Compare Namibia Discovery by Intrepid Travel vs 8-Day Classic Namibia Group Safari by Nature Travel Namibia

Day 1 Cape Town

Welkom! Welcome to Cape Town. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, it’s recommended that you catch the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain, taking the ferry across to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years). Alternatively, those with more time can take a day trip down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula. Tonight, get to know your new travel group over an optional dinner with your local leader.

Day 2 Trawal (Lamberts Bay & Cape Gannet Island)

Depart Cape Town and travel along the west coast to the small seaside town of Lamberts Bay. The bay’s white beaches, lobsters and incredible wildlife earned its nickname ‘the diamond of the west coast’. When you arrive, you’ll visit Cape Gannet Island. At the right time of the year, you might be lucky enough to see the flocks of gannet that breed here in August and September. For birdwatchers, the colony at Lambert's Bay is the most accessible of the six gannet colonies in South Africa and Namibia. Tonight, sit down to a delicious feast at a local open-air restaurant, where the amazing ocean views will make for the perfect dinner setting. After your seaside lunch, you'll head to Trawal to relax and soak in the views of wine farms and Cedarberg mountain range.

Day 3 Orange River

Say farewell to South Africa as you cross the border into Namibia. You should reach your destination on the banks of the Orange River by mid-afternoon. The border crossing and a few photo stops along the way can delay this arrival time. Orange River is the longest river in South Africa, running from high up in the Drakensberg Mountain range and into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is significant for its role in transporting diamonds, which in turn leaves deposits that are found along the Namibian coastline.

Day 4 Fish River Canyon

Kick things off today with a half-day canoe adventure along the Orange River. With a local guide, you’ll wind through the ancient Richtersveld Mountains in 2-man canoes. This is a slow-paced trip covering approximately 10 km and you’ll mostly be travelling downstream. After, venture to the Fish River Canyon – one of the biggest canyons in the world. You’ll stop at various lookouts along the way – all great opportunities to catch this gigantic gorge on camera. Look out for some exotic birdlife while you’re here, including plovers, wagtails, hammerkops and herons. You might even catch a glimpse of a baboon or an antelope at dusk!

Day 5 Sesriem

Today is a long travel day, so grab a window seat if you can or play some road trip games with your fellow travellers. You’re heading to the eastern edge of the Namib Desert today – this region of the world's oldest desert is known for its array of geological features. Take in the diversity and sprawling beauty of the scenery as you drive, and when you arrive, relax at your desert lodge.

Day 6 Sesriem – Sossusvlei

Today, you’ll make an early morning visit to Sossusvlei, which lies at the end of an ancient riverbed. If you find yourself in the mood, a climb to the top of Dune 45 will reward you with unparalleled views. After breakfast, head to Dead Vlei – a clay pan well known for the iconic postcard-like images taken here by many. The pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world, including ‘Big Daddy’ and ‘Crazy Dune’. If you'd like to avoid a long walk in the sun, you can opt to pay extra for a 4WD transfer out to the entrance point. In the afternoon, visit Sesriem Gorge – a tranquil natural corridor you can walk through and explore. The canyon was caused by water erosion over thousands of years and the people who lived in the area used to pull buckets of water up from the depths with six knotted belts. Therefore, the canyon was named after the Afrikaans word ‘sesriem’, meaning ‘six belts’.

Day 7 Swakopmund

Depart your desert lodge and travel across the Namib Desert today, ending up on the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean coastline. The drive goes through a diverse and colourful landscape, so keep your eyes on the windows and soak up the scenery. You'll see the incredible Kuiseb Canyon along the way, before arriving at the beachside town of Swakopmund, located on the Skeleton Coast.

Day 8 Swakopmund

Enjoy some free time in this gorgeous coastal oasis. Your accommodation is within walking distance of town, making optional activities easy to access. Maybe stroll along the beach, explore the open-air markets or visit the local museum. Your local leader will take you to the local activity centre if you’re not quite sure how you’d like to spend your day.

Day 9 Damaraland

Get off the beaten track and head into the heart of Damaraland. The ancient landscapes of the Kunene Region are ruggedly spectacular – think awesome sunsets and night skies filled with a multitude of dazzling stars. This part of Namibia is also known as Damaraland, as it’s the ancestral homeland of the enigmatic Damara people (whose exact origins remain unclear). This is also home to a small population of hardy desert adapted elephants and some super unique flora and fauna.

Day 10 Damaraland

Spend the morning visiting the surrounding sights such as Twyfelfontein Heritage Site and the Petrified Forest. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engraving in southern Africa and is a fascinating insight into the past. The Petrified Forest looks back into nature’s history, where 280-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks lie. You’ll be accompanied by local guides at both sites. It can get hot at this time of day so be sure to have a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water with you. Spend the rest of the day back at the lodge, maybe by the pool or reading a book in the shade.

Day 11 Etosha National Park

Depart your lodge this morning and head towards Etosha National Park. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, so there are large herds of elephants, antelope and other herbivores here. When you arrive, you’ll head out on a short afternoon game drive in your truck. Keep your eyes peeled for the resident wildlife!

Day 12 Etosha National Park

Today, you'll enjoy two game drives through Etosha National Park – one in the morning in your overland truck and a second in the afternoon in open 4WD vehicles. Keep your eyes peeled for black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-dik. Game viewing in the park is relatively easy due to the man-made waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is hard to see through, but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to allow for some sightings. Head back to the lodge this evening for a free evening.

Day 13 Windhoek

From Etosha National Park, you’ll head to Windhoek – an old German town that’s now a cosmopolitan centre. The Germanic colonial architecture of this city contributes to its charming feel. You'll arrive in the late afternoon or early evening. Your trip comes to an end here, so no accommodation is included tonight. If you're staying in the area, the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace), the Christuskirche (church), the gymnasium and the Genossenschaftshaus are all well worth visiting. If you need to organise extra accommodation, speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Day 1: Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Namib Desert Lodge; Mid-range lodge located just outside Namib-Naukluft NP

Main Destination: Sossusvlei (Namib-Naukluft NP)

Drinks not included

After breakfast you will depart for Sossusvlei. We will drive through the Khomas Hochland and down the escarpment via one of the scenic mountain passes into the Namib Desert. This journey will take about 4 hours including stops for photographs. After lunch and settling in at the lodge we will depart for a late afternoon scenic nature drive.

The Namib is the oldest desert and boasts the highest sand dunes in the world. This region is one of the most spectacular areas in Africa. The name Sossusvlei refers to the vlei or pan into which the seasonal Tsauchab River flows in years of exceptional rainfall. The neighbouring Dead Vlei with the ancient dead Camel Thorn trees is one of the most photographic sites in good early morning light. The Sesriem canyon is a narrow gorge about 1 km long and is well worth a visit. Several desert adapted wildlife like oryx, springbok, black-backed jackal, ostrich, sociable weavers and plenty of reptiles and small mammals call this place home.

Day 2: Sossusvlei and Swakopmund

Meals: Breakfast  and Lunch (Dinner not included)

Accommodation: Swakopmund Sands; Mid-range hotel located in or near Namib-Naukluft NP

Main Destination: Swakopmund

Drinks not included

After an early breakfast and coffee we will depart for a morning excursion to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. We will stop at the scenic Dune 45 along the way and spend a couple of hours at both Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. Some of the dunes in the area are a few hundred meters high but the view from the top for those that dare is one you will never forget.

After lunch we will depart for Swakopmund via the Namib Naukluft National Park. We will spend the night at a guesthouse and enjoy dinner at a restaurant in Swakopmund. Please note that dinner tonight is not included and for your own account.

Swakopmund has plenty of great restaurants and bars, good shopping opportunities and fascinating architecture. For the adventurous there is quad biking, sand-boarding, skydiving, beach angling and scenic flights over the coastline and Sossusvlei to name a few.

Day 3: Living Desert Adventure and Walvis Bay

Meals & Drinks: Breakfast  and Lunch (Dinner not included)

Accommodation: Swakopmund Sands;  Mid-range hotel located in or near Namib-Naukluft NP

Main Destination: Swakopmund

Drinks not included

After breakfast we will depart for a living desert adventure where we will encounter and learn more about the fascinating wildlife of the Namib Desert. We will look for gecko's, scorpions, side-winder snakes, lizards and beetles as well as the incredible plant life that survives in this harsh environment.

Once we are back in Swakopmund we enjoy lunch and then have the afternoon available to explore the town or perhaps finish the day with an optional quad-biking and dune-boarding adventure. Other optional activities that could be arranged include scenic flights over the coast and dunes.

Day 4: Skeleton Coast and Damaraland

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Twyfelfontein Country Lodge; Mid-range lodge located inside Damaraland

Main Destination: Damaraland (Kunene Region)

Best Time to Visit: May to September (Animals are easier to see)

High Season: July to November (Some places can get quite busy)

Best Weather: May to August (Less hot during the day)

After breakfast we continue our safari northwards along the Skeleton Coast. After visiting a shipwreck we will turn inland towards Damaraland. We will drive past the Brandberg, Namibia’s highest mountain with the highest peak at 2573 meters.

We will visit the Twyfelfontein rock engravings (Namibia’s only world heritage site), burnt mountain and organ pipes rock formation.

Day 5-6: Etosha National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Etosha Safari Lodge; Mid-range lodge located just outside Etosha NP

Main Destination: Etosha National Park

Best Time to Visit: July to September (Animals come to water)

High Season: July to November (The park gets crowded)

Best Weather: May to August (Less hot during the day)

After breakfast we will depart for Etosha National Park where we will spend the next 3 nights.

An optional Damara Living Museum Village visit can be arranged and we will stop at the Petrified Forest en route.

We will do an afternoon game drive in our own vehicle on arrival and the following day an early morning and late afternoon drive visiting various waterholes famous for huge numbers of animals drinking here.

Drinks not included

Day 7: Eastern Etosha National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Mushara Lodge; Luxury lodge located just outside Etosha NP

Main Destination: Eastern Etosha National Park

After breakfast we will spend a full day travelling through the park, game viewing en route, to Mushara Lodge. The lodge is situated just outside the eastern section of the park on its own small game reserve.

This section of Etosha with the more lush vegetation offers fantastic game viewing. We will spend our final evening relaxing at the beautiful Mushara Lodge.

Drinks not included

Day 8: Departure to Windhoek

Meals: Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)

Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)

Main Destination: No major destination visited

After an early morning game drive or a relaxing breakfast we will depart for Windhoek where you will catch your connecting flight.

We can also organise an extension to visit the San Bushman and perhaps spend the a night at Okonjima Lodge, home of the African foundation.

Many of our clients prefer to spend an additional night at Mushara to fully explore and appreciate the game rich eastern section of Etosha.

Drinks not included

End of tour (See Getting There for more details)

Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.

You'll be dropped off at the airport (or hotel).