Day 1
Arrival in Windhoek
On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and driven to the Hotel Heinitzburg in Windhoek. Enthroned high above the city, the hotel offers a magnificent view, and all you’ll need for a relaxing stay. You can recover from the long flight and refresh yourselves in the swimming pool, or, with the rest of the day at your leisure, you might feel like taking a stroll through Namibia’s capital. At sunset it is worth having a drink on the terrace and enjoying the view of the city.
(approx. 45 km, travel time approx. 45 min.)
Hotel Heinitzbrg, Comfort Deluxe Room (BB)
Kalahari semi-desert
You’ll be picked up at the hotel and taken to collect your rental car, before driving via Rehoboth and Kalkrand into the Kalahari semi-desert. The Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge with its individually and lovingly designed suites offers a great deal of space. You are already expected for lunch, and, at sunset, you’ll take a nature tour through the up to 30m high red longitudinal dunes in an open-top off-road vehicle, getting to enjoy the typical flora and fauna of the Kalahari Desert before treating yourselves to a delicious dinner.
(approx. 210 km, driving time approx. 2.5 hours)
Kalahari Red Dunes Lodge (FB + sundowner drive)
Day 3
Direction Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The journey continues via Stampriet and Gochas in the direction of Mata Mata, the border post to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Your lodge is only about 20 kilometers from the park in the middle of the red sand sea of the Kalahari. In the afternoon, you’re booked on a sunset drive, on which you’re very likely to see some of the many animals of this region, including: oryx antelope, springbok, hartebeest, aardwolf, brown hyena, lynx, warthog, bat-eared fox, and many more.
(approx. 350 km, driving time approx. 5 hours)
Kalahari Game Lodge (HB + Sundowner Drive)
Day 4
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
You have the day to yourself and a trip to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, considered one of the top safari destinations in Southern Africa, is possible. Driving along the Auob river, which is dry most of the year, keep your eyes peeled for some of the lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas the park is known for. Don’t worry though, even if you don't spot any big cats, you’re sure to see giraffe, oryx, and eland before you return to the lodge in the afternoon.
Kalahari Game Lodge (HP)
Day 5
Jewel in the Kalahari
In the morning you can drive into the park again or take part in an activity at the lodge (optional). After a short drive, DuneSong Breathers awaits - a unique jewel of silence, vastness and untouched nature. Here you can relax, unwind, and enjoy the peace and quiet. For dinner you’ll receive a BBQ pack and can prepare your own game meat under the starry sky.
(approx. 120 km, travel time approx. 2 hours)
DuneSong Breathers (HB)
Day 6
To the Fish River Canyon
You drive through an arid area with many succulents such as quiver trees, whose dead branches were used by the Bushmen as quivers for their arrows. You can take a closer look at this aloe species at the quiver tree forest, and visit the nearby "Giants' Playground", a bizarre rocky landscape of ancient volcanic rock formations. You then travel via Keetmanshoop to Fish River Lodge, the only lodge on the western edge of the Fish River Canyon. At up to 550 meters deep, around 160 km long, and up to 27 km wide in places, the Fish River Canyon is considered the second largest canyon in the world. During the rainy season, water winds like a snake through the grey-brown, rocky landscape towards the Orange River, which forms the border with South Africa. Enjoy a sundowner drink as the sun sinks behind the Fish River Canyon on the horizon and look forward to dinner.
(approx. 300 km, driving time approx. 4-5 hours)
Fish River Lodge on the west side of the canyon (HB)
Day 7
Fish River Canyon
Today you take a scenic trip down into the deep canyon where various bird species, such as the osprey, which silently looks for prey without flapping its wings, can be observed. Strong updrafts ensure pleasant temperatures at the edge of the canyon, but with summer temperatures often in the high 30s you might fancy a refreshing dip in the swimming pool in the afternoon.
Fish River Lodge (HB + Canyon Drive)
Day 8
On to Aus
The route to Aus, and your accommodation to the west of the town at the foot of the Aus mountains, is impressive in its barrenness and loneliness. Nestled between granite boulders, the chalets at Klein-Aus Vista offer an indescribable view over the endless expanses on the edge of the Namib Desert. In the afternoon you have the chance to visit the famous and fascinating “Horses of Garub”, whose origin has been a mystery, and the subject of much debate, for decades. You are also sure to experience an unforgettable sunset.
(approx. 230 km, driving time approx. 3-4 hours)
Klein-Aus Vista, Eagle’s Nest Chalet (HP)
Day 9
Namibrand
Today you’ll visit one of the most beautiful and impressive landscapes in Namibia, the NamibRand Nature Reserve. The Tiras Mountains and vast landscapes accompany you on the right-hand side of the road, while the red-yellow dunes glow on the left. Your chalet offers a breathtaking view of the dunes, the desert plain, and the nearby mountains.
(approx. 280 km, travel time approx. 5 hours)
Wolwedans Dune Camp (Fully Inclusive)
Day 10
NamibRand Nature Reserve
The NamibRand Nature Reserve is a highlight for enthusiastic photographers and nature lovers, offering beautiful landscapes that radiate a special tranquillity that is good for every soul. Game drives are offered in the morning and in the afternoon, taking guests across the seemingly endless grasslands dotted with the legendary fairy circles, over smaller dunes, and along mystically shaped mountain formations. You’ll see animals such as oryx antelopes, ostriches, and springbok, which know how to survive in this arid desert region.
Wolwedans Dune Camp (Fully Inclusive)
Day 11
Sossusvlei
A short drive takes you to Sesriem, the gateway to Sosusvlei. Your accommodation today, the Dead Valley Lodge, offers a panoramic view of the Namib Desert’s sand dunes and rugged mountain ranges. You can choose to drive towards Sossusvlei in the afternoon or visit the Sesriem Canyon, and thanks to the lodge being located within the park, you can stay in the dunes longer in the evening and drive to Sossusvlei earlier in the morning than guests staying outside the park.
(approx. 100 km, driving time approx. 2 hours)
Dead Valley Lodge (FB)
Day 12
Namib Desert
Early in the morning, you drive to Sossusvlei where you’ll find some of the highest dunes in the world. As the sun is still quite low in the morning, the high dunes shimmer golden, yellow and reddish on one side, but are dark and shadowy on the other, making the dune ridge stand out razor-sharp. You can take a short hike to the photogenic Dead Vlei with its trees that have been dead for hundreds of years. The drive then continues north to the elegant "Desert Grace" Lodge, offering a breathtaking view of the endless expanse which you can enjoy from your own private plunge pool. The colours here range from red to light pink, to pale green and there is a silence that can only be experienced in the desert. Various hiking trails are available, and the sunset tour of the dunes offered by the lodge is highly recommended (optional).
(approx. 170 km, driving time approx. 3-4 hours)
The Desert Grace (HB)
Day 13
Drive towards Windhoek
Your Namibian safari is slowly coming to an end. Enjoy your breakfast, drive back to Windhoek, and return your rental car. Afterwards you’ll be driven to the private nature reserve of Gocheganas which covers 6,000 hectares and is home to around 1,600 wild animals. All the bungalows have a magnificent view of the farmland at the foot of the Auas Mountains. You can relax and think back on your vacation or pamper yourself with a visit to the tastefully furnished wellness center, where massages, sauna, and much more are offered. Enjoy your last evening in Namibia with a delicious dinner.
(approx. 340 km, travel/transfer time approx. 4-5 hours)
Gocheganas Lodge (HB + Transfers)
Day 14
Departure
It is sadly time to say goodbye to Namibia. You will be driven to the airport in time for your flight, and then depart for home.
(approx. 80 km, travel time approx. 1-1.5 hours)
