Namibia Desert Landscapes

Ten days with a private guide through Namibia's great open spaces: the red dunes of Sossusvlei, the Atlantic at Swakopmund, Damaraland's rock art and desert elephants, and the waterholes of Etosha. A starting point we tailor to you.

Every journey is customizable. Use our featured journeys as inspiration. We'll tailor the dates, hotels, activities, pace and budget around you.

Highlights

• Sunrise at Sossusvlei

  Enter the dune field at first light, climb a red dune and walk to the white pan of Deadvlei.

• Where the dunes meet the sea

  A 4x4 excursion to Sandwich Harbour, with a picnic between the dunes and the Atlantic.

• Twyfelfontein rock engravings

  A UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient engravings, explained by a local guide.

• Desert-adapted elephants

  Search Damaraland's dry riverbeds for elephants that have adapted to life in the desert.

• Etosha's waterholes

  Two days of game drives around the edge of a vast salt pan, best in the dry season.

Suggested day-by-day

A starting point, not a fixed schedule — we adjust every day to suit you.

1. 1
   Day 1Arrive in WindhoekWindhoek, Namibia+

   Your guide meets you at Hosea Kutako International Airport for the drive of about 45 minutes into Windhoek. Settle into a guesthouse in the hills above the city and enjoy a first dinner of Namibian specialties.

   • Meet your guide on arrival
   • Transfer to Windhoek
   • Welcome dinner

   Boutique guesthouse or similar · WindhoekDinner
2. 2
   Day 2Into the NamibNamib Desert, near Sesriem+

   Drive southwest over the escarpment, usually five to six hours with stops, as the landscape opens into gravel plains and mountains. Arrive at your lodge near Sesriem in time for a sundowner walk as the light turns the hills gold.

   • Scenic drive over the escarpment
   • Picnic lunch en route
   • Sundowner nature walk

   Upscale desert lodge or similar · Near SesriemBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
3. 3
   Day 3Sunrise at SossusvleiSossusvlei and Deadvlei+

   Enter the park at first light and drive into the dune field, where the red dunes are among the tallest in the world. Climb a dune for the view, walk to the clay pan of Deadvlei and its skeletal camel-thorn trees, and explore narrow Sesriem Canyon before the midday heat.

   • Early entry into the dune field
   • Dune climb and walk to Deadvlei
   • Sesriem Canyon
   • Stargazing at the lodge

   Upscale desert lodge or similar · Near SesriemBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4. 4
   Day 4To the coast at SwakopmundSwakopmund+

   Head north via the tiny settlement of Solitaire and the Kuiseb Canyon, then descend to the Atlantic at Walvis Bay, where the lagoon often hosts flamingos. Continue to Swakopmund, a seaside town of colonial-era buildings, cafés and cool sea breezes.

   • Scenic drive via Solitaire and the Kuiseb Canyon
   • Walvis Bay lagoon
   • Evening in Swakopmund

   Boutique hotel or similar · SwakopmundBreakfast
5. 5
   Day 5Sandwich HarbourWalvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour+

   Join a 4x4 excursion south of Walvis Bay to Sandwich Harbour, where towering dunes meet the ocean, with a picnic lunch overlooking the water. Prefer the sea? Take a morning boat cruise on the bay to see seals and dolphins instead.

   • 4x4 excursion to Sandwich Harbour
   • Picnic lunch among the dunes
   • Optional marine cruise or Living Desert tour

   Boutique hotel or similar · SwakopmundBreakfast, Lunch
6. 6
   Day 6North to DamaralandDamaraland+

   Drive north past the granite peaks of the Spitzkoppe, or via the seal colony at Cape Cross, into the rugged red valleys of Damaraland. Your lodge sits among boulders and table mountains, with sweeping views at sunset.

   • Scenic drive to Damaraland
   • Stop at the Spitzkoppe or Cape Cross
   • Sunset at the lodge

   Upscale lodge or tented camp, or similar · DamaralandBreakfast, Dinner
7. 7
   Day 7Rock art and desert elephantsTwyfelfontein and Damaraland+

   Visit Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a local guide who explains its ancient rock engravings. In the afternoon, search the dry riverbeds for desert-adapted elephants; they roam widely, so sightings depend on luck and local knowledge.

   • Guided visit to Twyfelfontein
   • Search for desert-adapted elephants
   • Optional Organ Pipes and Burnt Mountain

   Upscale lodge or tented camp, or similar · DamaralandBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
8. 8
   Day 8Etosha National ParkEtosha National Park+

   Drive east to Etosha, usually four to five hours, and enter the park for an afternoon game drive. Waterholes draw elephant, giraffe, lion and, with patience, black rhino, especially in the dry months.

   • Drive to Etosha
   • Afternoon game drive
   • Evening waterhole viewing (at lodges that have one)

   Upscale lodge near the park, or similar · Etosha areaBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
9. 9
   Day 9A full day in EtoshaEtosha National Park+

   Spend the day moving between waterholes on the edge of the vast white Etosha Pan, with a picnic lunch in the park. In the dry season, patience at a single waterhole can reward you with a remarkable procession of wildlife.

   • Full-day game drive
   • Etosha Pan viewpoints
   • Picnic lunch in the park

   Upscale lodge near the park, or similar · Etosha areaBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
10. 10
    Day 10Return to Windhoek and departEtosha to Windhoek+

    Drive south, usually around five hours, to Hosea Kutako International Airport for your afternoon or evening flight. If your flight leaves early, we can arrange a charter flight instead.

    • Road transfer to the airport
    • Lunch en route
    • Optional charter flight (extra cost)

    Breakfast

Make it yours

A few of the ways travelers tailor this journey:

• Make it a self-drive

  Rent a 4x4 and drive yourself to lower the cost; we pre-book your lodges and share detailed route notes.

• Fly over the dunes

  Add a scenic flight or a dawn balloon ride over the Namib for a bird's-eye view of the dune sea.

• Add the Skeleton Coast

  Fly in to a remote camp on the Skeleton Coast for shipwrecks, seal colonies and total solitude.

• Stay in a private reserve near Etosha

  Choose a lodge in a private reserve bordering the park for rhino tracking on foot and night drives.

• Slow down in the Kalahari

  Break the drive south with a night among red Kalahari dunes and a walk led by a San guide.

Best months

1. Jan
2. Feb
3. Mar
4. Apr
5. ✓ May
6. ✓ Jun
7. ✓ Jul
8. ✓ Aug
9. ✓ Sep
10. ✓ Oct
11. Nov
12. Dec