8-Day Classic Namibia Safari

Your safari begins with collection from Hosea Kutako International Airport or your Windhoek accommodation. After a short safari briefing, depart southwards through the scenic Khomas Hochland Highlands, descending via one of Namibia’s dramatic escarpment passes into the vast Namib Desert. The journey takes around 4 to 5 hours including photography stops. After arrival at your lodge and lunch, enjoy a late-afternoon scenic nature drive, where you may encounter desert-adapted wildlife such as oryx, springbok, ostrich and black-backed jackal. The Namib Desert is considered the oldest desert in the world and is home to some of the highest sand dunes globally.

Distance: Road transfer from Windhoek to Sossusvlei, approx. 4-5 hours

Activity: Late-afternoon nature drive

Accommodation: Lodge near Sossusvlei

Meals: Lunch & dinner, drinks not included

An early morning departure, with coffee and a light breakfast, lets you explore Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei at sunrise, the most photogenic time of day. Highlights include the climb up Dune 45, an optional climb of Big Daddy Dune, the ancient camel thorn trees of Dead Vlei, and Sesriem Canyon. After lunch, depart through Namib-Naukluft National Park toward the Atlantic coast town of Swakopmund. Check in to your guesthouse, with dinner at your own expense at one of the town’s excellent restaurants.

Distance: Sunrise dune visit, then road transfer to Swakopmund

Activity: Dune 45 climb, Dead Vlei, optional Big Daddy Dune

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Swakopmund

Meals: Breakfast & lunch, dinner at own expense, drinks not included

After breakfast, enjoy a guided Living Desert excursion, a fascinating look at desert-adapted microfauna including palmato geckos, sidewinder snakes, Namaqua chameleons, desert scorpions and the area’s unique desert plant adaptations, before returning to Swakopmund for lunch. The afternoon is free for optional activities at your own cost, such as quad biking, sandboarding, a scenic flight, a dolphin cruise in Walvis Bay, or skydiving. Dinner is at your own arrangement.

Distance: Morning Living Desert excursion, afternoon free for optional activities

Activity: Living Desert tour, optional adventure activities

Accommodation: Guesthouse in Swakopmund (second night)

Meals: Breakfast & lunch, dinner at own expense, drinks not included

After breakfast, travel north along the dramatic Skeleton Coast, stopping at a historic shipwreck. Turn inland toward Damaraland, passing the Brandberg Massif, Namibia’s highest mountain at 2,573 metres. Visit the Twyfelfontein rock engravings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain.

Distance: Road transfer via the Skeleton Coast to Damaraland

Activity: Shipwreck stop, Twyfelfontein rock art, Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain

Accommodation: Lodge in Damaraland

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner, drinks not included

After breakfast, depart for Etosha National Park, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive inside the park. Etosha is renowned for its vast salt pan and prolific wildlife, especially around the waterholes, with elephant, lion, rhino, giraffe, zebra, springbok and oryx among the commonly seen species.

Distance: Road transfer to Etosha, then afternoon game drive

Activity: Arrival game drive

Accommodation: Camp in Etosha National Park

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner, drinks not included

A full day dedicated to game viewing, with early-morning and late-afternoon drives through the western and central sections of Etosha National Park. The park offers exceptional predator sightings and large herds gathering at waterholes. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Distance: Morning and afternoon game drives

Activity: Full day of game viewing

Accommodation: Camp in Etosha National Park (second night)

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner, drinks not included

Travel across Etosha National Park toward its eastern section, with game viewing along the route. Exit the park and check into a lodge located just outside the eastern gate, where denser vegetation supports excellent wildlife diversity. Enjoy a relaxed final safari evening.

Distance: Road transfer across Etosha to the eastern gate

Activity: Game viewing en route

Accommodation: Lodge near the eastern gate of Etosha National Park

Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner, drinks not included

After breakfast, or an optional early morning game drive, depart for Windhoek, transferring either to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your departure flight, or to Windhoek accommodation if extending your stay. Optional extensions are available, including a visit to Okonjima Nature Reserve and the AfriCat Foundation, or a San Bushman cultural visit.

Distance: Road transfer from Etosha to Windhoek

Activity: Optional final game drive, then departure

Accommodation: N/A, end of trip

Meals: Breakfast, drinks not included