Namibia

Namibia, in a few days

From the red dunes of Sossusvlei to the Skeleton Coast and the waterholes of Etosha, by 4x4: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Windhoek

Day 1

A small capital with a German colonial past still visible in its churches and street names, and the starting point for every road into the interior.

🎟️ Worth booking

• City tour and craft marketHalf day · from €15
  A half-day around the capital and its craft market, a first look at the country before heading into the desert.
• Daan Viljoen game reserveHalf day · from €25
  A small reserve on the edge of town, with walking trails among zebra, kudu and oryx.

✦ Free to visit

• The Christuskirche
• The colonial quarter
• The Penduka craft project
• The view over the surrounding hills

📲 Book things to do in Windhoek on GetYourGuide

2

Sossusvlei (the dunes)

Days 2-3 · 🚙 4×4 5h

Red dunes among the highest in the world, in the Namib, the oldest desert on earth. At their foot lies Deadvlei, a white clay pan dotted with the dark skeletons of long-dead camelthorn trees.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Sunrise on Dune 45, then DeadvleiFull day · from €40
  The climb up Dune 45 as the sun comes up, then the walk across the sand to the dead trees of Deadvlei.
• Hot-air balloon over the desert1h · from €350
  A dawn flight over the Namib, drifting above the dunes as the light changes their colour.

✦ Free to visit

• Deadvlei and its dead trees
• Sesriem Canyon
• The red dunes
• The night sky

📲 Book things to do in Sossusvlei (the dunes) on GetYourGuide

3

Swakopmund (the coast)

Days 4-5 · 🚙 4×4 4h30

A colonial seaside town built by the Germans where the desert runs straight into the Atlantic, with half-timbered houses facing a cold, foggy sea.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Quad biking and sandboardingHalf day · from €55
  A half-day on the dunes between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, with the ocean in sight.
• Kayaking with seals (Walvis Bay)Half day · from €45
  Paddling among the Cape fur seals of the lagoon, with flamingos and sometimes dolphins nearby.

✦ Free to visit

• German colonial architecture
• Swakopmund jetty
• Where the desert meets the ocean
• The seal colony at Cape Cross

📲 Book things to do in Swakopmund (the coast) on GetYourGuide

4

Etosha National Park

Days 6-7 · 🚙 4×4 6h

A park built around a vast dry salt pan. In the dry season the animals gather at the waterholes, where you can simply wait for them to come.

🎟️ Worth booking

• A day's 4x4 safariFull day · from €60
  A full day with a guide on the park tracks, driving from one waterhole to the next in one of the great reserves of southern Africa.
• Evening at the floodlit waterholesEvening · from €25
  After dark, the waterholes beside the rest camps are lit, and rhino and elephant come to drink a few metres from the benches.

✦ Free to visit

• Lions, rhinos and elephants
• The great salt pan
• The waterholes
• Sunsets over the savannah

📲 Book things to do in Etosha National Park on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

Hire a 4x4 · Most roads between the parks are gravel and the distances are long. A 4x4 is the only sensible choice, ideally with two spare tyres.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Game meat: kudu, oryx and springbok, grilled and served as steaks or stews.
• Braai: the southern African barbecue, a social ritual as much as a meal.
• Biltong: strips of dried, spiced meat, the snack for every long drive.
• Oysters and fresh fish from the cold Atlantic, in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.
• German heritage: pretzels, apple strudel and beer brewed to the old German purity law.

⚠️ Best avoided

• On gravel roads, carry a spare tyre and plenty of water, and keep your speed down: loose gravel rolls cars.
• Drive by day only: animals cross the roads at night.
• Book camps and lodges months ahead, especially inside the parks.
• Drink far more water than you think you need: the air is dry and the sun is strong.

Words that help

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/namibia

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.