Recommended route and travel tips for an unforgettable Namibia tour: From the dead trees of Deadvlei to the bizarre rocky landscapes in Damaraland and where the wild animals roam in Etosha National Park.
Here are my tips for an immersive round trip through Namibia, including a suggested itinerary.
Dream Destination Namibia
Boundless savannahs, steppes, bushland, deserts, sand dunes, strange rock formations – and an extraordinarily rich fauna – Namibia is fascinating in lots of ways.
The country is located on Africa’s southwestern coast and is South Africa’s northern neighbor. Namibia is often called the “Land of Red Silence” because of the red sand dunes of the silent Namib Desert.
Red is often also the color of the sky at sunset time.
And it is quiet when you are all alone in nature, the lone human beings in a desert expanse. With just over 2.2 million inhabitants on almost 330,000 square miles, Namibia is one of the least densely populated countries in the world.
If you are looking for peace and quiet and appreciate nature, magnificent landscapes and wildlife, Namibia will captivate you from the first moment. Count on it!
Recommended clockwise itinerary from Windhoek
- Wolwedans Dunes Lodge – Paradise in NamibRand Nature Reserve
- Sossusvlei: Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei
- Sesriem Canyon near the Sossusvlei park entrance
- Coastal city Swakopmund
- Damaraland and a dramatic rock camp
- Safari in Ongava Nature reserve
- Etosha National Park – where the wild animals rule
- Stalking the rhinoceros on foot
- Onguma The Fort
- Okonjima Bush Camp – eye-to-eye with the big cats
See more useful travel tips at the bottom of the page.
Wolwedans Lodge – Paradise in the NamibRand Nature Reserve
The NamibRand Nature Reserve covers nearly 500,000 acres, making it one of the largest private reserves in southern Africa.
It borders the Namib Naukluft Park to the west and is located about 38 miles south of the famous Sossusvlei dunes with their dead trees.
The unique attraction of NamibRand resides in the varied desert landscapes
We stayed in the Mountain View Suite of Wolwedans Dunes Lodge from which we enjoyed the magical view of the vast landscape with the mountains, the red dunes, the yellow grass steppe, and the green bushes.
Especially sunrise and sunset bathe the surroundings in an incredible play of colors. Access all info on Wolwedans Lodge here.
Back to the list of attractions
Famous sand dunes and dead trees in Deadvlei
The “Sossusvlei” valley is world-famous for its spectacular sand dunes and the dead trees of the “Valley of Death” (Deadvlei).
In my opinion, Sossusvlei and Deadvlei belong absolutely in the Namibia tour. Why? Find out in these travel tips.
Back to the list of attractions
Sesriem Canyon near the Sossusvlei Park entrance
While in Sossusvlei, you can go on a little hike in Sesriem Canyon – a barely 2-mile long gorge carved by the river Tschaub up to 30 meters deep into the rock.
As a place to stay in Sossusvlei, I recommend Little Kulala Camp (see our review). It is considered a flagship camp of the award-winning Wilderness Safaris operator.
Back to the list of attractions
Coastal city Swakopmund
Let’s be clear – we were not all that crazy about Swakopmund.
And yet the coastal town on the Atlantic is on practically every Namibian itinerary. This is because it is an ideal starting point for exploring northwestern Namibia.
In addition, the town of Walvis Bay, located about 20 miles south of Swakopmund, offers numerous excursion options, including desert, boat, and catamaran tours.
They let you observe colossal whales, dolphins, playful seals, slightly clumsy pelicans, and the ever cheeky seagulls.
Back to the list of attractions
Damaraland and a dramatic rock camp
Damaraland is located in the northwest of Namibia and stretches between the Ugab and Huab rivers.
With its steppe desert and craggy rock formations, the landscape is one of the most fascinating attractions in Namibia. In addition, you will find here the Twyfelfontein rock paintings.
Twyfelfontein is considered one of the most important sites of African rock engravings and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
In Damaraland, we stayed at the indescribably beautiful Mowani Mountain Camp and had all kinds of adventures while there!
To read all about one of the most gorgeous sunsets and how our safari jeep got stuck in a swamp, check out our travel report.
Back to the list of attractions
Safari in Ongava Nature Reserve
The Ongava Private Game Reserve is rated one of the largest and best private game reserves in Namibia. It lies right by Anderson Gate, the southern gateway to Etosha National Park.
On 75,000 acres roam elephants, lions, giraffes, white and black rhinos, various antelopes, and numerous bird species cavort
You can read all about our encounters with snarky elephants and cute lion cubs as well as tips on the luxurious Ongava Lodge here in this safari report.
Back to the list of attractions
Etosha National Park – where the wild animals roam
A visit to Etosha National Park is not to be missed on any Namibia tour: It is rare to see so many animals in one place.
Enjoy the safari highlight, especially since you can drive yourself through the park!
Check out our visiting tips for Etosha National Park here.
Back to the list of attractions
Stalking the rhinoceros on foot
Going on safari in the African bush is best done in an open safari jeep. In Namibia, they typically rely on large Toyota Land Cruisers with a sun canopy.
But if you want to see reclusive rhinos up close, go on a foot safari. You can follow our nerve-wracking rhinoceros stalk in this walking safari report.
Back to the list of attractions
Onguma The Fort
Onguma The Fort is one of the private luxury camps that are located outside the Etosha National Park’s gates.
The camp’s buildings are modeled after a Moroccan fort. It has suites accessorized with four-poster canopy beds. Dreamy accommodations!
Here is our picture gallery from these luxury digs.
Back to the list of attractions
Okonjima Bush Camp – eye to eye with the big cats
Okonjima is an 80 mile² nature reserve, located halfway between Windhoek and Etosha National Park.
This private game reserve is known for its big cats like leopards and cheetahs
This is the Okonjima Bush Camp and here is the tale of our eye-to-eye encounter on a leopard safari.
Back to the list of attractions
Namibia travel tips
- Go it alone or guided tour?
- Lodgings in Namibia: from basic to luxurious
- The best time for touring Namibia
- Flying to Namibia
- Book your Namibia tour yourself or use a travel agency?
Namibia: Go it alone or guided tour?
You can readily explore Namibia on your own in a rental car.
You will be best off renting a comfortable 4×4 off-road vehicle for navigating on what you will find are mostly gravel roads.
Also, be prepared for driving very long distances. We had put nearly 940 miles (1,500 km) on the odometer by the time we finished the tour described in this post.
Walter has put together a few tips in this article on how best to conquer Namibian gravel roads. And where you must plan to fill your gas tank!
The lodges and camps offer guided activities, including excursions to the nature reserves and game drives with an experienced guide.
That means you basically drive the routes between lodgings yourself without any problems.
Of course, you can also book a fly-in safari, so you don’t have to cover such long distances by car.
A flight also offers a great opportunity to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Namibia. Therefore, we recommend a tour combining a fly-in safari and a self-drive tour.
Re the luggage: There were six more people on the flight ;-)
Lodgings in Namibia
From simple to luxurious: You will find beautiful accommodations everywhere on your Namibia tour.
In many nature reserves, the lodges or camps also offer several options in different price ranges.
The lodges mentioned in our reports are among the best and most luxurious in Namibia.
Of course, all this comes with a price tag. But since we booked this Namibia trip for my 50th birthday, we lived it up. A woman only turns 50 once ;-)
You can also book stays for the entire tour in more basic camps – or if you are the rugged type, you can also make do with a safari jeep with an attachable roof tent.
The best time for touring Namibia
Namibia is a year-round destination. However, different experiences dominate depending on the season.
The best time to travel is from June to October. This is the high season in Namibia.
Booking early is usually the key to successful travel planning at this time of year! Normally – that is, when Corona isn’t just turning everything upside down.
We were originally scheduled to fly to Namibia in September 2020 and had booked this trip a year(!) in advance.
During the June to October high season, temperatures hover in the high 70’s (mid-20’s Centigrade) during the day. At night, however, the temperatures drop sharply, sometimes down to freezing. Here the classical “peel the onion” layering principle proves itself when dressing!
The months of August to October are particularly well-suited for safaris, as this is the absolute dry season in Namibia.
In the national parks, such as Etosha, during the dry season, the animals seek out the few remaining waterholes. Thus, you are guaranteed plenty of wildlife sightings.
But also during the rainy season (November to March) is Namibia said to be fascinating because during this time nature’s color palette is even more spectacular with the landscape in bloom.
On the downside, that time of year can also be extremely hot. And be prepared for the occasional cloud bursts.
Flying to Namibia
Hosea Kutako International Airport is located 30 miles east of Windhoek. Several airlines have service from Europe to Windhoek – some via Johannesburg or with nonstop flights.
We took Swiss/Lufthansa respectively Eurowings from Zurich via Frankfurt to Windhoek. The Frankfurt – Windhoek leg took about 11 hours and was a night flight in our case.
Book your own Namibia tour or use a travel agent?
Quite often, we are used to booking our own trips, especially to European destinations.
But if you want to combine Namibia tours with stays in small lodges and transfers in small planes, it quickly becomes quite complicated.
Through one of Walter’s acquaintances, we found out about Rhino Africa. It is one of the leading tour operators in southern Africa known for customized tours and top-notch advice.
We heartily recommend Rhino Africa! (We paid for our trip and receive nothing for our endorsement) ;-)
The personal advice, as well as the online service, were terrific! We want to take this opportunity to once more send a big thank-you to Saskia Van Dalen. She very patiently – especially because of Corona – rebooked or changed our trip and always kept us in the loop on Corona developments in Namibia before we took off.
Bon voyage, enjoy your Namibia trip!
2 Comments
Those pictures are gorgeous, I have been few countries in Africa but never been to Nambia. I was curious are those photos taken by you or are they just stock images?
Yes, Africa is amazing!
All photos are ours. We shoot on DSLR, smartphones, GoPro and a drone.