--- type: "Article" title: "9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips" description: "Recommended route and travel tips for an unforgettable Namibia tour: From Deadvlei to Damaraland and Etosha National Park." resource: "https://travelmemo.com/namibia/touring-namibia-travel-tips" author: "Katja Birrer" publisher: "Travelmemo" photo_count: 22 tags: ["Experience", "Landscape", "Lodge", "Luxury", "Namibia"] entities: - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/namibia" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/africa" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/europe" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/south-africa" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/places/zuerich" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/experience-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/landscape" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/lodge" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/luxury-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/itinerary" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/safari" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/nature-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/wildlife-tourism" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/air-travel" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/excursion-tips" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/review" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/round-trip" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/topics/vehicle-rental" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/booking-com" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/wilderness-safaris" - "https://travelmemo.com/ontology/organizations/swiss-international-air-lines" - "https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer" generated: { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer", at: 2026-07-04T14:10:55+00:00 } verified: - { by: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/walter-schaerer", at: 2022-02-12T18:16:19+00:00 } sources: - id: photos resource: touring-namibia-travel-tips.md#photos title: "Original photography by Katja Birrer" author: "human:https://travelmemo.com/author/katja-birrer" timestamp: 2026-07-04T14:10:55+00:00 --- # 9+ unique things to do while touring Namibia | travel tips > Namibia is a vast, sparsely populated country in southwestern Africa renowned for its red sand dunes, desert landscapes, and exceptional wildlife. This article offers a recommended clockwise self-drive itinerary from Windhoek covering the country's top natural and safari highlights. ## Destination Namibia, on Africa's southwestern coast, bordering South Africa to the south. The suggested route starts and ends in Windhoek. ## Getting there Hosea Kutako International Airport is located 30 miles east of Windhoek, served by several European airlines including Swiss/Lufthansa and Eurowings, some via Johannesburg and some nonstop. A combined fly-in safari and self-drive tour is recommended. A 4x4 off-road vehicle is advised for the mostly gravel roads; the described itinerary covers roughly 940 miles. ## When to go Namibia is a year-round destination. The best time is June to October (high season), when daytime temperatures are in the high 70s°F with sharp drops at night. August to October is ideal for safaris as the dry season concentrates wildlife at waterholes. The rainy season (November to March) offers lush, colorful landscapes but brings heat and occasional downpours. Book well in advance for high season travel. ## Why visit Namibia offers extraordinary diversity — boundless savannahs, deserts, towering sand dunes, bizarre rock formations, and one of the richest wildlife concentrations in southern Africa — all in one of the least densely populated countries on earth. ## What to see - **Deadvlei and Sossusvlei** — World-famous valley with spectacular red sand dunes and iconic dead trees set against white clay pan. - **NamibRand Nature Reserve** — One of the largest private reserves in southern Africa, with varied desert landscapes and vivid sunrise and sunset colors. - **Sesriem Canyon** — A nearly 2-mile gorge up to 30 meters deep, carved by the Tschaub River, located near the Sossusvlei park entrance. - **Damaraland** — Northwest Namibian region of steppe desert and craggy rock formations, home to Twyfelfontein rock engravings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. - **Etosha National Park** — Premier national park where large concentrations of elephants, zebras, lions, and other wildlife gather at waterholes; self-driving is permitted. - **Onguma The Fort** — Luxury private camp outside Etosha's gates, with buildings modeled after a Moroccan fort and four-poster canopy bed suites. - **Okonjima Nature Reserve** — An 80-square-mile private reserve halfway between Windhoek and Etosha, known for leopard and cheetah sightings. ## What to do - **Safari game drives** — Guided game drives in open safari jeeps are available at private reserves such as Ongava, where elephants, lions, giraffes, and both rhino species roam. - **Walking rhino safari** — Foot safaris offer the chance to track and approach white rhinos up close in the African bush. - **Boat and catamaran tours from Walvis Bay** — Excursions from Walvis Bay, about 20 miles south of Swakopmund, allow whale, dolphin, seal, and pelican watching. - **Self-drive through Etosha National Park** — Visitors can independently drive through the park to spot wildlife at waterholes. - **Hiking Sesriem Canyon** — A short hike through the gorge near Sossusvlei is easily combined with a visit to the dunes. ## Good to know Accommodations range from basic camps with roof tents to high-end luxury lodges; many reserves offer multiple price tiers. Booking a specialist tour operator such as Rhino Africa is recommended for itineraries combining small lodges and light aircraft transfers. The article's authors booked their trip one year in advance. ## Photos ```yaml photos: - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ongava-private-game-reserve-safari-27.jpg" caption: "Sunset during a safari" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-37.jpg" caption: "Sonnenuntergang bei der Düne 45" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/wolwedans-dunes-lodge-mountain-view-suite-namibia-travelmemo-11.jpg" caption: "Mountain View Suite" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/little-kulala-camp-namibia-travelmemo-17.jpg" caption: "Safari-Jeep von Wilderness Safaris im Naukluft Mountain Zebra Park" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sossusvlei-namibia-travelmemo-28.jpg" caption: "Sanddünen am Ende des Tales Sossusvlei" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/sesriem-canyon-namibia-travelmemo-11.jpg" caption: "Sesriem-Canyon in Sossusvlei" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/catamaran-tour-walvis-bay-namibia-travelmemo-6.jpg" caption: "Delphine vor Wolvis Bay" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/catamaran-tour-walvis-bay-namibia-travelmemo-7.jpg" caption: "Surfende Delphine in der Bugwelle" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/mowani-mountain-camp-namibia-travelmemo-68.jpg" caption: "White tree in Damaraland sunset" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ongava-private-game-reserve-safari-3.jpg" caption: "Der Elefant schnüffelt und wittert uns im nahen Versteck" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/ongava-private-game-reserve-safari-31.jpg" caption: "Löwenmutter mit ihren Jungen" credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/etosha-namibia-travelmemo-12.jpg" caption: "Eine Zebraherde übequert die Schotterpiste im Etosha Nationalpark" 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/2021/12/ongava-private-game-reserve-safari-47.jpg" caption: "Die weniger gefährlichen Breitmaulnashörner. Aus sicherer Teleobjektiv-Distanz..." credit: "Walter Schärer" - url: "https://travelmemo.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/rhinoceros-travelmemo-3.jpg" caption: "Auf Nashorn-Pirsch in nächster Nähe" credit: "Walter Schärer" ```