Jan
min : 20°C
max : 28°C
We Love —
- Visit a land of striking natural beauty on this immersive tour to some of Namibia's must see sights.
- On this 8-night self-drive tour, you'll experience some of the best game viewing in Africa at Etosha National Park, visit unique treasures such as the Kalahari Desert and the stunning sand dunes at Sossusvlei.
- Stay in a selection of rustic lodges and well-appointed hotels on the tour and enjoy the services included car hire and various meals along the way!
Your Destination —
This tour visits an array of Namibia's hot-spots including Kalahari, Walvis Bay, the Damaraland region, Otjiwarongo, and Etosha National Park - the country's greatest wildlife reserve. At various waterholes zebra, wildebeest and gemsbok drink to the trumpeting of elephants and roaring of lions. You will also discover Sossusvlei in the heart of the Namib Desert and home to the world's tallest sand dunes, some of which tower over 300 metres high. Watching the changing mood and colours at sunrise and sunset is one of Namibia's highlights.
Namibia
To properly appreciate this extraordinary country, you will have to venture out of the cities to explore the remarkable natural landscapes Namibia has to offer. These include: the impressive Fish River Canyon; the vast Etosha National Park teeming with abundant wildlife, such as lions, desert-adapted elephants and the Hartmann's Mountain Zebra; the hauntingly beautiful Kalahari Desert; and of course the Namib Desert stretching for over 2000 km along the magnificent Atlantic Coast. Namibia is an ideal destination for travellers seeking an unforgettable African experience in a uniquely beautiful untamed wilderness.
Our Offer —
8-Night Wonders of Namibia Fly-Drive Tour
Your Itinerary In Brief —
Day 1: Depart UK - Johannesburg - Windhoek
Day 2: Johannesburg - Windhoek - Kalahari Desert
Day 3: Kalahari Desert - Namib Desert
Day 4: Namib Desert - Naukluft Desert
Day 5: Namib Desert - Naukluft Desert - Swakopmund - Walvis Bay
Day 6: Walvis Bay - Damaraland
Day 7: Damaraland - Kamanjab - Etosha National Park
Day 8: Etosha National Park
Day 9: Etosha National Park - Otjiwarongo
Day 10: Windhoek - Johannesburg - UK
Day 11: Return back in the UK
Your Itinerary —
Today you will board your flight for Windhoek Airport, Namibia either direct or via Johannesburg’s or Tambo International Airport.
Day 2: Johannesburg - Windhoek - Kalahari Desert
Arrival Windhoek Airport. Clients will be met by an English speaking representative, who will assist clients with the collection of their vehicle hire and provide them with their vouchers and itinerary. Lunch is at leisure.
Travel in the direction of Mariental, through the Kalahari Desert with a surface measuring about 500 000 km2. Land of the Bushmen, the Kalahari Desert is covered, in places, in a thick layer of sand ranging from 5m to 50m deep. The south-western part, including the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the desert areas to the east of the town of Mariental is very arid and is covered by hundreds of longitudinal sand dunes separated by vast grassy plains known as the "roadways". Dinner is at Leisure. Overnight at the lodge or similar.
After breakfast, you have the option to add an excursion for an additional fee, to depart on sunrise view of the dunes in a 4x4 vehicle (min. 2 people). Following this, travel north to Namib Desert and your overnight destination. Dinner is at leisure. Here you can choose to add an optional excursion which is a Nature drive at sunset on the property (minimum 4 people).
Day 4: Namib Desert - Naukluft Desert
This morning, you have the option to take on an optional excursion.
At 05h30 take an early morning departure which is necessary to catch the sun at it rises over the Sossusvlei sand dunes. Some of the shifting dunes are as high as 325 metres and are coloured in shades of pale orange to bright red... Sossusvlei is a huge clay pan, enclosed by gigantic mountains of sand, Dead Pan being a large ghostly expanse of dried white clay, punctuated by skeletons of ancient camel-thorn trees.Continue in a 4 x 4 vehicle to one of the strangest sites of Sossusvlei: Dead Pan. Enjoy a walk/climb to the top of one of the dunes and enjoy the magnificent views. Enjoy breakfast in the dunes then return to the park entrance. Lunch at Sossusvlei Lodge (at your own expense) and thereafter continue via the Sesriem Canyon with its one kilometre gorge. This is a 30 m deep canyon carved out of rock clusters created 15 to 18 million years ago by the flow of the Tsauchab River. Entrance fees to the park are ZAR 210 per person. Return to the lodge for an overnight stay. Dinner is at leisure.
If you do not take this tour, you will enjoy breakfast at the hotel and free time to explore at your own leisure.
After an early breakfast, travel through the Naukluft Mountains and via the Kuiseb Canyon. Continue to the Valley of the Moon, a fantastic depression made up of a multitude of valleys eroded 450 million years ago, sculpted by the Swakop River and which gives the impression of a lunar surface. In this same valley grows, in astonishing contrast with the surrounding desert landscape, the green vegetation of eucalyptus and palm trees of the oasis of Goanikontes.
You will also discover the famous Welwitschia Mirabilis, a botanical curiosity located exclusively in the foggy area of the Namib Desert. Some specimens are over 1,500 years old. Lunch is at leisure. Continue towards Walvis Bay, via the popular coastal town of Swakopmund. Founded in 1892, Swakopmund is the oldest seaside resort in Namibia, and still has a distinct German atmosphere. The plentiful palm trees are either wrapped in romantic fog, or shimmer in the hot desert air. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight in Walvis Bay.
After breakfast, you have the opportunity to embark on an optional excursion.
Walvis Bay, situated on a lagoon, is significant in that it is bordered on the one side by the Atlantic Ocean with its cold Benguela Current, and on the other by the dunes of the hot Namib Desert. A huge nearby salt pan is the largest producer of salt in Africa. The lagoon, one of the ten most important wetlands of Africa, welcomes up to 80,000 birds in summer. Flamingos, pelicans, cormorants and fishermen birds are common visitors, in large numbers. Enjoy a 3 hour boat cruise from which you will see seals and possibly dolphins, hundreds of Cape cormorants, and pink flamingos. Enjoy a tasting of fresh oysters, along with a glass of sparkling wine as well as a light lunch. Departure 09h00 – 12h30 and booking is essential.
Alternatively, continue towards Namibia’s coastline, direction Cape Cross, where the first European Explorer, Diego Cao landed and planted a cross on his arrival. Cape Cross is also a sanctuary for Cape Fur Seals, and being one of the largest colonies in the world, it has a population of between 80 000 to 110 000. Entrance fees per person are approximately ZAR 100. Lunch is at leisure.
Continue through the fascinating Damaraland region located between the Etosha National Park and the massive Brandberg Mountains. This sparsely populated region is home to several geological curiosities, which gives the area its timeless character. Twyfelfontein offers one of the most remarkable concentrations of rock art found in Africa - a unique heritage left by the San people, early inhabitants of the region, the rock art dating back to thousands of years.Finally a visit will also be to the last whim of geology, namely the “organ pipes”, a series of Dolerite pillars which have been smoothed by erosion. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight at the lodge or similar.
After breakfast choose to take on an optional excursion: Early visit to the Petrified Forest that comprises fossilized tree trunks that reach 30 m in height, some having a 6 m circumference, some half buried in the sandstone. These tree trunks date back over 200 million years! Entrance fees are ZAR 80 per person.
Continue towards Kamanjab where you can choose to take on another optional excursion: Visit a Himba village, situated near the town of Kamanjab. Here you can learn about the culture and daily life of the Himba people. Cost per person: ZAR 350. Lunch is at leisure.
Travel to the Etosha National Park The park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, with a surface area of 22 270 km2. There are 114 mammal species and about 340 bird types, of which one third are migratory – and at least 110 reptile species. Herds of springbok, Burchell’s zebra, gemsbok, gnu, giraffe and elephant are a common sight. The name ‘Etosha’ means the “big white open space” – the park was founded in 1907. Dinner is at leisure. Overnight at the camp or similar (situated outside the park).
Following breakfast choose to take on an optional activity: Enjoy a morning safari viewing game in a 4x4 vehicle (approximatively 3 hours long) in the park. The vast Etosha Pan with its sparkling mirages (the salt pans are completely devoid of vegetation) will fascinate and after the summer rains it is a haven that attracts thousands of migratory birds. Cost per person: ZAR 995 (min. 4 people). Lunch is at your own expense in one of the Rest Camps. Enjoy game viewing from your own vehicle or alternatively enjoy a sunset 4x4 vehicle game viewing. Cost per person: ZAR 750 (min. 4 people). Dinner is at leisure. Overnight at the lodge or similar.
Day 9: Etosha National Park - Otjiwarongo
After breakfast, depart for Otjiwarongo. Here take on an optional excursion: Cheetah Conservation Fund. Visit the Cheetah Conservation Fund and enjoy Interacting with Cheetahs in the Endangered Cheetah Research Centre. Entrance fees: +/- ZAR 250 per person. Lunch and dinner are at leisure. Overnight at the lodge or similar.
Following breakfast, check-out and depart to Windhoek. The city is considerably enhanced by the historic buildings designed in the German architectural style of the turn of the century and which alternate with the buildings of the international style. Depending on the time of departure, orientation tour of Windhoek or shopping before leaving for the airport which is 50 kms from the city centre. Lunch is at leisure. Return vehicle to hire company at the airport. Check-in for your connecting flight home – (flights excluded). Dinner on board.
Day 11: Return back in the UK
Day OtjiwarongoA
Please note: This is a self-drive tour, therefore the itinerary above is suggested and not set, apart from the hotels, locations and included excursions.
Your Tour Hotels —
Our members will stay at the following 5* Category Hotels in a Double Rooms with meals included as per itinerary.
Your 5* Category Hotels (or similar)
Kalahari Desert: 1-night stay at the Bagatelle Kalahari Ranch 5* or similar.
Sossusvlei Area: 2-night stay at the Sossusvlei Desert Lodge 5* or similar.
Swakopmund: 1-night stay at the Swakopmund Hotel & Entertainment Centre 5* or similar.
Damaraland: 1-night stay at the Camp Kipwe 5* or similar.
Etosha National Park: 2-night stay at the Ongava Lodge 5* or similar.
Otjiwarongo: 1-night stay at the Okonjima Plains Camp 5* or similar
2 Adults
+ 1 Child
Please note: the bed for the 3rd guest sharing is likely to be a sofa bed or camp style bed. If any of these hotels are not available, hotels of a similar standard will be found.
Please note that due to the current global health pandemic (COVID-19), certain restaurants and buffets may be closed or places and tables may be limited. We strongly recommend that you contact the hotel for further information two days before your arrival.
Please note that due to the current global health pandemic (COVID-19), the cultural, leisure and wellness activities, as well as the outdoor swimming pools at this hotel, may be closed or limited in terms of access. We advise you to contact the hotel or the tourist office two days before your arrival.
Your Optional Excursions —
Our members can choose to add the following excursions at the next stage of the booking process for an additional fee - subject to availability. Details of each excursion are detailed as per the itinerary.
- Depart on a sunrise view of the dunes in a 4 x 4 vehicle (Day 3)
- Nature drive at sunset on the property (Day 3)
- Tour of Sossusvlei National Park (Day 4)
- Cruise to observe sea lions, pelicans and dolphins (Day 6)
- Cape Cross (Day 6)
- Early visit to the Petrified Forest (Day 7)
- Visit a Himba village (Day 7)
- Safari in a 4x4 vehicle in the park (Day 8)
- Sunset 4x4 vehicle game viewing (Day 8)
- Visit to the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) (Day 9)
Your Journey in Namibia —
Flights: You may choose from Economy, Premium or Business class flights on sectors that they operate, at the next stage of the booking process.
The flights included are with either a scheduled or no-frills airline and are subject to live availability and prices can change. You can choose your preferred departure times during the booking process. Please select your flight options carefully as departure and arrival airports may differ.
Transfers: Meet and greet services are included upon arrival for the delivery of your car rental.
Car Hire: Car hire is included with this offer based on a Category C "Toyota Corolla Manual" or similar (Based on 1- 3 people) which will be picked off and dropped off at Windhoek airport. The minimum age 25 years, and Unlimited Mileage, Super Cover Insurance with Deductible Buyback, Contract Fee and Windshield Insurance is included.
Category C "Toyota Corolla Manual" or similar - Manual, air-con, power-steering, central locking, ABS, airbags, Radio/CD Luggage: 2 medium, 1 small suitcase, 1 carry on.
Not Included:
- Vehicle hire: fuel, refundable deposit, rental of a GPS if requested ZAR 130 per day/Additional driver fee ZAR 485 per driver, administration costs for claim handling fees or traffic fine handling fees, delivery and one way fees, carbon Emission Tax. Second spare wheel insurance/etc
- Domestic and International flights, airport taxes and visas if applicable
- Travel Insurance, repatriation, Lost luggage insurance
Important Information for the car hire:
- International driving license compulsory for all vehicle rental
- Mandatory credit card - An amount (+/- ZAR 3,725 will be debited at the start of the rental and returned at the end of the rental / GPS deposit +/- ZAR 1000
