Namibia 10-day Itinerary

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.