A two-week self-drive adventure through Namibia's wilderness, with three guided treks, magical desert camps, and wildlife highlights
A two-week journey across Namibia in a reliable vehicle, with support available. Combine adventurous hikes and wilderness camps with unique lodges and wonderful wildlife experiences. Learn about the landscape whilst out walking with your local guide, climb giant dunes, see animals at their watering holes, spot cheetah and leopard at Okinjima, and kayak amongst seals at Walvis Bay. This the Ultimate African Adventure!
Enjoy the freedom of the open road on a two-week drive across Namibia. Visit Namibia’s most iconic sites, enjoy a range of wildlife experiences, and immerse yourself in the landscape on three unforgettable desert treks.
This is an adventurous holiday that includes seven days of hiking, camping beneath the stars in fixed desert camps. Your guide will help you look for animal tracks and droppings and will tell you about the plants and geology of the area. At camp, you get to enjoy delicious meals prepared by your wonderful camp-crew. Your mini hiking-expeditions take you through the intense red sands of the Kalahari desert, the red dunes and rocky mountains of the NamibRand, and the basalt plains of Etendeke.
In between your hiking adventures, you’ll get the chance to kick back and relax at a handpicked selection of comfortable lodges, an experience in themselves! Crafted from locally sourced materials, they blend seamlessly with the African wilderness. Picture yourself sitting around an open fire and eating meals on an open veranda, whilst looking out at an endless horizon, and listening to the sounds of animals at night.
To compliment your hiking adventures, you will enjoy a varied range of Namibia’s highlights, from climbing Dune 45 in Sossusvlei to tracking leopard at Okonjima. This overland adventure is the perfect way to discover Namibia’s most iconic landscapes, taking you deep into Namibia’s wildest terrain on foot and in a trusted vehicle, with support on-hand if you need it.
You’ll be met at the airport and taken to your guesthouse in Windhoek. In the evening, our lovely crew, who will provide you with the vehicle that will take you safely through Namibia's wonderful landscape. After a briefing on your vehicle, its charging points and navigation systems, you will feel ready to start your adventure.
After breakfast, head to the nearest supermarket to pick up something for lunch, then head in your 4WD on a 3-hour (124 mile) journey south to Kalahari Red Dunes lodge. This camp is rather luxurious and is surrounded by some of the most beautiful sand dunes in Namibia, in the Southern Kalahari. After your drive you can relax at camp, enjoying the incredible views, and the pool, and decking area, complete with loungers. We’d suggest watching wildlife at the waterhole, or take a scenic drive out into the Kalahari as a quick introduction to the area. Breakfast and dinner included
You’ll start early today to catch the Kalahari sunrise from a sand dune viewpoint while enjoying a freshly brewed coffee. Today is a full-day hike with your English-speaking guide. you'll walk through a seemingly infinite chain of red dunes, where you might see giraffe and oryx. You’ll have lunch and a rest in a dune valley before continuing deeper into the Kalahari, taking advantage of the shade of the camel thorn trees you pass. Arriving into camp, you can relax on the thatched terrace where a buffet dinner will be served, then cool off in the pool. Your bed for the night is in a cabin tent with thatched roof, or you could take your bed outside and sleep out on the dunes, listening to the sounds of the Namibian desert. All meals are included and made for you.
Breakfast this morning will be served on the terrace, shortly after sunrise. Keep a look out for antelope and giraffe at the waterhole as you eat. A short walk takes you back to Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge, from where you pack up your vehicle and drive around 3 hours (112 miles) from Mariental to the start of the Tok-Tokkie Trails, in the NamibRand Nature Reserve. You’ll meet your guide and then head off for a 1-2 hour hike over rolling vegetated dunes to your overnight camp, where you’ll sleep out in the open on stretcher beds. This is one of the few International Dark Sky Reserves in the world and its an incredible experience to sleep out in the open, looking up at the twinkling stars. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Early morning coffee is served before sunrise, followed by breakfast, then you will start your walk in the cool of the early morning. Today's walk is around 4.5 hours and you’ll be introduced to some of the unusual desert fauna by your guide: golden mole, barking gecko, flightless wasp and more. Birdwatching and game watching will also be one of the highlights. Lunch will be followed by a siesta to avoid the midday heat, before an afternoon walk of around 2 hours through magnificent scenery of endless dunes. You’ll arrive at camp to find dinner ready and prepared for you, before sleeping for a second night under the stars, in your stretcher beds. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Another early start setting off through the dune field on your easy 3.5 hour walk today back to the Tok Tokkie farmhouse and a visit to the Namib Desert Environmental Education Trust, if there’s time. You’ll collect your car and then drive around 1.5 hours (56 miles) to your accommodation for next two nights: Desert Homestead Lodge close to Sesriem. After two night camping under the stars, the comfortable beds here with feel like the height of luxury! This beautiful lodge has a dining area on a beautiful veranda, and a small pool with the most incredible desert backdrop. Breakfast and dinner included. Bring your own picnic lunch, to enjoy at any spot you choose.
This morning you will rise early to start your guided tour of the giant dunes of Sossusvlei and the salt pans at Deadvlei. You aim to enter the park to enjoy a breakfast at sunrise, and will need to pay a small fee on arrival to get into the park. Breakfast is provide, then you can walk across the salt pans of Deadvlei, where the blackened siloutte's of leafless trees stand in stark contrast again the white valley floor. You then drive to the base of iconic Dune 45 and can walk to the top of the dune, which offers an endless panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. A enjoyable run down the sandy slopes brings you back to your jeep and you will return to your lodge for lunch time. Make yourself a picnic lunch and relax by the pool, the enjoy a cooked evening meal at the lodge (included).
Today you’ll drive 5.5 hours (214 miles) from Sesriem to Swakopmund on the coast. The roads are all gravel until you reach Walvis bay and the mountain passes are quite steep, so take care! We’d recommend a stop in Solitaire on way to refuel and try some home-baked bread and apple pie from the service station bakery. Another good stop is Walvis Bay, which is famous for its lagoon, where you’ll see many bird species, including the greater flamingo. Your guesthouse for the next two nights is in central Swakopmund. There are lots of great restaurants in Swakopmund, so you can head into town for lunch and dinner. We recommend 'The Tug' restaurant and can make reservations for you, if you wish.
We've left today free, so you can enjoy Swakopmund and book yourself onto whatever activity takes your fancy. Swakopmund has a sandy beach, museums, an aquarium, and even a snake park! If you’re feeling more adventurous, there’s tandem skydiving, sand boarding, fishing, or quad biking. Or for nature lovers, don’t miss a catamaran cruise and kayak tours from Walvis Bay to see the Cape fur seals, dolphins, and sea birds. Breakfast included
Today’s drive takes you 4.5 hours (204 miles) up the skeleton coast. Look out for shipwrecks and whalebones along the drive, continuing to Palmwag Lodge. You’ll leave your car at the lodge and will be met by your guide, who will take you on a 2-3 hour trek to reach your river camp (your luggage is transferred to the camp). The scenery is spectacular as you enter the Etendeka, a land of flat-topped hills, wide open spaces, and an abundance of wildlife. Your camp tonight looks out over a waterhole next to an established trail used by wildlife, including Hartmann Mountain Zebra and, if you’re lucky, Black Rhino. The camps tonight and tomorrow night are rustic and you’ll be sleeping under the desert sky on sleeping platforms. You’ll have inflatable mattresses and cotton duvets, and there are portaloo toilets, bucket showers and sinks. Meals will be cooked over the campfire. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
You’ll be woken early to the sounds and smells of the desert and will enjoy a light breakfast before starting your 6-7 hour walk (9-12 miles) to your mountain camp. Your guide will identify animal spoors and tell you about the history of the area as you walk. After a long day of walking, you arrive at your camp on the top of Crystal Mountain. The camp has spectacular views and an abundance of crystals and exquisite rock formations. You should arrive in the early afternoon, so there’s time for a short sundowner walk around the plateau before dinner. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
This morning there’s a short walk back to Etendeka Mountain Camp and Eco Lodge, where you can enjoy some well-deserved rest after yesterday's long walk. You can enjoy a little more luxury for you final night, sleeping in real beds in spacious canvas tents. You will have plenty of time to relax and soak up the mountain views before continuing your journey tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
In the morning, you'll be transferred (1.5 hours) to Palmwag Lodge to pick up your vehicle then it's a 5 hour drive (235 miles) drive to Okonjima Game Reserve. It's a long drive so you could break up the journey by stopping at the Damara Living Museum to learn about the bushman's way of life (the San people). The perhaps stop for lunch at the farmhouse restaurant and beer garden in Outjo. After your long drive, you can kick back and relax at your lodge in Okonjima. Breakfast and lunch included.
Today you will head deep into the Okonjma Nature Reserve on a jeep safari to find leopards. You may also see brown hyenas, bat-eared foxes, steenboks, and honey badgers. The leopard monitoring project is run by the AfriCat foundation and there are several leopards that are fitted with radio collars so that their movements can be tracked by monitored. Breakfast and dinner included.
After breakfast at the lodge, you’ll drive for 3 hours to the airport, where you’ll leave your car before your flight home. Breakfast included
May through to September tends to be our favourite time to travel to Namibia, although all months offer an incredible experience.
Namibia’s central area is classified as an arid to semi-arid region; arid becoming semi-arid when rainfall exceeds evaporation. The climate is ‘sub-tropical’ desert, characterised by a wide range in temperature between day and night, and between summer and winter.
The Namibian ‘winter’ is from May to September and during these months the skies are clear and there is little rainfall. As the season progresses, daytime temperatures start to drop from an average of 25˚C in April and May to 15˚C during the day, and nights are cold. Between June and August there may be overnight frost in the desert and high areas so take some layers on evening and night game drives. The drier months of June through to October are the best months to see wildlife, particularly in Etosha National Park, as the wildlife use waterholes – which have good access and are easy to watch – more frequently.
The Namibian ‘summer’ is between October and April. Daytime temperatures are high, sometimes reaching over 40˚C in the desert. There is little humidity between October and the end of the year so high temperatures feel pleasant. From late December through to the end of March there tends to be localised afternoon rain showers which do bring humidity. Wildlife is less reliant on the waterholes at this time of year and so less easy to spot, especially as the vegetation also tends to be more green and leafy.
Price includes:
The price is based on two people sharing a twin or a double room and includes flights from the UK.
For a personalised itinerary and full list of what's included, please get in touch.
Enjoy Namibia's best wildlife and safari experiences on a self-drive journey across Namibia, staying in characterful lodges
From: £5,250 per person
An unforgettable self-drive journey across Namibia, visiting Namibia's most iconic wildlife and geological highlights
From: £4,670 per person
Experience Namibia's highlights in comfort, with wildlife encounters, elegant desert lodges, gourmet dining, and sundowners.
From: £15,500 per person
In our weekly newsletters, we share our first-hand experience of travelling around our favourite destinations, with advice on the best times to visit. We’ll also keep you up to date on all the latest travel news, topical articles, and travel tips from our team of destination experts.
You and your money are safe with Archipelago Choice.
24/7 support for all travellers
Trusted by over 100,000 customers around the world
Plan your next unforgettable journey with our curated selection of destinations
We look after you from your first enquiry right through to your return home
If you love all things Portuguese, then you’ll love our Portugal travel magazine.
We’ll look at our favourite food and a drink, great places to stay and a world of exciting activities.
The stories and holiday experience featured are based on our love of all things Portuguese and the partnerships we have working with small independent companies in Portugal and around the world who love to travel and see the benefits niche travel can bring to people and communities beyond our shores.
Request a brochureWe're honoured that our commitment to exceptional service and unforgettable experiences has been recognised by The British Travel Awards year after year. What makes these accolades truly special is that they're voted for by you, our valued guests! Your continued trust and support mean the world to us.
Archipelago Choice Ltd,
1b Museum Square,
Keswick,
Cumbria,
CA12 5DZ
Phone: 01768 721040
US: 800-490-0446
Email: team@archipelagochoice.com