Tour Dates:
July 26 - August 13, 2024
This itinerary is designed to give you some of the very best of Namibia’s scenery, wildlife, and different cultures. The tour will cover the highlights of Namibia, from the south to the north.
On arrival we will be welcomed at the airport by our guide. We then transfer from the airport to our hotel. After settling in, we will meet our guide for an afternoon city and township tour. Dinner at a local restaurant.
Windhoek
Situated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. The city is clean, safe and well-organized, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries, shops, and street names. Windhoek has an interesting mix of historical architecture and modern buildings, including the Alte Feste, the 1896 Christuskirche (Christ Church), and the more contemporary Supreme Court.
(Dinner included)
This morning we depart Windhoek and continue southwards to Namibia’s Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world.
Carving out an epic rocky wonderland in the south of Namibia, the Fish River has created Africa’s largest and the world’s second-largest canyon. Hot, dry, and stony, the Fish River Canyon measures a whopping 160 kilometers in length, at times 27 kilometers in width and 550 meters in depth. The awe-inspiring natural beauty of this ancient geological marvel draws visitors from around the globe.
Arrive early afternoon and check into our luxury canyon lodge.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
This morning, we visit the canyon viewpoint. Enjoy the sunrise on the canyon rim while enjoying coffee and tea.
Far below, the river sparkles in the sunlight and it is hard to imagine how many millennia it took for the forces of nature to carve out such a magnificent vista. The canyon is 160km long and reaches a depth of 550m.
Today you have the opportunity to take part in several different hikes or relax at the lodge.
End the day with drinks while watching the sun go down.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
After breakfast, we depart for Lüderitz on Namibia’s southern coast. On the way, we hope to encounter the wild horses of the Namib. These beautiful, untamed horses roam the sparsely vegetated plains of the Namib Desert in small groups, having somehow adapted to the harsh environment.
We arrive in Lüderitz during the late afternoon. This charming town is sandwiched between the Namib Desert and the wild South Atlantic. It is renowned for its old-world charm and distinctly German colonial architecture, and is home to a wide variety of aquatic birds. Large numbers of flamingos, penguins, cormorants and seagulls inhabit the shallow lagoon here.
Overnight at our luxury seaside hotel.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
This morning we visit the famous ghost town of Kolmanskop. Amongst the sands of the Namib, the crumbling buildings of a small, once-luxurious town emerge from the drifting dunes. This mining village was slowly abandoned after World War II as its diamond-field began to deplete. Today, these mansions are slowly being reclaimed by the shifting sands.
We will return back to Lüderitz just in time for lunch. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure to explore the town.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Our tour will then proceed through the Namib Desert, stopping for lunch at Aus. We continue the journey to our lodge in Sossusvlei.
Sossusvlei is located in the scenic Namib-Naukluft National Park. The clear blue skies contrast with the giant red dunes of the Namib desert to make this one of the most scenic natural wonders of Africa and a photographer’s heaven. This awe-inspiring destination is possibly Namibia’s premier attraction, with its unique dunes rising to almost 400 meters — some of the highest in the world! Sossusvlei is home to a variety desert wildlife including oryx, springbok, ostrich and a variety of reptiles.
Enjoy the evening at leisure in our luxurious desert lodge.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Today, we get an early start so as to catch the soft light of sunrise over the dunes. In the cool of the morning we take a walk through the desert with a good chance of seeing gemsbok, springbok and ostrich.
We spend the morning in and around Sossusvlei. This iconic landscape is made up of white plains and red dunes which tower majestically against a deep blue sky and are among the highest in the world. We will visit the picturesque Deadvlei. This white clay pan lies at the foot of “Big Daddy Dune” and is dotted with the skeletal remains of hundreds of camelthorn trees preserved by the dry desert climate, making it a striking vista and photographer’s dream.
As the day cools down we will enjoy a short excursion to Sesriem Canyon before heading back to our lodge.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
This morning, we will stop at the famous Dune 45, a beautiful star dune reaching over 170 meters in height. Those who feel fit enough to climb the dune will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding Namibian desert. After the visit we will drive back to Sesriem and board our plane to Swakopmund.
Namibia is a land of contrasts. Today we will fly from desert to sea, crossing the Tropic of Capricorn and traversing the Sossusvlei dunes, the forbidden coast, shipwrecks and ending in in Swakopmund. The flight will be approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. Arrive in time for lunch at the hotel.
On arrival we will transfer to our luxury hotel right on the sea. We have the afternoon and evening at leisure to explore the town.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Swakopmund is a charming seaside town characterized by German colonial architecture, palmlined streets, great restaurants, plenty of shops, and beautiful beaches. After breakfast, we depart for a dolphin & seal cruise along the coast. After, we will make a stop at the Walvis Bay lagoon to see flocks of flamingos.
Dinner is up to you at one of the many excellent restaurants in town.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Today, you will be free to explore. The town offers plenty to do including a geological museum and aquarium. Various optional activities can also be arranged. These include boat tours (with oysters and champagne!), scenic flights and micro-light flights over the desert, fishing trips, desert tours, sandboarding, and skydiving. Note that all extra activities in Swakopmund are subject to availability and at the client’s own expense.
Enjoy lunch and dinner at leisure.
(Breakfast included)
Today we continue to Damaraland along the Skeleton Coast. We will stop at the vast seal colony at Cape Cross, north of Swakopmund. Here you are able to get up close to thousands of wild Cape Fur Seals and observe them in their natural habitat. We will drive through the Skeleton Coast where you will have a many stops to explore and take photos of the many shipwrecks.
We will then travel on to our lodge, which is situated in the Palmwag Concession in northern Damaraland. This part of the world is blessed with table mountains (mesas) and spectacular scenery. Abundant wildlife such as the mountain zebra, kudu, springbok, giraffes, lions, desert elephants, the endangered black rhino, and many other species live here.
Stretching from the Swakop River to southern Angola, Namibia’s Skeleton Coast is known as the ‘Land God Made in Anger’. Thousands of miles of sandy desert dotted with shipwrecks meet the cold waters of the Atlantic, where ocean fog creeps over the shoreline. Somehow, an amazing array of wildlife and flora manages to survive in this harsh but beautiful environment. Animals living here include seabird colonies, Cape Fur Seals, zebras, gemsbok, desert-adapted elephants, lions, and many more. Surfing enthusiasts are drawn to the powerful crashing waves, and photographers flock from around the globe to snapshot the eerie shipwreck graveyards and breathtaking coastline.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
This morning we will search for desert elephants and the many rhinos that move around the Palmwag Concession area. With luck on our side, we will spot these animals specially adapted to the harsh desert conditions.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Today we drive into the desert mountains of Damaraland, one of the last true wildernesses of southern Africa and home to the Himba people. In the morning, we will visit the Otjikandero Himba Village. The Himba are one of the last tribes in Africa living strictly within their traditions. We have a local guide who will translate for us and introduce us to the Himba Tribe who will teach us about their customs and culture.
If time allows, we will enjoy an afternoon game drive inside the park and return just before sunset.
Etosha South
Located in Northwestern Namibia, Etosha East is a protected sanctuary in the eastern part of the world-renowned Etosha National Park, known as one of the most accessible game reserves in Southern Africa. Etosha East boasts vast open plains scattered with semi-arid savannah grasslands dotted with watering holes and secluded bush camps. An impressive 5000-squarekilometre Etosha salt pan makes up a large area of the eastern side of the park and can even be seen from space. This remote area teems with abundant wildlife such as lions, elephants, black rhinos, zebras, wildebeest, and giraffes, as well as a variety of birdlife featuring flamingos, ostriches, eagles, hornbills, and owls.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Today we will spend most of the day game driving. We will visit a number of waterholes and make a stop at the Etosha Pan, the “place of dry water”. This great, white expanse is a place of shimmering mirages, and being able to see large herds of game in this setting makes Etosha a unique experience in Africa.
We stop at Halali middle camp to have lunch before we continue our game drive to our next lodge where we will stay for 2 nights.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Another morning and afternoon of game drives. The game viewing is usually excellent with close views of springboks, zebras, impalas, giraffes, gemsbok, and plenty of birds. If we are lucky we may also have some close encounters with elephants and lions. In the evening we may enjoy a glass of wine and experience a fabulous dinner at our lodge.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Today we head south towards Okahandja. On our way we will stop for lunch and a tour of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) outside Otjiwarongo.
The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) was founded in 1990 by Dr. Laurie Marker. CCF’s mission is to be an internationally recognized center of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their eco-systems, working with all stakeholders to achieve best practices in the conservation and management of the world’s cheetahs. As Namibia has the largest and healthiest population of cheetahs left in the world, CCF’s International Research and Education Center is based in Namibia, near Otjiwarongo. The large, modern Education Center houses a museum that provides visitors and students the opportunity to learn more about the behavior and biology of the cheetah, and the Namibian ecosystem that supports Africa’s most endangered cat species.
(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
This morning after breakfast we will depart back to Windhoek through the small town of Okahandja which has the biggest craft market in Namibia. We stop to explore the market and perhaps buy some souvenirs before heading back to Windhoek. The local community operates the stalls on a co-operative basis and the market is a good place to do last minute shopping for authentic Namibian souvenirs.
Arrive at the airport and board our flight back home.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)