---
type: "Article"
title: "Etosha National Park – where the wild beasts roam"
description: "If you're going to Namibia, be sure to self-drive through Etosha National Park with all its wild animals. The safari is a highlight of your tour!"
resource: "https://travelmemo.com/namibia/etosha-national-park-safari"
author: "Katja Birrer"
publisher: "Travelmemo"
photo_count: 18
tags: ["Safari", "Namibia"]
entities:
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/namibia"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/botswana"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/africa"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/safari"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/wildlife-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/winter-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/lodge"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/wildlife-viewing"
  - "https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer"
generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer", at: 2026-07-04T13:13:41+00:00 }
verified:
  - { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer", at: 2021-12-05T16:50:11+00:00 }
sources:
  - id: photos
    resource: etosha-national-park-safari.md#photos
    title: "Original photography by Katja Birrer"
    author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer"
    last_modified: 2016-06-06
timestamp: 2026-07-04T13:13:41+00:00
---

# Etosha National Park – where the wild beasts roam

> Etosha National Park in northern Namibia is one of Africa's largest national parks at over 22,000 km², renowned for its vast salt pan and exceptional wildlife viewing at scattered waterholes.

## Destination
Northern Namibia, approximately 400 km from the capital Windhoek.

## Getting there
Accessible via asphalted roads from the east or gravel roads from the southwest, through four entrance gates: Anderson Gate (south), Von Lindequist Gate (east), Galton Gate (southwest), and King Nehale Lya Mpingana Gate (north).

## When to go
May to October (dry season/winter) is best, when animals concentrate at waterholes and are easily spotted in the sparse landscape.

## Why visit
One of Africa's top safari destinations where visitors can self-drive and encounter lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, rhinos, and leopards — four of the Big Five — roaming freely around natural and man-made waterholes.

## What to see
- **Etosha Pan** — A vast ~5,000 km² salt and limestone mud plain, 130 km by 50 km, that shimmers white in the dry season and forms seasonal waterholes after rain.
- **Salvadora Viewpoint** — Scenic lookout on the edge of the Etosha pan, offering views over the salt flat and wildlife such as oryx herds.
- **Waterholes (e.g. Nebrownii, Goas, Charitsaub)** — Natural and man-made waterholes scattered throughout the park where lions, elephants, gazelles, and other animals congregate.

## What to do
- **Self-drive safari** — Visitors can explore the well-marked park roads independently without a guide; a 4WD vehicle such as a Toyota Fortuner is recommended for the gravel roads.
- **Wildlife watching at waterholes** — Waiting patiently at waterholes can yield sightings of numerous species within minutes, especially during the dry season.

## Good to know
Visitors may not exit their vehicle anywhere in the park except at designated rest areas and camps (e.g. Okaukuejo, Halali, Namutoni). Driving after dark is not permitted. Entrance fees and opening hours vary by season — check the official Etosha website before visiting. Private safari lodges outside the park gates, such as Ongava and Onguma, offer an alternative to the state-run camps.

## Photos

```yaml
photos:
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-8.jpg"
    caption: "Etosha Nationalpark Namibia"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-6.jpg"
    caption: "Aussichtspunkt Salvadora mit Oryx-Herde in der Etosha Salzpfanne"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-7.jpg"
    caption: "Etosha-Pfanne Namibia"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-11.jpg"
    caption: "Zebras im Etosha Nationalpark"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-21.jpg"
    caption: "Einsames Gnu im Schatten eines Kameldornbaums"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-19.jpg"
    caption: "Straussenmännchen auf der Pirsch"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-3.jpg"
    caption: "Dösende Löwen beim Wasserloch Nebrownii..."
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-4.jpg"
    caption: "... und blockieren den durstigen Gazellen und einem Gnu den Weg ans Wasser"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-17.jpg"
    caption: "Elefantenherde beim Wasserloch Goas"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-18.jpg"
    caption: "Zwei Elefantenherden beim Wasserloch Goas"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Linyanti-game-drive-warthog.jpg"
    caption: "Warthog"
    keywords: ["Africa", "Botswana", "Linyanti", "Safari", "travelmemo", "warthog"]
    captured: 2016-06-06
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-5.jpg"
    caption: "Stau wegen Löwinnen am Strassenrand"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-16.jpg"
    caption: "Löwen direkt am Strassenrand"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-13.jpg"
    caption: "Zebras überqueren gemächlich die Schotterpiste"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
  - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-20.jpg"
    caption: "Elefantenherde und PW im Rückwärtsgang beim Namutoni Camp"
    credit: "Walter Schärer"
```