Compare Namibia Discovery by Intrepid Travel vs Namibia self-drive family safari by Audley Travel

Day 1 Cape Town

Welkom! Welcome to Cape Town. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, it’s recommended that you catch the cable car up to the top of Table Mountain, taking the ferry across to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years). Alternatively, those with more time can take a day trip down to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula. Tonight, get to know your new travel group over an optional dinner with your local leader.

Day 2 Trawal (Lamberts Bay & Cape Gannet Island)

Depart Cape Town and travel along the west coast to the small seaside town of Lamberts Bay. The bay’s white beaches, lobsters and incredible wildlife earned its nickname ‘the diamond of the west coast’. When you arrive, you’ll visit Cape Gannet Island. At the right time of the year, you might be lucky enough to see the flocks of gannet that breed here in August and September. For birdwatchers, the colony at Lambert's Bay is the most accessible of the six gannet colonies in South Africa and Namibia. Tonight, sit down to a delicious feast at a local open-air restaurant, where the amazing ocean views will make for the perfect dinner setting. After your seaside lunch, you'll head to Trawal to relax and soak in the views of wine farms and Cedarberg mountain range.

Day 3 Orange River

Say farewell to South Africa as you cross the border into Namibia. You should reach your destination on the banks of the Orange River by mid-afternoon. The border crossing and a few photo stops along the way can delay this arrival time. Orange River is the longest river in South Africa, running from high up in the Drakensberg Mountain range and into the Atlantic Ocean. The river is significant for its role in transporting diamonds, which in turn leaves deposits that are found along the Namibian coastline.

Day 4 Fish River Canyon

Kick things off today with a half-day canoe adventure along the Orange River. With a local guide, you’ll wind through the ancient Richtersveld Mountains in 2-man canoes. This is a slow-paced trip covering approximately 10 km and you’ll mostly be travelling downstream. After, venture to the Fish River Canyon – one of the biggest canyons in the world. You’ll stop at various lookouts along the way – all great opportunities to catch this gigantic gorge on camera. Look out for some exotic birdlife while you’re here, including plovers, wagtails, hammerkops and herons. You might even catch a glimpse of a baboon or an antelope at dusk!

Day 5 Sesriem

Today is a long travel day, so grab a window seat if you can or play some road trip games with your fellow travellers. You’re heading to the eastern edge of the Namib Desert today – this region of the world's oldest desert is known for its array of geological features. Take in the diversity and sprawling beauty of the scenery as you drive, and when you arrive, relax at your desert lodge.

Day 6 Sesriem – Sossusvlei

Today, you’ll make an early morning visit to Sossusvlei, which lies at the end of an ancient riverbed. If you find yourself in the mood, a climb to the top of Dune 45 will reward you with unparalleled views. After breakfast, head to Dead Vlei – a clay pan well known for the iconic postcard-like images taken here by many. The pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world, including ‘Big Daddy’ and ‘Crazy Dune’. If you'd like to avoid a long walk in the sun, you can opt to pay extra for a 4WD transfer out to the entrance point. In the afternoon, visit Sesriem Gorge – a tranquil natural corridor you can walk through and explore. The canyon was caused by water erosion over thousands of years and the people who lived in the area used to pull buckets of water up from the depths with six knotted belts. Therefore, the canyon was named after the Afrikaans word ‘sesriem’, meaning ‘six belts’.

Day 7 Swakopmund

Depart your desert lodge and travel across the Namib Desert today, ending up on the gorgeous Atlantic Ocean coastline. The drive goes through a diverse and colourful landscape, so keep your eyes on the windows and soak up the scenery. You'll see the incredible Kuiseb Canyon along the way, before arriving at the beachside town of Swakopmund, located on the Skeleton Coast.

Day 8 Swakopmund

Enjoy some free time in this gorgeous coastal oasis. Your accommodation is within walking distance of town, making optional activities easy to access. Maybe stroll along the beach, explore the open-air markets or visit the local museum. Your local leader will take you to the local activity centre if you’re not quite sure how you’d like to spend your day.

Day 9 Damaraland

Get off the beaten track and head into the heart of Damaraland. The ancient landscapes of the Kunene Region are ruggedly spectacular – think awesome sunsets and night skies filled with a multitude of dazzling stars. This part of Namibia is also known as Damaraland, as it’s the ancestral homeland of the enigmatic Damara people (whose exact origins remain unclear). This is also home to a small population of hardy desert adapted elephants and some super unique flora and fauna.

Day 10 Damaraland

Spend the morning visiting the surrounding sights such as Twyfelfontein Heritage Site and the Petrified Forest. Twyfelfontein has one of the largest concentrations of ancient rock engraving in southern Africa and is a fascinating insight into the past. The Petrified Forest looks back into nature’s history, where 280-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks lie. You’ll be accompanied by local guides at both sites. It can get hot at this time of day so be sure to have a hat, sunscreen and a bottle of water with you. Spend the rest of the day back at the lodge, maybe by the pool or reading a book in the shade.

Day 11 Etosha National Park

Depart your lodge this morning and head towards Etosha National Park. Namibia has protected its game reserves against poaching, so there are large herds of elephants, antelope and other herbivores here. When you arrive, you’ll head out on a short afternoon game drive in your truck. Keep your eyes peeled for the resident wildlife!

Day 12 Etosha National Park

Today, you'll enjoy two game drives through Etosha National Park – one in the morning in your overland truck and a second in the afternoon in open 4WD vehicles. Keep your eyes peeled for black rhino, Hartmann's mountain zebra, black-faced impala, roan antelope and the tiny Damara dik-dik. Game viewing in the park is relatively easy due to the man-made waterholes and the large, sparsely vegetated pans. The bushland surrounding the pans is hard to see through, but there are enough clearings, pans and waterholes to allow for some sightings. Head back to the lodge this evening for a free evening.

Day 13 Windhoek

From Etosha National Park, you’ll head to Windhoek – an old German town that’s now a cosmopolitan centre. The Germanic colonial architecture of this city contributes to its charming feel. You'll arrive in the late afternoon or early evening. Your trip comes to an end here, so no accommodation is included tonight. If you're staying in the area, the Tintenpalast (Ink Palace), the Christuskirche (church), the gymnasium and the Genossenschaftshaus are all well worth visiting. If you need to organise extra accommodation, speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Day 1 : International outbound flight

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Windhoek.

Day 2 : Windhoek

On arrival at Windhoek Airport you will be met and driven to your hotel. Here our ground agent will meet with you, run through your trip, hand over your mobile phone, cool box and driving directions. They will also be present whilst your hire car is delivered to answer any questions you may have.

Day 3 : Naukluft Mountains

You will drive into the Naukluft Mountains this morning to the Corona Guest Farm. Corona has lots of space for children to play and you can enjoy a short nature walk if you choose.

Day 4 : Sossusvlei

You will continue your journey on to Sossusvlei today. Here you'll stay in the relaxed and family friendly Desert Quiver Camp. You can explore under your own steam this afternoon or take a guided nature drive before relaxing with a swim back at the camp and a BBQ on your patio under the stars.

Day 5 : Sossusvlei

Spend today climbing the sand dunes at Sossusvlei - you can slide down them and enjoy just playing in the sand!

Day 6 : Swakopmund

Today you'll set off for Swakopmund. Walvis Bay is a good place to stop and stretch your legs and there are flamingos and often pelicans to see in the lagoon. Depending on what time you arrive into Swakopmund you might want to spend the afternoon on the beach, at the aquarium or exploring the town.

Day 7 : Swakopmund

Today you could do a kayak trip to Pelican Point where there are hundreds of seals that play around your kayaks. If your children are too young for kayaking there are some excellent boat trips to view the seals as well as other wildlife such as pelicans, flamingos and dolphins. Another alternative is the Living Desert Tour which shows children lizards, geckos and more in the desert.

Day 8 : Damaraland

Drive north into Damaraland today keeping your eyes out for wildlife along the road. Spend the afternoon relaxing at Twyfelfontein which has a large pool to enjoy or you could explore and see some of the nearby rock engravings on the short walking trail nearby.

Day 9 : Damaraland

This morning you could visit the rock carvings if you didn't manage to get there yesterday or spend time exploring more of the area, visiting the burnt mountain and organ pipes, or taking a day trip from the lodge in search of desert adapted elephant.

Day 10 : Etosha National Park

This morning you will head out for Etosha and Okaukuejo Rest Camp. The rondavels here are close to the waterhole and are great for families. There is a good sized pool and the camp is fenced so well suited to children. In the centre of camp is a floodlit waterhole, surrounded by benches where you can sit and spot game throughout the day and into the night.

Day 11 : Etosha National Park

A full day to explore Etosha in your own car. We provide you with a map of the park and you can choose which waterholes to head for and how long you'd like to go game viewing for. Returning to camp in the middle of the day you can enjoy a buffet lunch, picnic or BBQ and spend some time in the pool before setting out for another game drive.

Day 12 : Etosha National Park

Another day of game viewing. If you like you can set off for Halali and stop there to stretch your legs, have lunch and use their pool before heading back to Okaukuejo.

Day 13 : Windhoek

You will drive south to Windhoek today, perhaps stopping at the Okahanja Craft Market where there is a huge variety of wood carving and other curio on offer! Your car will be collected this evening from your accommodation.

Day 14 : International return flight

This morning a driver will take you to Windhoek International Airport for your onward flights.

Day 15 : International return flight

Arrive home today to complete your journey.