and specially adapted to its swampy habitats. Though widespread across Africa, only a handful of places offer reliable sightings.

19% SUCCESS

60 sightings from 317 observations

Where to see sitatunga in Namibia

When to go on a Namibia holiday

Key to planning any holiday to Namibia – from an adventurous road trip to a top-notch guided safari – is weather.

The good news is that there’s no “wrong” time to visit Namibia: the climate is generally dry and pleasant. Temperatures are typically warm or hot during the day, although in desert areas between June and August they may fall below freezing at night. Rainfall is fractional along the coastal fringes, whereas further east it tends to fall largely between November and March – often in the form of short, sharp thunderstorms.

For wildlife watching, especially in Etosha , April to October are the best months, when animals are drawn to the park’s perennial water sources. Prices tend to peak in July and August. Conversely, the wetter season is cheaper, less crowded – and an excellent time for birders. Click on the months below; and see here for historic rainfall and temperatures in Namibia .

Namibia in January

January is at the heart of Namibia’s rainy season. However, as you’d expect from a country dominated by desert and semi-desert environments, the rains are often (but not always) weak and usually quite localised. Some days will be clear, the strong sun raising temperatures to around 30ºC/86ºF; on others humidity and clouds build, sometimes culminating in spectacular thunderstorms. In extreme cases, these generate flash-floods which race down the beds of ephemeral rivers. Across the country, the greening landscape makes a refreshing change, especially in desert areas. Many birds are in full breeding plumage and migrant species are here in force. In the north, where the rains are more reliable, the abundant water and food allows wildlife to disperse, making it trickier to spot.

• Variable weather: clear, hot & dry, or cloudy & humid with some rain
• Occasional, highly localised thunderstorms
• Many animals with young; birdlife at its most spectacular
• Wildlife dispersed & harder to see, especially in Etosha & the Caprivi
• Very few tourists (apart from the New Year) so rates mostly low

This is not a great time to visit

Weather in January

Namibia in February

February is the wettest month, but as Namibia is dominated by deserts, the rains are often weak and patchy. The variation in weather across Namibia is significant, too; the central highlands and Caprivi can see some heavy rain. More typically, some February days are clear with a hot, strong sun; others are cooler as cloudy skies build and, sometimes, culminate in short, spectacular thunderstorms. Occasionally these generate flash-floods, bringing ephemeral rivers to life and making travel more challenging. Across the country, the landscape feels green and alive; insects and smaller animals are more easily seen, and many birds and animals are raising their young. However, small pools in the bush and thicker vegetation can make it hard to spot the wildlife.

• Variable weather: clear, hot & dry or cloudy & humid with some rain
• Occasional localised thunderstorms meander over the landscape
• The bush feels alive; birdlife is at its most spectacular
• Wildlife in Etosha & Caprivi is dispersed & harder to see
• Few tourists, so rates usually at their lowest

Weather in February

Namibia in March

March usually sees Namibia’s main rains tailing off, although actual precipitation varies hugely across the country and can be unpredictable from day to day. Many days will be clear, with a strong sun driving temperatures up. On others, clouds will build, and the late afternoon may see a short, spectacular thunderstorm. Such deluges reduce in both frequency and volume as the month progresses. Across the country, landscapes are often vivid: a “green and pleasant land”. Many birds and animals are finishing raising their young, so smaller animals and insects are in evidence. In the north, where rains are generally heavier, pools in the bush and thicker vegetation can make it difficult to spot larger animals.

• Afternoon thunderstorms less common as March progresses
• Animals looking sleek and well-fed, after 3–4 months of plenty
• Few tourists visit during March, so rates often low

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in March

Namibia in April

Typically, April is dominated by dry weather; there’s an ever-decreasing chance of rain. Temperatures are now below their peak and continue to fall. Even so, days remain pleasant and warm, but there might be a slight chill in the air at night. The rains usually leave many parts of the country verdant and green, so animals are in fantastic condition – often with fast-growing young in attendance. With the dust washed out of the atmosphere, photographers make the most of clear air, spectacular landscapes and healthy animals. Stargazers will have clearer night skies as the month progresses. In the game parks of Northern Namibia, water and food remain in plentiful supply, so finding big game can prove trickier than later in the year.

• Becoming drier &, especially at night, also cooler
• Few visitors, except around Easter, so rates remain low
• Wildlife in Etosha & Caprivi remains relatively hard to see
• Migrant birds have started to leave
• Fresh, clean air and often green, verdant landscapes

Weather in April

Namibia in May

By May, Namibia is usually drying out fast as the rains have ended. If they’ve been good, then the land remains green, but wildlife starts to congregate at more permanent water sources. Over much of the country the air quality and clarity can be amazing, making this an ideal month for photography. Typical days are warm, with crisp, clear mornings and clear blue skies. Evenings are usually cool, and temperatures may dip below 10ºC (50ºF) overnight. Many lodges still charge “low season” prices, although with Namibia’s increasing popularity in recent years, some have started to introduce higher “shoulder season” rates. May’s good-value rates, increasingly good wildlife sightings, beautiful landscapes and crystal-clear air combine to make this one of our favourite months in Namibia.

• Lovely weather: dry, warm days & cool nights
• The country is drying out although many landscapes remain green
• Fantastic air clarity – ideal for keen photographers
• Visitor numbers are often still low, mirrored by lodge rates
• Wildlife is starting to congregate more around remaining water

A very good time to visit

Weather in May

Namibia in June

Namibia is dry again. Skies are blue and usually largely cloudless. Days are lovely: warm and dry; nights are cold, sometimes below freezing in the desert. Most swimming pools in Namibia are always outdoors, making them too cold for all except the very dedicated. Take a warm hat and gloves for game drives, where dawn and dusk will feel particularly chilly. In the north, especially Etosha, wildlife viewing is now into its dry-season pattern, focusing around the waterholes – though the park is still not busy. Photographers come for superb air clarity, with minimal dust or smoke in the air. Historically, June rates have been low. However, with Namibia’s increasing popularity many lodges now count it amongst their “high-season” months, and request higher prices.

• Clear, bright days with blue skies; cold nights, mornings & evenings
• Great air quality, especially welcome for photographers
• “Shoulder season” for some lodges: lodge rates moderate
• Wildlife gravitates to waterholes, making game-viewing productive
• Some greenery in the landscape, depending on the last rains

Weather in June

Namibia in July

Reliably warm daytime temperatures (upwards of 20ºC/70ºF) and good wildlife sightings make this a popular month to visit Namibia. Rain would be very unusual indeed and clear skies make for great photographs. Once the sun sets, though, temperatures cool rapidly bringing cold nights that may dip below freezing in the desert. Be prepared: dress in layers and expect early-morning and late-afternoon drives, and anywhere coastal, to be cold. As the land dries and vegetation shrivels, game congregates beside drinking water: Etosha’s waterholes are busy with animals. Across the country, lodges charge “high season” rates; many are fully booked a year or more in advance, especially during European school holidays (from the latter half of July to late August).

• Dry days, warm in the sun, with crisp, cold nights
• Cloudless skies: July is usually superb for stargazing
• The beginning of European school holidays so more families travelling
• Peak season: so high rates and many lodges fully booked far in advance
• A fantastic time of year for wildlife watching, particularly in Etosha

Weather in July

Namibia in August

August is the height of Namibia’s “winter”. Expect cloudless skies and plenty of warm sun in the day, but nights down to freezing in the desert. Dress in layers and bring warm clothes (including hats and gloves) for chilly starts and evenings. Only the hardiest even contemplate using outdoor pools. It’s 3–4 months since any rain, so the land is dust-dry and much vegetation is golden brown. Many landscapes appear sparse and harsh. Wildlife congregates around available water sources, helping to guarantee good animal sightings. Namibia is never really “busy” by the standards of Europe or the USA, but August is the most popular time to visit, especially for families. Book early (over a year in advance) if you want to stay at the best lodges.

• Dry days, warm in the sun; cold mornings, evenings & nights
• Cloudless skies in the day; spectacular stars at night
• Busy by Namibian standards: family rooms in particular demand

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in August

Namibia in September

September is a month of blue, cloudless skies and fantastic wildlife viewing. Rain is almost unheard of. As the month progresses, the days and nights get warmer. In some areas, daily maximums hit around the low 30s Celsius, although low humidity ensures this feels comfortable. The contrast makes the nights seem very cold. The air is becoming dustier, occasionally augmented by smoke from fires – so becoming hazy for photographic purists. In the national parks, animals congregate around remaining water sources – making September one of the best months for game viewing. Hence it’s one of Namibia’s most popular months for visitors: a “high season” month that is often the time of choice for safari aficionados.

• One of the best months for wildlife viewing
• Warm days & cold nights, with temperatures rising during the month
• Many plants have faded from green to golden brown
• Air can be hazy – with dust & sometimes smoke
• High season rates; many lodges & camps are full 9 months in advance.

Weather in September

Namibia in October

Namibia is usually at its hottest and driest in October. Temperatures build as the month progresses; towards the end, daily highs may exceed 40ºC/100ºF, though with humidity close to zero, even this rarely feels oppressive. In exceptional years, isolated rain showers may fall in late October. More usually, the end of the dry season sees wildlife watching at its best, particularly in Etosha. The place feels like a desert as spectacular herds of thirsty animals gather around the available water. October is popular amongst wildlife enthusiasts and commands peak-season prices, even if dust and smoke may make the air hazy, challenging photographers. Visitor numbers can fade towards the end of the month, allowing a window for last-minute bookings.

• Probably the most spectacular month for wildlife-viewing in Etosha
• Hot and dry: much of the country feels like a desert
• The air can be hazy with dust & smoke
• It’s peak time to visit, so expect high season rates
• Lodges & camps are full, especially early in October

Weather in October

Namibia in November

November is always a bit unpredictable: sometimes dry and hot; sometimes cloudier and cooler. Typically, mornings are hot and cloudless and clouds appear in the afternoon. Humidity builds and eventually breaks, resulting in spectacular thunderstorms that bring convection rainfall in late afternoons. Such storms are typically sparsely distributed and highly local – being completely absent from desert areas, for example. Places that do get good rain will flush green, with a tangible feeling of new life softening the landscapes. Many mammals give birth to their young. Once any rains come, wildlife dissipates in search of food, and game viewing in Etosha becomes harder. Conversely, this is a great time for birdwatchers, with migrant species in breeding plumage.

• A very interesting, variable month, depending on the rains
• With rains come an amazing explosion of both vegetation & new life
• Wildlife viewing better in Damaraland than Etosha if it has rained
• Shoulder season: mid-range rates offer great value
• Away from the Namib, showers are more likely later in the month

Weather in November

Namibia in December

December is the first “proper” month of Namibia’s rainy season, and one of its hottest. Clear mornings give way to building clouds and, with luck, the occasional short, spectacular thunderstorm: refreshing and cleansing. These are often highly localised and generally warmly welcomed: most Namibians love rain! Rains clear the air of dust. Even relatively short showers enable plant life to erupt, carpeting this thirstland in green and providing food for the young animals which abound. Animals disperse widely, which can make game viewing challenging. Many birds are breeding and so sporting their most colourful plumage. Christmas and the New Year fall within local “summer holidays” – so places to stay can be surprisingly busy, especially in and around coastal towns, where temperatures are cooler.

• Hot and humid; sometimes refreshed by cooling showers
• Landscapes flushed green if/where there has been rain
• A tangible life and energy amidst this often green & pleasant land
• Very photogenic: blooming deserts amidst crystal-clear air
• Best time for birdwatchers; larger animals harder to spot

Weather in December

Country guide

A guide to visiting Namibia

Take a Namibia holiday; this is African travel at its most varied! Flying in, driving yourself, or being guided: the choice is yours.

A classic Namibian holiday might feature sunrise on top of the world's highest dunes; a day relaxing in a hot mineral spring at the foot of the world's second-deepest canyon; a wildlife safari watching lion stalk huge herds of antelope – and an evening observing wild black rhino by moonlight.

You can meet a cheetah at close quarters, stroll through a petrified forest, marvel at ancient rock paintings and see footprints as old as a dinosaur – or as fresh and close as a leopard outside your tent. Namibia is a real travel adventure, like nowhere else on earth.

Where to go in Namibia

Namibia’s key attractions are relatively undervisited, so even seeking out dense herds of big game in Etosha National Park , or taking in the show-stopping scenery of the Namib-Naukluft National Park , there’s no sense of crowds. More offbeat is Damaraland , home to black rhino, elephant and other desert-adapted animals. Then there is the vast, coastal wilderness of the Skeleton Coast , or the rugged mountains of semi-desert Kaokoland , and Bushmanland : these are Namibia at its most remote. If adventure beckons, head for Namibia’s adrenalin capital, Swakopmund , which along with duneboarding also boasts some exceptional desert excursions. Or marvel at the 500m-deep Fish River Canyon , a spectacular backdrop for hiking. And if you have time to explore further, consider the more verdant Caprivi Strip , or Zambezi Region, where you can combine a classic safari with boat trips on narrow waterways and perhaps add on a visit to Victoria Falls .

How to explore Namibia

Travel in Namibia is very easy – although how you travel is at least as crucial as where you travel. The options are largely between a self-drive road trip, a fly-in trip, and a privately guided safari – although a mix of two or even all three is certainly possible. Most popular is to drive yourself, giving you the freedom to travel where you want, at your own pace. With long, straight roads and minimal traffic, Namibia excels at self-drive trips. A fly-in safari may not be the cheapest way to visit, but flying around Namibia can be simply amazing, taking in superb scenery during flights of some 30 minutes to a few hours. Or if you fancy a road trip, but driving yourself doesn’t appeal, how about a privately guided safari – where you are driven to the places you want to go by an expert guide with an in-depth knowledge of the country and its wildlife?

Where to stay in Namibia

From luxury lodges and safari camps to personal B&Bs and simple campsites, Namibia offers the full spectrum of places to stay. Even in the most popular destinations, such as Etosha and the Namib-Naukluft , there are a range of options that will appeal to most travel preferences. The best lodges tend to have their own knowledgeable guides, who can add considerably to your enjoyment – of both the wilderness and the wildlife. You can expect a good standard of comfort and cuisine, and some may have extras such as spa facilities. Guesthouses and B&Bs are something of a specialty in Namibia. A hearty breakfast is the norm, returning to a home-cooked dinner in the evening – or, in the towns, to a selection of restaurants within easy reach. At the other end of the spectrum, camping comes into its own in Namibia’s national parks and wilderness areas – the perfect way to end the day’s adventure.

Where to see wildlife in Namibia

With its low population density and a diverse range of ecosystems inhabited by a surprising variety of wildlife, Namibia is a natural choice for a wildlife safari. Etosha National Park , the heartland of a Namibia safari, is home to elephants, lions, giraffes, rhinos and a plethora of antelope species. For hippos and crocodiles, make for the parks in the verdant Zambezi Region, at the east end of the Caprivi Strip , which also boasts exceptional birdlife, while for desert-adapted species, such as oryx, springbok and meerkats, the Namib-Naukluft National Park , Southern Namibia and Damaraland . Leopards generally inhabit rocky environments, but are most easily spotted on the Okonjima Reserve . More elusive is the brown hyena, occasionally seen looming out of the mists of the Skeleton Coast & Kaokoland . The coast also supports extensive population of Cape fur seals, along with dolphins, and even African penguins, while on the lagoons of Walvis Bay look out for flamingos and pelicans. Read more about Wildlife in Namibia – and see our data-driven maps showing where our travellers actually saw the various wildlife species.

Namibia in context: history, environment & people

Bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, Namibia’s neighbours are Angola, Botswana , and South Africa . Along with the desert landscapes of the Namib and the Kalahari, the country also features sweeping tracts of savannah, rolling hills and the vast Etosha Pan . Namibia dates back to ancient times, when the San, Damara and Namaqua peoples roamed the land. During the 19th century it became a German colony until, as South-West Africa, it came under South African administration at the end of World War I. Independence for the ethnically diverse population came in 1990, with English now the official language. Afrikaans and German are also widely spoken, along with indigenous languages that include Oshiwambo, Herero and Nama. With perennial rivers only on its northern and southern boundaries, the population was traditionally based in the north but many now live in and around the coastal towns and the capital, Windhoek. For more on Namibia in context, read on.

Maps of Namibia: two styles

See Namibia in different ways, with two different styles of maps: a Google map and a curated Reference map .

Namibia is vast – and its low rainfall makes much of its geology exceptionally clear. Zoom into the areas and then the lodges on our maps for some amazing views of what the country is really like!

At this scale, note the apricot-orange in the south-west: the Namib Desert. Then double-click a few times to zoom in closer – and see the extraordinary patterns of the dunes themselves. Then look at the sharp, curved northern edge of the desert, where the Kuiseb River halts the march of the dunes northwards.

Double-click near “Etosha National Park”, and immediately you’ll spot the huge saltpan at the heart of Etosha.

Click onto any of the markers, and follow the links in the bubbles, for maps of these areas with precise locations for the various safari camps and lodges.

Need inspiration?

Let our trip chooser narrow down the options for you

Understanding more about travel in Namibia

Arguably the key factor involved in a Namibia holiday is how you travel: driving yourself, flying around, or with a private guide.

The way in which you choose to travel will also be affected by your time, your budget, and your personal interests. So those on a relatively low budget with an adventurous streak and plenty of time on their hands are likely to seek an entirely different style of holiday from the time-poor traveller seeking a luxury getaway-from-it-all vacation.

For a road trip without the hands-on commitment to driving, a privately guided safari may fit the bill. And for some travellers, a combination of two or even all of these choices may work the best.

Self-drive - car types

LGBT travel in Namibia

Tipping in Namibia

Self-drive - car types.

Driving yourself is arguably the most popular way to explore Namibia, provided you’re prepared for long days at the wheel. With total flexibility, you can create a unique adventure, experiencing the country's stunning landscapes and diverse attractions at your own pace. Key to making this work is choosing the best type of self-drive car for your trip. A 2WD car is often sufficient, though for travelling off the beaten track – and for your ease of travel and peace of mind – we usually suggest a higher-clearance vehicle for better visibility, especially in Etosha National Park, or a 4WD for more intrepid itineraries. See examples of the Namibia's car hire groups here . Namibia's roads are generally long, straight and relatively empty, with a tarmac surface on the main arteries, and well-maintained gravel roads elsewhere. Understanding our tips and techniques for driving on gravel roads will help you to enjoy the trip in safety. A self-drive road trip is likely to be the cheapest option for a Namibia holiday, particularly for a family or a small group of friends travelling in one vehicle.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel to Namibia

We have been sending travellers to Namibia since 1994 and have booked trips for many LGBT travellers in that time. We have never heard of any problems experienced on their travels due to their sexuality, and many have come back to us for regular repeat trips. This reflects our opinion that the vast majority of people in Namibia are friendly to visitors, irrespective of the gender and sexual orientation of the visitor. So in our experience, LBGT travel here is usually fine and uneventful. That said, it's important to be aware of both the law and the current climate of opinion. So do please check your government's latest travel advice before you go – and read more about this here: Read more about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel to Namibia.

Tipping in Namibia, as in many other countries, is always voluntary, and should depend on the standard of service received. That said, we would encourage visitors to tip in appreciation of good service, while staying mindful of the importance and extent of the work someone is doing for you. Every successful safari or lodge stay is underpinned by a team of staff, all of whom work hard to ensure that their visitors enjoy their vacation. So when thinking about tips and tipping, do please consider them as well as your guide and your waiter, and remember to consider carefully the amount you tip. Usually we would recommend tipping at the end of your stay in any lodge or camp, perhaps using the staff tip box, or placing your tip in a named envelope or series of envelopes so that there can be no misunderstanding. Read more about tipping in Namibia.

Ideas for the best safaris & holidays in Namibia

From ephemeral rivers to the world’s highest sand dunes, wildlife parks to wilderness shores, Namibia’s diversity is legendary – and a holiday here can be as varied as the scenery. With impressive infrastructure, there are many different ways to explore:

Self-drive trips don’t need to be intrepid exploration; we’ll plan the trip with you and arrange a car, detailed maps and all the information that you’ll need to explore at your own pace.

Our fly-in safaris are perfect for those who don’t want to drive, or have very limited time, and they give a magical perspective on the country’s dramatic landscapes.

Guided safaris work particularly well for families or small groups of four or more travelling together. Then you’ll have a top private guide to take you all the way – and we can design the trip to be as adventurous as you wish.

Look through the suggestions below, then talk to us – and let us create the perfect Namibia trip for you.

Hoopoe Fly-in Safari

11 days • 4 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

This relaxed fly-in safari reveals Namibia at its best. Generous timings and a wide choice of activities help travellers to enjoy the best of the country’s most spectacular areas.

US$5,960 - US$8,940 per person

Pygmy Mouse Self-drive Safari

18 days • 10 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO VICTORIA FALLS AIRPORT

A truly epic southern African self-drive safari adventure from Namibia’s mountains and deserts, along the lush Caprivi Strip to Botswana and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, staying at luxury lodges throughout.

US$5,420 - US$8,760 per person

Flamingo Fly-in Safari

6 days • 3 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

Short on time but big on experience, this luxury fly-in safari takes in Sossusvlei’s famous dunes and Etosha National Park’s captivating wildlife with stays at two excellent luxury lodges.

US$4,810 - US$6,560 per person

Bateleur Fly-in Safari

7 days • 4 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

Classic fly-in Namibian safari staying at excellent camps. Explore Sossusvlei’s dunes and track Damaraland’s desert elephants before a safari in Etosha. Incredible scenery, good wildlife viewing and authentic cultural experiences.

US$5,660 - US$8,940 per person

Namaqua Chameleon Self-drive

12 days • 7 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

A classic 12-night self-drive adventure around the highlights of eastern and northern Namibia taking in Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Damaraland, Etosha and a final stop at Okonjima. Comfortable lodges and great value.

US$2,790 - US$4,460 per person

Ruppell's Korhaan Fly-in Safari

9 days • 4 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

Explore Namibia’s remotest wildernesses while staying at some of the most exclusive luxury camps in the country. This epic fly-in safari will deliver otherworldly landscapes, fascinating wildlife and genuine cultural experiences.

US$9,830 - US$14,990 per person

Pelican Fly & Drive Safari

10 days • 5 locations WINDHOEK AIRPORT TO WINDHOEK AIRPORT

A unique itinerary visiting the must-see highlights combining the adventure of a classic Namibian self-drive with the ease and spectacular views of a fly-in safari.

US$5,600 - US$7,450 per person

Let us help you customise your trip

All of our holidays on this site are just ideas; none are fixed. All of our trips are tailor-made, so we'll always adapt them to suit you. Talk to an Expert and let us help you to work out your perfect trip.

Talk to an Expert

Call us now! We’ll match you with the Specialist in our team who is best suited to help you. Then together we can start planning your trip.

Set up your itinerary

Based on our experience and your ideas, your specialist will create a detailed, costed itinerary. We’ll refine it together, until we have a trip that you’re perfectly happy with.

Prepare for your trip

The same Specialist will make the seamless arrangements for your trip, send you detailed travel documents, and be available to answer any questions before you depart.

Travel with peace of mind

After you set off, you’ll be cared for by our partners in Africa, most of whom have worked with Expert Africa for decades. And if you ever need us urgently, we’re available 24/7.

When you return

We love to learn about your trip, and so will always be grateful if you’ve the time to give feedback to your Specialist when you return.

Special types of holiday to Namibia

With such varied terrain, Namibia suits many individual interests and styles of travel.

For a family holiday , a self-drive trip is a big adventure, combining the flexibility to choose your own route with the freedom of the open road.

Etosha is a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, easily explored on your own or with a guide, while Walvis Bay , Sandwich Harbour and the northern rivers offer superb birding.

Top-notch lodges on a fly-in safari offer a touch of luxury , especially with options such as hot-air ballooning , while the hot springs at Ai-Ais come into their own for an affordable wellness retreat , or at the end of a tiring hike. Namibia excels at hiking too – and horseriding !

With constantly changing light and spectacular scenery – Sossusvlei at dawn; pelicans flying low over Walvis Bay lagoon; the mist-drenched emptiness of the Skeleton Coast – Namibia is a photographer’s dream .

Whatever your passion, talk to us and we’ll help to create your perfect trip.

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Namibia FAQs

Every trip to Namibia is different, but each throws up individual questions – some seemingly trivial, some crucial to the success of your holiday.

At Expert Africa, we have in-depth knowledge of the country and we’re here to help. Below are some of the questions that we’re frequently asked, from what it’s like to drive in Namibia to where to look for wildlife and whether or not you can swim in the sea.

Whatever you need to know, please contact us and we’ll do our best to help.

How to plan a Namibian road trip?

As with any journey, meticulous planning ensures success. You can trust our team of experts , whose experience travelling across and living in Namibia allows us to take the reins. We know the myriad destinations and stops across Namibia, and once we understand your preferences, we will expertly curate a self-drive trip to suit you perfectly. In addition to meticulously organizing your self-drive safari, we will guide you in the choice of vehicle, ensuring that you have the right car hire for your adventure. Then, when you arrive, a few basic steps will enhance your road journey. Namibia's vast expanses often mean long distances between fuel stations – so set off with a full tank of fuel (and at least one spare can of fuel, if you’re heading off piste), plus at least one spare tyre. Water and sustenance are equally vital companions, so provision yourself with plenty of snacks and water – orchestrating a full-scale picnic will appease the appetites of both body and soul. Furthermore, do not forget to shield your eyes from the sun with a sturdy pair of sunglasses and protect your skin with a generous application of suncream. While on your Namibian Odyssey, do seize every opportunity to replenish your reserves. Then embrace the open road, for you are about to embark on an unforgettable journey through Namibia's awe-inspiring landscapes.

Can I sleep under the stars in Namibia?

With a night sky that is unrivalled in much of the industrial world, and a largely dry climate, sleeping under the stars in Namibia – sometimes dubbed ”the thousand-star hotel” – is a magical experience. Campers are spoiled for choice, even in Etosha National Park, as well as in more remote locations such as Spitzkoppe and the Namib-Naukluft National Park. At the other end of the spectrum, some of the top lodges, from the Skeleton Coast and Damaraland to the Namib Desert (Kuala and Little Kulala), have beds that can be rolled out under the stars for your night’s rest. For a more adventurous experience, guests on a walking safari on the NamibRand Nature Reserve sleep on camp beds laid out in the open by their guides. Just remember to take plenty of warm clothes.

Can I visit Namibia’s diamond areas?

For many years, the desert area south of Lűderitz, where in 1908 diamonds were first discovered scattered across the ground, was off limits to visitors. Home to Diamond Area 1, it was known as the Sperrgebiet, or “forbidden territory”. Today much of the area falls within the Sperrgebiet National Park, but access remains restricted. For most of the region you’ll need to visit with an authorised tour operator. The eerie “ghost” town of Kolmanskop, however, can be visited by self-drivers – although you’ll still need a permit. For the history, the flora, the sheer remoteness, visiting places such as Elizabeth Bay and the ghost town of Pomona may take some planning, but it is worth the bureaucracy.

What coastal activities does Namibia offer?

Namibia may have 1,570km of coastline, but thanks to vast expanses of desert, and the presence of diamonds, much of it is inaccessible – which in part adds to the appeal. Sea swimming isn’t generally an option except in Swakopmund & Walvis Bay and Lűderitz . Courtesy of the Benguela Current, the waters of the Atlantic are cold – even by British standards! – and can be treacherous. Against this, kayaking at Walvis Bay , where Cape fur seals see you as part of their morning’s entertainment, is a must for watersports and wildlife lovers alike. Boat tours provide similar opportunities without the exercise, while in Lűderitz they offer the additional opportunity of seeing African penguins. Fishing, too, can be organised in the coastal towns, while hiking along the beaches of the Skeleton Coast , littered with whalebones, gives a whole new meaning to a walk by the sea.

How long does a Namibia safari holiday take?

The highlights of Namibia – Sossusvlei’s dunes , Damaraland and Etosha National Park – can comfortably be fitted into a week’s holiday, if you fly around, making this a perfect itinerary for those with limited vacation time. Those with a more time usually build on the highlights, perhaps driving around and including a stop for activities at Swoakpmund, time leopard-spotting on the Okonjima Reserve , or a visit to one of Namibia’s many less famous guest farms and lodges. If you have longer, the options are many and varied. For sheer desolate wilderness, the Skeleton Coast is a must, while the awe-inspiring scenery of Fish River Canyon is more than a match. To gain a glimpse of Namibia’s indigenous cultures, you’ll need to head north to the Himba villages nestled in the stark, arid landscape of Kaokoland . Or seek out the homelands of the San, or Bushmen, in Bushmanland , on the country’s eastern borders with Botswana.

Our other African destinations

Namibia’s scenic diversity is among its greatest appeals, but if you’re after a stronger focus on wildlife or water activities, take a look at some other Expert Africa destinations.

Neighbouring Botswana stands out for the iconic Okavango Delta, where vast private reserves offer exclusive wildlife watching. Zambia , too, boasts exceptional wildlife and intimate camps, many of them owner-operated. For a more rustic safari, consider Zimbabwe , whose safari guides are some of the best in the world, or head east to the open grasslands of Tanzania .

Water lovers will be in their element in South Africa , as well as in east Africa, where Kenya , Mozambique and Malawi beckon. Or for a true castaway experience, the islands of Zanzibar and the Seychelles make superb add-ons to a safari. And then there’s Rwanda , with that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come face to face with mountain gorillas. The choices are many and varied, so contact us to help you design your perfect safari – wherever that may be.

With big game, glamorous lodges and one of the greatest unspoilt wildernesses on Earth, Botswana is perhaps Africa's most exclusive safari destination.

Humanity’s ancestors lived in Kenya, which is now home to people speaking 42 languages, and some of Africa’s rarest, most magnificent wildlife.

With tropical rivers, Rift Valley plateaux, the crystal-clear waters of Lake Malawi and a stunning lakeshore, Malawi invites relaxed exploration.

An ocean paradise protected by world-class marine parks, Mozambique’s idyllic archipelagos offer heavenly hideaways, outstanding diving and laid-back luxury.

This small, mountainous country offers Africa’s best gorilla treks, other good safari options and a profound human element in every trip.

The ultimate glamorous getaway: the lush islands of Seychelles are enchantingly beautiful and stylish sanctuaries for both wildlife and ocean-lovers.

South Africa

Cosmopolitan Cape Town, world-class wineries, brilliant ‘Big Five’ safaris and spectacularly diverse scenery make South African holidays fabulously exciting and enjoyable.

East Africa’s biggest country has a wide range of parks to explore and some of the Indian Ocean’s best island retreats.

Home to walking safaris, exceptional wildlife, superb guiding and the mighty Victoria Falls, Zambia is Africa at its most alluring.

The ultimate Spice Island: Zanzibar’s mystique, marine life and chic beach retreats make it Africa’s most alluring archipelago.

Stunning national parks teeming with game, plus Africa's finest professional guides and the spectacular Victoria Falls: Zimbabwe is enthralling.

Elephant safari in Linyanti

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Extraordinary Namibian stories.

Discover the wonders of the land of endless horizons with this travel guide to Namibia. From vital information needed to plan your trip, accommodation options, details on destinations across the country and inspiring travel ideas. Namibia is a one-of-a-kind tourism experience. From breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife to rich culture and history, Namibia offers something for everyone. Whether you’re seeking an exciting adventure or a peaceful retreat, This is Namibia provides all the information and resources you need to plan the ultimate Namibian vacation. Explore the country’s stunning deserts, savannas, and coastlines, and immerse yourself in the unique culture and heritage of the people who call this incredible place home. Start planning your journey to Namibia today and experience the magic for yourself.

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Incredible destinations across namibia, things to do, adventure awaits in namibia.

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Namibia Self-Drive Safaris

Explore Namibia’s highlights and hidden gems in your rental car on private self-drive tours

• Self-Drive Safaris & Tours

Accommodations

• What to Expect

Your self-drive tour in Namibia

Stunning sunsets, impressive landscapes, and a variety of things to do and experience – explore Namibia independently in your rental car. Namibia is one of the best countries for self-drive trips in Africa: good amenities and infrastructure, reliable local rental car agencies, overall safety and security as well as friendly and helpful locals make it a preferred destination for memorable road trips. If you are a confident and fairly experienced driver and don’t mind long hours behind the wheel, you will enjoy an adventure on the open road. Look forward to a spectacular experience: desert tours and catamaran trips, safari game drives and hiking tours, ghost towns and ancient rock art. Travel as couple or family, solo or with your friends. You can overnight at personal guest houses, remote desert camps or family-run guest farms. Our experienced travel experts plan your itinerary, book your accommodations and your rental car, and share important tips and tricks for the road with you.

What makes us the right choice

We plan and book your trip, you enjoy the experience.

Booking with us is not more expensive than organising the trip yourself.

Stunning locations, attentive service, and charming ambience.

Best namibia self-drive safaris & tours.

Namibia Highlights

Places Windhoek, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Spitzkoppe, Erongo Mountains, Damaraland, Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau

NAD 27,000 per person

The Best of Namibia

Places Windhoek, Kalahari, Fish River Canyon, Luderitz, Tiras Mountains, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Ugab Valley, Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau

NAD 46,000 per person

Highlights Windhoek to Victoria Falls

Places Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Etosha National Park, Kavango & Zambezi Region, Chobe National Park, Victoria Falls

NAD 49,000 per person

The North of Namibia

Places Windhoek, Erongo Mountains, Twyfelfontein, Grootberg, Epupa Falls, Kunene River, Etosha National Park, Okonjima Nature Reserve

NAD 40,000 per person

Namibia Highlights in Style

Places Windhoek, Okonjima, Onguma Reserve, Twyfelfontein, Erongo Mountains, Swakopmund, Namib Desert

NAD 76,500 per person

Highlights of Namibia and Botswana

Places Kalahari, Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Etosha National Park, Zambezi Region, Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta, Victoria Falls

NAD 113,000 per person

IDYLLIC CAMPS, LODGES, FARMS AND GUESTHOUSES IN STUNNING AND ACCESSIBLE LOCATIONS

After a long day on the open road, we know how important it is to arrive at a welcoming home away from home. On our Namibia self-drive tours, you overnight at hand-selected guesthouses, farms, camps, and lodges. When suggesting accommodations, we focus on personal ambience, attentive service, and excellent value for money. Our team regularly visits and re-visits the most popular accommodations as well as hidden gems to be up to date on any new developments and changes. This way, we can recommend you the best camp, or guesthouse that fits your expectations and needs – whether you’re looking for a luxurious lodge or a family-run guest farm. Whichever you choose, on your Namibia self-drive safari, you will spend the night in stunning locations in the middle of nature.

When suggesting accommodations for your self-drive trip, we focus on personal and intimate camps with a welcoming character – like the Waterberg Guestfarm.

You can choose between guesthouses, guest farms, lodges or tented camps – like the family-friendly and down to earth Mushara Bush Camp just outside Etosha National Park.

Camps like the Bagatelle Kalahari Game Ranch offer activities such as scenic sundowner drives which self-drivers are welcome to join as well.

Standards range from back to basics to highly luxurious. What they all have in common: stunning locations yet easily accessible – like the Ai-Aiba Rock Paintings Lodge in the Erongo Mountains.

Some camps, like the Elegant Desert Eco Camp in the Namib, even have swimming pools to take a dip after a long day on the road.

What to expect on a Namibia self-drive safari

For the independent and intrepid traveller, a self-drive safari is a particularly unique way to explore Namibia, surely one of the best countries in the world for a self-drive adventure. Our self-drive safari itineraries are carefully handpicked to ensure you get the most out of your time in Namibia, but without having to compromise on comfort and peace of mind.

As you might expect, on a self-drive holiday, you drive yourself in your 2×4 or 4×4 rental car from one destination to the next. Along the way, we have included exciting activities into your itinerary: a visit to a seal colony, walking up and running down the sand dunes of Sossusvlei , or looking for the desert adapted elephants of the Damaraland . Depending on location and activity, you can join guided experiences as well. Your accommodation may offer a guided sunset drive, a nature walk or a game drive together with a professional guide in Etosha National Park . This way, you get the best of both worlds.

What to see and where to stay on our self-drive safaris

Namibia is a special country for self-drivers, with staggeringly beautiful and largely unadulterated landscapes and plenty of opportunities to get far from the beaten track. But it’s also generally more accessible than many other African countries, with good amenities, roads and infrastructure, which means you don’t have to be a hardened pro to have a memorable self-drive adventure.

Generally speaking, you can experience the same activities and visit the same landmarks as you would on a guided safari. On our Namibia Highlights safari, you’ll explore iconic destinations including Etosha National Park, Swakopmund and Sossusvlei at your own pace. Our North of Namibia  safari will have you traversing some of the most wild and ruggedly spectacular reaches of the country, while our longer options also take you across the border into beautiful Botswana.

We will arrange a reliable and durable vehicle (either 2×4 or 4×4, depending on your itinerary and preference) with all the equipment you might need for your safari. We work with only the most trusted and reputed local car rental agencies. We arrange all your accommodation for you based on our extensive experience of Namibia, leaving you to focus your attention on the joys of the open road. You will overnight in a range of idyllic and well-located lodges and camps, giving you easy access to the country’s many highlights.

Cross-border self-drive tours: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa & Victoria Falls

Namibia is home to many highlights of Southern African travel. But so are its neighbours Botswana and South Africa. On crossing-border self-drive trips, you can experience it all: the Namib Desert as well as the Okavango Delta, Etosha as well as Chobe National Park and even Cape Town in South Africa or the Victoria Falls in Zambia or Zimbabwe. That doesn’t mean crossing-border self-drive holidays have to be stressful – when planning your itinerary, we make sure to include a few days that are more relaxing and see you spending more than one night in one place. It’s not just about ticking off the sites but enjoying the big and small moments along the way. You can cross the country borders in your rental car; eventually returning to the place you started your journey or drop your car in another bigger town or city. No matter the itinerary, on self-drive tours in Southern Africa you should be prepared to spend many hours and kilometres in the car – after all, the journey is the destination.

Who should go on a self-drive safari in Namibia

Travellers who are looking for a tailor-made experience, flexibility and privacy should choose either a private guided safari, or a self-drive safari. Other than on our guided group safaris, you will travel with your friends and family only and can adapt your itinerary to your personal preferences. On a self-drive tour, you are behind the wheel, decide when and where to stop and enjoy ultimate privacy. A road trip in Namibia will always include at least some days with long driving distances and you should be a confident and somewhat experienced driver. Knowing how to change a tire without assistance is crucial on long and lonely gravel roads when other people let alone car repair shops are far and few between. We not only book your rental car but also your accommodations. This means your trip does follow a set structure. However, you still have the option to stop along the way or spend a day at leisure. Many accommodations and national parks offer guided activities open to book for self-drive travellers. When joining a guided activity, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the view. If you’re looking for an adventurous road trip that offers maximum flexibility but follows a pre-booked itinerary for peace of mind, our Namibia self-drive tours are for you.

Interested in Guided Safaris?

Have a look at our guided tours, if you want to get to know Namibia together with a local guide.

Experience Namibia with us

Speak to one of our local advisors, let's start planning your trip.

We will get back to you within 2 working days.

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National Parks of Namibia – A diverse suite of alternative breaks for travellers

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Responsible Travel through Namibia

Sustainable & conscious travel.

As a specialist for adventurous individual self-drive tours through Namibia and southern Africa, Explore Namibia offers opportunities for people to gain new experiences, discover new cultures and create fantastic memories. In our planning, we always take the environment, nature, people and culture into account, so that traveling will be maintainable in the future. This means that we focus on sustainable and conscious travel.

Create unique lifelong memories, in a sustainable and responsible manner

We understand that our activities have a positive, but can also have a negative, impact on the surroundings; positive by creating (local) employment and social development, but we also realize that our tourists might have another impact on the environment. We attach great importance to reducing the pressure that tourism exerts on the natural and social living environment of our travel destinations, and we see it as our corporate responsibility, and are committed to, constantly improve in the field of responsible, and maintaining sustainable travel.

On this page we provide more information about which local projects are supported (also financially) by our customers and us and what we do to compensate for the CO2 emissions of our travelers. In addition, we provide tips on what you can do to make the journey ‘greener’. We have also created and adhere to our internal environmental policy with practical measures and, as far as possible, setup clear agreements with our local agents and suppliers.

Our Mission Our mission is to organize your personal travel experience in such a way that it not only creates unique lifelong memories, but also happens in a sustainable and responsible manner.

To achieve this, we work closely with the trade organization of the Dutch travel industry: the ANVR (Algemene Nederlandse Vereniging van Reisondernemingen). Together with its members, this association is committed to sustainable tourism business (DTO – duurzaam toeristisch ondernemen) under the name ‘Better Holidays’. For example, all ANVR tour operators have agreed to comply with the ANVR-DTO obligation. In concrete terms, this means that Explore Namibia has appointed a DTO coordinator who has successfully completed sustainable tourism training. In addition, a policy statement and action plan have been drawn up and reports are being made on the activities that are being undertaken with regards to sustainability.

Explore Namibia also works closely with Travelife . Travelife encourages sustainable entrepreneurship within the travel sector. The Travelife Sustainability System (TSS) is a worldwide, independent system for assessing companies within the sector on the basis of equal objective standards. The online system has been set up for the evaluation of suppliers and destinations on sustainability aspects, which are based on predefined Travelife environmental and social standards. We also encourage our partners and suppliers to make active use of this system.

Explore Namibia offers organised self-drive safaris and private guided tours. You can go on an adventure in a fully equipped vehicle of your own choice. We will arrange your accommodations in advance, whether you wish to stay in lodges and guesthouses, on campsites or both.

Itineraries

Self-drive Tours

We offer a wide range of self-drive safari tours, tailored to suit your individual needs and preferences.

Self-Drive Itineraries

Photographic Tours

Our photo tours are designed for photographers of all skill levels.

Guided Photo Tours

Safari in Convoy

You’ll drive in convoy with your own rental vehicle, following the leading vehicle.

Guided Safari in Convoy

Safari 'Stretched Landcruiser'

Safaris for max. 7 travelers in the spacious “stretched Landcruiser”.

Safari in “stretched Landcruiser”

Traveling is enriching, but the transport needed to discover new destinations leaves its mark in the form of emissions, including CO2.

Local transportation Local transfers during our trips are carried out by our local partners. To prevent them from driving around with large half-empty buses, we opt for suitable vehicles that are suitable for the group size.

Co2 Emissions By compensating the CO2 emissions of the journey, the same amount of CO2 can be prevented elsewhere in the world. With CO2 compensation we do something in return for the climate and for the local population. We advise travelers to compensate CO2 emissions when booking the flight. If you let Explore Namibia organize your flight, you can indicate this in advance.

During a Safari trip through Namibia and/or Botswana, diesel-driven 4x4s are usually part of the package. These strong and robust off-road vehicles are necessary for the majority of unpaved African roads but are unfortunately not the cleanest in terms of CO2 emissions.

Co2-Neutral Tourism On the road to CO2-neutral tourism, the Explore Africa Group works closely with the Tourism Supporting Conservation Trust (TOSCO) , which has set up its own CO2 compensation program in Namibia: Permaculture organization Eloolo. This initiative offers tourists the opportunity to travel with a ´clear conscience´ by co-investing in planting trees as a means to offset the direct CO2 emissions from vehicles.

It is estimated that every liter of diesel emits 2.64 kg of CO2, while a tree can absorb around 100 kg of carbon during its lifetime. For example, to fully compensate a two-week trip of approximately 3.000 kilometers with an SUV or 4×4 (with an average consumption of 14 liters/100 km), one would have to support the planting of 3 trees. The larger the vehicle, the more trees are needed for a CO2 neutral journey.

Co2-Compensation Explore Namibia offers a (partial) CO2 COMPENSATION for your 4WD self-drive journey. We do this by purchasing CO2 compensation units. For every two CO2 compensation units, one native Namibian tree will be planted by the organizations TOSCO  en Eloolo.

One CO2 compensation unit with a value of Euro 15 is included in your tour with Explore Namibia. This compensates for the emissions of around 500 km of 4 × 4 driving. The purchase of CO2 compensation units is unlimited, but the purchase of two units is already enough for planting one new tree. All trees that have been purchased are planted and maintained at the Moreson School.

Moreson School

The  Moreson School  is a school for mentally and physically handicapped children. The trees that are planted are mainly fruit trees, which the children themselves take care of. The fruit tree harvest will be used as a supplement to the children’s diet but will also serve as a source of income in the future, as the fruit will be processed into jams and juices.

The children learn how to cook, process wood and are also involved in making bricks. The Moreson School program is designed to give children a future in ´basic´ professions. We are very proud to support this special school and we are happy to receive all the support.

Accommodation - Waste - Paper

Accommodation Many of the accommodations that we book are small-scale, locally owned and run by families that will also stimulate the growth of the local economy. We also make use so-called eco lodges and tented camps.

Waste Waste prevention focuses on preventing and limiting waste and on reducing the environmental damage caused by waste. We therefore separate the waste in paper & cardboard, toners, batteries, glass and residual waste for recycling at all our offices.

Paper use We are working hard to reduce paper usage. Marketing material and travel information is greatly distributed digitally and the number of brochures to be printed is fully adapted to the demand for brochures and all office paper is recycled where possible.

No Place for Plastic

We support the initiative to have disposable plastic items completely removed from the chain. The first focus is on items that are used on a large scale and that both our employees and guests can miss, such as plastic bag, straws, cups and stirrers.

We encourage and make available the use of reusable cups and bottles and cloth bags instead of plastic. But you can also help further. The small bottles of shampoo, lotion and shower gel in the hotel rooms result in piles of plastic waste. No matter how refreshing they look, resist the urge to use them and continue to stimulate their production. Fill reusable bottles with your own care products at home.

Respect Local Traditions And People

• Make sure that you are appropriately dressed in churches and temples.
• Try to be respectful to certain rituals, such as funerals, weddings, etc.
• Always ask if you may take a photo of the person you want to photograph.
• Bargain with humor: bargaining is fun but remember that what may be a small amount for you may be essential for the seller. Our advice: ´Meet in the middle´.
• Do not give money, presents and especially not candy to begging children: it may give you a good feeling, but without realizing this may be contributing to a much larger problem behind the scenes. Rather think about supporting a local charity or school. They often need this support.
• Buy local products and use locally offered services: eat in local bars or restaurants, for example.

Child abuse

We actively support the ANVR and ECPAT-NL in combating child prostitution in holiday countries. We invite you to be alert to the abuse of children with us. If you see an incident or suspect something, you can make an online (anonymous) report at: www.dontlookaway.nl/uk

Tips For Your Vacation

Sustainable tourism is not just for travel companies. As a traveler you are an essential link in this. Therefore, it is very important that our travelers are well informed. We want to play an active role in providing this information. Because you too can contribute to sustainable tourism by enjoying nature responsibly and respecting local customs during your holiday:

Be careful with our nature The motto for every traveler should be ´take only memories, leave only footprints …´. Watch what you throw away. Consider the danger of fire in hot and dry areas/countries. Recycle where possible.

Reduce the use of natural resources Take a quick shower instead of a bath; reuse towels; turn off the lights and the air conditioning when you leave. Do not use more water than necessary. Water is scarce in Southern Africa. Travel with a refillable water bottle. Take your own water bottle with you and buy no or as few plastic disposable bottles as possible. Use local filling stations at the hotels and restaurants. Use rechargeable batteries. These can be used for a long time and this is eventually cheaper but certainly much better for the environment than the use of disposable batteries.

Souvenirs from nature Please do not take pure souvenirs from nature. Wildflowers or plants, stones or shells must stay where they belong. This category also includes hardwood, coral, shells, starfish, ivory, fur, feathers, skins, bone, teeth, eggs, reptiles and turtles. When in doubt: do not take it.

Wild animals are not there to entertain us Do not go to shows with animals, do not ride an elephant or do not go for a monkey photo. It seems harmless, but unfortunately many of these activities precede animal suffering.

Explore Namibia Education Trust Fund

We do believe it is important to contribute to the development of Africa. Even though the countries in Southern Africa are relatively stable compared to other African countries in terms of economy and politics, it is still a developing country that must deal with high unemployment rates and a large number of children unable to attend school.

With our own Explore Namibia Education Trust Fund we invest in a better future for the younger generations of Africa.

Namibia Tailor-made Travel Advice

Every traveller has their own preferences. Do you need assistance in planning your self-drive trip to Namibia? Our experienced tour consultants are ready to assist you! Together we fully customize the tour to your personal preferences, wishes and budget. We can assist you in many different ways. Our team of friendly and service-oriented Tour Consultants is available in Europe and Africa to assist you in creating a personalized proposal for your tailor-made trip to Namibia and to answer all your questions you might have.

Explore one of the most fascinating and diverse countries in the world

Namibia safari itineraries to inspire.

The itineraries we offer to Namibia are fully customizable to your needs. You can book these, or you can use them for inspiration to build your own, tailor-made safari adventure to Namibia. See below some of our other sample itineraries that we have put together. Explore Namibia will always make sure that you will experience the journey of your dreams!

Length: from 9 Days (customizable)

Price from: €633,- EUR

Length: from 12 Days

Price from: €4.299,- EUR

Length: Customizable

Price from: €1089,- EUR

Length: 13 Days

Price from: €3.999,- EUR

Experience the ultimate adventure in Namibia – book your self-drive tour today!