Recommended itinerary:
Where to go and what to see in Namibia to get the most from your trip – a 10-day itinerary from destination expert and travel writer Richard Holmes.
Editor note – Richard has not included specific recommendations of where to stay each day unless it’s necessary. Instead, see the ‘Where to stay’ section in our Namibia destination guide.
Ease into your Namibian adventure with a day in the capital city, Windhoek.
First, unpack the country’s chequered history at the National Museum of Namibia, and the immersive Independence Memorial Museum.
The attractive Lutheran-style Christuskirche, across the road from the National Parliament, is a picturesque corner of the city, and dates back to 1910.
Find lunch and souvenirs at the Namibia Craft Centre. Use the afternoon to rest up, or stretch your legs in the National Botanic Garden of Namibia.
Come evening, enjoy sundowners and contemporary cuisine on the rooftop at the Hilton Sky Bar.
Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia
The rooftop Skybar at the Hilton Windhoek is the city’s finest sundowner spot, with glorious views and a particularly impressive gin menu, with a collection of Namibian craft gins infused with local botanicals.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia
Locals dub this unusual building ‘The Coffee Machine’, but within the Independence Memorial Museum you’ll find stirring exhibitions and archives covering Namibia’s journey from colonialism through liberation struggle to independence. Entrance is free, and the top-floor café has excellent views of the city.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia
Set in the Old Breweries Complex in central Windhoek, the Namibia Craft Centre offers souvenirs and handicrafts from across Namibia. Home to more than 40 craft enterprises – largely community- or women-owned – you’ll find everything from Himba jewellery to hand-woven Zambezi baskets. Look out for the excellent collection of Namibian art and music too.
Best for ages: 10+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia
More inner-city nature reserve than manicured garden, the 12-hectare National Botanic Garden of Namibia offers a selection of walking trails to explore. Useful information boards highlight key species, from endemic succulents to the enigmatic quiver tree. Open Monday to Friday. Free entrance.
Best for ages: 10+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Rise early for an easy four-hour drive to Swakopmund, with mesmerising savannah and desert views en route.
In ‘Swakop’ enjoy a light lunch at the Farmhouse Deli, then continue 30 minutes south to Walvis Bay for an afternoon at sea. Eco-tourism trips into the bay deliver close-up encounters with whales, dolphins, seals and seabirds.
Return to Swakopmund for dinner on the beach at Tiger Reef.
Walvis Bay, Erongo Region, Namibia
This former whaling town is now a marine ecotourism hotspot. Birdlife is prolific, and close-up encounters with pelicans, flamingos Cape Fur seals, dolphins and penguins are all but guaranteed.
Best for ages: 5+ | £40 | Half-day
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
With Adirondack chairs set just metres from the sea, this rustic beach bar in the mouth of the Swakop River is the best place in Swakopmund for sundowners. Make like the locals and drink beer, not Bellinis.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
This colourful lodge offers a welcome break from the tourist bustle of Swakopmund, with 12 spacious bungalows gazing out over the desert.
Official star rating:
Start your day with an early-morning desert safari to discover the famous dunes and ‘Moon Landscape’, desert-adapted animals and the remarkably long-lived welwitschia mirabilis plant. Book in for lunch at The Lighthouse restaurant.
In the afternoon, book onto a quad-bike excursion through the dunes, or, for a true bucket list experience, sign up for a free-fall skydive for jaw-dropping views across the desert landscape.
Toast your achievements with dinner at The Tug, perched on the ocean’s edge.
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
Expert-led wildlife tours to discover the extraordinary and unique flora and fauna of the vast Namib Desert.
Best for ages: 4+ | £45 | 4-8 hours
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
The giant dunes of the vast, sand-filled Namib desert offers some of the world’s best desert activities – quad biking, mountain biking, sandboarding, camel riding, wildlife tours and more.
Best for ages: 6+ | £20 | 45mins - 2 hours
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
One of the best places to skydive in the world, starting from 10,000 feet above unbeatable desert vistas.
Best for ages: 16+ | £150 | 2 hours
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
If you’re not devouring your weight in eisbein at the Brauhaus, beachfront seafood eatery The Tug is the best place to eat in Swakopmund. Phone ahead for a window seat.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 1-2 hours
Birders will delight in a full-day outing to the natural lagoon at Sandwich Harbour, 55kms south of Walvis Bay. This sensitive wetland ecosystem plays host to thousands of migratory bird species, as well as desert-adapted wildlife including hyena and springbok.
Alternatively, head north to the lonely shoreline of the Skeleton Coast National Park. Day trips usually take in the noisy seal colony at Cape Cross.
Book a table for dinner at the atmospheric Swakopmund Brauhaus to enjoy local craft beer and traditional German cuisine.
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo Region, Namibia
A pristine and bird-filled wetland of international significance, backed by goliath sand dunes, on Namibia’s most dramatic and breathtakingly beautiful coastline.
Best for ages: 13+ | £75
Kunene Region, Namibia
This deserted corner of north-western Namibia hides myriad charms beneath a façade of sun-baked desolation. An enigmatic landscape of lonely beaches and shifting sands.
Best for ages: 13+ | £200
Cape Cross, Erongo Region, Namibia
One of the largest seal colonies in the world, Cape Cross is a worthwhile day out from Swakopmund, and the lonely 200km round-trip offers fantastic sea and desert panoramas.
Best for ages: 4+ | Free | 1 day
Swakopmund, Erongo Region, Namibia
This colourful lodge offers a welcome break from the tourist bustle of Swakopmund, with 12 spacious bungalows gazing out over the desert.
Official star rating:
Arise early for five hours of mostly gravel driving to reach Sesriem, the gateway to Sossuvlei and its landscape of giant ochre dunes.
Stop for lunch at Solitaire, a quirky roadhouse 320kms from Swakopmund that’s famous for its home-baked apple pie and hearty lunches.
After Solitaire, be sure to stop and admire the hillsides of enigmatic quiver trees before arriving at Sesriem in mid-afternoon. Book in for dinner at your chosen lodge.
Solitaire, Khomas Region, Namibia
Break the long journey from Sossusvlei to Swakopmund in Solitaire, a middle-of-nowhere settlement famous for the apple pie at McGregor’s Bakery. The Solitaire Lodge also offers 25 en-suite rooms and wonderful desert views.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Hardap Region, South Africa
An elegant luxury lodge that combines sand and safari in one delightful desert escape, with day trips to the Sossuvlei Dunes.
Official star rating:
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Hardap Region, Namibia
Rustic-luxury lodge with an unbeatable location. It’s the only lodge inside the Namib-Naukluft Park, meaning exclusive access to Sossusvlei’s dunes before anyone else.
Official star rating:
Make an early start to see the towering dunes of Sossusvlei in the golden morning light.
Hot-air balloons depart in the cool of pre-dawn the flights skirt the edge of the national park to offer unforgettable views of the Namib Desert.
Spend the rest of the day on an organised tour of the dunes (either straight after, or later in the day, depending on the heat).
Marvel at the desiccated camel thorn trees of Deadvlei, and tackle the sandy slopes of the enormous dune dubbed ‘Big Daddy’. The views are worth the climb.
Pack a picnic (or ask your lodge) to take with you.
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo, Namibia
Float silently over Sossusvlei’s spectacular desert landscape of ancient ochre dunes in a hot-air balloon.
Best for ages: 7+ | £450 | 4 hours
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Erongo Region, Namibia
An otherworldly landscape of towering ochre dunes in an ancient desert. Climb Big Daddy for eye-watering views of a sandy sea stretching away to the Atlantic.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 1-4 hours
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Hardap Region, South Africa
An elegant luxury lodge that combines sand and safari in one delightful desert escape, with day trips to the Sossuvlei Dunes.
Official star rating:
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Hardap Region, Namibia
Rustic-luxury lodge with an unbeatable location. It’s the only lodge inside the Namib-Naukluft Park, meaning exclusive access to Sossusvlei’s dunes before anyone else.
Official star rating:
Next, it’s off to the world-famous Etosha National Park, some 760kms to the north of Sesriem, for an unforgettable safari.
You can rise early and drive it in a day, or overnight in Windhoek en route.
Along the way, admire the Spreetshoogte Pass as it rises up the escarpment. The Brew coffee shop in Okahandja, an hour beyond Windhoek, is a convenient halfway stop for lunch.
Ensure you leave enough time to arrive in Etosha by late afternoon. Park gates close at sunset, and driving after dark is not advisable.
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
Set on a private reserve bordering the Etosha National Park, this elegant lodge offers unrivalled bush luxury across nine spacious chalets.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
A stylish, luxury lodge in an exclusive game-rich corner of Etosha National Park, with luxury chalets and daily game drives.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
An upscale safari lodge on a private reserve on Etosha’s borders, with a spa and fine bushveld views.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
In the shadow of a century-old Germanic fort, history and wilderness combine at this popular rest camp in the east of Etosha National Park.
Official star rating:
Enjoy two full days on safari within Etosha National Park which, at 20,000sq km, is slightly larger than the country of Wales!
Self-drive safaris are easy at Etosha, with a well-maintained network of roads. Alternatively, sign up for guided game drives with expert rangers. Lodges in the area offer day trips into the park, as well as guided walks on adjoining private reserves.
Rest camps within the national park offer simple restaurants for self-drive visitors, as well as fuel stations. See our recommendations of where to stay in our Etosha guide.
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
Set on a private reserve bordering the Etosha National Park, this elegant lodge offers unrivalled bush luxury across nine spacious chalets.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
A stylish, luxury lodge in an exclusive game-rich corner of Etosha National Park, with luxury chalets and daily game drives.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
An upscale safari lodge on a private reserve on Etosha’s borders, with a spa and fine bushveld views.
Official star rating:
Etosha National Park, Oshikoto Region, Namibia
In the shadow of a century-old Germanic fort, history and wilderness combine at this popular rest camp in the east of Etosha National Park.
Official star rating:
Return to Windhoek, an easy 5-hour drive down tarred highways.
For a quirky stop along the way, visit the crocodile farm at Otjiwarongo.
Arriving into Windhoek late afternoon, book a table for dinner at Joe’s Beerhouse for generous plates of Namibian oysters, game meats and traditional German grillhaxe.
Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia
No visit to Windhoek is complete without a stop at this offbeat eatery where the Windhoek lager is always cold and the enormous portions of grillhaxe (pork knuckle) fly out of the kitchen. Take a wander to admire the quirky décor between courses.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free | 2-3 hours
