The Complete Namibia Self-Drive Adventure
Tour Introduction
For those with a sense of adventure, this excellent self-drive itinerary of outstanding value and breadth takes the intrepid traveller to many highlights of Namibia, including those in the less visited far south at Fish River Canyon (Africa’s largest canyon), Aus and Lüderitz. A road trip for those who enjoy the adventure of the journey as much as the journey’s end, the tour involves driving through magnificent and ever-changing scenery in remote regions of Namibia, providing a priceless experience in Namibia at a very affordable price.
Full Itinerary
Arrive Windhoek, met on arrival and transfer to your hotel. There will be a briefing and information given before the hire car is delivered.
Staying at Villa Violet. Includes Breakfast.
Drive north and pass through Otjiwarongo and Otavi to eastern Etosha National Park. Take a short self-drive safari in Etosha if time allows, or simply relax in the lovely surroundings at the lodge.
Staying at Mushara Bush Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Today, take a leisurely drive westwards through Etosha National Park, game viewing as you go. Arrive at Okaukeujo. Optional night time safari for nocturnal animals in an open safari vehicle or simply enjoy animals coming to you at the camp's famous waterhole. The waterhole attracts many thirsty antelopes and elephants during the day and at night black rhino and lion are frequent visitors.
Staying at Okaukuejo Camp. Includes Breakfast.
Drive through the dramatic and vast landscape scenery to Damaraland. It is possible to visit the Petrified Forest en route and/or the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings (World Heritage Site), Burnt Mountain and the Organ Pipes.
Staying at Twyfelfontein Aventure Camp. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Continue south from mountainous Damaraland to the gravel plains, dunes and coast at Swakopmund. There will be time to explore this quirky seaside town and arrange the next day’s activities. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Day at leisure in Swakopmund. Optional excursions include kayaking or a luxury catamaran cruise from Walvis Bay in search of dolphins, seals and other marine wildlife, a Living Desert Tour, a scenic flight over the extraordinary Namib Dune Sea and coast with shipwrecks and abandoned diamond mines (highly recommended), adventure activities, museum and more.
Staying at Cornerstone Guesthouse. Includes Breakfast.
Today takes you on a drive past the towering dunes of the Namib Desert to your lodge near Sesriem and Sossusvlei.
Staying at Hoodia Desert Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Self-drive to Sesriem and into the Namib-Naukluft National Park. Take a stunning walk (or optional shuttle) to Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei. These two natural clay pans offer sensational natural wonders with outstanding photographic opportunities. The moon-like landscape includes sand dunes over 300 metres high and 500 year-old dead trees in the pans. Return to Sesriem and visit the Sesriem Canyon.
Staying at Hoodia Desert Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Now head to the spectacular far southern region of Namibia. Arrive at your lodge near the small town of Aus. Take a self-guided walk or optional nature drive to see the famous Garub wild horses. Perhaps visit the worthwhile information centre in Aus to learn about the fascinating human and natural history of the area.
Staying at Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Inn. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
A relatively short drive takes you to Luderitz for an optional boat cruise or drive to Diaz Point for birding. Visit the ghost town of Kolmaskop with an optional tour of the buildings of this abandoned diamond-mining town, gradually being consumed by the Namib Desert. Return to Klein-Aus.
Staying at Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Inn. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Head further south along the Fish River Canyon. The canyon is 160 km long, 27 km wide and over 500 metres in depth making it the largest canyon in Africa and the second biggest in the world. Visit the Hobas viewpoints and take a short walk along the canyon edge for a breath-taking sunset.
Staying at Fish River Lodge. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
Make your way north to Keetmanshoop and Mariental, Strampriet and your next lodge in the Kalahari Desert. Relax and celebrate your last night in Namibia, or join a scenic drive in Gondwana Kalahari Park.
Staying at Kalahari Farmhouse. Includes Breakfast and Dinner.
End your road trip back in Windhoek. Return the hire car and connect with your international flight home.
Includes No Meals.
Tour Accommodation
Villa Violet
Overview
Villa Violet is an exclusive guesthouse found in a serene neighborhood of northern Windhoek. With only six rooms, this cosy bed and breakfast offers guests an intimate and personalised experience, where Ben and Heidi, the charismatic hosts, provide a warm welcome in multiple languages. Their genuine hospitality and extensive industry experience make Villa Violet a top-rated choice for travellers.
Each room opens onto a charming patio, perfect for relaxing with a coffee or a good book. The guesthouse is conveniently located near central Windhoek and within easy reach of Joe’s Beerhouse, making it an ideal starting or ending point for a safari or self-drive holiday in Namibia. The rooms at Villa Violet include modern amenities such as Wi-Fi, flat-screen cable TV, climate control, and a personal safe. Guests can refresh in the swimming pool or unwind in their air-conditioned rooms. The guesthouse also features a small library for those who love to read.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
The six en suite rooms have air-conditioning/heater, a flat-screen TV, a safe, and wireless internet. The rooms open onto a patio with tables and chairs for relaxing. There is a small turquoise-blue swimming pool available for guests, secure parking, and a laundry service. The guest house is also conveniently located close to restaurants, shops, and is a short drive from the city centre.
Mushara Collection
Overview
Situated between 8km and 10 km from the eastern Von Lindequist entrance to the world famous Etosha National Park, the impressive and varied Mushara collection of privately owned properties includes Mushara Bush Camp, Mushara Lodge, Villa Mushara and Mushara Outpost.
The mid-range Mushara Lodge is perfect for an overnight stop once you have arrived from the south of Etosha. The main area has a library, lounge, bar and restaurant, and there are 10 spacious chalets, one family unit, and a triple and two single rooms. One particular feature is the large swimming pool surrounded by gardens often grazed by passing warthogs.
Resembling an old farmhouse, the attractive Mushara Outpost’s open main building houses the dining room, lounge and bar and has a wraparound verandah, and an outside fire site with seating for sundowners. The accommodation is built on stilts and constructed like a traditional safari-style tent – light and airy with comfortable beds mounted off the floor on wooden decking. All of the tents have private bathrooms and glass fitted hot water showers, air-conditioning, mini-bar, safe, tea and coffee facilities and telephone: electricity power points are also available.
Villa Mushara is the choice for those seeking privacy. The two exclusive 140 square metre villas have a/c, private plunge pools and outdoor covered salas with day beds affording views of the bush. Each villa has a lounge area, small library and music system, and meals can be taken in your villa for maximum privacy.
Mushara Bush Camp is the Collection’s budget offering, particularly suitable for families. It can accommodate 32 adults and 8 children in tented rooms, and the main building is thatched with a true bush camp feel to it.
Mushara makes a good base from which to explore the eastern side of Etosha National Park. or for an overnight stopover after a day spent traversing the park and before heading off to your next location.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Facilities
Mushara Lodge has 10 x thatched chalets, one family chalet, one triple room and two single rooms. There is a thatched public area which includes a small library, a bar and wine cellar, a lounge with a fireplace, dining area and curio shop. There is also a central swimming pool. Each chalet includes air-conditioning, en suite bathroom alongside a separate toilet, mosquito net, mini-bar, safe, tea and coffee station, sockets for charging, and direct telephone connection. Wi-Fi is available in each chalet as well as the public area.
Villa Mushara consists of two villas. Each has a small private library, a plunge pool, en suite bathroom mini bar and CD collection.
Mushara Bush Camp has a restaurant, swimming pool and 16 custom made en suite tents, built from canvas, wood and local limestone. They each have a private veranda, and four of the tents can accommodate two children as well as two adults. In each tent is a coffee station, safe deposit box, mosquito net, hairdryer, floor fan and power sockets. Wi-Fi is available in the main communal building.
Local Wildlife
Etosha National Park is one of the greatest wildlife refuges in southern Africa. There are large concentrations of springbok, kudu, impala, gemsbok, giraffe, and elephant and there is still a reasonable population of black rhino and a smaller numbers of white rhinos. Lions and spotted hyenas are seen on most game drives and even hunting is occasionally seen. A total of 114 mammal species inhabit the park and there have 110 reptile species recorded too. The park is also superb for birding and several endemic species can be tracked down.
Optional Activities
Game drives and nature walks in Etosha National Park.
Okaukuejo Camp
Overview
Okaukuejo was the first tourist camp to open in the now world famous Etosha National Park and is famous for its floodlit waterhole where visitors can observe myriad wildlife congregating and interacting at close quarters.
There are 104 chalets at the government-run camp spread across six accommodation styles. The most luxurious accommodation is in five premier waterhole chalets that have a lounge, fridge and upstairs a large double bedroom with queen size beds, separate washbasins, private shower, wardrobe and patio with sun loungers. There are also 30 standard waterhole chalets with views of the waterhole but are smaller and lack the spacious living area. For families, there are two large self-catering chalets with room for four and a kitchenette and lounge.
Located a little further back from the main camp are twenty bush chalets that have a small living area, private bathroom and comfortable beds plus a BBQ facility. Also within the Camp are 45 double occupancy en suite rooms and two with disabled access.
There is a buffet restaurant, bar, fuelling station, curio shop, post office and viewing tower. The camp also offers two large swimming pools and a separate, shallow children’s pool.
The camp was originally established by the military in 1901 and is located just 17 km from the Andersson’s entrance to the Etosha National Park. Game drives and nature walks are available and at night the shy and endangered black rhino regularly visits the waterhole. This is actually one of the most reliable places in Africa to watch black rhinos as they are well protected in Etosha and have few other options for drinking in the immediate area.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, restaurant, lounge, bar, swimming pool, curio shop, food shop, post office, viewing tower, fuel station, BBQ facility, air-conditioning, fridge and tea and coffee facilities.
Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp
Overview
Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp is found amidst the rolling boulders of a granite outcrop in Namibia’s Damaraland. Just a short drive from the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings and within walking distance of the Damara Living Museum, the camp offers a unique blend of comfort and adventure. Guests can choose from standard and premium tents, all equipped with en suite bathrooms, comfortable beds, and private terraces offering stunning views of the Mopane Valley. The camp features a swimming pool, an open restaurant and bar with a fireplace, and free Wi-Fi in the restaurant area.
The camp is an ideal base for exploring the rich wildlife and natural beauty of the region. Activities include guided nature walks, visits to the Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings, and exploring the local flora and fauna. Guests can also visit the nearby Damara Living Museum to learn about the local culture and heritage. Twyfelfontein Adventure Camp offers a superb experience in one of Namibia’s most impressive landscapes.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
There is an open restaurant and bar with fireplace, swimming pool with shaded deck and viewing deck area. The area has mobile phone connectivity and there is Wi-Fi available in the restaurant area. The electrical supply is from solar power.
There are 12 x Standard Tents and 10 x Premium Tents and 2 x Family Premium Tents. All Tents have a private deck with chairs, toiletries, shower, safe, en suite bathroom and European and USB power sockets. The Premium and Family Premium Tents have tea and coffee making facilities and a minibar fridge also.
Optional Activities
Damara Living Museum, game drives, sundowners, bush walks.
Cornerstone Guesthouse
Overview
Just a short walk from the sea and Swakopmund’s town centre is this small, private bed and breakfast guesthouse. Occupying a quiet corner of Swakopmund’s ‘old town’ near the marine museum and the old brewery, Cornerstone Guesthouse offers the charm and intimacy of a family-run bed and breakfast combined with some of the amenities of a luxury hotel.
Accommodation is in seven en suite rooms, of which five are double/twins and two are family rooms. All are spacious with smart décor and attractive tile and wood flooring, table and chairs and private modern bathrooms. Facilities include digital safes, flat screen satellite TVs, WiFi and minibars.
Within a few minutes you can walk to beaches, cafés, restaurants, lively pubs, Swakopmund tourist attractions and a variety of interesting shops and markets, making this an ideal and welcoming base.
The town resembles a small, German coastal resort, nestled between the desert and the sea, combining colonial architecture with good shops, restaurants, museums, craft centres, art galleries and cafés.
The owners of Cornerstone also rent out a three-bedroom, fully equipped self-catering apartment practically on the seafront and very close to the famous Tug restaurant. Well appointed and decorated in a modern nautical theme, the ground floor flat has a patio and small front garden with views out to sea and a secure garage behind electronic gates to the rear. If renting the apartment, guests are still welcome in the main guesthouse, a short walk away, for an inclusive breakfast each day.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
Private bathrooms, digital safety deposit box, TV, mini-bar, laundry service, breakfast room and Wi-Fi Internet access.
Local Wildlife
A catamaran cruise in Walvis Bay gives the opportunity to see huge colonies of fur seals and white pelicans. The endemic Heavside’s dolphin and dusky and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are also often spotted on the cruise. Mola mola (sunfish) and leatherback turtles are less likely but also possible sightings.
Optional Activities
Catamaran trips in Walvis Bay, sightseeing tours of Swakopmund, inland tours across the dunes to Sandwich Harbour, Tommy's excellent and amusing Living Desert tour which seeks out smaller desert adapted fauna, and visits to historical sites.
Hoodia Desert Lodge
Overview
Hoodia Desert Lodge is an exclusive, owner-run lodge located on the banks of the Tsauchab River in the stunning Namib Desert, near Sesriem. Surrounded by majestic mountains, the lodge offers 11 luxury thatched, partly tented chalets with en-suite bathrooms.
Guests can enjoy guided excursions to nearby Sossusvlei, a mesmerising area of red sand dunes, and unwind with exquisite international and traditional cuisine at the lodge’s restaurant. The lodge is family-owned and managed by Thomas and Henreza Becker, who ensure a personal touch to every guest’s stay. The lodge has a swimming pool and private decks for stargazing, whilst offering breathtaking views and consistently excellent service.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
The main building has an outside lounge deck, swimming pool with shaded area, lounge area with fireplace, restaurant with central fireplace, and a bar.
There are 11 luxury thatched, partly tented chalets with indoor en suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, fridge, mosquito net, coffee making facilities and a private shaded deck. Each chalet has its own bathtub in addition to an open-air shower.
Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Inn
Overview
Klein-Aus Vista Desert Horse Inn is situated in the Aus Mountains at 1,400 meters above sea level, offering grand vistas of mountain scenery and sweeping desert plains. The lodge features 24 spacious and tastefully decorated en suite rooms, providing a comfortable retreat after a day of exploration.
Guests can relax with sundowners on the wooden deck before enjoying a three-course meal in the restaurant, and exchange travel experiences at the evocative Wild Horse Bar or the cosy fireplace in the lounge. The inn serves as an ideal base for exploring south-western Namibia, with activities such as scenic drives, mountain biking, and nature walks. Nearby attractions include the Garub waterhole, where the wild horses can be seen, and the historic diamond mining town of Kolmanskop.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Fish River Lodge
Overview
Perched on the edge of an ancient rift, Fish River Lodge stands as a sentinel over one of Namibia’s most breathtaking geological wonders. The lodge offers unrivaled views both indoors and outdoors, whether you’re taking a dip in the rim pool, unwinding in your chalet, or hiking along the rim trails. As the sun sets, guests can savor drinks on the deck during calm evenings or cozy up by two crackling fires during winter.
The lodge’s restaurant serves an array of culinary delights, including buffet breakfasts, healthy lunches, and exquisite three-course dinners prepared with a touch of Namibian flair. Fish River Lodge offers a variety of adventure activities, both guided and unguided, such as canyon drives, hiking, and cycling.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
There are 19 Chalets, including: 2 x Family, 7 x Double and 10 x Twin.
Optional Activities
Canyon sundowner drive, canyon rim walks, canyon rim to river hike, canyon fat bikes, full day canyon drive, day hike into canyon
Kalahari Farmhouse
Overview
Step into an oasis in the vast Kalahari Desert at this lodge, located on the outskirts of Stampriet. The cosy chalets, adorned with colourful patchwork quilts and warm fireplaces, offer charming views of a serene garden where birds flutter and gentle streams flow, creating a peaceful and rejuvenating atmosphere. The ample water supply allows the garden to thrive, making it a true gem in the desert. Next to the lodge is a small farming business that provides fresh produce for the kitchen. It is conveniently located for those travelling between Windhoek and the South, or those en route to South Africa.
Swimming Pool
Air Conditioning
Rooms
Facilities
There is a restaurant and bar, souvenir shop, swimming pool, Wi-Fi, 24-hour security, mobile phone reception, secure parking (at main lodge), and a laundry service.
Kalahari Farmhouse has 11 x bungalows, including: 9 x twin rooms, 1 x triple and 1 x family room (with four beds).
The bungalows include: Air conditioning/heating, bathrobes and slippers, safe, veranda, en suite bathroom with shower, mosquito nets, tea/coffee facilities, hairdryer.
Optional Activities
Sunset excursions, wildlife safaris, nature walks, 4x4 tours, and conservation activities.
Route Map
Departure Dates
Travel Information
Are International Flights Included?
No. Please contact us for a quote if required.
Best Visited:
January to January
Are you ATOL Registered?
Yes. This means we are legally able to book your international flights in conjunction with your ground arrangements so you can book with us with complete confidence. Read more about our ATOL license here.
Alan Godwin
Area Specialist
If you want to find out the secrets of desert wildlife, opt for Tommy’s Living Desert excursion in Swakopmund.
This tour involves a lot of driving but gives a wonderful sense of the changing scenery to be found in Namibia.
If you have any questions regarding this Tour, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Beautiful country with a wide range of opportunities on offer – wildlife viewing, varied scenery, culture and memorable sunsets. The colours, shapes and shadows of Deadvlei at dawn will stay with me forever. Very helpful and informative discussions with Alan Godwin before booking. Everyone in country did their bit at the right time in the right place. I felt very well looked after. The care and attention to detail was outstanding and this helped me to relax and enjoy the experience and enabled me to begin to make new but different memories.
